Dodgers Trade Honeycutt to A’s; Expos Win in 10th

Pitcher Rick Honeycutt’s frustrating season with the Dodgers, which included a club-record 11-game losing streak and subsequent banishment to the bullpen, ended Saturday when he was traded to the Oakland Athletics for a player to be named.

“I feel like this is an opportunity to wash away everything that has happened this season,” Honeycutt said before Saturday night’s game against the Montreal Expos, which the Dodgers lost, 6-5, in 10 innings before a crowd of 40,765 at Dodger Stadium. “I’m excited to go to a contending club. In one day, I picked up about 12 games in the standings.”

The A’s, leading the American League West and in need of left-handed pitching, will pay the remainder of Honeycutt’s $775,000 contract this season and all of his $825,000 salary for next season.

The Dodgers, going nowhere in the National League West and having tried to peddle Honeycutt for several months, will receive a player from the A’s minor league system on Thursday, assuming the player clears waivers.

Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ vice president, said the club will receive a “prospect.” He would not elaborate. The Dodgers are in need of middle infield help, and the two A’s minor league players who have drawn the most interest from teams are Triple-A shortstop Walt Weiss, the club’s first-round pick in the 1985 draft, and Triple-A infielder/outfielder Mark Howie.

Another possibility is Triple-A outfielder Stan Javier, who hit .327 with Tacoma last season but only .194 during a brief stretch with the A’s this season.

Sandy Alderson, A’s vice president, has indicated that Weiss, a 23-year-old University of North Carolina product, is not available.

“We made the deal because the player cost to us became more acceptable than three or four weeks ago,” Alderson said. “There was a time when it would have been too rich for us.”

Said Claire: “It is a player who certainly figures to be a prominent player in our future. Otherwise, we would not have made the deal, because, in Rick Honeycutt, we gave up a prominent major league pitcher.”

Honeycutt, replaced on the Dodger roster by Brad Havens, said he was extremely happy after Claire called Saturday with the news. Tom Reich, Honeycutt’s agent, recently met with Claire to try to work out the best deal for both the player and the team.

“I didn’t demand anything,” Honeycutt said about Reich’s meetings with Claire. “I just felt like, for myself, it would be a good move to get traded. Tom made no demands. I had nothing to say about it.”

Despite his 2-12 record and 4.59 earned-run average, Honeycutt drew interest from several contending teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays.

Honeycutt, 33, spent his first seven seasons in the American League. He is expected to join the A’s today and will make his first start either Tuesday at New York or next Sunday at Baltimore.

The A’s, whose only other left-handed starter is Curt Young, play the Kansas City Royals 7 times in their last 33 games. The Royals are 10-17 against left-handers, 54-47 against right-handers.

“I talked to Mr. Alderson today, and he said they need left-handed pitching with their schedule, so I think I’ll be used right away,” Honeycutt said. “The great thing is, if you’re traded at this time of the season, you know it’s usually to a contending team.”

While Honeycutt was cleaning out his locker in the Dodger Stadium clubhouse about four hours before Saturday’s game, other Dodger pitchers half-jokingly wished him well and asked if they could go along. The A’s rank seventh in the AL in hitting; the Dodger batters are last in the National League.

“As a player, you always want a chance to be on a winning team,” Honeycutt said. “I’m hoping I can help them.”

Honeycutt was only three losses shy of equaling Jim Pastorius’ all-time Dodger record for consecutive defeats--14 in 1904. Honeycutt holds the Los Angeles Dodger record.

“Sure, I wish (the streak) had ended,” Honeycutt said. “I wish it never started. At the same time, who knows, it might never have ended. Not that I couldn’t win, but whether they decided to use me as a starter.”

Honeycutt, acquired by the Dodgers from the Texas Rangers in August 1983 for pitchers Dave Stewart and Ricky Wright, will be in the same rotation with Stewart, an 18-game winner, at Oakland.

Honeycutt said he is hoping a change of leagues will change his fortunes.

A healthy Honeycutt started the season with a new-found curveball. Almost from the start, though, Honeycutt lacked support. On May 18, he led the National League in earned-run average at 1.31 but had a losing record.

He lost his starting spot at the end of July and pitched out of the bullpen until getting a spot start last Saturday at Philadelphia. Honeycutt gave up one run in six innings but lost, 2-0.

“In a way, it’s an unfortunate situation that I’m leaving because if we were playing like we should be and I was doing better, we’d be in the race,” Honeycutt said. “I had a lot of ups and downs, good and bad things. The one thing that is so frustrating is that I came out of spring training feeling the best I have in a long time.

“I was coming up with that breaking ball and my sinker was working. But first, I got caught up in what was happening to me (such as lack of offensive and defensive support) and then I got down and didn’t pitch well.

“When it gets to six or seven starts, it gets to be mind games. I didn’t control it well. But the situation changes, and I’m hoping things will work out.”

Honeycutt’s last outing as a Dodger came Wednesday night at New York, when he was only used to issue an intentional walk.

“That kind of tops my year off right there,” Honeycutt said.

Because of the unexpected maturation of rookie pitcher Shawn Hillegas, the Dodgers were in a position to trade Honeycutt. Saturday night, however, Hillegas was inconsistent.

Hillegas looked to be a 5-4 loser after leaving in the seventh, but the Dodgers rallied in the eighth inning to tie, 5-5, and eventually send the game into extra innings.

Tim Crews replaced Brian Holton in the 10th and gave up consecutive doubles to Andres Galarraga and Tom Foley, enabling the Expos to win, 6-5. It was Foley’s second hit and third RBI of the night.

The Dodgers threatened in the bottom of the 10th against Andy McGaffigan. John Shelby led off with a single and had second base stolen. But when Shelby came to his feet at second, he fell over Foley, who was covering the base. Foley tagged Shelby, and umpire Greg Bonin called Shelby out.

Manager Tom Lasorda disputed the call, to no avail. McGaffigan (4-2) eventually worked out of the inning to record the win. The loss went to Crews (0-1).

Lasorda watched a television replay afterward and concluded that the proper call was made. “I thought (Foley) might have pushed (Shelby) off, but he didn’t,” Lasorda said.

Said Shelby: “Evidently, my momentum carried me over the bag. I honestly don’t know whether he tagged me or not.”

Recently acquired shortstop Glenn Hoffman had delivered a two-out double to score Shelby with the tying run off reliever Bob McClure in the eighth. But pinch-hitter Tito Landrum struck out with runners at second and third against McGaffigan.

After enduring a shaky start, in which he gave up three runs in the first inning and another run in the third, Hillegas retired 13 straight Expos before walking Jeff Reed with one out in the seventh.

That proved the start of Hillegas’ undoing. Pinch-hitter Casey Candaele beat out a chopper to shortstop for an infield hit, and Tim Raines followed with a single to center field to load the bases.

Hillegas was replaced by Alejandro Pena, who gave up a run-scoring fly to left field by Mitch Webster but avoided further damage when second baseman Steve Sax speared Hubie Brooks’ line drive to end the inning.

Walks hurt Hillegas. The three he issued Saturday were all transformed into runs.

The Dodger offense, meanwhile, appeared headed for a big night against Expo starter Bob Sebra. They matched the Expos’ first-inning output with three runs, then took a brief 4-3 lead in the second. Danny Heep, starting in left field, had an RBI in each scoring rally.

Sebra was pulled in the sixth inning, leaving it to the Expo bullpen to hold off the Dodgers.

Dodger Notes

Don’t expect the Dodgers to add many players Tuesday, when teams are allowed to expand the roster to 40. Albuquerque will be in the Pacific Coast League playoffs, and Fred Claire, Dodger vice president, said the club probably won’t add players until mid-September, when the minor league playoffs end. “Besides, we’ve already had a good look at Shawn Hillegas, Tracy Woodson and Chris Gwynn,” Claire said. “Those are players we wanted to get experience.” . . . Infielder Mickey Hatcher was scratched from the lineup after aggravating his groin strain Friday night. . . . X-rays on catcher Mike Scioscia’s right wrist, which was hit by a foul ball Friday night, did not show a fracture. He was in the starting lineup Saturday night. . . . Mike Marshall, recovering from a badly bruised left shin, took early batting practice Saturday. He is eligible to come off the disabled list Sept. 4. . . . The Dodgers’ Fernando Valenzuela (11-11) opposes the Expos’ Neal Heaton (12-6) today. . . . A seventh-inning single gave Dodger second baseman Steve Sax his 1,000th major league hit. This is Sax’s sixth full season. . . . Woodson, bothered by a sprained left wrist, was forced to leave the game in the eighth inning because of continued soreness. . . . Expo third baseman Tim Wallach left the game in the top of the eighth with a strained lower back.