Last night's 3-1 loss to the Florida Marlins marked the 34th time in the 2008 season that the Dodgers have scored two or less runs in a game. In those contests, the Dodgers are 2-32. On the season, the Dodgers are 13th of 16 National League teams in runs per game, 15th in doubles, dead last in home runs, 15th in slugging percentage, 12th in batting average and tied for 12th in on base percentage.
The 1984 Dodger team had similar issues at the plate. That squad scored two or fewer runs in 67 of its games, losing 53 of them. The team was last in the league in runs per game, batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. The result for their lackluster effort with the bat was a 79-83 record which placed them in fourth place in the National League West, 13 games behind division leader San Diego.
On July 12, 1984, the Dodgers' hitters had a typically frustrating performance in a 3-2 ten inning loss at Wrigley Field against the Cubs. The team had ten hits, but left eight runners on base and was only 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position as it started the second half of the season (the All-Star game was on July 10th that year) on a down note.
The game started out shakily for Dodger starter Alejandro Pena, as he gave up two runs (both unearned) on a Leon Durham double in the first inning. From there, the righthander settled down as he held the Cubs scoreless from the second through the eighth, fanning six and allowing only five hits. The Dodgers chipped away to tie the score, getting a RBI single from Candy Maldonado in the fourth and a solo homer by Mike Marshall in the sixth. But when the team needed a big hit to grab control of the game, the hitters were not able to produce.
In the top of the ninth, the Dodgers put two men on with one out but did not score. In the 10th, Steve Sax led off with a single and was sacrificed to second. With the team's two big hitters (Pedro Guerrero and Marshall) coming up, Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda had to feel like his chances of seeing the team score were solid. However in typical 1984 fashion, Guerrero grounded to third and Marshall popped out to first to end the threat. When Ryne Sandberg led off the bottom of the frame with a home run off of Tom Niedenfuer, the Dodgers were left with another disappointing loss in a season where ineptitute of the team's hitters caused many a heartache.
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