Dodger Offense Comes to a Halt

MILWAUKEE — It’s like old times for the Dodgers these days, which is not what they wanted.

But here they are again, struggling on offense and searching for answers as their slide continued Wednesday night in a 2-1 loss in 12 innings to the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

The Dodgers had only eight hits, none after the seventh inning, and watched in frustration as Brewer relievers retired 14 in a row to close the game.

“Fourteen people were retired in a row,” said Manager Jim Tracy, whose team has dropped 10 of 12.

“When you don’t have a baserunner from the [ninth] inning on, it’s just going to be extremely difficult to win. We didn’t get a hit from the eighth inning on.”

Milwaukee also had problems, producing seven hits. The Brewers, however, applied late-inning pressure and finally broke through in the 12th when Geoff Jenkins, who singled to start the inning against Duaner Sanchez (1-1), scored the winning run from second base on third baseman Adrian Beltre’s errant throw to first.

Those who remained in a crowd of 14,084 celebrated as Jenkins crossed the plate and was greeted by teammates, ending a 3-hour 30-minute game in which both bullpens shined. Matt Kinney (2-3), the Brewers’ seventh pitcher, worked a perfect 12th and capped eight scoreless innings in relief.

The Dodgers wasted another strong seven-inning outing from starter Odalis Perez, who gave up only one run on Trent Durrington’s pinch-hit home run in the sixth.

“I wouldn’t say it’s frustrating,” said Perez, 0-2 with three no-decisions and a 2.57 earned-run average in his last five starts. “If I get some run support, perfect. If I don’t get some run support

The Dodgers produced five hits -- all singles -- after Juan Encarnacion put them on the scoreboard first with his sixth homer (first since May 6) in the second.

“You can never figure out hitting,” Tracy said. “The thing that you definitely can do is pitch the ball and catch the ball, and hitting goes in spurts. It was terrific through the first 32 games of the season, and now we’ve hit a lull. We’ve struggled in a number of different areas, and not from just one person.

“We have several guys that are much better than what’s going on right now, and I can’t explain it. When you see what we were doing offensively in the early part of the season, it correlated to 22-10. Now, runs become very tough to come by. Inevitably, sooner or later, it’s going to get you.”

Despite being 2-6 on a trip that ends today, the Dodgers (24-20) have remained tied with San Diego atop the National League West.

The Dodgers again went quietly on Wednesday, squandering their final opportunity in the seventh.

With the score tied, 1-1, Olmedo Saenz and Jose Hernandez had consecutive singles to start the inning against Jeff Bennett, putting runners on the corners. Hernandez advanced on Perez’s sacrifice bunt, and Alex Cora ran for Saenz.

Leadoff batter Cesar Izturis, a bright spot on offense for the Dodgers with two hits, lined out to shortstop and Cora was doubled off third. Shawn Green walked in the eighth, and that was it for the Dodgers.

“We let a big opportunity get away in the seventh, but that happens,” batting instructor Tim Wallach said. “The guy made a good pitch.”

Guillermo Mota escaped a bases-loaded jam in the 10th, and the Brewers wasted Scott Podsednik’s leadoff double in the 11th, but the Dodgers ran out of luck in the 12th.

Jenkins reached on a bad-hop infield single as the ball hit the second-base bag, and Lyle Overbay walked.

Beltre barehanded Keith Ginter’s sacrifice bunt about halfway up the third-base line and made an off-balance throw to first that hit Ginter and bounced away. Game over.

“I see signs of some good stuff, and that’s what I’ve been trying to focus on,” Wallach said. “It’s frustrating for them. I know they’re trying to do a lot every time they get up there.”