Two Good Ends to Bad Beginnings : Dodgers: They finish a 22-game home stand with a 9-0 victory over St. Louis but are 13 games out of first place.

It’s a tough call as to whether the Dodgers had more fun on the field or in the dugout, where they counted down the final hours of a 22-game home stand by throwing pies, shaving cream and whatever else they could find.

“I think the score was about 6-0 when Eric Davis threw water on (Brett) Butler, and that started it,� said Juan Samuel, who scored four runs to help the Dodgers beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 9-0, Sunday before 31,020 at Dodger Stadium.

Dodger starter Kevin Gross clearly had more fun on the mound, where he got his second shutout and complete game of the season to improve to 5-9.

“The guys were trying to have some fun, and some of the guys take it as fun and some take it more serious,� Gross said. “Sometimes I’m a little too serious.�

Gross’ resolve was too much for the Cardinals, who had nine hits but stranded 11 runners. Cardinal starter Donovan Osborne (7-5) didn’t make it past the second inning.

“It was the only day we have had fun,� said Samuel, who was headed for the All-Star game at this time last season.

“See you in Japan,� Samuel joked to pitcher Jim Gott as he was leaving. Samuel was referring to trade rumors that have surrounded much of his season.

“Do you have your passport?� Gott asked Samuel.

Darryl Strawberry, who didn’t play because of a rain-soaked outfield, followed the water throwing episode by hitting Mike Sharperson in the face with a pie. The rain had stopped by game time, although drizzle lingered.

“I had to welcome Mike at being an All-Star,� said Strawberry, who is recovering from a back injury.

“Dr. (Robert) Watkins said a sudden move on a wet field could cause a lot of problems,� Strawberry said.

“To me, the injuries were a real key to what happened to us this first half. With players out and no set lineup, it’s difficult.�

Entering the All-Star break, the Dodgers are in last place, 13 games behind first-place Cincinnati. The last time the Dodgers were in last place after the first half was in 1986, when they were eight games behind and went on to finish fifth, 23 games out.

That was the year that Pedro Guerrero was injured on the last day of spring training. The Dodgers had won the division the year before and hopes were high.

Sound familiar?

“When I left spring training I was on track and things looked good,� Gross said. “I’ve done the best I could, even though sometimes in the midst of all this I have lost my temper.

“Sometimes we have great pitching, other times great defense and a good offense. But I think you have to have two of those three things consistently to do real well every day.� Using a lineup that included reserves Todd Benzinger in left field, Mitch Webster in right and Davis in center, the Dodgers scored four runs during the first inning. It was a treat for Gross, who had received an average of 2.9 runs in his 15 starts before Sunday.

Sharperson hit a bloop single down the right-field line, and Davis followed with a walk. Webster doubled down the left-field line and Sharperson scored. Samuel tripled over the head of center fielder Ray Lankford, scoring Davis and Webster. Benzinger followed with a single to left field to score Samuel.

Webster drove in his second run in the second inning, when he singled to left, scoring Jose Offerman. That was all for Osborne (7-5), who was replaced by Jose DeLeon, who got the final out.

But he didn’t last long either.

Samuel lined a single to left field to lead off the third inning, and Benzinger followed with a double to the right-field corner. Carlos Hernandez flied to center and Samuel scored.

Benzinger scored Samuel again in the fifth inning on a sacrifice to left field.