A Spring Chicken at 43, Sutton Sharp as Dodgers Beat Angels

Wally Joyner couldn’t wait. He was in Dodger Stadium for all of 15 minutes before he ran out to left field to give a special gift to a special friend and former teammate.

Joyner, hiding a gouged and scraped baseball laden with half a jar of Vaseline, jogged up to Don Sutton, patted him on the shoulder and then plopped the gooey ball into Sutton’s hand.

Sutton managed a smile. After all, this is not exactly a new joke. But the veteran right-hander had better reasons to smile Saturday night, and it wasn’t only his 43rd birthday he was celebrating by the time the evening was over.

Sutton, who has pitched in the Freeway Series seven times as a Dodger and twice as an Angel, culminated one of his finest springs in recent memory by allowing just one hit in four innings as the Dodgers beat the Angels, 7-2, before a crowd of 35,608 at Dodger Stadium.

For Dodger fans, it wasn’t just a night to welcome back old favorites, it was also a time to embrace new ones.

Kirk Gibson, who drove in a pair of runs in the Dodgers’ 5-0 victory Friday night, got a standing ovation from the Dodger faithful in the fourth when he drilled a leadoff home run to right field off Angel starter Chuck Finley. It was Gibson’s first homer of the spring. He also had a sacrifice fly in the sixth to bring home the Dodgers’ second run.

Gibson, who was hit in the helmet by Finley in the first inning, may not have made many friends in the clubhouse, but he’s winning over the fans.

And newcomers Alfredo Griffin and Mike Davis also had big nights. Griffin, acquired from the Oakland Athletics in the trade for Bob Welch, went 3 for 3 and scored once. And Davis, a free agent signed during the off-season, had a two-run double in the Dodgers’ six-run sixth inning.

Sutton, a slow starter, finished the spring with a 2-1 record and a 3.24 earned-run average. For the first time in his career, he began throwing before spring training, and he’s so far ahead of schedule, it’s almost scary.

“Each start has been progressively better, and I’ve gotten more comfortable every time out,” Sutton said. “This is new for me.”

He said he wasn’t “particularly looking forward” to pitching against the Angels, however.

“I’d prefer it was Seattle or Minnesota,” he said. “I’d just as soon not play against friends, and those guys over there are some of the best friends I’ve ever had.”

Sutton was less than accommodating to his old buddies, however. He gave up three walks but was otherwise impressive.

Sutton, who made his first appearance in the Freeway Series 19 years ago, showed that he can still field his position. When leadoff hitter Mark McLemore rolled a ground ball to second base, Sutton beat the speedy McLemore to first base by a step.

Sutton didn’t allow a hit--and had chalked up four strikeouts--by the next time McLemore came up. McLemore hit an almost identical roller, and this time Sutton dropped the throw as McLemore dove headfirst into the bag. The play was ruled a hit, the only one Sutton would give up.

Gibson’s homer gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead, but the Angels rallied in their next at-bat.

Rookie first baseman Jim Eppard, who is a longshot to make the opening-day roster, led off the fifth inning with a double to left. Tim Leary sandwiched strikeouts around a walk to McLemore, but Johnny Ray and Chili Davis followed with consecutive run-scoring singles to center to put the Angels ahead, 2-1.

Finley, who has won the No. 5 spot in the Angels’ rotation despite a shaky spring, pitched a strong five innings, allowing just three hits and one run.

But in the sixth, against losing pitcher Ray Krawczyk, the Dodgers displayed the kind of offensive prowess that Manager Tom Lasorda has been dreaming about all spring. Lasorda calls the heart of his lineup “the awesome fivesome,” and they lived up to the nickname.

Steve Sax and Griffin singled to right. Gibson (the first of the fivesome) drove home Sax, who had taken third on Griffin’s hit, with a fly ball to right. Pedro Guerrero was walked intentionally. Mike Marshall lined a run-scoring double to left. John Shelby was walked intentionally, and Davis hooked a two-run double into the right-field corner.

Mike Scioscia drove in two more runs with a single to center.

On this evening, the Dodgers had all their components--new, old and revived--working just the way they had it planned.

Lasorda & Co. hope it was only a preview of a show they will re-run many times in the next few months.

Freeway Series Notes

The Angels trimmed their roster to 26, including reliever Greg Minton, who will start the season on the disabled list. Pitchers Bryan Harvey, Joe Johnson, Jack Lazorko and outfielder Chico Walker were assigned to the club’s triple-A affiliate in Edmonton, Canada. Catcher Mike Knapp was sent to the team’s minor league camp. Non-roster pitchers Stewart Cliburn and Ray Krawczyk were added to the major league roster. General Manager Mike Port said the team will make its final cut--one player--today. That will probably be Jim Eppard, unless the Angels can make a last-minute deal involving Bill Buckner or they are prepared to absorb the $600,000 guaranteed contract of outfielder George Hendrick.

Port had a lengthy discussion with Buckner before Saturday night’s game but said later he was “just asking his opinion on something.” Buckner, who will mainly be the Angels’ left-handed pinch-hitter, had indicated he wanted to be traded but has since resigned himself to his role. . . . Dodger right fielder Mike Davis was a late scratch from Friday night’s lineup after receiving an injection in his left shoulder. Davis, who is suffering from bursitis, said Saturday that the shoulder felt “better,” and he was back in the starting lineup. . . . Angel first baseman Wally Joyner didn’t start Saturday night because of soreness in his chest.