A Good Night for Petry--and Gibson, as Well

For most of this spring, the trouble with Peaches was he kept getting creamed.

Dan Petry, who was known as Peaches when he was averaging almost 15 victories a season for Detroit in the early and mid-1980s, was counted on to be a cornerstone in the foundation of the Angels’ pitching staff this year. But a back injury and an 11.37 earned-run average this spring created a lot of doubt about his role as the No. 3 starter.

Petry was the losing pitcher Friday night as the Dodgers beat the Angels, 5-0, with the help of a two-run double by Petry’s old Tiger teammate, Kirk Gibson, in the Freeway Series opener at Dodger Stadium. But to hear Angel Manager Cookie Rojas talk, you would never know it.

“Danny pitched one helluva game tonight,” Rojas said of Petry’s 5-inning outing. “We were very concerned about the number of innings he could pitch. You can’t go into the season with a starter who can only go three innings.

“But this is the second time in a row he’s gone five strong innings, and it’s nice to get that worry off our minds.”

The Dodgers didn’t get their first hit until Mike Marshall grounded a single under the glove of shortstop Gus Polidor in the fifth inning. Petry had retired 13 Dodgers in a row up to that point.

Then Danny Heep opened the sixth with a single to right and was awarded second when Petry balked. Heep took third when Mike Scioscia grounded to first, but Petry got into real trouble when he fell behind pinch-hitter Franklin Stubbs and elected to walk him intentionally.

Steve Sax followed with a line-drive double into the gap in right-center to bring home Heep.

“The balk, that only one guy (first base umpire Derryl Cousins) in the whole park saw, ruined the whole game for him,” Rojas said.

Rojas decided to bring in rookie reliever Frank DiMichele, who has never pitched on a level above Class A ball but earned a spot on the Angels’ roster with an 0.75 earned-run average in 10 appearances this spring. DiMichele intentionally walked Alfredo Griffin to load the bases.

Gibson, playing his first game before the home fans, made the 23-year-old left-hander’s first appearance in a major league ballpark less than memorable with a double to center. Stubbs and Sax scored, then Griffin trotted home and Gibson took third when center fielder Devon White’s throw to third skipped by Jack Howell and into the Dodger dugout.

Petry, who struck out three and walked one, admitted for the first time that the slightly herniated disk he suffered during a fielding drill early in spring training caused him both physical and mental anguish.

“I don’t like to make excuses, but, yeah, it slowed me down,” Petry said. “I feel in good shape now, though, and that’s all that matters. I’ve been saying it all spring--it doesn’t matter if your ERA is 1,000 as long as you’re ready when the season starts.

“This game, with the big crowd (of 35,157) in a major league park, seems a bit different than most spring games, but the key is that I feel like I have good stamina and good strength.”

The Angels weren’t the only ones feeling good about their pitching prospects after Friday night. Dodger starter Tim Belcher allowed just one hit and struck out two in three innings. And Alejandro Pena, who had not pitched in more than two weeks because of a groin injury, pitched two pain-free innings and allowed just one single.

“Pena threw very well,” Manager Tommy Lasorda said. “His changeup was good, his curve was good and he said his leg felt fine. Right now, I’d say the prospects of Pena being ready for the regular season look very good.”

That could be bad news for Tim Crews. The right-hander is one of four pitchers battling for the final spot on the roster. If Pena were to start the season on the disabled list, that would mean that Crews, Brian Holton, William Brennan and Shawn Hillegas would be vying for two spots instead of just one.

Crews worked two innings Friday night and allowed just one hit, but if Pena is healthy, he has to be considered a long shot to be with the team for Monday’s opener.

Donnie Moore, another Angel pitcher who saw limited action this spring because of an injury (sore elbow), gave up the Dodgers’ fifth run, a line drive home run to left by Jeff Hamilton. Hamilton, who once again became the Dodgers’ third baseman of the future when Guerrero agreed to play third, has changed his attitude about serving in a backup role. He requested a trade when the decision to move Guerrero was made, but he was taking a strict party line Friday night.

“There’s a different aura on this team,” Hamilton said. “It’s a nice change. If everyone accepts his role and gives 100%, it’s going to be a good year.”

Those words, along with the sound of that clutch line drive off the bat of Gibson and the pop of Belcher’s fastball, are music to Lasorda’s ears.

Freeway Series Notes

The Dodgers made a pair of deals Friday, trading infielder Craig Shipley to the Mets for catcher John Gibbons and outfielder Reggie Williams to Cleveland for pitcher Greg LaFever. Shipley, who hit .611 this spring and won the Jim and Dearie Mulvie Award as the top rookie in Dodgertown, requested a trade when he was told he had been optioned to the minors last Sunday. The acquisition of Gibbons, who was a first-round draft pick in 1980 but has played in just 18 major league games, clears the way for the trade or release of catcher Alex Trevino, who lost the battle for the backup catcher spot to Rick Dempsey this spring. Gibbons, who hit .266 with 12 home runs and 60 RBIs last season for Tidewater, the Mets’ triple A affiliate, will be assigned to triple A Albuquerque. Manager Tommy Lasorda said the Shipley-Gibbons trade had nothing to do with Shipley’s request to be traded or a bat-throwing incident earlier this spring. “I love the guy,” Lasorda said. “He’s a helluva player and a great guy. There was no attitude problem. When he threw the bat after I took him out for a pinch hitter, I told him I didn’t like it, but that had nothing to with the move. From the little I’ve seen of Gibbons, I think he’s a good receiver with a good arm. We need to have enough guys in the organization in that department.” . . . LaFever, 24, was a 14th-round selection in 1985 and played at double A Williamsport for the Indians last season where he was 8-7 with a 5.43 earned-run average and had 84 strikeouts in 155 innings.

Gus Polidor started at shortstop Friday night, fueling rumors that the Angels are shopping him around in search of pitching help. “I came to the park and saw my name in the lineup, and I don’t know what they (the Angels) want to do,” Polidor said. “I just try to do the job. If they trade me to a team and I can play every day, then I have to say, ‘Thank you.’ But I have no complaints here, either.” . . . More Trade Rumors: A wire-service story Friday listed the Angels’ Johnny Ray as a possible candidate in a trade for the Yankees’ Dave Winfield. When asked about it, Angel General Manager Mike Port held up a ticket stub and pointed to the date, April 1. “Does the wire believe in April Fools’ Day?” he asked.

Dodger right fielder Mike Davis was a late scratch from the lineup after receiving an injection in his left shoulder. Davis, who is suffering from bursitis, will be re-evaluated on a day-to-day basis. . . . Dodger third base coach Joe Amalfitano underwent minor surgery Thursday but should be back in uniform on opening day. . . . Former Angel Manager Gene Mauch will throw out the first ball when the Angels open at home against Oakland Friday night. . . . Fernando Valenzuela has been named to start opening day against the Giants. It will be Valenzuela’s sixth opening-day start. He opened for the Dodgers in 1981, ‘83, ‘84, ’85 and ’86.