Dodger Notebook : Powell Opens Some Eyes With His Pitching in 3-2 Loss

Until Saturday, the only talk about Dennis Powell’s curve concerned the spot where Powell went off the road in Vero Beach in a late-night automobile accident a couple of weeks ago. That left him peering out of one eye while the other was virtually closed by six stitches in the lid.

That talk veered on Saturday after the 22-year-old left-hander, a last-minute starter when Jerry Reuss scratched with a sore throat, pitched five innings in the Dodgers’ 3-2 loss to Detroit at Lakeland, Fla. Powell allowed the Tigers just one run on three hits and struck out four, twice getting Tiger slugger Kirk Gibson.

Last season, Powell went 9-0 at Albuquerque, and after Steve Howe was released, the Dodgers summoned him as a replacement. Powell pitched infrequently and ineffectively, compiling a 1-1 record and a 5.22 earned-run average.

Powell is slated to return to Albuquerque this spring, but he has restored some of his lost status with a good spring in which he has given up three runs in 11 innings while striking out 10.

It may have been inadvertent, but Bob Bailor got another indication of where he fits in the Dodger plans Saturday. After having gone home for the birth of his first child and flying all night Friday from Los Angeles, Bailor landed in Orlando early Saturday morning and went directly to Lakeland. He was lying on the trainer’s table when the team arrived. Although Bailor planned to play Saturday, the message somehow wasn’t communicated to the Dodgers, who left Bailor’s equipment bag, including his uniform, in Vero Beach. Bailor had no choice but to return to base. Vice President Al Campanis has said he is attempting to make a trade for Bailor.

Dodger Notes Mariano Duncan missed his second game with a sore right leg but is scheduled to play today against the Reds. The game will be televised in Los Angeles, beginning at 10:35 a.m. . . . Steve Sax continued his hot hitting with four hits, including two triples. Sax, who has hit in 10 straight games and is batting .458 this spring, hit another smash his last time up with Franklin Stubbs on third representing the tying run in the ninth, but second baseman Tom Brookens made a nice stop to end the game. There has been some discussion about moving Sax from the No. 8 spot to No. 2 in the batting order, behind Mariano Duncan, but the feeling is that Duncan would steal more bases with Ken Landreaux--who takes more pitches than Sax--batting No. 2. . . . Detroit catcher Lance Parrish threw out all four Dodger runners who attempted to steal. . . . Jerry Reuss probably will not pitch until Wednesday after missing his turn Saturday. Orel Hershiser and Alejandro Pena (three innings) are scheduled to pitch today, with Bob Welch and Rick Honeycutt scheduled to make the trip across the state for games with the Mets (St. Petersburg) and Phillies (Clearwater) on Monday and Tuesday.