No dodging another defeat // Cubs waste solid effort by Gonzalez; loss streak hits 4

Dodgers 3 Cubs 2

LOS ANGELES One of baseball's appeals is the depth ofsuperstition in the game. Fans seldom hear about such voodootactics in other sports.

So when Jeremi Gonzalez submitted to a severe clubhouse haircutbefore Saturday night's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers and MarkGrace shaved off a goatee to ward off the evil spirits that had heldhim to five hits in his last 36 at-bats, the Cubs were calling on thegod of beauty parlors to be kind and provide for their needs.The clean-cut ploy proved as dependable as a Ouija board. Eventhough Gonzalez struck out a career-best 10 and allowed just threehits in seven innings, and Grace contributed two singles and had anRBI, the Cubs couldn't shake their bad karma.A 3-2 defeat to L.A. shoved them to their fourth consecutivesetback and was their ninth loss in the last 13 games. The Cubs,once 8-2 and doing more than California dreaming, now are 12-11 andin danger of being labeled as the Beached Boys before the West Coasttrip ends Tuesday in San Diego."It's a shame to waste this performance by Gonzalez," JeffBlauser said. "This isn't a high time. But we've got to believe wecan turn it around. We will."Gonzalez's throwing error in the sixth inning caused him to fallbehind 3-2. After pinch hitter Wilton Guerrero started the inningwith a double, Eric Young laid down a sacrifice bunt. Gonzalezfielded it running toward the third-base line and turned for apossible play at third.But third baseman Jose Hernandez also had broken in on the bunt,leaving no one to cover third. Gonzalez tried to quickly recover forthe out at first, but he hit Young with his throw and the ballbounded away - and Guerrero scored what became the deciding run."Jeremi's so quick and athletic, his first thought is to gothird," manager Jim Riggleman. "But it's Guerrero, and we probablywouldn't have gotten him if there was a play."Gonzalez - who beat the Dodgers 2-1 last weekend in Chicago -was perfect through the first four innings. In retiring 12 straightDodgers, he struck out six - including Mike Piazza, who went downswinging in his first at-bat.Todd Zeile ruined any no-hit thoughts when he opened the fifthinning with a single to right field. Raul Mondesi followed with ahomer to left that evened the score at 2-2.Lance Johnson ignited a two-run Cubs' fourth with an overduesingle. Johnson was making his third start since coming off thedisabled list and was 0-for-5 in his previous two games.After Johnston stole second base, Sammy Sosa knocked him homewith his double. The RBI was Sosa's 15th this month; when he drovein 119 runs last season, Sosa had 13 RBI the first month.Grace singled in Sosa, but then the Cubs suffered a hit-and-runbreakdown. Grace was thrown out trying to steal second after BrantBrown couldn't swing at a pitch low and inside to protect the runner."You take a gamble, but what's the odds that the pitch is goingto be at Brown's ankles?" Riggleman said.Right now, it's all odds against for the Cubs.