Dodgers Win, 10-3, Now Just One Away

They can’t break out the champagne and Perrier yet, but Tuesday night before 38,582 at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers kicked down the door to the wine cellar with a 10-3 win over the San Diego Padres that clinched at least a tie for the National League’s Western Division title.

With five games left, the magic number is one. Another Dodger win or Cincinnati loss, and it will be a day of bitter wine for a Rose.

The Dodgers came to work Tuesday knowing they could do no better than a tie after the Reds had beaten the Giants, 7-6, earlier in the day.

But they made sure they went home with at least that much, scoring three runs in their first at-bat and breaking the game open with five runs and six hits in the fourth.

The Dodgers had 15 hits in all, three each by Mariano Duncan and Pedro Guerrero. Duncan also stole two bases, scored three runs and drove in another pair.

Mike Marshall had two RBIs as well, giving him a team-leading 90 for the season, three more than Guerrero.

After Rick Honeycutt failed to last the fourth, Carlos Diaz entered and pitched five shutout innings, the longest outing of his career, for his sixth win of the season against three losses.

The 22-year-old Duncan, who started the season as the third youngest player in the league (only Dwight Gooden of the Mets and Shawon Dunston of the Cubs were younger) was asked if he liked champagne.

“I like it, I love it,” he said with a laugh. “We’ve got to win tomorrow, then maybe I’ll get to drink five or six bottles.”

Asked if Duncan were old enough to share in the passing of the bottle, Bill Russell nodded. “Whether he likes it or not,” Russell said, “he’ll either drink it or wear it.”

Duncan has 35 stolen bases and has swiped 11 in a row since last being caught by Braves catcher Bruce Benedict on Sept. 9 in Atlanta.

“Tommy (Lasorda) gave me the green light to go and steal when I have a great jump,” Duncan said. “I’m very happy Tommy did. I’m high-spirited, and sometimes it’s best for a manager to leave me alone.”

For Russell, the anticipation of a celebration was tempered by the news that the blurred vision in his right eye will force him to miss the playoffs. Russell, who has appeared in five league championships, has fluid near the optic nerve.

He was examined again Monday, and though there were signs of improvement, it wasn’t enough to permit Russell to play.

“I’m disappointed I can’t go out there and help out, I haven’t been able to do that now for the last few weeks,” Russell said. “But I was prepared for this (missing the playoffs). I knew it wasn’t getting any better.”

Diaz, in the strongest effort by a Dodger reliever in at least a week, allowed just four hits and did not walk a batter.

“Maybe tomorrow I’ll get the night off and have some fun,” Diaz said.

The defending champion Padres returned home to San Diego without having to squirm at the sight of the Dodgers clinching. The Padres, the only team in the West to beat the Dodgers more times than they lost, took 10 out of 18 from Los Angeles.

But Steve Garvey did not leave without paying a visit to Lasorda’s office after the game.

“He came in and wished us a lot of luck and said, ‘I’m proud of you, you did a good job,’ ” Lasorda said. “He’s a class guy.”

The last time Honeycutt pitched, at Houston eight days ago, Lasorda pulled him even though he was working on a three-hit shutout in the sixth inning. Honeycutt told a reporter afterward that he was angrier then than he’s ever been in a ballgame.

Tuesday, it was Lasorda’s turn to be perturbed with Honeycutt, who was given a 3-0, first-inning lead but was gone by the fourth, when he gave up a two-out, RBI triple to opposing pitcher Dave Dravecky and another run-scoring single to shortstop Mario Ramirez.

But in the bottom of the fourth, the Dodgers sent 10 men to the plate during an exhibition that included demonstrations of at least two other sports besides baseball.

First, it was pinch-hitter Reggie Williams as swimmer, performing the Australian crawl to reach first base after tumbling in his haste to beat out a bunt that loaded the bases.

After Duncan singled home two runs to make the score, 6-3, it was time for a little basketball. Instead of backing up a step, Padre third baseman Kurt Bevacqua made like a power forward going up for a rebound on Enos Cabell’s chopper, but came up with only air as Cabell’s ball bounded into left field for a two-run double. Marshall, who had doubled in a run in the third, then singled in the inning’s final run.

In the third, Marshall also showed he had a little Magic Johnson in him, rearing back to throw to third base on Jerry Davis’ base hit, then dribbling the ball on one bounce back to himself.

It may not have been art, but it was entertaining.

Singles by Duncan, Bill Madlock, Guerrero and Mike Scioscia gave the Dodgers their three runs in the first.

Dodger Notes

The Dodgers must submit their 25-man postseason roster by Friday. With Bill Russell unavailable with an eye problem, it is likely the Dodgers will include both Dave Anderson and Jay Johnstone on the roster and go with just nine pitchers, dropping rookie Dennis Powell. . . . Dodger third baseman Bill Madlock came out of the game in the top of the third because he wasn’t feeling well, according to trainer Bill Buhler. . . . Padre shortstop Garry Templeton fouled a ball off his left shin in the third and came out of the game with a severe bruise.