Apr 25, 2002 By Dave Stofcheck 3 min read

PITTSBURGH – The Pirates’ recent surging offense had its chances again Wednesday night, but clutch hits were absent in a 5-1 loss to the Dodgers before a paid-attendance crowd of 14,057 at PNC Park. After averaging seven runs through the first four games of the current homestand, Los Angeles left-hander Omar Daal held Pittsburgh to one run on five hits through six innings.

Daal (3-0) is 7-2 lifetime against the Pirates and has won his last seven starts.

It was Daal’s second career start for Los Angeles after taking Kevin Brown’s spot in the rotation last week.

“He changes speed well and he was tough early on,” said Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon. “He really threw a nice game.”

Dave Williams (2-2) suffered the loss, giving up three runs on four hits through 6 1/3 innings.

After allowing single runs in the first two innings, Williams settled into a groove, retiring 14 of 15 Los Angeles hitters and eight straight at one point.

The Pirates were retired in order only once, stranding 10 runners.

Pittsburgh left the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning and wasted Jack Wilson’s one-out triple in the fifth.

“We had opportunities,” McClendon said.

“We just didn’t take advantage of them. We didn’t get any two-out hits.”

After Daal left, four Dodger pitchers, including the ageless Jesse Orosco, combined to keep the Pirates off the scoreboard the rest of the way.

As a team, the Dodgers (3.32) ranked third in the National League behind San Francisco (2.50) and New York (2.57) in ERA entering Wednesday’s game.

Marquis Grissom gave the Dodgers a 1-0 first-inning lead with his second home run of the season, a shot to left field.

Eric Karros’ double drove in Brian Jordan in the second to make it 2-0, before Williams settled down.

Williams walked Dodgers second baseman Mark Grudzielanek one out after Karros’ double, but avoided further damage when Daal popped up a bunt attempt.

Williams caught the ball and fired to third to nab Karros, who had advanced to third and was breaking for home with the pitch.

Williams retired 10 of the next 11 hitters, giving up only a two-out walk to Karros in the fourth.

The Pirates cut the lead in half in the fourth, on doubles by Brian Giles and Craig Wilson.

Wilson lined a shot to right field that hit the top facing above the gameday scoreboard and came about a foot short of the right field seats.

Williams left the game after allowing a one-out double to Karros in the seventh, and Los Angeles broke the game open with three hits off reliever Brian Boehringer before the inning ended.

“We did the things we needed to do with this pitching staff,” said Los Angeles manager Jim Tracy. “Our club knows five runs is a lot to work with. We know if we put runs on the board, our pitchers will make them stand up.”

The Pirates loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, but Dodgers reliever Giovanni Carrara struck out pinch hitter Rob Mackowiak to end the threat.

NOTES: Before Wednesday’s game, the Pirates had sent at least nine batters to the plate in one inning in each of the previous four games. … The Pirates game against Arizona on Monday, May 6 has been changed from a 6:35 p.m. start to 7:05 to accommodate ESPN. … Jason Kendall tied former Pirates catcher Tony Pena for third place on the club’s all-time games caught list with 787.