Dodgers Use Swat in 3-0 Win : Hamilton, Gibson Home Runs Lift L.A. Past Padres

The Padre menace had been repelled, at least for a day. But no one on the Dodgers, least of all Kirk Gibson, felt compelled to say that one victory had eradicated those persistent pests from San Diego.

Perhaps learning from mistakes, the Dodgers issued no declarations of domination after their 3-0 victory over San Diego Saturday before a crowd of 37,743 at Dodger Stadium. Players spoke in respectful, if not reverential, tones about the Padres, who had swept a doubleheader from the Dodgers Friday night and beat them three times last weekend in San Diego.

“I’m not saying . . . about them,” said Gibson, who previously had said the Dodgers should beat lower-echelon teams such as the Padres. “I may be dumb, but I’m not ignorant.”

Padre players did not give the Dodgers much credit for a victory that kept Los Angeles in first place in the National League West.

Several Padres, perhaps getting used to success, said they were not impressed by the pitching of Dodger starter Tim Belcher, who shut them out for 6 innings to gain his first win in more than a month. Nor was Padre starter Eric Show (5-7) impressed by Jeff Hamilton’s two-run home run in the second inning that turned out to be Show’s only mistake.

“He didn’t beat us with anything,” Padre catcher Mark Parent said of Belcher. “I wish I was more ready, because I saw some pitches I could whale on.”

Instead, all Parent and other Padre hitters could do was wail about what might have been against Belcher, who failed to make it past the fourth inning in his previous three starts but allowed only three hits into the seventh before Jesse Orosco took over. “(Belcher) wasn’t overpowering, I’ll tell you that,” Padre first baseman Carmelo Martinez said.

Show, meanwhile, apparently did not think Hamilton was capable of pulling off a Pedro Guerrero imitation and taking him deep. With two outs, a runner on second base and a 3-and-2 count on Hamilton, Show delivered a high slider that Hamilton deposited over the left-field fence for a 2-0 lead.

“I wasn’t trying to be careful to Hamilton,” Show said. “I haven’t faced him much before. But of all the guys in the Dodger lineup, he’s not much of a concern to me.

“I have to see a replay before I can give him credit or not. But at least give him a little credit.”

Whether or not credit was given, the Dodgers certainly were happy to snap a three-game losing streak. But on this day, the Dodgers seemingly enjoyed a role reversal with the Padres. So, they played the humble winners.

Belcher, while encouraged by his best outing since a complete-game win over the Philadelphia Phillies last month, nonetheless agreed with the Padres’ assessment that he was far from overpowering.

A pitcher who relies on a 90-m.p.h. fastball, Belcher said he felt most of his velocity had been sapped because of his early departures in recent starts. But he still was clocked as high as 92 m.p.h. on the radar gun and did not allow a runner past second base.

“It’s nice to get past four innings for the first time in a couple of weeks,” said Belcher, 4-4 with a 3.71 earned-run average. “But yeah, I’ve lost some arm strength. Maybe I can regain it after this.

“It’s a feeling you have that you can blow the ball by guys, and I haven’t had it for a while. (Not having it is) an alienating feeling. Even if the radar gun says you’re throwing hard, you don’t feel you have the ability to rear back and throw your best stuff.”

It may not have been Belcher’s best stuff, but his assortment of fastballs and off-speed pitches was the right stuff to snuff out a Padre attack that had totaled 22 runs in 5 straight wins over the Dodgers.

The Dodger offense was considerably short-handed against Show, as the attrition of Dodger regulars continued. With Guerrero (neck soreness) and Alfredo Griffin (broken right hand) on the disabled list, Mike Marshall missed the game with a sprained right elbow ligament, suffered Friday night. And Steve Sax left after five innings Saturday with lower back stiffness. In lieu of their power hitters, the Dodgers presented Hamilton, who had only 1 home run and 14 runs batted in. Even after the second-inning home run, followed by two strikeouts, Hamilton admitted that he is not hitting well. But he said he gladly jumped on Show’s high slider.

“I still don’t feel right at the plate,” Hamilton said. “But if I get a hit every now and then, I can contribute and get the feeling back. We needed (offense) after last night’s sweep.”

The Dodgers had only six hits Saturday, the third run coming on Gibson’s 13th home run, off reliever Dave Leiper in the eighth inning.

Belcher, meanwhile, gave up only a second-inning double to Keith Moreland, a sixth-inning single to Roberto Alomar and a seventh-inning single to Chris Brown, plus three walks. But each Padre attempt at staging a rally was squelched by Belcher and, later, Orosco and Jay Howell.

San Diego’s most serious threat came in the second, when Moreland belted a leadoff double to right-center field. But Belcher struck out Martinez and Brown and forced Parent to ground to short. Alomar advanced to second with two out in the sixth, but Moreland flied to left.

“That second inning, when I struck out Martinez and (Brown), was the only time I had my fastball back,” Belcher said. “I feel good personally that I was able to win, but I feel better for the team. We got a well-rounded game today. The bullpen did great.”

Orosco got Belcher out of the seventh-inning jam by getting left-handed pinch-hitter John Kruk to fly to center and striking out pinch-hitter Randy Ready. Howell, using his fastball effectively for the first time in several outings, pitched the eighth and ninth innings for his eighth save.

“These guys (the Padres), I don’t understand them,” Howell said. “I hear they’ve always played the Dodgers tough, not just this year. So, you can’t underestimate them, ever.”

Dodger Notes

Fernando Valenzuela is expected to start the first game of today’s doubleheader. Valenzuela was not at Dodger Stadium Saturday, but a team spokesman said Valenzuela was scheduled to return to Los Angeles Saturday and pitch Sunday. . . . Mike Marshall said the sprained ligament in his right elbow is not serious and, “I’ll come to the park tomorrow expecting to play.” Marshall suffered the injury Friday night while throwing out the Padres’ Garry Templeton. “It feels better,” Marshall said. “And Dr. (Frank) Jobe looked at it and said it’s not something I can hurt anymore. I have all my strength. I’ll incorporate my treatment while playing.” . . . The pinched nerve in Pedro Guerrero’s neck has not responded to traction, so Buhler said Guerrero might abandon that treatment while continuing being hooked up to a muscle stimulation machine. Guerrero is eligible to come off the disabled list Monday, though it is doubtful he will be activated. . . . Pitcher Ken Howell, who spent most of the season on the injury rehabilitation list after winter shoulder surgery, was put on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left knee suffered in a home plate collision with the Atlanta Braves’ Dale Murphy Thursday. Right-hander Shawn Hillegas has been recalled from Albuquerque and mostly likely will start Monday night against Atlanta, which was to be Howell’s second start. . . . X-rays showed that relief pitcher Tim Crews has a slight fracture at the tip of the fourth toe on his right foot. But Buhler said he is available to pitch.