Stubbs Crunches Two Homers as Hershiser Wins

Franklin Stubbs continued his June boom, Orel Hershiser made Atlanta bats swoon and Len Matuszek and Jack Fimple were unexpected boons for the Dodgers, who ended a four-game losing streak with a 6-2 win over the Braves before 34,193 at Dodger Stadium Tuesday night.

Stubbs hit two home runs off Atlanta starter Dave Palmer, giving him eight for the month, which may pale when compared to Pedro Guerrero’s record-setting June of a year ago, but is eight more than an injured Guerrero can give them now.

Even though he became a full-timer less than two weeks ago, Stubbs also has 15 home runs for the season, which leaves him behind only Mike Marshall (17) and Houston’s Glenn Davis (16) among the league leaders.

If someone had told Al Campanis in spring training that Stubbs would have more home runs and RBIs (34) than Atlanta’s all-world Dale Murphy (11, 29), the Dodger vice president would have been dancing the Skorpios Shuffle.

Hershiser, the last Dodger pitcher to throw a complete game when he beat the Braves in Atlanta five nights ago, gave the bullpen another night off with a three-hitter, limiting the Braves to singles by Andres Thomas and Claudell Washington in the third--when Atlanta scored both of its runs--and Murphy’s two-out single in the ninth.

Hershiser (7-5) walked three, struck out five and hit a batter in pitching the second three-hitter of his career, and eighth game of three hits or less.

“That’s as good a game as I’ve ever seen him pitch,” Brave Manager Chuck Tanner said, and if that wasn’t accolade enough, Tanner threw out another.

“He was as good as any pitcher we’ve seen this year.”

Hershiser was also better than he’s seen himself this year.

“Pretty good,” Hershiser said, allowing himself a small compliment.

“The thing that marked most of my good outings in the past is that there weren’t many hits. And the hits they got were ground balls.”

The hit that won it for the Dodgers came off the bat of Matuszek, who lined his second home run over the right-field fence two batters after Stubbs had hit the first pitch of the fourth inning for his second home run.

“If anybody needed a chance to play for his own self-esteem, it was me,” said Matuszek, starting at first base with Greg Brock on the disabled list.

The Dodgers, who had blown leads in each of the last four games, assured there would be no recurrence Tuesday by sending nine batters to the plate in the eighth, when they scored three times off Brave reliever Paul Assenmacher.

Stubbs touched off the rally with a single that completed a perfect night--he also walked--and Fimple, making his first start behind the plate in two years, contributed an RBI single.

“I enjoyed pitching to him,” Hershiser said of Fimple, an almost-forgotten man since his stellar fill-in job in ‘83, when the Dodgers won a division title.

“He’s a good receiver, who handles himself quite well back there,” Hershiser said. “He’s the kind of guy with big league talent who should be playing somewhere.”

With Brock hurt, Matuszek will get a chance to play regularly against right-handers. That’s a quantum leap for a guy who wasn’t sure of a place on the roster until Terry Whitfield was released at the end of May.

Matuszek showed some power in the minors--he hit 24 home runs for the Phillies’ Portland farm team in 1983. And he hit a dozen for the Phillies in 101 games in 1984.

“Good gosh, yes,” Matuszek said, when asked if he thought he could hit with power on a regular basis here. “Let me reiterate. Until I’m given a full opportunity in the big leagues, which I haven’t had because of injuries or the timing hasn’t been right . . . I can’t project that. I hate making projections. But deep down inside, I believe I could do it.

“But I won’t get caught up in the ‘I’ve got to be hell on wheels’ for however long the opportunity lasts.

“I’m the type of guy who’ll do just about anything if No. 1, I’m playing for a winning team and a winning organization, and No. 2, I’m contributing enough where I feel I’m a necessary part of the team.

“I don’t have to be the main guy . . . but I need a little bit. When you’re strictly locked in a role as a pinch-hitter or utility player, that’s hard. You almost don’t look at yourself as a player.”

Matuszek’s tie-breaking home run in the third took the express lane out of the park, a low line drive that just cleared the wall in right.

Stubbs’ home runs, on the other hand, took the scenic route to the seats--high, sweeping arcs that dropped within a few rows of each other in right-center, beyond the 385-foot sign.

Bill Madlock is looking ahead to the day when Stubbs, Guerrero, and Marshall will be in the same lineup.

“That’s the way the Dodgers were so effective before,” he said. “They may have been bad defensively, but if you (the opposition) made an error or walked a guy, one swing and they’d have three runs on you.

“When Pete comes back, you could have three guys who could go 30, 30, 30.”

Dodger Notes Post-operative report: First baseman Greg Brock, who underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a cartilage tear in his left knee, should be able to play within two or three weeks, according to trainer Bill Buhler. Reserve infielder Dave Anderson had two pins inserted in his right pinky and will be out at least six or seven weeks, according to Buhler. And bullpen catcher Mark Cresse, who also underwent surgery on his left knee, is expected to make the next trip, although he probably won’t be able to resume his duties for two or three weeks. . . . Further medical news: Catcher Alex Trevino was a late scratch from Tuesday’s lineup because of a sore finger, stepped on by Atlanta’s Ken Oberkfell the night before. Jack Fimple made his first start as Dodger catcher since 1984. . . . Shortstop Mariano Duncan, who sprained his left ankle last Friday, said he reinjured the ankle during batting practice Tuesday and is uncertain when he’ll be able to return. “I’m still waiting,” he said. Encouraging news on the Pedro Guerrero front: The Dodger left fielder jogged for the first time since tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee April 3 at Vero Beach. . . . And catcher Mike Scioscia took batting practice for the first time since going on the disabled list with a membrane tear in his right ankle June 10. . . . And what of Fernando Valenzuela, whose early exit in Tuesday’s 6-5 loss prompted concern there might be something wrong with him? Buhler said Valenzuela stopped in the trainers’ room before the game. “To play darts,” Buhler said. Valenzuela: “The Atlanta bats made me very sick.” . . . Steve Sax saw a seven-game hitting streak end Tuesday night. He was batting .412 (14 for 34) in the previous seven games.