Valenzuela Puts Doubt to Rest, but Not Arm, in 7-2 Win Over Expos

Fernando Valenzuela threw 152 pitches in a little more than seven innings here Thursday night. Almost everyone would agree that, in theory if not always practice, 152 were too many for a pitcher with such a valuable left arm.

But what can the Dodgers do? The guy says he can keep pitching and, despite early control problems, he remained effective into the eighth inning. So the temptation was, let Valenzuela finish what he started and not quibble about the number of pitches.

Just in case, though, pitching coach Ron Perranoski placed a call to the bullpen as Valenzuela reached the mound to begin the eighth inning of the Dodgers’ 7-2 win over the Montreal Expos.

The health of Valenzuela’s arm, as well as the Dodgers’ lead, was at stake.

“Perry called us in the bullpen and said that Tim (Crews) and I better get ready, because Fernando had thrown 148 pitches, and he wasn’t going to stay with him long,” reliever Matt Young said.

Those precautions were well-advised. Valenzuela, clinging to a 5-1 lead at that point, gave up a leadoff double to Vance Law and a subsequent single to Reid Nichols. Though neither ball was hit hard, and Valenzuela had worked out of trouble all night, it necessitated a pitching change.

On came Young, who got out of the eighth-inning jam by allowing only one run. He retired the Expos in order in the ninth to earn his 11th save and preserve one of Valenzuela’s best outings of an inconsistent season.

Sufficient offensive support for Valenzuela, now 10-11, surprisingly was supplied by a patchwork lineup that included only two of the eight regulars.

With Pedro Guerrero, Mike Marshall, Mickey Hatcher, Mike Scioscia and others hobbled by injuries, the Dodgers (54-66) still managed to pound out 13 hits off starter Neal Heaton and the Expos’ relief corps.

Steve Sax and John Shelby, the only regulars in the lineup, combined for five hits. Alex Trevino, Tito Landrum, Danny Heep, Tracy Woodson and Ken Landreaux also contributed important hits for the Dodgers, who have won two straight.

But, as always, the focus was on Valenzuela, coming off of three straight losses in which he was hit hard and had control trouble.

But certain aspects of Thursday night’s outing by Valenzuela brought back images of his six previous seasons, when he was a dominating pitchers.

Though Valenzuela equaled his season high for walks with seven, he wasn’t missing the corners by much and wasn’t wild. Though the Expos put runners in scoring position in six of the eight innings he pitched, Valenzuela deftly worked ou of most of the predicaments.

In seven innings, Valenzuela gave up only four hits and two runs. He struck out five to go along with the seven walks issued.

“This was the Fernando of old,” Young said. “This was the Fernado I saw on TV every Saturday when I played in Seattle. He had his stuff tonight.”

Even Valenzuela, often overly self-critical, said that he felt good and pitched well in this one.

“It was a little better tonight,” Valenzuela said with a slight smile. “The control was still bad, and too many walks, but I wasn’t missing by much and I felt good.

“Even the last two innings, the fastball felt fine. Perranoski tell me in the dugout (before the eighth) that I pitched too much. I said, ‘Whenever you want to bring in another pitcher, that’s fine with me.’ But I told him I felt fine. Besides, it was a close game and I threw a lot of pitches.”

Just how many did you throw, Fernando?

“I don’t want to know,” he said, laughing. “Too many. . . . But that’s not new.”

Concern about Valenzuela’s health is not new, either. They look at the many innings Valenzuela has logged at such as early age and figure that has contributed to his problems this season.

Perranoski, who counts pitches on all Dodger starters, nevertheless said too much emphasis is placed on it.

“Hell, he threw 165 and beat somebody not too long ago,” Perranoski said. “He looked strong tonight. He threw the ball well. His fastball was really working. And he had a good curve and screwball.”

Even so, Valenzuela faced several dire situations, partly because of walks.

But Valenzuela retired Tim Raines three times with runners in scoring position, including striking out the National League’s second best hitter with a runners of third in the sixth. That came on pitch number 126.

“He really had command of the game,” Trevino, the Dodger catcher, said. “Yeah, he did walk a lot of people, but he had command. His velocity was great, the best I’ve seen it (in 1987). You still want to be concerned because he threw a lot of pitches.

“How many was it? 152? Wow, that’s a lot for seven innings.”

All told, Montreal stranded 12 runners and were 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position against Valenzuela and Young. That sounds like a Dodger-type statistic. Lately, though, it seemed the Dodgers have prospered offensively even though their best hitters have been sidelined.

The big hits by the Dodgers Thursday were delivered by Landrum, who knocked in Sax in the first inning for the game’s first run; by Trevino, who doubled in the fourth and later scored on an error; and by Heep, who knocked in two of the Dodgers’ three runs in the eighth with a pinch-hit double.

Even after a Dodger win seem assured, Landreaux added a two-run home run in the ninth for a 7-2 lead that Young preserved in the ninth.

“I don’t know why we’re starting to hit now,” Lasorda said. “I ain’t complaining.”

Dodger Notes

Eleven days after he fouled a ball off his left ankle, Mike Marshall still is unable to play because of prolonged swelling and soreness. After Marshall conferred with Dodger trainer Bill Buhler and Dr. Frank Jobe, it was decided that he should return to Los Angeles to be re-examined by Jobe. Marshall was expected to fly to Chicago on Thursday night and then fly to Los Angeles this morning for his appointment with Jobe. There is a good chance Marshall will be put on the 15-day disabled list, which would open a roster spot, perhaps for Craig Shipley. The Dodgers first would have to transfer Mariano Duncan, out for the season with a torn ligament in his left knee, to the 60-day disabled list. Shipley, the most likely Dodger to be sent back to Albuquerque when Hoffman is activated today, traveled with the team to Philadelphia Thursday night and might remain with the Dodgers if Marshall is put on the disabled list.