Dopson and the Expos Master Dodgers and Hershiser, 3-0

Ejected and dejected, Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda was not a witness to the final tortuous minutes of what had to be one of the Dodgers’ most frustrating losses of the season.

In a 3-0 loss to the Montreal Expos before a crowd of 27,775 at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers wasted a solid pitching effort from Orel Hershiser, squandered the few scoring opportunities they had and received no relief whatsoever from the heretofore reliable bullpen.

Lasorda was ejected by home plate umpire Charlie Williams in the ninth inning for arguing a ball-strike call that, in the whole scheme of things, did not factor into the Dodgers’ second straight loss.

Perhaps an evening of watching little-known Expo right-hander John Dopson pitch a 3-hit shutout through six innings to earn his first major league victory had something to do with Lasorda’s anger.

Perhaps it also was the Dodgers’ inability to hit Expo relievers Joe Hesketh and Tim Burke, who earned his sixth save. With Kirk Gibson at home nursing the flu, the rest of the Dodgers were ailing at the plate. They totaled just 6 hits against the 3 Expo pitchers.

And perhaps the Dodger bullpen, consistently effective most of the early season, could have added to Lasorda’s angst. The duo of Alejandro Pena and Jesse Orosco could not hold the Expos to merely one run and give Dodger hitters a realistic chance for a ninth-inning rally.

Pena gave up only his second earned run of the season when Tim Wallach hit a solo home run in the eighth. Then, in the ninth, Pena gave up a double to Tom Foley and eventually gave way to Jesse Orosco.

Shortstop Alfredo Griffin’s first error in 19 games and a Herm Winningham single off Orosco’s body accounted for a third Expo run, albeit unearned. On the surface, it was Winningham’s at bat that angered Lasorda. He felt Orosco had struck out Winningham on a 2-and-2 pitch, but Williams called it a ball.

Winningham’s subsequent single made it 3-0, Expos. but even if you took away that run, the Dodgers still would have trailed by 2 runs. Andres Galarraga’s second-inning home run accounted for the Expos’ first run.

Before Wednesday, Dopson’s longest outing had been his last start, when he pitched five scoreless innings against the San Diego Padres but gave up three runs in the sixth and lost. This time, Dopson made it out of the sixth with a 3-hit shut out, Danny Heep accounting for two-thirds of the Dodgers’ offensive production.

But, after Galarraga doubled to open the seventh against Hershiser and went to third two outs later on a wild pitch, Expo Manager Buck Rodgers was faced with the question of whether to let Dopson hit or pinch-hit and have a better chance for a second run.

When Lasorda ordered an intentional walk to catcher Nelson Santovenia to bring up the pitcher’s spot, Rodgers chose to lift Dopson and insert pinch-hitter Graig Nettles, sporting a .154 career average against Hershiser. Nettles flied to center for the third out.

Just as Rodgers was faced with a decision to pull his pitcher, so was Lasorda a half inning later against Hesketh. With two out, Alfredo Griffin singled to center, bringing up the pitcher’s spot. Hershiser appeared to be laboring, so Mickey Hatcher was summoned to pinch-hit. Hatcher flied to left, ending the Dodgers’ modest threat.

In the eighth, Hershiser’s absence was felt. Pena gave up the bases-empty home run to Wallach, the second batter he faced, giving the Expos a 2-0 lead.

Compared to his last start in Pittsburgh, Hershiser was much more effective. He gave up 5 hits and only Galarraga’s home run through 7 innings. He struck out a season-high 8 batters, but still did not seem to have his best stuff.

Hershiser had pitched out of several jams earlier in the night, and faced a difficult one in his final inning of work, when Rodgers was faced with his difficult decision with Galarraga standing on third base.

Through 4 innings, each team has chances to score. But the only run came on Galarraga’s second-inning blast to right-center, his eighth home run of the season.

Hershiser did not fool the Expos, from the start. Two good plays by first baseman Mike Marshall thwarted a potential rally in the first inning. Winningham, the game’s first batter, bounced a grounder down the line, but Marshall slid to glove the ball and then made a difficult backhand toss to Hershiser covering first.

One out later, Tim Raines singled to center field, continuing his hot hitting against Hershiser. Coming into Wednesday’s game, Raines was 14 of 32 lifetime against Hershiser. Again, though, Hershiser was saved by Marshall, who snagged Hubie Brooks’ hard line drive to end the inning.

Galarraga then greeted Hershiser with the home run shot to leadoff the second, but Hershiser avoided any further damage. Winningham tried to start a rally in the third with a one-out double to left, but he was stranded there.

After that, Hershiser appeared to settle down. He struck out 5 of the 6 batters he faced in the fourth and fifth innings, but the Dodgers still trailed.

The Dodgers rallied in the first and third innings against Dopson.

In the first, Danny Heep slashed a 2-out single to right and then stole second base. Dopson walked Pedro Guerrero, and Marshall ended the inning with a liner to short.

In the third, the Dodgers again threatened with 2 outs. This time, Mike Davis singled and stole second base. Heep then walked, but Guerrero flied to center to end the threat.

Like Hershiser, Dopson retired the side in both the fourth and fifth innings. Five of the six outs came on ground balls.

Dodger Notes

Wednesday’s was the third game Kirk Gibson has missed this season. He was out for two games in mid-April with a strained hamstring. Trainer Bill Buhler said that Gibson’s flu may be food poisoning. “After the game (Tuesday night)) he was feeling fine,” Buhler said. “Then, he got sick and was vomiting since 2 o’clock (in the morning). Dr. Michael Mellman examined Gibson at his home Wednesday morning and told Buhler that Gibson is day-to-day. “The doctor told him that if he was running a temperature, he should not come to the park,” Buhler said. “There might be a chance that he might come to the park late and pinch-hit. But I doubt that.” . . . Celebrity file: One day, Vice President George Bush visits Manager Tom Lasorda; the next day it is Ken Landreaux, the Dodgers’ regular center fielder earlier in the ‘80s who now is a free agent. Landreaux, 32, said he still is working out in hopes of signing with a team. Although he has not severed ties with agent Tom Reich, Landreaux said he has started calling teams on his own. Among the teams Landreaux says he has called: Detroit, Seattle, Oakland, Texas and the Angels. “The Angels were the hottest there for a while a week or two ago,” Landreaux said. “I talked to (vice president) Mike Port. Apparently, I was going to go to Edmonton, but he called me back a few days later and said no. They said their obligation was to sign a pitcher.” Landreaux said he hasn’t had much luck finding an interested team. “The only answer I keep getting is that the rosters are full. I’m only 32. I know I can play four or five more years.” Landreaux said he talked with Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ executive vice president, Wednesday, but that it had nothing to do with any contract discussions. “I just said hello,” Landreaux said. . . . Ken Howell, rehabilitating his right shoulder after off-season surgery, will have one more start on Sunday in Bakersfield before his 20-day rehabilitation assignment concludes. Howell said his shoulder felt fine after Tuesday night’s 100-pitch stint in Bakersfield. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know what’s going to happen after Sunday,” Howell said. “I think I’m ready. It’d be tough to accept, going back down to Albuquerque (triple-A). I know I can’t get my rehab assignment extended, but I guess they could put me back on the (disabled list). But I don’t want to speculate.” . . . Tim Leary (2-3) meets the Expos’ Dennis Martinez (1-3) tonight at 7.