Dodgers Find Spark in Gwynn : Rookie Has 3 Hits in 4-3 Win at S.F.

That really was Chris Gwynn, not older brother Tony, out there in a Dodger uniform Friday night. There were sightings of Tony in San Diego earlier in the night, disproving the sinister notion that a switch had been made.

But try telling that to Dodger veteran Mickey Hatcher, who stood on third base in the fourth inning here and swore that it had to be Tony Gwynn at bat for the Dodgers.

The kid had the look. The swing. The mannerisms. And he also produced the results that his bother, the National League’s leading hitter, regularly does.

Familial comparisons were unavoidable after what 22-year-old Chris Gywnn did in his major league debut. He went 3 for 4, knocking in 2 runs, and also made a leaping catch at the left-field fence to preserve the Dodgers’ 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants before a crowd of 34,108 at Candlestick Park.

“It was incredible,” Hatcher said. “I was standing on third base, and this was Tony Gwynn out there. I tell you what, this kid has got what his brother has.”

Gwynn is used to being compared--and, yes, sometimes mistaken for his older brother. He considers it a compliment.

“I’d say I’m like my brother (in that) I don’t try to overpower the ball,” Gwynn said. “I just hit it where it’s pitched. I must admit I was nervous out there at first. You never know what to expect.”

Even though Tony had told Chris what it would be like, Gywnn said that “you have to do it yourself.”

It obviously is too soon to expect such lofty expectations from the younger Gwynn.

The injury-weakened Dodgers (52-63), who finished Friday night’s game with only two regulars in the lineup, certainly needed something different to get a win at the outset of a 13-game trip.

So, they turned to an unlikely source (at least according to the many Dodger critics)--their farm system.

Recent alumni from the Dodgers’ Triple-A team in Albuquerque pulled this one out.

Gwynn accounted for three of the Dodgers’ seven hits and saved the potential tying and go-ahead runs when he jumped at the warning track to catch a long Candy Maldonado drive in the seventh.

The win went to rookie Shawn Hillegas, who pitched four dominating innings before running into trouble in the fifth and sixth, facing bases-loaded situations each time. The only run he allowed was a leadoff home run to Mike Aldrete in the sixth.

Hillegas, 22, left with a three-run lead in the sixth. And even though Brian Holton gave up a two-run home run to Aldrete in the seventh, Hillegas earned his second straight win since being recalled from the minors last week.

Reliever Tim Crews, another recent addition from Albuquerque, earned his second save. Both of Crews’ saves have been in relief of Hillegas.

“We’ve played really well down (in Albuquerque),” Gwynn said. “We really didn’t listen to what people said about us and the farm system.”

Added Hatcher: “It’s exciting to see these kids come in and help us. And we really need it, too.”

Indeed, Giant fans, who love to hate, berate and sometimes throw things at the Dodgers, probably had trouble recognizing some of the Dodger players sent out there on another chilly night at Candlestick.

By the fifth inning, only regulars were in the lineup. One was Pedro Guerrero, who was at first base for the fourth straight game.

They began the night with five starters--Mike Marshall (left wrist), Franklin Stubbs (right shoulder), Dave Anderson (left hamstring) and Jeff Hamilton (sprained right ankle)--out with injuries.

Second baseman Steve Sax was a late scratch with inflammation in his left Achilles tendon, and John Shelby was back in Los Angeles for the birth of his son. Then, in the fifth inning, third baseman Hatcher strained his right groin running for a foul ball.

Sax is listed as day-to-day, while Hatcher likely will miss a few days with the groin strain. The good news, for the Dodgers, is that Shelby’s wife gave birth, and he will rejoin the club today.

But that didn’t help the Dodgers Friday night.

The Dodgers had to rely on unproven players with promising futures, such as Gwynn and Hillegas, and aged utilitymen whose best days seem behind them.

The infield, from the fifth inning on, included Guerrero at first base, Phil Garner at second base, Mariano Duncan at shortstop and Craig Shipley at third base. The starting outfield: Gwynn in left, Ken Landreaux in center and Danny Heep in right.

At catcher was Mike Scioscia, the only Dodger player who was a starter at his position when the season started.

The unusual combination worked, for one night at least.

The Dodgers’ four-run burst against Giant Starter Kelly Downs (9-7) and reliever Joe Price would not have been possible without Gwynn’s contribution.

Gwynn, who hit .280 in Albuquerque, singled Mike Scioscia into scoring position in the first inning (his first big league at-bat). Then, in the fourth, he singled home Hatcher for a 3-0 Dodger lead. And in the sixth against Price, Gwynn singled in the Dodgers’ fourth run.

Proving that he is not perfect, Gwynn reached first in the ninth on shortstop Chris Speier’s fielding error. He was stranded at second, but the Dodgers didn’t need any more offense this night. “I was nervous the first time up,” Gwynn said. “It was nice to get that first hit. Then, I relaxed a little bit. I just hit the ball and got a break or two.

“I never saw my brother play his first game. But I think he went 2 for 5 and had 2 RBIs against Philly. That was back in 1982. I was a senior in high school.”

Dodger Notes

Right fielder Mike Marshall said his sprained left wrist is feeling better, but his bruised left ankle has worsened. Marshall, who fouled a ball off his left shin last Sunday against Atlanta, said the ankle has become more swollen in the last two days. “At least you can see this (injury),” said Marshall, whose numerous injuries often have been questioned by teammates. “With the wrist, I had to tell them it was hurt. It’s not like I painted (the bruises) on my ankle or something. . . . It’s strange. (The ankle) was better the second or third day after I hurt it, but now it’s worse. We’re going to have to take a closer look at it. (X-rays) are a possibility. I’ve hit a couple of balls off my ankle before and the first couple of days were bad. This is different.” Vice president Fred Claire has not ruled out the possibility of putting Marshall on the disabled list--if he can find a spot for him. . . . Add Marshall: The Giants have not forgotten Marshall’s controversial finger-pointing incident on April 21st. Prominently displayed on one wall on the Giant clubhouse Friday was a photograph of Marshall admonishing Giants Manager Roger Craig after hitting a home run off Scott Garrelts. Craig, you may recall, had intentionally walked Pedro Guerrero to pitch to Marshall, which angered the Dodger right fielder. . . . Add injury update: In addition to the disabled, which includes five starters, Pedro Guerrero is receiving treatment for a sore left thumb. Trainer Bill Buhler said the injury is aggravated when Guerrero is jammed while hitting. Guerrero was in the lineup Friday night. . . . Chris Gwynn, who joined the Dodgers from Albuquerque on Friday, said he was nervous making his first start and that he was surprised by the promotion. “I had been down there four and a half months and I figured that I’d stay there until September (when the rosters expand to 40). I just hope I can capitalize on this chance. I’m not going to put pressure on myself.” Gwynn was the Dodgers’ first-round draft pick in 1985. He is the 15th member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic baseball team to make it to the major leagues. Gwynn, who hit .280 in Albuquerque, said he has worked hard to improve his defense, the weakest part of his game. “I felt like I’ve improved that since I’ve been drafted,” Gwynn said. . . . Claire said that if veteran reliever Ron Davis, signed to an Albuquerque contract on Thursday, pitches well in the next two weeks, a promotion to the Dodgers is possible. “If he shows us he can pitch to that level, we would bring him up,” Claire said. “We’ve got that September 1 date to decide.”