Davis Runs Dodgers Ragged as Reds Win, 4-3

The Cincinnati Reds staggered into town Monday night, still in first place in the National League West but still reeling from four straight losses at San Francisco.

But, hey, were they fretting?

“It’s not like we’re nervous and tense or anything,” Red Manager Pete Rose said beforehand.

The Reds, you see, have something the Dodgers don’t. Actually, a lot of things. But Monday night, they unleashed Eric Davis, their most potent and versatile weapon, and the result was a 4-3 victory over the Dodgers before 37,000 fans at Dodger Stadium.

As long as Davis is around, there is hope for the Reds. The way he manufactured the winning run against Fernando Valenzuela in the seventh inning and then saved it with his defense in the ninth proved that he doesn’t necessarily need to hit to be effective.

The win kept the Reds (59-54) a game in front of the Giants in the West race. The Dodgers (49-62), meanwhile, lost ground in their race with last-place San Diego. The Dodgers are only 4 1/2 games ahead of the streaking Padres.

Just when the Reds needed him most, Davis came through. Perhaps they should check his legs for cork.

With the score tied, 3-3, Davis led off the seventh with a walk. He proceeded to steal second and third, beating a good throw by Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia each time. Dave Parker, who had been struggling, then lined a single to right to score Davis with what became the winning run.

Even though Davis went 0 for 4 against Valenzuela (9-10), he still hurt the Dodgers with his speed. What he did on the basepaths in the seventh proved what Red coach Tony Perez has often said about Davis: “You walk him, it’s a triple.”

After Red reliever Frank Williams worked a scoreless seventh inning, former Dodger John Franco was called upon to try to nail down the win and earn his 20th save. He did it--saying afterward it was extra satisfying to do it against the Dodgers--with a big assist by Davis.

Mickey Hatcher led off the ninth inning with a line drive into the right-center gap. Davis cut off the ball. And, when the aggressive Hatcher tried to stretch it into a double, Davis made a one-hop throw that easily got Hatcher, a head-first slide notwithstanding.

“I’ve been in the league 25 years, and I haven’t seen a throw better than that last one, and I bet fans won’t see anything like that in their whole careers,” Rose said. “You can’t blame Hatcher for trying. (But) he didn’t use good judgment. He hit it to Davis.”

Apparently, Hatcher had not learned from his earlier base-running duel with Davis. That came in the fourth inning, when Hatcher tried to take third base on a single by John Shelby. Davis fired a one-hop throw that nailed Hatcher.

Hatcher was as awe-struck with Davis’ throw as he was despondent over killing a Dodger rally.

“I thought he was going to have to set a little bit before throwing,” Hatcher said. “That’s when I took off for second. I was just so surprised when I saw the ball get there.” No one on the Reds was surprised by what Davis, who now has 42 stolen bases, did Monday night. They have seen him make the extraordinary become routine before. He has leaped at the fence to steal home runs, stretched his long legs to steal bases and taken 32 home run strolls himself.

“You’re not going to hit every day,” Davis said. “Today, I contributed with my speed and defense. I take a lot of pride in my defense. I knew Hatcher was going to go for two. He’s an aggressive base runner.”

Not many, however, are as aggressive on the base paths as Davis. Rose gives Davis freedom to steal whenever he wishes. Davis has been caught stealing only three times this season. He has stolen third base 10 times, 5 coming after he had stolen second.

The Dodgers, after viewing replays of Davis’ steal of third, felt that his foot had come off the bag after he had hooked it from behind.

“After seeing the replay, I saw where his foot came off the bag,” Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said. “The umpire (John McSherry) was right there.”

But no one on the Dodgers begrudged Davis’ multi-talents. Lasorda called him a “superstar.” Hatcher said Davis’ performance was “awesome.” And Scioscia merely talked about how difficult it is to throw out such a fast and smart runner.

“I don’t know how he was safe at second or third, because I made good throws, but he was,” Scioscia said. “He just beat (the throws). With guys in the class of Davis, (Vince) Coleman and (Tim) Raines, you just try to control them. Make sure they don’t run at will. Give (Davis) credit tonight.”

The Dodgers, who had Pedro Guerrero (stiff neck) back in the lineup but were without Mike Marshall (sprained left wrist and bruised left shin), had chances to take more than a one-run lead into the late innings against Red starter Ron Robinson and Williams.

There was a bungled squeeze play in the third inning, in which Dave Anderson failed to make contact as Jeff Hamilton headed home from third.

They scored two runs off Robinson in the fourth, but a good chance at a third run ended when Davis threw out Hatcher at third on Shelby’s single.

Cincinnati scored three runs off Valenzuela in the sixth inning, the big blow being a two-out pinch-hit double by Kurt Stillwell. But the Dodgers tied it in the bottom of the sixth when Hatcher’s single to right off Williams scored Ken Landreaux.

In the end, though, Davis, Parker and the Reds prevailed.

Parker, who had been 19 for 93 since the All-Star break, was the offensive star for the Reds. He went 3 for 4 and had only his fourth extra-base hit since mid-July.

Valenzuela’s pitching line--9 innings, 7 hits, 9 strikeouts, 5 walks--looked impressive, and at times, he did, too. But his walk to Davis is the seventh was a crushing blow.

As if Davis’ actions on the field weren’t demoralizing enough to the Dodgers, they watched Franco notch his 20th save against his former team and revel in that fact afterward.

“Anytime I get a win or a save against the Dodgers, it’s kind of satisfying,” said Franco, traded by the Dodgers to the Reds in 1983 for Rafael Landestoy. “I know they could use me in the bullpen.”

Dodger Notes

Mike Marshall’s bruised left shin, which kept him out of the lineup Monday night, was the result of a foul ball he hit off it Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. He is being treated with ice applied to the bruised and swollen area. Marshall took batting practice early Monday before heading to the trainer’s room. The Dodgers said his sprained left wrist has been bothering Marshall for a few weeks. Marshall was getting treatment before the game and was unavailable for comment. . . . Before Monday night’s game, Red Manager Pete Rose admitted that he would be watching the Dodger Stadium scoreboard looking for the scoring update on the San Francisco Giants-Houston Astros game. “I’m not worried about what the Giants do until we play them again,” Rose said. “I don’t know who to pull for in that game tonight. Well, I hope the Giants win. You expect teams to win at home. You got to watch out for (the teams that) win on the road.” Asked to analyze his team’s four straight losses to the Giants, Rose said: “You can arrive at anything you want from that. I don’t think it was because anyone was getting tense or nervous. It’s just that we didn’t hit and the Giants pitched well. I don’t think it’s unusual for anyone to go to ‘Frisco and not hit.”

The Reds will start rookie Jeff Montgomery tonight against the Dodgers, which enables the other Red starters to get another day’s rest. “That start may have a big effect on our rotation,” Rose said. If Montgomery pitches well, there is a good chance that Tom Browning, Thursday’s starter, will be sent to the minors. Browning, who already has had one stint in Nashville, has allowed 10 runs in his last three starts. . . . Dodger infielder Brad Wellman, on the 15-day disabled list because of a laceration to his right cornea, was examined by Dr. Howard Lazerson Monday. The diagnosis was startling. “The doctor said his (vision) problem might be more from the smog or allergies than the contact lenses,” trainer Bill Buhler said.