Dodgers, Reds Are Rained Out--So Is Reuss

The Dodgers ran into more summer rain Tuesday night but didn’t get a win out of this one. Didn’t even get a game, for that matter.

With water already standing on Riverfront Stadium’s artificial turf at game time and with more rain forecast, Tuesday night’s game with the Cincinnati Reds was called before a pitch could be thrown.

The Dodgers had already run into rain on this trip, but they had survived a delay of nearly three hours in Atlanta and won a game there. Tuesday night, though, the Zamboni machines that vacuum up the water fell hopelessly behind and the playing field continued to puddle.

The rainout gave Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda a chance to do yet more juggling. Jerry Reuss, who had been scheduled to pitch today’s game here, has been held back a day in the rotation. He’ll pitch Friday night’s series opener in the Houston Astrodome. Bob Welch (1-0) will pitch today, as originally scheduled.

Lasorda said that he made the change because Reuss has been “very successful against Houston.”

In fact, Reuss has a record of 20-18 against Cincinnati as opposed to a 19-10 mark against Houston. Moreover, his earned-run average against Cincinnati is 3.76, compared with 2.26 against Houston.

Reuss, however, wasn’t especially happy with the change. “I’ve had pretty good success against this team as far as that goes,” he said. He added he would prefer to keep his spot in the rotation. “I’d rather pitch every fifth day, even in winter time.”

He added, however, that the change was made less because of him and his numbers than for the other pitchers in the rotation. Both Welch and Rick Honeycutt have been flip-flopped in the rotation in the past.

“It’s just my time,” Reuss said.

Dodger Notes The game that never was returned outfielder Pedro Guerrero to the infield, even though his offense since he was moved to the outfield has been astounding. He has hit four homers in the nine games he has played in the outfield and has batted. 351. Manager Tom Lasorda said that the lineup move was partly because Guerrero has a sore arm, partly because he wanted to rest Greg Brock, and partly because he wanted to play Bill Russell. Lasorda, however, said that he would never return Guerrero to the infield if it meant he’d slump at the plate. “I told him I’d rather have his bat than his glove,” Lasorda said. . . . Third baseman Bob Bailor said his hamstring had been healing nicely until he tried to hit Tuesday. “It’s hurting me again,” he said. “Sure didn’t hurry me along any. If I had to play, I could, but it sure wouldn’t help. . . . Today’s matchup: the Dodgers’ Bob Welch (1-0) against Tom Browning (3-5). For what it’s worth, Welch has been more effective against the Reds than the Astros, whom he had originally been set to face. He’s 8-8 with a 3.09 ERA against the Astros, and 9-6 with a 2.41 ERA against the Reds.