Dodgers Beaten, 7-4, and Remain an Imperfect 10

In one night’s time, the Dodgers lost a game, a pitcher and, worse yet, an opportunity to do something other than watch the National League West pass them by.

First things first, mainly their 7-4 loss to the Montreal Expos at Dodger Stadium Saturday night: While few if any are holding their breaths for a division comeback, the Dodgers did have a chance to go under double digits in their chase of first-place Houston. Nine games back has a nicer ring than, say, their current 10-game deficit.

But it didn’t happen. Dodger starter Rick Honeycutt (9-8) allowed six of the Expos’ seven runs and was forced to leave the game two innings after taking a line drive off the big toe on his left foot.

Honeycutt had won three of his previous four starts and allowed only seven earned runs in his last 25 innings. Then came Saturday night and a third-inning line drive that sent him hobbling off the mound.

“I wasn’t making the pitches,” Honeycutt said. “I feel like I’ve been throwing the ball better than what I showed tonight. In my own mind, I hope (the line drive) had something to do with it.”

No X-rays were taken, and Honeycutt is expected to recover in time for his next start.

Some consolation. The Dodgers needed runs and another winning streak like the one they put together in late July and early August, when victories came in bunches of eight. Instead, Dodger faithful were rewarded with favorable medical reports on a big toe.

Not surprising was the continued optimism of Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda. Adversity gave up on Lasorda long ago.

For instance, is time running out on the Dodgers?

Said Lasorda: “Not necessarily. We’re not eliminated, no. We thought after (Friday) night we could put together a good winning streak. We’ll just have to start tomorrow. That’s what I told them, that if we get a good winning streak, possibly (Houston) could get a good losing streak.”

Reminded of the pregame comments, first baseman Greg Brock, who accounted for two runs batted in and who scored twice, reduced Lasorda’s equation by half. “We’ve just got to worry about us winning and not worry about them losing,” Brock said.

The Dodgers may have wanted to spend some time worrying about Expo starter Bob Sebra, who entered the game with a 2-2 record and left it one victory richer. The rookie right-hander struck out a career-high seven, aided in part by Franklin Stubbs, who went down on strikes three times. Stubbs has struck out four of his last seven at-bats and has seen his average drop to .235.

The search for Dodger bright spots Saturday night doesn’t take long. There was Brock and his 13th home run and the relief work of rookie Brian Holton, a replacement for the injured Tom Niedenfuer. Holton pitched two hitless innings.

Otherwise, it was business as usual for the Dodgers: an error here, a balk there, another loss--their 64th of the year.

The evening began with all the intensity of a company barbecue. Hollywood Stars night does that, and few are better at mixing and mingling with Hollywood’s finest than Lasorda. He traded jokes with actor and comedian Billy Crystal and he mugged for photographers enough times to cover another office wall with 8 x 10 glossies. He even made a pitching appearance in the Stars’ exhibition game.

And why not? The Dodgers had won the previous night, and Houston was well on its way to a loss at St. Louis. A Dodger win would reduce the Astro lead to nine games.

Then came the pregame announcement that Expo outfielder Tim Raines, who had a .333 batting average, would be scratched from the lineup.

In Raines’ place would be little-used Jim Wohlford, who is in his 13th season and who is with his fourth major league team. Wohlford had 66 at-bats, no home runs and five RBIs when he arrived at the stadium for the game.

So sure was Wohlford of his place on the bench that he spent about 15 minutes pitching batting practice to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Belushi and Pat Boone. That, he must have figured, would be the highlight of this series.

“I was having a good time,” Wohlford said. “I saw that their guy pitching batting practice was struggling, so I said, ‘I’ll go help them out and see some real stars.’ ”

Then the real game started, and with Wallace Johnson standing on first base with a first-inning leadoff single, Wohlford hit a home run to left field to give the Expos a 2-0 lead.

The Dodgers responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first. With two outs, Bill Madlock singled to left, and Brock lined Sebra’s first pitch into the right-field bleachers.

With had one out in the third, Expo Mitch Webster lined an infield hit off Honeycutt’s foot. After a brief examination by Lasorda and team trainer Charlie Strasser, Honeycutt continued and promptly gave up a double to Andre Dawson. Webster stopped at third and then scored on Tim Wallach’s grounder to third. Dawson went to third on that play and subsequently scored when first base umpire Dave Pallone called a balk.

In the fourth, the Dodgers cut the lead to 4-3 when Brock reached first on a fielding error by first baseman Johnson, moved to second on a single by Len Matuszek, made it to third on a sacrifice bunt by Mike Scioscia and scored on Bill Russell’s grounder to shortstop.

Honeycutt left the game in the fifth inning with the sore toe but not before being charged with two more Expo runs. Johnson doubled to begin the inning, and Wohlford followed with his second hit, a single to right that moved Johnson to third.

Joe Beckwith relieved Honeycutt and allowed RBI singles to Webster and Dawson.

Another two-out Dodger rally produced another run and cut the Expo lead to 6-4 in the seventh. Reggie Williams doubled off the center-field wall and then scored on pinch-hitter Alex Trevino’s double to right.

But the Expos added their final run in the eighth when Webster doubled off Ed Vande Berg, took third on Dawson’s fly ball to right and scored on Vance Law’s sacrifice fly to center.

Dodger Notes Dodger trainers said Saturday that pitcher Bob Welch, who strained the right side of his groin in Friday night’s game, is OK and should be ready for his next start. . . . Mike Marshall, his back still bothering him, missed Saturday night’s game. . . . Expo outfielder Tim Raines, who is eligible to become a free agent after the season, said Friday that he wouldn’t mind playing in Los Angeles. “I’m sure if I became a free agent and the Dodgers were interested in me, I would love to come out here,” he said. “It would be a good situation for me. I’ve been playing in Montreal all my career and haven’t gotten much recognition. For a player like myself, it would be a great situation to wear Dodger blue.”