Dodgers Take Advantage of the 0-9 Braves

Depending on your vantage point, Friday night’s game at Dodger Stadium either was reason No. 9 why the Atlanta Braves continue to be winless or another example of why the Dodgers believe they will contend in the National League West.

It took all the ingenuity and creativity the Dodger offense could muster, combined with Orel Hershiser’s solid pitching and a few obligatory Atlanta gaffes to give the Dodgers a 3-2 win over the Braves, who now are losing at a record pace.

Friday night’s defeat, a typical come-from-ahead Brave effort witnessed by 41,222, gave Atlanta its ninth straight defeat to open the season. The Braves are tied with four other clubs for most losses by a National League team at the start of the season.

Of the five wins the Dodgers (7-3) have over Atlanta, this was the least impressive. But as any number of Dodgers will point out, they might not have won this type of game last season. What they needed to preserve the Braves’ ineptitude was an assortment of looping, check-swing hits, a few walks and balks and an occasional wild pitch to keep runners moving.

“You guys seem to think we’ll come in every game and hit three-run home runs,” left fielder Kirk Gibson said. “But you can’t do that all the time. It is important that we win these games, too.

“You see, teams have a way of rising to the occasion. It doesn’t matter who we played tonight, it’s a win.”

Highlight-film material, it wasn’t. But the Dodgers’ run production against Atlanta starter Tom Glavine consisted of Pedro Guerrero’s run-scoring single off his wrists in the fourth inning, Gibson’s one-handed, run-scoring single to center field in the sixth and Rick Dempsey’s game-winning check-swing single to center in the seventh.

“Actually, it was kind of an after-swing, not a check swing,” said Dempsey, who also threw out pinch-runner Albert Hall to end the game. “It was a freaky type of thing. I started swinging, then after making contact, I stopped swinging. I don’t know why. But it counted.”

The Dodgers’ comeback gave Hershiser (3-0) his second complete game in three starts. Hershiser, who allowed 6 hits, struck out 5 and did not walk a batter, was denied his second shutout because of a quirky fourth inning in which the Braves made use of bad-hop singles and the Dodgers’ defensive shortcomings to score two runs.

No errors were awarded in the inning--but no Gold Glove nominations, either.

The fourth began with Hershiser striking out Damaso Garcia. But then Gerald Perry hit a grounder between first and second that went under Marshall’s glove. Perry went to third on Dale Murphy’s well-placed single to right that would have been a potential double play had second baseman Steve Sax not been playing near the base.

Up came Ken Griffey, who had a .388 career average against Hershiser. This time, though, Hershiser forced Griffey to ground to Marshall at first, but Marshall’s throw sailed high and to the first-base side of home plate, and Dempsey was unable to tag out Perry in time.

That was not the end of Hershiser’s frustration, however. Ozzie Virgil hit a ground ball--the fourth straight grounder of the inning--that bounced under Guerrero’s glove and continued beyond shortstop Alfredo Griffin’s reach. The single scored Murphy from second for a 2-0 Brave lead.

“I was really intent not to have that inning beat me,” said Hershiser, who added that poor pitching mechanics put a strain on his right elbow. “The way they scored those runs didn’t excite me. I don’t mind getting ripped and I lose, but I don’t want to lose that way.”

The Braves fell victim to well-placed Dodger hits, but Glavine also hurt himself with walks, wild pitches and an inopportune balk.

In the bottom of the fourth, following Hershiser’s tough luck in the top of the inning, it was the Dodgers’ turn to make use of fortuitous, if not impressive, hits against Glavine. Griffin led off the inning with a high-chopping double that bounced down the left-field line. Gibson laid down a drag bunt that advanced Griffin to third with Guerrero coming up.

Glavine had a 1-and-2 count on Guerrero when he came inside with a high fastball. Guerrero was jammed but still lifted a single to right to pull the Dodgers within a run.

“I swung mostly with my arms,” Guerrero said. “I didn’t have time to get into the pitch. It wasn’t a free swing. But I don’t care. As long as we win, I’m happy.”

Aesthetics weren’t on Gibson’s mind when he knocked in slumping Steve Sax for the game-tying run.

This Dodger rally began ignominiously--with a strikeout. Sax, mired in an 0-for-21 slump, swung at a two-strike pitch that was extremely inside and in the dirt. But the ball squirted away from Virgil, and Sax reached first base safely. Griffin moved Sax to second with a sacrifice bunt, bringing up the dangerous part of the Dodger lineup.

Gibson, hitting 3 for 14 against left-handers, used his muscle to swat a pitch into shallow center field to score Sax. Normally, a ball hit that shallow might not score a runner even as swift as Sax, but the soggy turf made the ball stop after only a few bounces. Center fielder Dion James had no play at the plate.

“When you’re in that position--with two strikes--you’re just trying to make contact. I just flipped it with my wrists. It doesn’t matter how you get the job done, as long as you do.”

That theme carried over to the seventh, when Mike Davis walked and advanced to second on Glavine’s balk. Dempsey, starting at catcher in place of Mike Scioscia, who has a strained left Achilles’ tendon, pushed a single to center to score Davis.

Dodger Notes

Manager Tom Lasorda said he has no plans to rest slumping second baseman Steve Sax. “Not now,” Lasorda said. “He’s not hitting, but I know it won’t last. He’s a hard worker, but maybe he’s worked too hard. Sometimes, you can get too much extra hitting, but (Sax) says he feels good and that his arms aren’t tired. He’ll come out of it.” . . . Shortly before Friday night’s game, the Dodgers announced that they have banned beer from the clubhouse. In the past, the Dodgers have made beer available to players after games, and Lasorda had a beer tap in his office. In a written statement, Sam Fernandez, the Dodgers’ general counsel, explained: “This change in policy has been under consideration ever since the California Court of Appeal ruled last year. . . . that ‘where an employee consumes alcohol in the course and scope of his or her employment, the employer (can be held) liable for injuries proximately caused to members of the public by the consumption of alcohol.’ ” . . . Several major league teams recently have prohibited alcohol in the clubhouse after games. . . . Pitcher Ken Howell, on the disabled list while rehabilitating his right shoulder after off-season surgery, said he still feels considerable stiffness three days after pitching three innings in a simulated game. . . . Willie Stargell, recently inducted into the Hall of Fame, was honored by the Dodgers in a pregame ceremony. Stargell is now a coach for the Braves.

OH-FOR-THE-SEASON

Year Team Record 1904 Washington Senators 0-13 1920 Detroit Tigers 0-13 1968 Chicago White Sox 0-10 1918 Brooklyn Dodgers 0-9 1919 Boston Red Sox 0-9 1983 Houston Astros 0-9 1962 New York Mets 0-9 1988 Baltimore Orioles 0-9 1988 Atlanta Braves 0-8 1914 Cleveland Indians 0-8 1945 Boston Red Sox 0-8 1952 Detroit Tigers 0-8 1955 Pittsburgh Pirates 0-8 1963 New York Mets 0-8