Lasorda is still the showman

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Hall of Fame manager Tom Lasorda returned to the Dodgers’ bench Tuesday. But he didn’t stay there long, charging off the bench to argue a call by plate umpire Damien Beal in the second inning of a 7-6 Grapefruit League loss to the Florida Marlins.

Never mind the fact Beal made the correct call. When the crowd reacted with boos, that was all the invitation Lasorda needed to rush the umpire, gesticulating wildly as the fans went wild.

“I was listening,” James Loney, whose infield dribbler led to the argument, said with a smile. “He kind of surprised me when he came out. He was arguing, he was yelling. He was giving it to him.

“It’s Tommy, though, you know? You’ve got to win.”

First base umpire Gary Cederstrom quickly came to Beal’s rescue, pointing a grinning Lasorda back to the dugout.

“They’ve always liked that when I’d go out and start arguing. Put on a little show,” Lasorda said of the fans.

While Joe Torre is in China with a Dodgers team made up mainly of rookies and non-roster players, Lasorda will manage the players left behind.

The position is largely ceremonial, though, because bench coach Bob Schaefer and third base coach Larry Bowa will be making most of the decisions, based on Torre’s wishes.

That’s fine with Lasorda.

“It’s been a long time for me to be able to sit there and do that. I’m so happy and grateful that they’re allowing me to do it,” said Lasorda, the first Hall of Fame manager to return to the dugout after retiring.

“It went by too fast. Before I knew it, I was retiring.”

But Lasorda promised the Dodgers would play aggressively and they did Tuesday, scoring in the first inning after a successful hit and run, then running themselves out of the third inning when Delwyn Young was caught trying to steal.

Short of players, he also used pitcher Brad Penny as pinch-hitter in the sixth inning. Penny, hitting for pitcher Scott Proctor, grounded to first.

“Probably everyone in the stadium heard him,” outfielder Juan Pierre said of Lasorda. “He’s energetic. A couple of plays he got fired up about. It was good.”

Kuo is solid

Left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo, attempting a comeback from elbow surgery, worked a perfect inning in relief, striking out Hanley Ramirez and Jeremy Hermida.

“It feels better each time,” said Kuo, who has made three scoreless appearances this spring. “I just followed [catcher Russell Martin]. He gave me the sign and I just tried to hit a spot.”

Right-hander Yhency Brazoban, also coming back from surgery, didn’t fare as well, giving up four runs and four hits in two-thirds of an inning, his earned-run average ballooning to 13.50 in three spring outings.

Starter Derek Lowe also struggled, giving up three runs in four innings. He gave five runs in the span of six outs in his last start five days earlier.

At the plate, Rafael Furcal had three hits -- including a triple -- scored twice and knocked in two runs, raising his average to .357.

Sitting on the fence

Torre has made three previous trips to Asia, visiting the Great Wall of China on one visit. Asked which was more imposing, the Great Wall or the Green Monster -- the great green wall in left field at Boston’s Fenway Park -- Torre said, “Depends on if you’re a pitcher or a hitter I guess.”

On the run

Bowa has been working with the young Dodgers on baserunning all spring and that appeared to pay off in the fifth inning when Loney, in a heads-up move, advanced from second to third on a foul pop when Marlins third baseman Jose Castillo and shortstop Ramirez left the base uncovered.

“That’s something you have to do on your own,” Loney said. “But that’s one of the things they’ve been stressing: be aware of the situation.”

Injury update

Nomar Garciaparra tested his sore right wrist by hitting off a tee with a fungo bat and said he had little unexpected discomfort. It was the first time Garciaparra had swung a bat since being hit by a pitch on Friday. . . . Rookie infielder Tony Abreu, limited to one spring training appearance by complications stemming from off-season abdominal surgery, remains day to day. And frustration is building within the organization over his continued unavailability.

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kevin.baxter@latimes.com