Much to Their Protest, Dodgers Lose to Giants

Even if there had not been a disputed, if relatively insignificant, pickoff play early in Sunday’s game against the San Francisco Giants, the Dodgers still would have wanted to play this one under protest.

Manager Tom Lasorda would have liked to protest the fact that, because of an injury siege, only three regulars were in the starting lineup. He also would have raised objections to using an infield that included Danny Heep at first base, Craig Shipley at shortstop and Phil Garner at third base.

But you can’t file a complaint in the league office simply for being forced to play short-handed. So, when Lasorda saw a chance to spare his team another futile afternoon and eventually have the game replayed at a later date, he seized it. That was the only constructive thing the depleted Dodgers did Sunday. The Giants pushed across a run in the 10th inning for a 1-0 victory before a crowd of 52,374 at Candlestick Park, despite eight shutout innings by Bob Welch.

Along with another loss, the Dodgers lost yet another player for an undetermined time. Shortstop Mariano Duncan suffered a knee injury sliding into first base on a bunt attempt on the game’s first pitch.

Duncan, starting in place of injured Dave Anderson (strained hamstring), was scheduled to fly to Los Angeles to be examined by Dr. Frank Jobe today. It is suspected that Duncan might have suffered a cartilage tear, which would force another roster move.

With an odd assortment of second- and third-stringers and last-resorts in the Dodger lineup, it wasn’t surprising that Giant starter Mike LaCoss pitched a three-hit shutout over 10 innings for his 11th win.

The inoffensive Dodger offense, victims of consecutive shutouts, has not scored a run in 22 innings. The Dodgers advanced a runner to second base only once--on a walk and sacrifice bunt in the 10th.

The Giants, who blew scoring chances in the seventh and eighth innings because of failure to navigate between third base and home, finally put the Dodgers out of their misery in the 10th.

With two out, Dodger reliever Tim Leary gave up a two-strike single to pinch-hitter Chili Davis. Eddie Milner then lined Leary’s first pitch down the left-field line for a double, scoring Davis with the winning run.

What transpired Sunday should not be surprising, considering that Pedro Guerrero (sore thumb) joined Mike Marshall (swollen left ankle), Mickey Hatcher (groin strain) and all the other disabled Dodgers on the bench.

That left Lasorda no alternative but to start a lineup featuring four players barely hitting .200 and a rookie with three games of major league experience. Then, Duncan went down with the knee injury--though he tried to play on it for two more innings--making Shipley the new starting shortstop.

“What else can happen?” Lasorda asked.

Well, if they can continue to lose games and players in equal number, the Dodgers could be getting a closer look at all their minor league prospects. Afterward, Lasorda was asked if a win was too much to expect from his club.

“That’s still no excuse not to score any runs in 10 innings,” he said.

About the only life the Dodgers had Sunday was supplied by Lasorda when he argued about the pickoff play at first base that eventually resulted in a protest.

Here is what Lasorda is hanging his protest hopes on:

Welch opened the third with a single. First baseman Will Clark did not hold Welch on the base, but LaCoss turned to throw to first. LaCoss threw to Clark, who was about 10 feet off the bag. Clark caught the ball, Welch returned to first, and Lasorda bolted from the dugout to argue.

Lasorda felt a balk should have been called. He supported that belief by quoting a new rule that prohibits a first baseman to deceive a runner by taking a throw off the bag while running toward first.

But first-base umpire John McSherry said there was no deception, that Clark merely caught the ball and threw it back. Had Clark run toward first, then stopped and went back and then took the throw, it would have been a balk, according to McSherry.

“I didn’t see anything that would justify calling a balk,” said McSherry, who said he does not feel Lasorda has a legitimate case.

The way it is now, the Dodgers (52-65) don’t have a legitimate major league team.

Even they are starting to realize that--sort of.

“The guys we had in the lineup, we felt could swing the bats,” catcher Mike Scioscia said. “It’s out of our control if our so-called horses can’t play. We got to do the best we can. We kept battling. The guys out on the field wanted to play, and that’s important.”

Nobody wanted a win more than Welch, who gave up four hits through eight innings after leaving his previous start after five innings with a strained groin muscle.

“(Welch) pitched a hell of a game and came out with nothing,” Lasorda said.

Lasorda chose to lift Welch after eight innings, perhaps because of his groin injury.

Leary said he thought he struck out Davis on a 1-and-2 pitch on the inside corner. But home plate umpire Dana DeMuth called it a ball, and Davis knocked Leary’s next pitch into right field for a single. That brought up Milner, who jumped on a high fastball.

“It’s just frustrating when you throw well and get the loss,” Leary said. “It shows you how this game is sometimes.”

Dodger Notes

If Mariano Duncan’s knee injury is serious, the Dodgers will be in serious trouble at shortstop. Craig Shipley is the only other current Dodger who can play shortstop. The only shortstop with their triple-A club in Albuquerque is journeyman Shanie Dugas. Julio Cruz is playing second base in Albuquerque, but has never been a shortstop. Another option would be the activation of Dodger Coach Bill Russell, who hasn’t taken many ground balls or batting practice in recent weeks. “I don’t know what we are going to do yet,” Manager Tom Lasorda said. . . . Alejandro Pena comes off the disabled list today, and vice president Fred Claire announced that Ken Howell will be sent to Albuquerque to work on becoming a starting pitcher. The Dodgers, apparently, have given up on Howell as a reliever. Said Howell after receiving the news: “I’m not disappointed. I’m going to go down there and learn how to be a starter again. Maybe I can come back and help them in September.” . . . Add injuries: Pedro Guerrero is day-to-day with his sore right thumb. Lasorda said that the lingering injury, which Guerrero first hurt during the All-Star game, has significantly affected Guerrero’s hitting. “He just can’t swing the bat, can’t get it around,” Lasorda said.