Even Lasorda’s Shouting Can’t Wake Dodgers

In an effort to pull the Dodgers out of their lengthy hitting slump before they went up against Pirate ace Rick Reuschel Friday night, Manager Tom Lasorda held a high-volume pregame meeting to address the problem.

Lasorda told his players, in language laced with expletives, how they make every opposing pitcher look like Walter Johnson and how they sometimes look like they want to walk instead of hit.

At one point, Lasorda screamed: “If you’re not better hitters than that, I’ll find another job. I know you’re better hitters than that, and you know that, too.”

Some inspiring speech that turned out to be.

The Dodgers, combining offensive impotence with a poor outing by Fernando Valenzuela, were shut out by Reuschel and the Pirates, 6-0, before a crowd of 22,454, at Three Rivers Stadium.

It was the Dodgers’ third shutout in four games, certainly not the ideal way to open an 11-game trip that could make the club a contender or an also-ran by the All-Star break.

Reuschel, the National League earned-run average leader at 2.17 and a definite contender for an All-Star berth, threw a five-hit shutout against the only team in the league that he had failed to blank in 15 seasons.

Valenzuela, meanwhile, will likely miss his first All-Star selection since coming into the league because of inconsistent performances such as Friday night’s. Valenzuela, coming off consecutive complete-game wins, gave up 5 runs and 9 hits in 5 innings. The lack of hitting and shaky pitching did not prompt a subsequent Lasorda blowup, although he did slam the clubhouse door afterward.

“I was upset,” Lasorda said of his pregame meeting. “When you’re last in the league in runs scored, you can’t be too happy with your team.”

It was not a happy Dodger clubhouse Friday night. Mike Marshall, who had a private meeting with Lasorda and Pedro Guerrero beforehand to discuss their latest ill feeling, was scratched from the lineup with a strained left thigh muscle.

Marshall said afterward he isn’t sure when he will return.

With or without Marshall, this loss typified the Dodgers’ lack of offensive drive.

Twice, the Dodgers had potential rallies end in inning-ending double plays.

It happened first in the fifth inning, when they had runners on first and second with one out, and Phil Garner bounced a double-play ball to the shortstop.

Then, in the seventh, singles by John Shelby and Pedro Guerrero, followed by a fly ball by Franklin Stubbs, put runners on first and third with one out. But Mike Scioscia grounded into a double play at second.

The only other Dodger threat against Reuschel came in the second, when Scioscia doubled with two out. But he was stranded there when Steve Sax flied out to right.

“Things have been tough for us now,” Guerrero said. “I just hope it changes. . . . We’ve been having our problems scoring runs. It’s so hard. It seems like even when we hit the ball hard, it goes to somebody.”

Speaking of hitting the ball hard, the Pirates nailed Valenzuela and Ken Howell, his successor.

Bobby Bonilla was the offensive star, going 3 for 5 with 5 runs batted in. Bonilla, a switch-hitter, hit a three-run home run in the third inning off Valenzuela as a right-handed batter. Then, in the seventh, he switched to the left side and hit a solo home run off Howell. Thus Bonilla, who has six home runs this season, became the only Pirate ever to hit home runs from both sides of the plate in one game. Only 63 major league players have ever done it. Pittsburgh scored a single run against Valenzuela in the second inning, Andy Van Slyke tripling and coming home on Bonilla’s ground ball.

Valenzuela’s unraveling came in the third. Van Slyke singled home Al Pedrique, making it 2-0. Then Bonilla hit a high fastball over the left-field fence for a 5-0 lead.

Valenzuela (7-6) lasted two more shaky innings before being pulled for a pinch-hitter in the sixth.

Despite appearances to the contrary, Bonilla said facing Valenzuela Friday night was as difficult as usual.

“He’s always tough,” Bonilla said. “you think about just getting hits off (Valenzuela), not home runs. It seemed like the same Fernando to me. He can still pick a team up when they need it.”

But that didn’t happen this time. And if Valenzuela thought Dodger hitters would pick him up on an off night, he was disappointed.

Dodger Notes

Shortstop Mariano Duncan was taken off the disabled list and activated after Friday night’s game, and Ralph Bryant (6 for 29) was optioned to Albuquerque. . . . Mike Marshall said his left thigh strain is more severe now than when he missed two games with it in mid-June. “I can’t play,” he said. “I’m just going to have to wait until it heals. I don’t know how long. It’s pulled. It’s worse than it was before.” . . . Rick Reuschel was asked how the Dodger lineup differs without Marshall in it. “I don’t know,” he said. “He wasn’t in the lineup the last time I faced them in L.A.” That was in early May, and Marshall was out with a back injury. . . . Reuschel said he felt no significance that Friday night’s shutout was his first against the Dodgers. “I thought I already had a shutout against them. In fact, I know I did. I combined on one with my brother. We made the record book.” Reuschel was right. Rick and Paul Reuschel, then with the Chicago Cubs, became the first brothers to combine on a shutout when they beat the Dodgers on Aug. 21, 1975. . . . The Dodgers and Pirates play this morning at 7:35 a.m. PDT, Bob Welch (8-4) pitching for the Dodgers against Bob Kipper (4-6).