Dodgers Win the Battle but Lose Guerrero : L.A. Beats Astros to Gain Series Split, Puts Infielder on Disabled List

Another Dodger win over the Houston Astros, this time by a 4-2 score Thursday behind Orel Hershiser’s solid pitching, has made Los Angeles’ position atop the National League West a more comfortable 2 1/2 games.

Pedro Guerrero’s situation is not quite so comfortable. Guerrero will spend much of the next three to five days in traction at a local hospital and at least 15 days on the disabled list, retroactive to June 5, in hopes of alleviating his acute neck soreness.

Estimates on his return range from two to three weeks or longer, depending on his response to treatment. It is more difficult to estimate just how much the Dodgers will miss Guerrero, who is hitting .316 with 28 runs batted in.

The Dodgers are 8-3 in games without Guerrero, and they also have survived during shortstop Alfredo Griffin’s term on the disabled list with a broken bone in his right hand. Thursday’s victory, before a Dodger Stadium crowd of 25,959, was the Dodgers’ second straight after they had lost the first two games to the second-place Astros.

Given those positives, Dodger players were anything but daunted by the news of Guerrero’s loss.

“We can play without Pete,” said Hershiser, who allowed five hits and two runs in eight innings to improve his record to 8-3. “That’s one of the keys to our team--depth. Pete is an important part of our team, but he’s not the guy who stirs our drink, as he was before. That’s nothing against Pete, but we’ve got a better team this year.”

The Dodgers earned the series split by knocking around Houston ace Mike Scott Wednesday night and by scoring four runs, including three in the fifth inning, off Nolan Ryan (5-4) Thursday.

“You guys (reporters) probably thought we were going to get swept,” left fielder Kirk Gibson said. “I had confidence. I mean, those guys (Scott and Ryan) are good pitchers, but they aren’t unbeatable. I don’t like to hear guys saying, ‘Oh no, now we’ve got to face Ryan and Scott.’ You’ve got to confirm to yourself that you can beat them.”

Mike Scioscia had three hits and an RBI against Ryan. Mike Marshall continued his hot hitting since his move from first base to right field with two hits, including a run-scoring double in the fifth inning. And center fielder John Shelby extended his hitting streak to 24 games with a hard-hit ball that handcuffed Astro shortstop Craig Reynolds and trickled into left field for a double.

About the closest the Dodgers came to a home run, in lieu of Guerrero, was Hershiser’s foiled attempt at an inside-the-park home run off Astro reliever Dave Smith in the eighth, which led to the Dodger pitcher’s departure.

Hershiser had overcome a shaky start, allowing two runs in the second inning on Alan Ashby’s home run, a double by Reynolds and Gerald Young’s run-scoring single, before retiring 16 of the last 18 batters he faced.

But he could not go the distance--either on the basepaths or the mound.

With two out in the eighth, Hershiser hit a line drive to center field that Young misplayed, diving to the turf while the ball sailed over his head. By the time Hershiser had arrived at third base, the relay throw had just reached Reynolds in shallow right-center. So, third base coach Joe Amalfitano waved Hershiser home.

A winded Hershiser was easily thrown out. After dusting himself off, Hershiser pointed toward the Dodger dugout, then gestured toward the bullpen. After having Hershiser warm up on the mound to give Jay Howell more time to throw in the bullpen, Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda changed pitchers.

Howell earned his sixth save, making Hershiser feel better about his decision to bypass a bid for his fifth complete game.

“I was kind of hoping for the hold sign at third because I was really puffing,” Hershiser said. “But when he waved me in, it was all right. How many times will I have a chance for an inside-the-park home run?”

Hershiser said the combination of being so pumped up and so tuckered out was the reason for the gesture toward the bench, something he later regretted.

“Too much Hollywood, I know,” Hershiser said. “I should’ve let Tommy manage the club.”

As long as the Dodgers play as they have the last two games, Lasorda won’t need to do too much managing.

Besides, the Dodgers seem to be managing quite well, at least short-term, without Griffin and Guerrero.

“I’m certainly not going to waste nervous energy worrying about Pete being on the DL or Alfredo’s injury,” Gibson said. “What you can’t do is say after a loss, ‘We might’ve won with Pete.’ That defeats the whole purpose of a team.

“Granted, maybe we were a better team with them in there. But they aren’t available, so that’s that. If we get through it, we’ll be fortunate. We’ve done all right without Pete so far.”

Guerrero arrived at Dodger Stadium several innings into Thursday’s game, after being examined by Dr. Robert Watkins, a back specialist. Dodger trainers said Watkins determined that Guerrero’s chronic condition would best be treated through hospitalization.

Guerrero will be eligible to come off the disabled list June 20. But Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ executive vice president, said it might be three weeks before Guerrero returns.

“I’m just going to the hospital and that’s it,” Guerrero said. “I don’t want to be bothered.”

Said Claire: “Any time we lose a Pedro Guerrero or an Alfredo Griffin, we’ve lost very important parts of our ballclub.”

But after coming back to earn a split against the Astros, only Guerrero’s back will be against the wall--for a few days, at least.

Dodger Notes

Outfielder Jose Gonzalez was recalled from the Dodgers’ triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque, N.M., to take Pedro Guerrero’s spot on the roster. Gonzalez was hitting .326 with 4 home runs and 18 RBIs in the Pacific Coast League. Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president, had several options. Mike Devereaux was hitting .331 with 22 RBIs for Albuquerque at the start of the week, and third baseman Tracy Woodson had a team-high 48 RBIs. “Jose can do a lot of things,” Claire said. “I’ve had (scout) Phil Regan following the team over the last eight games. Jose is an outfielder with good speed and good defense, and he’s also a right-handed hitter.” . . . Alfredo Griffin was moved from the 15-day disabled list to the 21-day. That way, the Dodgers will still have one spot on the 15-day list available should another player get hurt. . . . Orel Hershiser had an interesting at-bat against Nolan Ryan in the second inning. Hershiser sort of flung his bat at an outside pitch, the bat barely hitting the ball. On the next pitch, Ryan threw a fastball under Hershiser’s chin, sending the Dodger pitcher reeling. “I don’t think it was intentional,” Hershiser said. “As a joke, I told (plate umpire Gerry Davis) to warn Ryan, and he said, ‘For what, giving you a heart attack?’ ”