Valenzuela, Guerrero Are Back in Groove : 5-Hitter, 2-Run Homer Give Dodgers 4-2 Win Over Reds

Fernandomania, that sweeping cultural phenomenon of the early ‘80s, made a return engagement in recent weeks, though in a drastically altered form.

Just like old times, all eyes have been on Dodger pitcher Fernando Valenzuela whenever he takes the mound. The difference is that people want to know if the talk is true, if Valenzuela really has prematurely lost what had made him special in the first place.

The most profound slump of Valenzuela’s career even had some on the Dodgers wondering if six seasons of throwing screwballs had twisted that valuable left arm into something resembling a corkscrew.

Those doubts were put to rest, at least for the time being, Sunday afternoon when Valenzuela pitched a complete-game five-hitter in the Dodgers’ 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds before 46,625 at Dodger Stadium.

Asked about the wide concern that Valenzuela might be injured, Manager Tom Lasorda said, “To be perfectly honest with you, I thought so, too. But he kept saying he wasn’t hurt.”

It may not have been vintage Valenzuela, circa 1981, but it certainly was an improvement over the Valenzuela who previously had won just two games in seven weeks.

Except for a second-inning solo home run by Buddy Bell and a run-scoring double by Dave Concepcion in the sixth, Valenzuela was nearly flawless in raising his record to 7-5. He struck out seven and, perhaps more important, walked only one.

The revival of Valenzuela, who now has two straight complete-game victories after a flaw in his delivery was corrected, was only partly responsible for the improved spirits of the Dodgers, winners of five of their last six games.

There also was the resumption of Pedro Guerrero’s distinctive home-run trot for the club to celebrate. Guerrero’s two-run home run off Reds’ loser Guy Hoffman in a four-run sixth gave Valenzuela a 4-2 lead he did not lose.

Sunday’s blast was only the second home run in June for Guerrero, who had 14 in the first two months. After hitting .360 in April and May, Guerrero has now slumped to .244 in June.

But when you talk of slumps around Chavez Ravine these days, Valenzuela usually has been the subject.

There had been speculation that the reason Valenzuela’s earned-run average crept as high as 4.24 was that his arm and shoulder were sore after throwing more than 260 innings in each of the last three seasons.

Some opponents said that Valenzuela had lost speed on his fastball and that his screwball had gone flat.

All along, Valenzuela has maintained that his arm is not sore, but he could not provide an explanation for his shaky outings except to say that all pitchers go through slumps. But pitching coach Ron Perranoski and catcher Mike Scioscia eventually detected a flaw in Valenzuela’s delivery.

“It was nothing drastic,” Scioscia said. “A lot of it has to do with his release point. It looked like he was dropping his shoulder more. He’s always had so much ease in his delivery, you’d never really notice it before.

“He just pitched a masterful game today. He still is a great pitcher. You guys act almost surprised by it or something.”

Perranoski said he can only speculate on how the habit developed.

“I’ve talked to Fernando and he always tells me his arm’s not sore,” Perranoski said. “But he might have had a little tightness in his shoulder earlier in the season and that made him drop his shoulder. Then, it became a habit that is tough to break.”

The unflappable Valenzuela, who has handled this tough stretch as casually as he did his sudden fame in 1981, says he never noticed that he had dropped his shoulder.

“It’s tough to know what you do wrong,” Valenzuela said. “Other people watching you can see it. Maybe Scioscia and Perranoski know how I’ve changed, but I just try to do what I do.” Valenzuela has been aware of the talk of his pitching demise, but he said it is not worrisome.

“It doesn’t put pressure on me. If I think of what people expect, it puts too much pressure. I’ve been a little disappointed. But it’s not my teammates’ fault, it’s me. (Opponents) have scored a lot of runs off me some games.”

Except for a poor outing in San Diego on June 17, in which he gave up four earned runs in six innings, Valenzuela has thrown three straight complete games, two of them victories. Counting the San Diego game, Valenzuela’s earned-run average in the last two weeks is 2.18. Lasorda, asked if he has read the obituaries on Valenzuela’s fastball and screwball both locally and nationally, said he had doubts as well.

“A couple of games there, he didn’t have his velocity or his screwball,” Lasorda said. “I thought there was something wrong with him. But his last couple games, no.

“Pitchers are like hitters. They get in slumps and they lose that feeling, the feel of the ball, and they don’t get it where they used to. I think Ken Landreaux put it so beautifully. I’m serious. He said, ‘If you’re always in a groove, how do you know how to get it back when you’ve lost it?’ Pete and Fernando both kind of lost the groove.”

Guerrero’s resurgence began Saturday night, when he singled in the winning run in the 10th inning. Sunday, Guerrero capped a sixth-inning rally by smashing a two-run home run halfway up into the left-field bleachers, his 16th of the season.

Hoffman (6-2) had averted two earlier rallies, but the Dodgers struck quickly in the sixth. Dave Anderson led off with a bloop triple to right that lumbering Dave Parker could not reach. Steve Sax’s bad-hop double past third baseman Buddy Bell scored Anderson, and then John Shelby’s double off the left-field wall scored Sax to tie it, 2-2.

After Guerrero’s home run gave the Dodgers a 4-2 lead, Valenzuela almost completely shut down the Reds. The only hit he allowed in the final three innings was a single to Barry Larkin.

“(Valenzuela) could’ve beaten anybody today, the way he pitched,” Reds’ Manager Pete Rose said. “If (the Dodgers) don’t want him, we’ll take him.”

Dodger Notes

X-rays of Eric Davis’ right ankle, injured in a crash against the outfield fence on Saturday night, were negative. But Davis sat out Sunday’s game. The Reds have averaged two runs fewer per game in the 11 games Davis has missed. . . . It was almost a convention of scouts in Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda’s office before Sunday’s game. Lasorda was joined by Toronto Vice President Al LaMacchia and Chicago Cubs consultant Charlie Fox. Both teams need pitching, but LaMacchia insists he has met with Lasorda only to get suggestions on good restaurants in Southern California.