Resurgent Drabek Can’t Quite Get Even : Pirates: Last season’s NL Cy Young Award winner is pitching better, but he still falls to 6-8.

On the way to winning 22 games, the Cy Young Award and leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to the National League East title last year, nearly everything went right for Doug Drabek.

In Saturday’s matchup of division leaders at Dodger Stadium, it was the Dodgers who got the little plays and the big hits as Mike Morgan beat Drabek, 4-1, thwarting the Pittsburgh right-hander’s chance to even his record.

The Dodgers made several outstanding plays in the field and Pittsburgh’s hard-hit balls seemed to be right at somebody. Pittsburgh Manager Jim Leyland said the Dodgers “played great defense against us. When they play as good a defense as they played against us, they’re tough. They’re stingy with runs and they have great offense.”

Drabek started the season poorly but has pitched well since mid-May, lowering his earned run average to 2.87. He beat Morgan and the Dodgers two weeks ago in Pittsburgh, 2-1, but Saturday he gave up a run in the second on three singles and two more runs in the sixth, leaving with a 3-0 deficit as his record fell to 6-8.

“The beginning of the season I was trying to be perfect,” Drabek said. “That’s when I was getting myself in trouble. But Jim (Leyland) and (pitching coach) Ray (Miller) saw it and told me I wasn’t throwing. The last six games I just started throwing the ball, throwing strikes, feeling a lot stronger out there.

“I didn’t throw as sharp (today) as the last time I pitched against them. I fell behind a lot early and it got me in trouble. They put the ball in play when they had to. I got our team in a hole early and Morgan didn’t give us a chance to get back in (the game).”

The victory gave the Dodgers a 3-2 edge over the Pirates this season. The Dodgers were without Darryl Strawberry and the Pirates were without cleanup hitter Bobby Bonilla, both because of injuries.

“The Dodgers definitely have a good team,” Drabek said.

“The early part of the lineup, you have to throw strikes and keep them off the bases. Then (Eddie) Murray and (Kal) Daniels can get you some quick runs.

“They’re playing good ball. When you have two teams this evenly matched, you’re usually going to have some close games.”

Pirate shortstop Jay Bell agreed: “When Morgan got the 3-0 lead, he had a lot of confidence. L.A.’s really got a great team. You know when you play them it’s going to be tough to win.”