Dodger Notebook : Duncan Meets a Healthy Carlton, and Is Impressed

Until Thursday, Mariano Duncan had never seen Steve Carlton, except on TV.

And even though he only got a glimpse Thursday, since Carlton left the game after just an inning because of back spasms, Duncan has an idea how the 41-year-old left-hander has won 314 games in the big leagues.

“He threw very good today,” said Duncan, who also received an early dismissal when he banged his right shin against the shin guards of Phillie catcher John Russell in the third inning.

“I know he was hurt last year, but his breaking ball was great today. He also had a good fastball.”

Last year, for the first time in his 22-season career, Carlton was put on the disabled list with a strained left rotator cuff. He missed 72 days and 13 starts, which caused him to finish with a career-low 16 starts and a career-low zero complete games. He also added exactly one win to his victory total, which left him tied for 10th with Gaylord Perry on the all-time list.

The Phillies came into this spring wondering what, if anything, Carlton had left.

So far, the results have been encouraging. He had allowed just one run in six spring innings until he gave up another on Pedro Guerrero’s opposite-field double in the first. He came out for warmups in the second, then decided his back was acting up too much.

Pitching coach Claude Osteen of the Phillies said that Carlton told him he first felt the back spasm on the three-hour bus ride from Clearwater, Fla. “His first (spring) road trip in 15 years,” Osteen cracked.

Rick Honeycutt, who went the first four innings for the Dodgers in their 7-6 loss to the Phillies, watched Carlton at work.

“He still has his No. 1 pitch, the slider,” Honeycutt, said. “He had pretty good command of it.

“I don’t think he had command of his other pitches--the changeup he turns over (a screwball), and he also was missing with his fastball.”

Honeycutt, who had allowed just a run in 12 spring innings, gave up an unearned run in the third and a 400-foot, three-run homer by Russell in the fourth.

“A little lax,” said Honeycutt, who attributed part of the problem to spring-training doldrums. The team has been here for a month and the season is still 2 1/2 weeks away.

“The one inning I just wasn’t throwing the ball well,” he said. “I didn’t have control of the situation.”

When reliever Ken Howell lost his control in the ninth, the Dodgers lost the game, as the Phillies scored three runs to take a 7-5 lead.

With Gary Redus on third and Howell one out away from closing out the Phillies, the Dodger right-hander hit Mike Schmidt with a pitch. He then walked Darren Daulton and Francisco Melendez to force in the tying run. Luis Aguayo then followed with a checked-swing double to right for two more runs.

“I wish I got the save, I should have,” Howell said. “After hitting Schmidt, I think I started to guide the ball.”

Howell said he’s still trying to master some mechanical adjustments. “That’s why I’m so inconsistent right now,” he said. “Today I was unable to find my release point. But it’s all going to come.”