Dodgers Blow 4-2 Lead and Lose to Reds in 10

The Dodgers became the last major league team this season to play an extra-inning game Saturday. After what happened, they might not want to play another one.

With two out in the 10th inning, Jay Howell walked the Cincinnati Reds’ Eric Davis to load the bases, then gave up a two-run single to right field by Paul O’Neill that gave the Reds a 6-5 victory before 45,974 at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodger collapse was completed in the bottom of the 10th, after Rob Dibble walked the bases full and Juan Samuel hit a sacrifice fly to center field.

But with the tying and winning runs on base, with the remaining crowd standing and screaming, Darryl Strawberry kept the bat on his shoulder while a called strike sailed past him to end the game.

The Dodger clubhouse was silent afterward, except for the sound of clothes being thrown into lockers.

“This was a bad, bad one,” said Manager Tom Lasorda, using that phrase for the first time this season.

How bad?

The Dodgers blew a lead (4-2) after the sixth inning for only the third time this year. Howell’s walk to Davis was only his second unintentional walk this season. And Strawberry’s eyesight was questioned by a rookie catcher.

“In a situation like that, you can’t sit and watch the pitch go by,” said the Reds’ Glenn Sutko, who entered the game in the ninth inning.

Strawberry said it is easy to watch a pitch that is far outside. He said umpire Terry Tata missed two strike calls on that final at-bat.

“I don’t know what it is with these umpires,” said Strawberry, who went hitless in five at-bats with three strikeouts after being the home run hero in Friday’s victory.

“One pitch high, and that last one was way outside. Had it been even close to a strike, I would have swung. My eyesight isn’t that bad!”

The Dodgers lost for the second time in three games against the Reds, increasing the importance of today’s series finale. The only reason the Dodgers didn’t fall out of first place was that the second-place Atlanta Braves also lost.

The 10th inning, Howell’s second inning of work because there were no strong arms left in the bullpen, began when pinch-hitter Herm Winningham beat out a slow grounder between third base and shortstop.

After Chris Sabo bunted him to second and Mariano Duncan grounded out, left-handed hitting Hal Morris was intentionally walked to get to Davis, whom the Dodgers had intentionally walked three times in a game last week.

This time Howell walked him, unintentionally, on four pitches. It was only Howell’s second unintentional walk of the season. O’Neill then drove in his 26th and 27th runs of the season.

“I gave it my best, I pitched my head off, I just could not get that last out,” said Howell, who also pitched two innings Friday. “I’ve been throwing a lot lately, I did all I could do.”

Many will say the game was really lost in the seventh inning, when the Dodgers blew the 4-2 lead. Mike Morgan, the starter who had not given up a walk until then, walked two, then Jim Gott yielded a two-run single to Chris Sabo on his second pitch to tie the score.

Morgan, who had given up hits to only two of the previous 12 hitters, began the inning by walking O’Neill, who had nine hits in 21 career at-bats against him. Jeff Reed then forced O’Neill with a grounder and Glenn Braggs struck out.

But Freddie Benavides, a rookie who is replacing injured Barry Larkin, singled up the middle to move Reed to second. The hit gave Benavides a .389 average in 17 at-bats against the Dodgers this season.

The next hitter, starting pitcher Jose Rijo, was pulled for left-handed pinch-hitter Todd Benzinger, who was batting .153 and was hitless in nine pinch at-bats.

After Morgan walked Benzinger, Lasorda brought in Gott to face Sabo. Sabo grounded between Lenny Harris and Alfredo Griffin into left field to score Reed and Benavides.

“I didn’t do the job, and I haven’t been doing the job,” Gott said. “No excuses.”