Dodgers Win Without Ailing Marshall, 2-1

The Dodgers’ irregular lineup, given only a one-game hiatus when all the starters amazingly were healthy at the same time, was forced back for a return engagement Wednesday night because of the recurring pain in Mike Marshall’s back.

This cast, at least on this night, was not a smash hit. But with or without Marshall, the Dodgers were able to manufacture enough runs--barely--for a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates before a crowd of 32,789 at Dodger Stadium.

In order to muster the minumum of production to support Orel Hershiser’s solid pitching, the Dodgers used creative, if unimpressive, means against Pirate pitcher Rick Reuschel, who gave up two unearned runs but still saw his record drop to 1-2.

Only once during the Dodger rallies did the ball travel out of the infield--and it resulted in a two-base error.

That came in the fourth inning, when Steve Sax’s routine grounder skipped untouched through the legs of Pirate second baseman Johnny Ray. After Bill Madlock sacrificed Sax to third, Pedro Guerrero’s grounder to shortstop scored Sax.

Two innings later, the game-winning run resulted from consecutive bunts, Reuschel’s throwing error and Madlock’s well-placed infield single.

Both Dodger runs were unearned, but at the same time, hard earned.

“Any way you can get them,” said Manny Mota, Dodger hitting coach.

The Dodgers have been able to survive and occasionally thrive this season without Marshall, who will be examined by a back specialist today at the Scripps Institute in La Jolla, but they were severely stifled by the hard-luck Reuschel.

Said Reuschel, who found another way to extend his winless streak at Dodger Stadium to 10 seasons: “I’m just happy to be around 10 years.”

Hershiser, who struck out 7 and walked only 2 to even his record at 3-3, probably was wondering how long it would take for the Dodgers to scare up enough runs. But after the Dodgers scored their second run, in the the sixth, Hershiser knew exactly what it would take to win--shutout pitching for the final three innings.

Hershiser, who pitched in relief himself last week at St. Louis, didn’t need any help Wednesday night, even though the Pirates threatened in the ninth inning.

With one out, former Dodger R.J. Reynolds doubled off the center-field wall and was moved to third on Mike LaValliere’s groundout. But pinch-hitter Mike Diaz flied to center field to end the game.

“You know, I thought about St. Louis (where he earned a save) tonight when I went into the seventh inning with a lead,” Hershiser said. “I thought, ‘OK, you’ve got three innings now to get the save.’ ”

Hershiser’s fine pitching canceled out another strong effort by Reuschel, who leads the league with a 1.65 earned-run average.

“(Reuschel) pitched an outstanding game,” Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said. “And Hershiser pitched a super game.”

Neither Lasorda nor his players seemed too concerned about the Dodgers’ offensive drought. All the credit was given to Reuschel.

“First of all, you’ve got to realize who’s pitching,” Lasorda said. “Against that guy, you’re not going to get a lot of runs. But you don’t need it when (Hershiser) is throwing like he did tonight.”

Madlock, who returned two days ago after an extended stay on the disabled list following shoulder surgery, said the offense felt responsible for scratching up something for Hershiser to work with.

“When you get pitching like Orel gave us, you hate to lose,” Madlock said. “You win any way you can: Infield hits, errors, whatever.”

So, on a night when the bad news about Marshall greeted the Dodgers on their homecoming after an Eastern trip, they still managed to win without their second-most powerful hitter.

If Marshall’s back problem turns out to be as serious as it was last season, the Dodgers could be in trouble.

Marshall, who missed two games in Pittsburgh last week because of back stiffness, arrived at Dodger Stadium Wednesday, hoping that the stiffness and pain would subside enough so he could play.

But he declared himself out two hours before the first pitch and met with Dr. Frank Jobe.

Marshall missed most of last season because of the ailment, which frustrated both Marshall and his fellow players. That frustration seems to be returning. “We’ve talked about it with Mike,” Lasorda said. “He’s told me how he feels about the situation. Only the player knows how he feels. Whenever I don’t see Mike in the lineup, I don’t like it. We’re not talking about chopped liver here.”

Said Marshall: “I just have to take it day by day and see. I’m just unable to play. I come to the park every day thinking I’m going to play. But if I can’t swing a bat, I can’t play. Some days are better than others.”

Jobe and Fred Claire, Dodger vice president, met after Marshall’s examination to discuss options. Marshall said there was no talk about placing him on the disabled list.

“I know that wasn’t discussed at all,” said Marshall, who went 3 for 19 last week after missing two games because of his back. “But what I think and they think are different.”

Mike Scioscia met privately with Marshall before the game. “There’s no problem,” Scioscia said. “We just talked.”

Dodger Notes

Mike Marshall isn’t the only injured Dodger. Pedro Guerrero continues to be bothered by various ailments, including a sore wrist, sore knees and a sore shoulder. Before Wednesday night’s game, Guerrero said: “I don’t know whether I can play.” But Guerrero was in the lineup. . . . Len Matuszek, who has been out a week with a partially torn membrane on the bottom of his left foot, was examined by Dr. Frank Jobe and Dr. Ralph Gambardella before the game. Jobe said it would be at least another two weeks before Matuszek will be able to play. Matuszek was placed on the 15-day disabled list May 1. . . . Manager Tom Lasorda tromped around the outfield before the game, looking for patches of wet grass. A few Dodger Stadium sprinklers went out of control and doused parts of the outfield. Lasorda said he found a particularly bad spot in shallow left field. . . . The Dodgers and Pirates will conclude the two-game set tonight at 7:30, with Rick Honeycutt (0-1) opposing Bob Kipper (2-2).