Sutcliffe Frustrates Dodgers : Chicago Pitcher Has Another Good Outing Against Former Team

When pitcher Rick Sutcliffe of the Chicago Cubs used to “Think Blue,” as the Dodgers’ latest promotional gimmick urges people, he sometimes saw red. Such as the time in 1981 when Sutcliffe trashed Manager Tom Lasorda’s office after learning he was not included on the club’s playoff roster.

One of the banished Dodger pitchers who have gone on to better things, a list that also includes Dave Stewart and Sid Fernandez, Sutcliffe always has had success against the team that sent him to Cleveland a few months after the 1981 incident.

It continued Sunday, when Sutcliffe allowed 1 run, 6 hits and struck out 9 in 7 innings as the Chicago Cubs gained a 2-1 victory over the Dodgers.

“Believe me, there are a lot of other clubs I’d rather pitch against,” said Sutcliffe, 5-1 lifetime against the Dodgers. “The Dodgers are a tough team to face. And there’s only a couple of people left, among the players (he played with).”

Rehabilitation, more than revenge, was Sutcliffe’s motive Sunday in front of 43,209 at Dodger Stadium. He had nothing but kind words for the Dodgers and seemed altogether more concerned with his latest--and best--outing since returning from a strained rib muscle early in June.

It looked as if Sutcliffe (7-5) had fully recovered, which was bad news to the Dodgers. They managed only a run in the third inning and failed to score off Sutcliffe with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth. Even after Sutcliffe’s departure in the seventh, the Dodgers could not generate much offense against relievers Pat Perry and Les Lancaster.

Sutcliffe’s performance foiled another solid pitching effort from Dodger right-hander Shawn Hillegas, who got his first loss in three starts despite allowing just 2 runs and 5 hits in 8 innings. The loss also cut the Dodger lead in the National Legue West to 4 1/2 game over San Francisco and they must face St. Louis Cardinals’ ace John Tudor tonight in a nationally televised game.

The Dodgers certainly had trouble enough against Sutcliffe, who is 3-1 since returning from the injury.

“I’m just glad to be back,” Sutcliffe said. “I’m happy to see the team playing well and that I can come back.”

Sutcliffe frustrated Dodger hitters, prompting Kirk Gibson to throw his bat twice after striking out and several other Dodgers to stalk from the plate in anger. Steve Sax and Franklin Stubbs had four of the Dodgers’ six hits against Sutcliffe.

“Give the guy credit,” said Stubbs, whose third-inning single scored Dave Anderson from second for a 1-0 lead. “He made the pitches. He made some very good pitches. (Sutcliffe) just tries to keep you off balance. He doesn’t have an overpowering fastball or stuff. But he keeps you off balance.”

Dodger hitters were teetering at the plate, especially in the sixth inning after consecutive singles by Sax and Stubbs put runners at first and third with one out in a 1-1 tie.

Sutcliffe had a 1-and-1 count on Gibson, who had struck out twice earlier, when Stubbs took the initiative and stole second without receiving a sign from the bench. The Cubs then walked Gibson intentionally to bring up Mike Marshall, who had a .444 career average against Sutcliffe.

Marshall popped the first pitch--a high fastball, registering 86 m.p.h.--to short for the second out. Up came John Shelby, who quickly went down on three strikes--a fastball inside, an offspeed pitch and another fastball.

“He’s a good pitcher,” Marshall said. “He threw me a fastball. What can you do?”

Sutcliffe said it hardly mattered to him whether he faced Gibson or Marshall in that situation. He said the only reason he chose to walk Gibson was because Marshall is a right-handed hitter and it would create a force-out situation.

“Stupidity put me in that situation,” Sutcliffe said. “I hung breaking balls to both Sax and Stubbs. If I had made a good pitch to either one of those guys, I wouldn’t have been in that situation. That’s why I say it’s like spring training for me, coming back.”

Said Cub teammate Mark Grace: “(Sutcliffe’s) been getting better with each start. He’s as big a competitor as I’ve played with in my life. You saw that today when he worked out of the bases-loaded jam.”

Hillegas, conversely, did not face as many predicaments as Sutcliffe. The Cubs advanced runners in scoring position only twice in eight innings but, both times, they pushed across runs on sacrifice fly balls. On a day like Sunday, it was enough to give Hillegas his first loss of the season.

In the fourth inning, Dave Martinez’ led off with a double to left field, advanced to third on Rafael Palmeiro’s fly ball and scored on Andre Dawson’s deep fly to right field.

That tied the score, 1-1, and it remained that way until the seventh. This time, Dawson stroked a hanging changeup into left field for a single and went to third on Ryne Sandberg’s single up the middle. Grace then flied to left, easily scoring Dawson for a 2-1 lead that Sutcliffe and Cub relievers preserved without much difficulty.

“I hung a changeup to Dawson. I knew what was going to happen when I hit (my hand) against my leg coming down on my delivery,” Hillegas said. “But I thought I threw the ball well today. I have confidence that, my next time out, we will score about five or six runs.”

Added Lasorda: “We had the opportunities; we just couldn’t capitalize on them. (Sutcliffe) pitched a pretty good game. He got our big guys out when he had to.”

The one positive light the Dodgers basked in Sunday was Hillegas’ third straight strong effort, which almost assuredly has cemented his spot in the rotation. “(Hillegas) pitched good enough to win, as a rule,” Lasorda said. “He’s going to keep on pitching. You can’t ask much more than that from him.”

Dodger Notes

Rick Sutcliffe, once a somewhat bitter former Dodger, now says he has only fond memories of his Dodger career, which ran from 1976 to ’81. “Mr. O’Malley (Peter, the owner) meant a lot to me,” Sutcliffe said. “He loaned me money to help me pay my rent during my rookie year. He didn’t have to do that. Ron Perranoski (the Dodgers’ pitching coach) is like a second father to me. He won’t admit it, but I’m sure he was sitting over there today (in the Dodger dugout) with mixed emotions.” . . . Franklin Stubbs, who had two hits Sunday and had a run-scoring single against left-hander Frank DiPino on Saturday night, nonetheless was pulled for a pinch-hitter with a runner on first and one out in the eighth against left-hander Pat Perry. “It’s not my job to make those decisions,” Stubbs said. “That’s why we have a manager. Everybody wants to hit. That’s what I’m here for.” . . . Mike Davis’ experiment of taking ground balls at first base in hopes getting some playing time is over. “We aren’t going to have him do that anymore,” infield Coach Bill Russell said. “It wouldn’t be fair to him or us.” . . . Medical Update: Jay Howell pitched off the mound Sunday for the first time since fracturing a rib two weeks ago. According to assistant trainer Charlie Strasser, Howell “felt only a little discomfort but is much improved. Tomorrow (today) will give us a better indication of his improvement.”