Dodgers Lose Two, Then Finally Win One From Mets

With their starting pitcher and manager banished here Wednesday night because of a third-inning hit-batter incident that they believed was purely accidental, the indignant Dodgers felt they had no other recourse than to play out the game against the New York Mets under protest.

The controversial ejections of starter Tim Belcher and Manager Tom Lasorda eventually provided the emotional lift that helped the Dodgers score a 4-3 victory over the Mets before 26,659 fans at Shea Stadium.

Belcher was ejected for hitting Met shortstop Kevin Elster in the back with a fastball. That incident came a half-inning after Met pitcher Sid Fernandez brushed back Steve Sax with a fastball without any repercussions.

Normally, neither Belcher’s nor Fernandez’s inside pitches would be considered a major offense. But because of Pedro Guerrero’s bat-throwing jag and the series of throwing incidents involving the teams last week in Los Angeles, National League President Bart Giamatti issued a formal warning before Monday’s first game. The warning stated that if any pitcher, in the umpire’s opinion, intentionally throws at a batter, both the pitcher and the manager would be ejected .

But Lasorda did not leave without staging an animated protest to home-plate umpire Steve Rippley and crew chief Doug Harvey.

Lasorda had two contentions:

1) That Belcher did not intentionally hit Elster, who, by the way, hit the game-winning home run Tuesday night to hand the Dodgers their fifth straight loss against the Mets.

2) That, if Belcher deserved to be ejected, so did Fernandez for nearly hitting Sax, who was partially squared to bunt. The ball deflected off Sax’s bat and trickled foul.

Lasorda lost both arguments and watched the remainder of the game from the press box. But, for the first time in six meetings this season, the Dodgers did not lose to the Mets.

To say, it was a difficult win would be a major understatement. The Dodgers, after a solid four innings of relief pitching by eventual winner Brian Holton, held a 4-1 lead in the ninth with Jesse Orosco on the mound.

But Orosco, pitching a third inning for the first time this season, gave up a leadoff home run to Kevin McReynolds and then a double to Howard Johnson. On came Jay Howell, who did not protect a 4-2 lead on Tuesday night.

Howell gave up a run-scoring single by pinch-hitter Gary Carter and, one out later, walked Dave Magadan. But Lee Mazzilli lined a 3-and-2 pitch to Sax, who stretched the make the catch, then doubled off pinch-runner Roger McDowell at second base to give Howell his fourth save.

The satisfaction of finally winning a game from the East leader was heightened because of their anger over the ejection of Belcher. It also increased their lead over Houston in the NL West to 1 1/2 games

Lasorda, however, said he was more upset with the inconsistency of the umpiring crew than with any particular Met.

“If they call one, they have to call the other,” Lasorda said repeatedly. “I don’t understand their thinking. The guy (Rippley) told me, if (Fernandez) had hit Sax he’d be gone. He also said, how can you run a guy for a foul ball?

“Well, it seems to me, you’re either throwing at a guy or not. I don’t know whether Fernandez was throwing at our player. And I know for a fact that (Belcher) didn’t throw at their guy.”

Rippley and Harvey both said that the mandate from the league office given to both managers Monday night stood for the series. “We told them there would be no further warning,” Harvey said. “The first guy who threw at someone is gone and so is the manager.”

The umpires said they felt Fernandez did not intentionally throw at Sax because Sax ducked into the inside and high pitch while attempting the bunt.

Said Harvey: “What happened was that Sax stepped back and then forward to bunt the ball, so he was going into the pitch. The ball was about eight inches away from him, then hit his bat.”

At the end of the top of the third, Lasorda argued with Harvey that Fernandez should have been ejected.

Then came the bottom of the third. Belcher had a 1-and-2 count on Elster, the first batter, when he threw a fastball that hit Elster in the back. Rippley unhesitatingly removed his mask and motioned for Belcher to leave the field and Lasorda to vacate the dugout. A 5-minute argument ensued, giving Holton time to warm up.

The arguments continued to rage well after the game.

Belcher said he wasn’t aware that the warning was effective for the whole series. He also denied intentionally throwing at Elster, though admitted the intent was the pitch him inside with a 1-and-2 count.

“After that pitch to Saxy and no warning was issued, I just assumed nothing at all would be called,” Belcher said. “You’ve got a side-arm lefty (Fernandez) throwing inside on a right-handed batter. He has to come a long way to get that pitch there. . . .”

Elster, who grew up in Huntington Beach, said he expected Belcher to try to hit him, in retaliating both for his Tuesday night home run and Fernandez’s brush-back.

“I grew up rooting for the Dodgers, and I felt they were a class organization,” Elster said. “I guess if you lose five of six games to us, you get angry and throw at batters.”

Added Met Manager Davey Johnson: “The umpires made totally the right call. If the umpires didn’t immediately throw (Belcher) out, we’d be immediately on the field (fighting).”

The Dodgers (28-20) said they don’t want to fight the Mets, only beat them. But they implied that if the Mets are looking for a prolonged feud, they will not back down.

“We already lost a shortstop (Alfredo Griffin with a broken right hand after being hit by a Dwight Gooden pitch on May 21)),” catcher Rick Dempsey said. “We came within an inch or two from losing Saxy. If we lose the middle of our infield, forget it. It seemed like the Mets were getting away with the occasional inside pitches. We weren’t.”

Dodger Notes

The Dodgers scored their first two runs in the fourth, the inning after Tim Belcher’s ejection. Kirk Gibson, aided by a Sid Fernandez balk, scored on Mike Marshall’s sacrifice fly. Two batters later, John Shelby, who had walked and moved to third on Rick Dempsey’s single, scored on another Fernandez balk. The Dodgers’ other two runs came in the seventh, the highlights being Jeff Hamilton’s two-run pinch-hit single off reliever Gene Walter. . . . Pedro Guerrero made his second appearance in the outfield this season when the Dodgers made a double switch in the seventh inning. Guerrero, who started at third base, played three innings in right field and made one put-out.

Brian Holton said he was caught totally unprepared when called upon to pitch in the third inning after Belcher’s ejection. “I was sitting in a golf cart talking to Al Pena and minding my own business,” Holton said. “Next thing I know, I’m in the game.” Holton did all right, though. He gave up 1 run and 3 hits in 4 innings. . . . Mike Davis was not in the lineup for the second straight game. . . . John Shelby extended his National League-high hitting streak to 17 games with a sixth-inning single to left.