A Feeble First by Dodgers Makes It Easy for Astros

You would have to construct a doghouse as spacious, if not as well-appointed, as the one Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker once owned in order to house all the players who have let down Manager Tom Lasorda during the Dodgers’ most recent dismal stretch.

Sunday afternoon, under the roof of another air-conditioned wonder called the Astrodome, the Dodgers experienced perhaps their most disastrous day during this two-week stretch in which they have lost 9 of 11 games.

They were beaten again by the Houston Astros, this time dropping a 6-1 decision in typically maddening fashion. The anatomy of Sunday’s loss included a four-run defensive misadventure in the first inning, and the usual offensive inadequacies throughout.

So, the fifth-place Dodgers (30-38) slouched back to Los Angeles Sunday night trailing National League West leader Cincinnati by 7 1/2 games, the club’s largest deficit of the season.

Right fielder Mike Marshall, who could serve as the poster boy for a frustrating Dodger season, returned home about eight hours before his teammates. Marshall, victim of apparent food poisoning on Saturday night, developed a fever, swelling in his face and blisters on his body.

Marshall, who will undergo tests today and could miss a few more games, had eaten Chinese food the previous night with teammate Mickey Hatcher, who also became ill, though not as severely. Hatcher had three of the Dodgers’ eight hits Sunday.

Lasorda, whose appetite apparently has not been affected by the losing streak, has tried all sorts of desperate measures to revive this corpse of a team.

He has canceled batting practice, ordered extra batting practice, held more meetings than a bureaucracy, instituted a curfew and played lineup roulette almost daily.

None of those cures have helped, but Lasorda said he won’t give up trying, since he insists his team hasn’t.

“We’re going to keep on trying,” Lasorda said. “We’re going to do everything we can to get on the right track. These guys are better ball players than that, and they are going to start doing it.

“We’ll come out battling, I’ll tell you that. The tide’s going to turn.”

It turned for the worse for the Dodgers almost from Sunday’s first pitch. The Astros scored four first-inning runs off Dodger starter Rick Honeycutt, even though only one ball made it out of the infield. More accurately, the Astros only had one hit that made it to the outfield.

Houston’s other two hits handcuffed second baseman Steve Sax and shortstop Dave Anderson, respectively, directly leading to a run.

And Honeycutt added an error on a pick-off attempt at second base on a throw that eluded Sax’s glove and rolled into the outfield. Honeycutt also added a wild pitch that scored the Astros’ first run.

Finally, newly acquired third baseman Phil Garner had a fielding error on a high-chopping ground ball that allowed two more Astro runs, making it 4-0. Once the nightmarish inning finally ended, Honeycutt’s frustration was apparent.

After receiving a consoling pat on the behind from pitching coach Ron Perranoski, Honeycutt took a few steps and then hurled his glove against the wall. Then, he flung his cap to the ground. Then, he grabbed a towel and walked, with Lasorda close behind, out of view.

“Yeah, it’s frustrating,” Honeycutt said. “You saw it. There’s not much more that can be said. One ball leaves the infield and they score four runs. That ends up being the ball game.”

Honeycutt recovered decorum and pitched well thereafter. But an early four-run deficit to this slumping club is like an irrevocable death sentence.

The Dodgers managed only one run against Jim Deshaies, who went eight innings, and reliever Larry Andersen. That came in the sixth, when John Shelby singled home Honeycutt, who led off with a single.

Honeycutt allowed a fourth-inning solo home run to Bill Hatcher before departing. Reliever Brad Havens shut out the Astros for three innings. But in the eighth Ken Howell walked Jose Cruz and gave up a double to Dickie Thon, Cruz scoring on Reggie Williams’ fielding error in right field.

Whereas the Dodger defense failed to support Honeycutt, the Astro infield saved Deshaies from potential trouble by turning three double plays. The most impressive one came in the sixth, when Pedro Guerrero hit an extremely hard one-hopper to second baseman Bill Doran, who flinched when he caught it but easily completed the double play.

“The ball just landed in my glove,” Doran said. “I can’t take credit for it.”

That seemed to lend credence to the Dodgers’ theory that the Astros were lucky Sunday. But what was it Branch Rickey once said about luck being the residue of design?

“When things go wrong, everything you do seems like it is for the good of the other team,” Guerrero said. “I know they got a good team and good pitching, but I know sometimes they get (bleeping) lucky, too.

“I know one thing, though: We aren’t going to play like this the whole year. Things have to change, sooner or later. We’re in a bad time right now. But we’ve been in this situation before (in previous seasons) and ended up winning. . . . We’re only 7 1/2 back.”

About the only hope the Dodgers currently have of escaping from their fifth-place doghouse is that no other West team has won consistently, either.

“It’s getting to be a joke,” Hatcher said. “We’re losing a lot and the other teams aren’t willing to take advantage of it. If we go out and get something going, we could change this whole thing.”

Dodger Notes

A report out of Philadelphia on Saturday said that Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda is a candidate to manage the Philadelphia Phillies next season. The story, coming in the wake of John Felske’s firing and the hiring of Lee Elia, quoted a source close to Lasorda as saying Lasorda is unhappy with Fred Claire, the Dodger vice president, and would consider leaving. Both Lasorda and Claire vehemently denied the story. “I love the Dodgers,” Lasorda said. “I hope I spend the rest of my life with the Dodgers.” Concerning reports of his clashing with Claire, Lasorda said: “That is the biggest (bleeping) lie that’s ever been written. Fred and I have been friends since the day 20 years ago he showed up in Vero Beach to write for the Long Beach Telegram Independent Press, or whatever they call it. . . . Fred Claire is like a brother to me. I love the guy, admire him. I love him.” Said Claire: “It’s been a great relationship for the past 20 years, and there’s no reason why the next 20 years won’t be the same way.”. . . . Backup catcher Alex Trevino will be examined by Dr. Frank Jobe today in Los Angeles for a sore right shoulder. About a month ago, Trevino was hit by a foul ball and complained of soreness in the joint. Apparently, it has not subsided. . . . Mickey Hatcher, who ate at the same restaurant as Mike Marshall Saturday night and had the same entree (sweet-and-sour chicken), said he awoke at 2 o’clock in the morning with hot and cold chills and a sore throat. “At about 4 in the morning, I was considering calling the trainers and going back to L.A., too,” Hatcher said. “I feel a lot better now.” Hatcher was in the starting lineup Sunday. . . .