Dodgers Are Stifled by Zambrano

In this space, you could be reading about how Carlos Zambrano pitched a no-hitter against the Dodgers. But the Dodgers got a lucky hit, so they are spared the indignity of a no-hit recap.

Instead, you can read about another Dodger loss in a season teetering toward mediocrity. Zambrano tranquilized the Dodger offense and Neifi Perez singled home the winning run in the 10th inning, lifting the Chicago Cubs to a 2-1 victory Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

Today is the first day of June, and the Dodgers are 6 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres in the National League West. They were never more than 3 1/2 games out of first place last season, when they won the division title. And, if the Dodgers lose today, they will officially be a .500 team.

“It’s still pretty early,” pitcher Brad Penny said. “When we won in Florida, we were 10 games under .500.”

As Penny noted, the Dodgers have 13 games left against San Diego, including seven in June.

“We’ll turn it around,” he said. “I’ll give up four or five runs and we’ll win. It all evens out.”

The Dodgers got one hit in 10 innings Tuesday. After Penny and Eric Gagne held the Cubs to one run in nine innings, Yhency Brazoban gave up the game-winning run in the 10th.

The Dodgers put their $2 Tuesday ticket promotion on hiatus after discounts on the pavilion seats coincided with an outbreak of unruly behavior in that area.

So far, even with the highly publicized addition of uniformed Los Angeles Police Department officers in the seating area, some of the fans went away when the cheap seats did.

On the two $2 Tuesdays, the Dodgers drew 44,486 and 41,190. At full price, they have drawn 37,481 and 37,221.

Although Cesar Izturis got that one hit, he should not have been afforded the chance. Hee-Seop Choi struck out to start the third inning, but the third strike skidded out of the mitt of catcher Henry Blanco. Choi reached first on the passed ball.

Zambrano retired the next two batters, so he should have been out of the inning. But Izturis got a chance to bat and hit a pop fly into short left field -- poor hit, great location. The ball landed in a triangle between shortstop Perez, left fielder Jason Dubois and center fielder Corey Patterson, with Dubois sliding past the ball in an attempt to catch it.

Choi, given a running start with two out, scored from first base. Izturis was credited with a double.

“The ball was hit at a time of day where it’s tough to see out there,” Cub Manager Dusty Baker said. “He could have had a no-hitter except for that one play.”

With the extra work needed after Blanco’s passed ball and a foul pop dropped by first baseman Derrek Lee, Zambrano made 123 pitches after eight innings, too many to pitch nine. However, for the third time this season, he had given up one hit.

“You hear a lot of talk about Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, and rightfully so,” Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said.

“This guy doesn’t have to take a back seat to anyone.”