Dodgers Let One Get Away in 12

SAN DIEGO —  Regardless of the Dodgers’ shortcomings in the past, pitching historically has been among their strengths.

The organization has thrived throughout the decades because of a foundation built on that.

But the Dodger pitching hasn’t held to form this season.

The staff has struggled under first-year major league coach Glenn Gregson, who is searching for answers. Pitching has suddenly become a problem for the Dodgers, who are becoming accustomed to things going awry in the wake of Peter O’Malley’s sale of the franchise to the Fox Group.

It was hard to blame the pitchers Wednesday. Roger Cedeno, playing center field after Raul Mondesi left the game, let a bloop single by Wally Joyner get past him in the 12th inning as Greg Vaughn scored from first base to give the San Diego Padres a 3-2 victory.

The Dodgers dropped 11 1/2 games behind San Diego in the NL West.

In the third inning, Mondesi robbed Tony Gwynn of at least a double with a running, over-the-shoulder catch. Mondesi slammed headfirst into the wall in right-center and lay on the ground for several minutes after making the sensational catch.

He sprained his left ankle, but he walked off the field under his own power. Mondesi, who went one for three, was replaced after batting in the sixth inning.

Manager Bill Russell is being held accountable for the team’s overall performance. But Gregson, who replaced the respected Dave Wallace, is on the spot for the pitchers.

And the group’s poor overall performance is evident.

“If I could have [planned] how I wanted to start my first job in the big leagues, this certainly wouldn’t have been it,” said Gregson, formerly the organization’s minor league pitching instructor.

“We haven’t performed as a group as well as we would like, and we haven’t had the level of consistency we had hoped for.”

The Dodgers finished first or second in the major leagues in team earned-run average the last three seasons. This season, they are seventh in the National League with a 3.91 ERA before Wednesday.

Moreover, the starting staff hasn’t performed to the expectations of team officials. The group that was again expected to be the strength of the team has struggled since the start with the exception of Ramon Martinez, who is expected to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery.

“I can’t point my finger to one thing--it’s been a combination of things,” Gregson said. “We’ve had a combination of unforeseen circumstances that have added up to create difficult situations. It seems like there’s been one distraction after another, one thing after another.”

Chan Ho Park had a breakthrough season last season, but he has experienced back problems this season and his confidence was shaken after several poor starts. Valdes has frustrated Gregson because of his inconsistency.

Scott Radinsky and Antonio Osuna haven’t inspired confidence in the closer role, and the bullpen has become mediocre down after a strong start.

“I kind of expected some ups and downs, and we’ve had some,” Gregson said. “These things are going to happen during the course of a season, and you just have to accept that and move forward.”

Gregson is typically upbeat. He spent 24 years in organized baseball waiting for an opportunity to work in the major leagues, and it came when Wallace accepted a front-office position with the New York Mets in the off-season.

He understands the realities of the game, and he knows that his performance is also being evaluated. But he said his focus will remain where it belongs.

“I don’t get preoccupied with things out of my control,” Gregson said. “My job is to stay positive and keep working with these pitchers, and that’s what I’m going to keep doing.”

Of course, the Dodger pitchers are also responsible for themselves. They said Gregson shouldn’t be blamed for their performances.

“You can’t look at anyone else when things aren’t going right, you have to look at yourself,” said Darren Dreifort.