Sax Extends Hitting Streak in Dodgers’ 8-3 Loss

The Dodgers unveiled their own Fall Season lineup Friday night, including Pedro Guerrero in a dramatic role at first base and pitcher Jerry Reuss in a brief, very brief cameo appearance.

They might as well have stuck Punky Brewster and maybe the Golden Girls out there, too, for all the good it did. The Dodgers lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 8-3, which just goes to show there is no change of seasons this year. Different faces, usually the same results.

Just one evening after scoring a season-high 14 runs, the Dodger offense returned to familiar form. They had 12 hits--all singles--but one rarely followed another.

As for Steve Sax’s quest for a National League batting title, he went 1 for 5, getting a single in the ninth inning to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. He is now batting .329.

But the game wasn’t without intrigue. For example, finding Guerrero batting in the cleanup spot and playing first base might have been worth the price of admission, if you were sitting in the cheap seats.

Guerrero last started a game on Aug. 4 against the Houston Astros. A national television audience watched as Guerrero limped around left field for four innings before he returned to the bench with two strikeouts.

And there he stayed, except when asked to pinch-hit, something he did nine times before Friday evening’s start. Maybe it was No. 9 that did the trick, because after hitting a three-run homer Thursday night, his first of the season, Guerrero found himself at first base against the Reds.

Guerrero finished the night with one hit (a single) in four tries. His play at first base won’t make any highlight films, but then again, there were no errors. He was replaced by Enos Cabell in the ninth inning.

Last winter, Guerrero spent time at the position, possibly preparing himself for a stay there in 1987. With Greg Brock’s future with the Dodgers in question, Guerrero joins a roster full of first-base aspirants, including Cabell, Mike Marshall, Franklin Stubbs and perhaps even Bill Madlock.

But that’s next season. On Friday evening, in front of a Dodger Stadium audience of 34,027, there were other worries.

Reuss, who returned to the mound for the first time since July 11, lasted one inning in relief of starter Brian Holton. Reuss’ stay included two runs, a homer, two singles and one walk.

Those numbers were slightly better than Ed Vande Berg’s. Vande Berg, unlike Reuss, isn’t recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his elbow. He gave up two more Red runs on two hits and three walks.

Last on the list of injured returnees was reliever Tom Niedenfuer, who has nursed a hamstring back to health. Niedenfuer took over for Vande Berg in the seventh with bases loaded and escaped with a pop up to left and a double-play ball.

Dodger Notes

Mike Marshall, still bothered by a bad back, made a ninth-inning appearance in right field Friday night. But when it came time for him to hit in the bottom of the inning, he was replaced by Jeff Hamilton, who struck out to end the game. . . . Red manager Pete Rose on starter Chris Welsh, now 6-6 with Friday’s victory: “He’s the type of guy you love to face 10 times a game, but you go back to the dugout eight times. Then the time you’re ready for him, he throws the ball by you.” . . . Loser Brian Holton was pulled for a pinch-hitter in the fourth after allowing three runs. Does he expect another start? “I would hope so,” he said. “They just hit the ball where the fielders weren’t. I don’t think they hit the ball that hard. I felt good out there, really good.”

STEVE SAX’S HOT STREAK

S Date Site Result AB Sept. 12 at Los Angeles Reds 8, Dodgers 3 5 Sept. 11 at Los Angeles Dodgers 14, Astros 6 4 Sept. 10 at Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Astros 1 4 Sept. 9 at Los Angeles Dodgers 9, Braves 5 3 Sept. 8 at Los Angeles Dodgers 7, Braves 0 4 Sept. 7 at Philadelphia Phillies 2, Dodgers 1 4 Sept. 6 at Philadelphia Dodgers 3, Phillies 2 5 Sept. 5 at Philadelphia Phillies 4, Dodgers 0 4 Sept. 3 at Montreal Dodgers 5, Expos 3 5 Sept. 2 at Montreal Expos 1, Dodgers 0 4 TOTALS 12-Day Stretch 47

ax’s Batting Line Overall Averages Date R H BI Sax Gwynn Raines Sept. 12 1 1 0 .329 .330 .331 Sept. 11 2 2 1 .330 .329 .333 Sept. 10 2 4 1 .329 .331 .333 Sept. 9 2 1 1 .324 .332 .333 Sept. 8 1 2 1 .324 .331 .333 Sept. 7 0 1 0 .323 .331 .331 Sept. 6 1 3 2 .323 .335 .333 Sept. 5 0 3 0 .320 .334 .333 Sept. 3 2 4 0 .317 .334 .335 Sept. 2 0 1 0 .312 .337 .333 TOTALS 12-Day Stretch 12 23 6 .489 .195 .333

NOTE--Dodgers did not play Sept. 4