Guerrero Puts End to Hawkins’ Streak in 5-1 Dodger Win

Andy Hawkins’ streak is over, the streak that enabled him to become more than just a pretty face. The Dodgers beat him, 5-1, Wednesday night, after scoring four runs in a silly seventh inning.

Because of his 11-0 record, Hawkins had actually begun to hold press conferences on the road and even had an interview set up with Newsweek this week, had suddenly become a normal person again.

“It’s just been awesome,” he said, microphones crammed around him, his neighbor Mark Thurmond having to wait until later to get to his locker. “But now I’ve had one of those days I kept telling you guys all along that I’d have.

“It’s been a dream come true. But now I can settle down and become part of a successful team.”

He will have less attention.

“Yeah, I don’t have to look at any of you (reporters) so much.”

He paused.

“Not that you guys are bad looking.”

And this is Andy Hawkins, not a killer type of guy. That’s what made his streak so strange. People always thought he was too timid to do such a thing. Yet, he himself would admit that he had a bit of luck. All year, he had never had an unearned run behind him.

Before Wednesday.

His worst pitch of the evening may have been a throw he made to second base, one that was supposed to be a fastball, but looked more like a high curve.

And this is what led to the Dodgers’ first run, coming in the sixth inning. Hawkins had hit the leadoff man, Dave Anderson, on the shoulder, and Jerry Reuss then bunted. Third baseman Graig Nettles came running up to field it, and so did Hawkins. Nettles slid by the ball, but Hawkins picked it up cleanly and seemed to have enough time to get Anderson at second.

But he threw that high curve that pulled a leaping Garry Templeton off the bag, and Anderson was safe. Anderson went to third on Mariano Duncan’s sacrifice (with two strikes), and scored on Bill Russell’s sacrifice fly to center.

Actually, the Dodgers could’ve scored more in that inning had first baseman Steve Garvey not leaped high to catch Ken Landreaux’s liner. Garvey was actually cheered here after that one.

Still, Hawkins had pitched well through six innings. Normally, he has much trouble with the leadoff men, or even the second batter in an inning, and this happens, he says, because he doesn’t concentrate as seriously as he should with nobody on base.

Of course, in the sixth, he had hit Anderson, the leadoff hitter, and in the seventh, Pedro Guerrero, opened the inning with a home run to right-center on a 1 and 0 pitch. It made the score, 2-1.

Hawkins seemed to come apart then, his pitches suddenly leaving the strike zone, something he hasn’t had a problem with throughout his entire win streak. After Guerrero’s homer, he walked Greg Brock on four pitches, and Mike Marshall singled to center.

Then, strange things began to happen. On Marshall’s single, center fielder Kevin McReynolds seemed to have the time to throw out Brock, who had headed for third. But he never threw. Meanwhile, Marshall had rounded first much too far, and McReynolds threw behind him. The throw was a one-hopper, and Marshall beat Garvey’s subsequent throw to second. Runners were at second and third now.

Strange things continued to happen. After Mike Scioscia was walked intentionally, Anderson singled to left. Carmelo Martinez, the Padre left fielder, let the ball roll past him, and Brock scored.

But, for some reason, Marshall stopped at third. Scioscia, not knowing this, kept running toward third. Marshall, then took off for home, and Martinez threw to second baseman Jerry Royster. Royster, who had no clue, tagged second as if a runner were coming. But there was no runner. So he threw home and seemed to get Marshall at the plate as Terry Kennedy tagged him in the helmet.

He was ruled safe. Two runs had come in, making it 4-1.

At this point, Padre Manager Dick Williams came and got Hawkins, who left and probably knew he had finally lost. Craig Lefferts then entered and promptly gave up an RBI single to pinch-hitter R.J. Reynolds. It was 5-1.

All in all, it was Guerrero’s home run that did it. That changed Hawkins’ frame of mind and his pitches. Strangely, Guerrero had gone 0 for 11 before the hit. But he has been hot this month, having hit eight home runs in his last 10 games.

“I always have confidence in myself,” Guerrero said. “I’ve never hit so many home runs in a short period of time, but every year is different.”

San Diego’s lone run came in the seventh. Reuss had pitched no-hit baseball for five innings (Jerry Davis singled in the sixth), but in the seventh, he was hurt by that famed Dodger defense.

Garvey, the leadoff man, grounded to third, but Anderson misplayed it. McReynolds again grounded to Anderson, who got smacked in the belly by the ball, but recovered and got the out at first. Kennedy then doubled to left, and the scored was tied, 1-1.

The Padres then loaded the bases, their only legitimate threat to help Hawkins win. They tried a suicide squeeze with Templeton the batter and Kennedy at third, but Templeton’s bunt, on an 0-and-2 count, hit the plate and was foul. He was out. Hawkins then flied out to end the inning.

Not to mention his streak.

“I was relatively unknown,” he said. “No one knew me. And so it was nice. No one wants to go through life in obscurity. This will be a good start for me.”