Dodgers Fall, 6-5, Lead by 5 1/2 and Seek Some Heart in San Francisco

Maybe it is time to start wondering about the Dodgers.

Looking not like a team ready to wrap up a title race, the Dodgers completed their brief home stand by losing again to the Houston Astros, 6-5, Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.

A team that holds a 5 1/2-game lead with only 16 games to play could hardly be described as dead, but until they roused themselves for a belated three-run rally in the eighth, the Dodgers didn’t look very lively.

Going into the eighth, Astro pitcher Bob Knepper, settling down after a sluggish start, was working on a five-hitter and a 6-2 lead. Moreover, he had retired 13 straight batters after consecutive doubles in the third inning by Enos Cabell and Mike Marshall had produced the second Dodger run.

But the Dodgers chased Knepper, scored three runs in the inning and had chances to tie or win it in the ninth when they put two runners on base with nobody out.

In June and July, when the Dodgers went from second place to what seemed like a commanding lead, they were winning games similar to the one they lost in this finale of a two-game set before heading for San Francisco to play the Giants.

June and July were the days when Manager Tom Lasorda was making all the right moves. In this game, he did not put a pinch-runner in for Bill Madlock in the eighth inning, and it probably cost the Dodgers a tie. He had jackrabbits Reggie Williams and Jose Gonzalez on the bench, but after Madlock singled with the bases loaded to cut the deficit to two runs at 6-4, Lasorda left Madlock, the potential tying run, on base.

Madlock, bothered in recent weeks by a recurring knee problem, is not fast at even peak physical condition. So, when Mike Scioscia drilled an ensuing pinch double into the gap in right-center to score one run, Astro right fielder Jerry Mumphrey cut the ball off quickly and fired it back into the infield. Third-base coach Joey Amalfitano was forced to hold Madlock at third.

Lasorda, asked if he had thought about removing Madlock for a pinch-runner, said: “He (Madlock) said he could run.”

Because the count was 3-and-2 and there were two outs, there was no doubt that Williams or Gonzalez, unless they fell down, would have scored and the game would have been tied.

Then, in the ninth, the Dodgers had another chance. Steve Sax blooped a single into center, stretching his hitting streak to 15 games. Bob Bailor laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, and when pitcher Dave Smith dropped the ball as he was getting ready to wheel and throw to first, the Dodgers had two runners on and nobody out.

With speedy Mariano Duncan at the plate, the Dodgers took off the bunt sign on the second pitch. But Duncan’s sharp bouncer went right at first baseman Glenn Davis and Sax was nailed at third.

The Dodgers got renewed hope when Ken Landreaux drew a walk to fill the bases with one out. But Cabell, who had scored two runs, driven in one and hit the ball hard three times, hit a one-bouncer to third and Dave Anderson was out at the plate.

Greg Brock came in to bat for Marshall and bounced weakly to first to end the game.

It was the Dodgers’ fourth loss in the last five games, continuing a skid that began just when it appeared that the Dodgers were about to wrap up the West.

Last Sunday, with Fernando Valenzuela on the mound, the Dodgers went into the sixth inning leading the Cincinnati Reds, 6-1. Ordinarily that’s assurance of a win, and the Dodgers were anticipating leaving Cincinnati with an overwhelming 10 1/2-game lead. Instead they lost, 10-6, led by 8 1/2 and gave renewed hope to the Reds, who have been going wild ever since. Suddenly, the Dodgers find themselves having to stave off a challenger.

If you can believe the Astros, you might even make that two challengers. The Astros are nine games back but have won 20 of their last 23 games, which they say is the best sustained pace they have ever maintained over that long a haul.

The Dodger dressing room was subdued, but there did not seem to signs of distress.

“I would much rather be in our position than that of the teams behind us,” Cabell said. “We just have to get back to our game.”

One edge that the Astros have right now on the Dodgers is the bullpen. Although Smith staggered to the save, it gave the team’s bullpen a record of seven wins and eight saves in the last 20 victories.

On the other hand, the Dodger bullpen failed to come through once more. After Bob Welch (11-4) came out after giving up five runs and 13 hits in 6 innings, the run that proved decisive scored when reliever Dennis Powell walked Mark Bailey with the bases loaded in the seventh inning.