Pirates Take It Easy in Victory Over Dodgers

The Pittsburgh Pirates did a lot of trotting Saturday night, and not solely for the benefit of their health, either. They strolled to first base on seven walks in six innings, and due to a pair of three-run home runs, six Pirate baserunners were able to cross home plate at their leisure.

It was hardly enough to work up a sweat but certainly more than sufficient for the Pirates to stomp all over the Dodgers, 8-2, before 46,662 fans at Dodger Stadium, a large number of whom walked out early on a Dodger team that had staged late-inning comebacks in the previous two games.

There would be no comeback on this night, mainly because Dodger pitching, so reliable for most of the season, succumbed to fits of wildness and ineffectiveness. And the Dodger offense, in turn, remained stuck on base most of the night against Pirate starter Mike Dunne, who lasted 7 innings despite giving up 5 walks and 6 hits.

As a result, the Dodgers’ second straight loss to Pittsburgh reduced their National League West lead to 3 1/2 games over the San Francisco Giants, who have won four straight.

Dodger starter Shawn Hillegas, who had allowed only 3 walks in his previous 22 innings after being recalled from triple-A Albuquerque, walked 5 and allowed 4 hits in 5 innings. The big hit was Mike LaValliere’s three-run home run down the right-field line in the fourth inning, coming after Bobby Bonilla had singled and Sid Bream had walked.

“I didn’t get into a rhythm,” said Hillegas (2-2). “They were just patient hitters. Our report, as far as I know, said they were aggressive hitters. But tonight, they waited.”

Manager Tom Lasorda had an explanation for that.

“They just weren’t swinging at bad balls,” he said.

Jesse Orosco, making his first appearance since June 28, endured the same downfall as Hillegas in the sixth inning. Orosco walked LaValliere and Denny Gonzalez, then served up a three-run home run to Barry Bonds for a 6-0 Pirate lead.

“I had no idea where the ball was going tonight,” Orosco said. “I hadn’t pitched in what, 11 or 12 days? I couldn’t find the strike zone. I didn’t know where my footing was at all. I kept trying to do it different ways.”

Orosco said his long layoff--due to the fact that late-inning situations for a left-handed short reliever did not arise--was the major reason for his poor inning. He said his left elbow feels fine and realizes that he will mainly be used against left-handed batters.

“They are aware that I haven’t pitched in a while,” Orosco said. “It’s just the situation hasn’t come up. A lot of righties (hitters) have come up, and (Manager Tom Lasorda) is saving me for lefties. There’s nothing I can do about it. But as long as we’re winning, that’s all that matters. I don’t care how many saves I get.”

Next out of the bullpen for the Dodgers was Jay Howell, who tried a different approach--throwing strikes.

Howell, making his first appearance since June 18, was not hit nearly as hard as Hillegas or Orosco and did not walk a batter in the seventh inning. But the Pirates scored a seventh run, nonetheless, after left fielder Kirk Gibson misplayed Andy Van Slyke’s blooper into a double. Van Slyke later scored on Bream’s single.

“I was just trying to throw strikes, and I did,” said Howell, who came off the disabled list Thursday. “What can you do--a bloop double and a ground-ball single. But I felt good.”

Even reliever Brian Holton, who had allowed only 4 earned runs in his previous 28 innings, had problems. After working a scoreless eighth, Holton gave up a run on three singles in the ninth, LaValliere knocking in his fourth run.

Dunne appeared to tire in the bottom of the eighth, as John Shelby’s single scored Danny Heep from second to cut the lead to 7-2. Shelby then stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Dunne (6-7) walked Mike Scioscia and was replaced by Jeff Robinson, who got Jeff Hamilton to pop out.

Robinson was an out away from finishing it in the ninth before Steve Sax tripled to right field and Heep walked. But Franklin Stubbs struck out to end a rough night for the Dodgers, who left 10 runners on base.

Maybe this one would have turned out differently had the Dodgers taken advantage of Dunne’s early-inning wildness.

Dunne, who has 51 walks and 43 strikeouts, walked 4 in the first 4 innings, including 2 of the first 3 batters he faced. Pirate Manager Jim Leyland was so concerned that he had reliever Brian Fisher warming up.

But Dunne got out of that jam and carried a no-hitter into the fourth, when the Dodgers mounted their first of several fizzling rallies.

It started with a walk to Gibson. Mike Marshall then grounded to short, seemingly setting up a sure double play. But there is no routine double play when Gibson is the runner charging toward second base.

Displaying the skills he used as a football player at Michigan State, Gibson broke up the Pirates’ double-play bid by forcing second baseman Gonzalez into hurrying his throw to first base shortly before hitting Gonzalez with a left forearm to the chest.

Gonzalez’s throw sailed wide of Bream and to the railing behind first base, allowing Marshall to advance to second. Leyland argued with second base umpire Fred Brocklander that Gibson had gone out of his way to interfere with Gonzalez.

The Dodgers may have had a rally, but they still had yet to get a hit off Dunne. Shelby took care of that by singling up the middle. Had Gonzalez not dived and stopped the grounder from trickling into the outfield, Marshall would have scored. Instead, he remained rooted at third base as Dunne forced Jeff Hamilton to ground back weakly to the mound for the third out.

Dodger Notes

Pedro Guerrero took batting practice for the second straight day. Guerrero is expected to spend the All-Star break in the Dominican Republic and rejoin the team Wednesday in Chicago. It isn’t known, though, when he will be activated. “He’s getting closer,” said Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ executive vice president. “He still has some soreness in his shoulder and neck, but it isn’t going down into his arm. (Guerrero’s) hope is to continue to take B.P. in Chicago. At what point it is when he can (be activated), it depends on how he responds to continued swinging of the bat. He has to let us know when he feels comfortable.” Guerrero has been on the disabled list since June 5 with the neck ailment. He was examined by Dr. Frank Jobe before Saturday night’s game. . . . For the Record: Manager Tom Lasorda’s seven-man coaching staff received a one-year contract extension, not a two-year extension as reported. . . . Tommy Davis, a Dodger hitting instructor, was hospitalized in Bakersfield after complaining of chest pains. He will undergo tests. . . . Pitcher Don Sutton, on the 21-day disabled list with a sore right elbow, played catch in the outfield. It was the second time Sutton has thrown a ball since hurting his elbow June 28, his last start. He threw softly for about 15 minutes. Trainer Bill Buhler said Sutton is on schedule to be activated about July 22, when he is first eligible to come off the disabled list.