Shelby and Gibson Rally Dodgers, 5-3

For silent John Shelby, the emotional antithesis of flamboyant Kirk Gibson, the gesture was downright extreme. Caught up in the spirit of the moment, perhaps, Shelby stood at first base and softly pounded his fist into his other hand in celebration.

The Dodgers’ center fielder, a man of few words but many hits this season, delivered a two-run single off John Tudor in the eighth inning Monday night to break a tie and propel the Dodgers to a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in front of 44,855 in Dodger Stadium.

Whereas Shelby remained subdued after helping culminate an impressive Dodger comeback, which began a few innings earlier on Gibson’s two-run home run, the usually stoic Tudor unleashed his emotions at the end of the eighth.

Walking straight to the far end of the dugout, Tudor flung his glove against the wall. Noticing that a television camera captured that gesture, Tudor picked up the glove and stuffed it in the camera’s lens to make sure the national television audience knew exactly how he felt. Fortunately for Tudor, who cut his hand punching an electric fan during the 1985 World Series, it was a cool night at Dodger Stadium.

Shelby, on the other hand, had mixed emotions about his game-winning hit. Naturally, he was happy that he produced under a most stressful situation--bases loaded and two outs, the score tied. But because he delivered, Shelby fretted that people would make a fuss over it.

“Usually, I hope other people get those hits, so they can give the interviews,” Shelby said. “I don’t enjoy talking about this.”

Speaking in his standard monotone, Shelby grudgingly explained that, yes, he was just looking for a good pitch to hit, that, no, he didn’t derive added motivation because Tudor walked Mike Marshall to face him and that, yes, he enjoys hitting in pressure situations.

“I don’t know what kind of pitch it was; I assume a fastball,” Shelby said. “I was just looking for something to hit. I always come up with the intent of swinging the bat. I really wasn’t giving it any thought (hitting with the bases loaded). I just go up there and try to make contact.”

Taking note of Shelby’s gesture at first base and noticing a crowd of writers around Shelby’s locker, catcher Rick Dempsey quipped: “Maybe John’s coming out of his shell. . . . He didn’t say five words when he and I were in Baltimore.”

More important for the Dodgers, Shelby has blossomed as a hitter. Shelby lined a low fastball over Tudor’s head and into center field, enabling Jose Gonzalez to score from third and Dave Anderson from second. Gonzalez began the rally with a pinch-hit double to left.

Staked with the 5-3 lead, Tim Belcher retired the Cardinals without much incident in the ninth to secure a victory that increased the Dodgers’ National League West lead to 5 1/2 games over the San Francisco Giants and 6 1/2 games over the Houston Astros.

Perhaps one reason Tudor expressed his frustrations so graphically--he wasn’t talking afterward--was because the Cardinals handed him a 3-1 lead in the third inning and he was unable to maintain it. The Cardinals stole six bases and scored three runs in less than three innings against Bill Krueger, making his first Dodger start as the replacement for injured Don Sutton.

Not long thereafter, though, the Dodgers’ comeback was launched. Tudor, who began the night with the league’s lowest earned-run average at 1.38, gave up what seemed like a relatively harmless leadoff single to Anderson in the fourth inning. Three pitches later, Gibson deposited a Tudor fastball deep into the visitors’ bullpen for his 15th home run of the season to tie it, 3-3.

Unlike Shelby, Gibson did not mind talking about his hit. Or his sacrifice drag bunt in the first inning that scored Steve Sax for the Dodgers’ first run. Or his sixth-inning double off Tudor that did not result in a run.

And, Gibson even was willing to talk about how he indirectly set up Shelby’s game-winning hit by popping to short, with runners on second and third, for the second out of the eighth.

“(Sunday) I was swinging at anything at the plate, but today I was more patient and it paid off,” Gibson said. “You could feel (the home run) as soon as it hit the bat. You can actually feel the bat, well, flex . . .

“When I (popped up) in that last inning, I walked back to the dugout and told Moose (Marshall) that he’s got to pick me up. Then, after they walk him, I was hoping T-Bone (Shelby) would do it. When T-Bone does something like that, it really shows what being a team is all about.”

The bullpen played a pivotal role in the Dodgers’ victory. After Krueger’s early departure, the Dodgers (46-33) received 2 scoreless innings from Brian Holton, three scoreless innings from Alejandro Pena and a scoreless ninth inning from reluctant reliever Tim Belcher, who earned his third save. Pena got the victory to improve his record to 3-3.

And with All-Star selections this week, Cardinal Manager Whitey Herzog witnessed two of the Dodgers’ best--Gibson and Shelby--at their best. Herzog will manage the National League All-Star team.

Strangely, though, neither Gibson nor Shelby seems too thrilled about the prospect--good for Gibson, doubtful for Shelby--of being selected.

“It’s something I have no control over,” Gibson said. “That’s (Herzog’s) decision. I won’t put any pressure on him. If I’m picked, I guess I’ll have to go. If not, I’ll have three days off. And I’ll enjoy those three days.”

Shelby concurred.

“I’m looking forward to watching the All-Star game on TV,” he said. “If I get nominated, I probably wouldn’t go, anyway. I like spending time with my family.”