At Home, Maybe It’s the Cooking

No can explain the vast disparity between the Dodgers’ pitching performance at home and on the road.

The Dodgers entered the game Friday with a 13-6 record and 1.88 earned-run average at Dodger Stadium, yielding only 116 hits, including 14 homers, in 172 innings. Opponents are batting a meager .189 and have an on-base percentage of .258 and slugging percentage of .290.

On the road, the Dodger pitching staff is 8-15 with a 3.71 ERA, yielding 214 hits, including 15 homers, in 199 innings. Foes are batting .278, slugging .389 and have a .344 on-base percentage.

So why the Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde routine?

“I have no idea,” pitching coach Dave Wallace said, “although I do know that guys love pitching here. I think it might be the whole environment. Dodger Stadium is a special place, but still. . . .”

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Manager Tom Lasorda, on his frustrations over the Dodgers’ inconsistencies:

“I come home each night and say to my wife, ‘Why me? Why me?’ And she’ll say, ‘Did you ever stop to think that God is testing you just to see how you’d react?’

“ ‘I can understand that, but for how long?’ ”