Dodgers Roll Over Cubs Into 1st Place : L.A. Routs Chicago, 9-1, for Sixth Straight, but Who’s Counting?

On the top step of the tattered stairs that lead from the first-base dugout to the visitors’ clubhouse, a handwritten sign awaited the arrival of the Dodgers after their 9-1 romp over the Cubs Saturday afternoon had moved them into first place in the National League West--a position they retained as San Diego lost to St. Louis, 7-3.

“How many outs per inning--Sax,” it said.

In case someone wasn’t looking coming up the stairs, variations of the same message fluttered throughout the clubhouse, nearly 10 signs in all. The sign painter did not leave his autograph, but no one doubted for a moment that it was the work of one J. William Johnstone.

“Me? Would I do something like that?” protested Johnstone, the Dodgers’ designated gimp, who could write a book with all his free time--and has. The title: “Temporary Insanity,” coming soon to an institution near you.

Sax, inspiration for Johnstone’s latest handiwork, seemed to be suffering from temporary amnesia in the eighth inning Saturday on Ryne Sandberg’s grounder to short. He hustled over to second to take Dave Anderson’s toss for the force, then fired to first in hopes of turning a double play.

Sax neglected one tiny detail: The force at second was the third out of the inning.

“Our defense is so good now, we go for four outs in an inning,” third baseman Bob Bailor said.

Fernando Valenzuela, who ignored the 22-m.p.h. jet stream blowing in his face as well as Chicago’s humidity to pitch a five-hitter, appreciated Sax’s extra effort.

“One out for the next inning is good,” he said, his wit as cutting as his screwball.

Sax, naturally, pleaded innocent, saying he was victimized by an auxiliary scoreboard that said there was only one out when the play started. And in his defense, Sax didn’t seem to be the only one duped. First base umpire Gerry Davis signaled “safe” for Sandberg, who never slowed down. First baseman Len Matuszek made a nice stretch for Sax’s throw. And on national TV, broadcaster Vin Scully called the double play.

“It was,” Sax said, “the best turn I had all year.”

The Dodgers, who have won three straight here, six in a row overall, and 12 of their last 14 to take a half-game lead over the Padres, could have spotted the Cubs an extra out for nine innings, and it wouldn’t have mattered. Not when Cub Manager Jim Frey was forced to start Larry Gura, who couldn’t get anybody out with his lobs.

Gura, who started his career with the Cubs in 1970, then later pitched for the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals, appeared on the verge of ending his career here in June when the Cubs sent him to the minors with a 10.29 earned-run average. But injuries to starters Rick Sutcliffe and Dennis Eckersley forced the Cubs to summon the 37-year-old Gura from their Iowa farm team.

Gura cleared waivers Friday, was given the ball Saturday, and probably bought himself a bus ticket back to Des Moines by the fourth inning, when he left to the boos of 34,822 in the unfriendly confines of Wrigley Field.

“Their starting pitching is totally destroyed,” said Enos Cabell, who doubled and singled and has had two hits in each of his first three starts as a Dodger.

“When you don’t have any starting pitching, you’re really in trouble. And their starters aren’t even getting past the fifth or sixth inning.”

Gura’s problems started with his third pitch of the day, which Anderson lifted into a breeze that generously deposited the ball into the left-field bleachers for his fourth home run.

In the third, the Dodgers made it 4-0, when Bailor gave new meaning to the term, suicide squeeze.

“I don’t know if I tipped it (the squeeze) off, but that pitch was right at my belly button,” Bailor said. “It was either bunt it, or you’re dead.”

Bailor got his bat on the ball, Sax scored without a play, and Bill Russell followed with an RBI single, stole second and scored on Cabell’s double.

Another bunt, this one for a single by catcher Mike Scioscia, loaded the bases in the fourth. Valenzuela’s ground ball scored one run, signaling Gura’s departure, and Bailor’s opposite-field flare off reliever Warren Brusstar scored two more to make it 7-0. An infield out brought home another run.

Bailor, who just came off the disabled list Wednesday, tripled in the seventh and scored the Dodgers’ final run on a wild pitch by Brusstar.

Bailor was the third Dodger third baseman to play in the last three days. Anderson played there Thursday, Cabell on Friday. Saturday, Anderson was at short, Cabell in right, and Bailor was off the bench, where he has spent 58 of the Dodgers’ first 84 games.

“I’ve been doing that for 10 years now,” Bailor said. “I disappear for a while, then come back.

“You can only play nine guys, but the teams I’ve been on in the past have been 30 games out of first place by the All-Star break.”

The division-leading Dodgers are now 12 games above .500. Bailor credits the Dodger turnaround to better defense, which started when Pedro Guerrero was moved to the outfield, and Bailor played third. He lasted there only four games, however, before pulling a hamstring. When he came back, Anderson was the regular third baseman.

“I got it started,” Bailor said, “then I left for a while.”

Valenzuela, as usual, finished what he started, pitching his league-leading 11th complete game. Davey Lopes’ wind-aided home run in the fourth, the first home run given up by Dodger pitchers in a dozen games, accounted for the Cubs’ only run.

With Guerrero hurt, Valenzuela (10-8) is the only Dodger with a chance to play in Tuesday’s All-Star game. Someone mentioned to him that Joaquin Andujar of the Cardinals had announced he wasn’t going.

“I’m going,” he said quickly.

The immediate schedule for the rest of the Dodgers?

“If they win tomorrow,” Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said, “I’ll give ‘em the All-Star break off.”

Dodger Notes

Pedro Guerrero’s place on the All-Star team will be taken by Phillie outfielder Glenn Wilson. Dodger publicist Steve Brener said Guerrero still would like to attend Tuesday’s game at Minneapolis. . . . Shortstop Mariano Duncan sat out his second game with a sore right knee, R.J. Reynolds missed his fifth with a pulled muscle in his rib cage. . . . The Dodgers, who were 27-45 against teams in the NL East last season, are 23-19 this season, 8-2 with one game remaining on this trip. . . . Last season at this time, the Dodgers were in third place with a 43-41 record, 5 1/2 games behind the Padres. . . . Steve Sax, who had a swinging-bunt single in the third, has a 10-game hitting streak, matching Guerrero for the longest on the team this season. Sax is hitting .459 (17 for 37) during his streak, .265 overall. He also stole his 19th base Saturday. . . . Larry Gura said he lost his concentration when he failed to field Bob Bailor’s suicide squeeze in the third. Bailor bunted it straight to the mound, but Gura bobbled it before getting Bailor out at first. “After that I was teed off that I didn’t get the guy (Sax at the plate),” Gura said. “I lost my concentration.” . . . Cub Manager Jim Frey, on his battered team: “I wish the All-Star break was about 10 days instead of three. We’ve got guys playing who need some time off.” . . . Enos Cabell made the defensive play of the game when he made a backhanded catch of a ball that had carried over Candy Maldonado’s head in right-center field in the fourth. Cabell said he called for the ball first. Cabell also slid on one knee to make a catch of Chris Speier’s shallow fly down the right-field line. “You can’t play as long as I have without having fun,” Cabell said. When someone pointed out that the Dodgers are 4-0 since acquiring Cabell, he laughed. “Well, if we stay undefeated we’ll be going to the World Series, everybody will get a ring, and everybody’s happy,” he said. . . . Besides his home run, Dave Anderson also singled and was walked intentionally, and scored three times. . . . Fernando Valenzuela, who hit some balls into the street behind the bleachers during batting practice, shared with Greg Brock the distinction of being the only Dodger starters not to get a hit Saturday. “It’s different in a game,” Valenzuela said, smiling. “But I got my first RBI.”