Pirates’ Walk Keeps Dodgers Staggering

With the streaking San Francisco Giants beginning to crowd their space atop the National League West, the Dodgers confidently sent pitcher Orel Hershiser against the Pittsburgh Pirates Sunday to try to halt a recent downward spiral just before the All-Star break.

A better choice, it seemed, could not be found. Hershiser, unquestionably the Dodgers’ ace, had won six straight games and all season had been a study in reliability.

But even Hershiser, searching for his 14th win before heading to Cincinnati for the All-Star game, could not rescue the suddenly slumping Dodgers, whose lead in the West was reduced to 2 1/2 games over the Giants.

In completing a three-game sweep of the Dodgers with a 7-2 win Sunday before 43,014 fans at Dodger Stadium, the Pirates administered the earliest knockout of Hershiser this season. He gave up six runs (four earned) in 5 innings and wasn’t helped by the Dodger infield, which misplayed several balls that helped propel the Pirates to a four-run sixth inning.

Four days before, all seemed right in the Dodgers’ world. They were coming off a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals and leading the Giants by 5 1/2 games.

But since Manager Tom Lasorda was rewarded for the strong first half with a two-year contract extension Friday, the Dodgers have yet to win and the Giants yet to lose. And, after a three-day hiatus, the Dodgers embark on a 16-game Eastern endurance trip that includes two doubleheaders and concludes with four games against the Giants.

If the Dodgers are worried, they aren’t showing it. In the wake of Sunday’s loss, in which Pirate starter Bob Walk yielded only 1 earned run in 8 innings for his 10th win, Dodger players adopted a casual stance about their weekend slide. They were, after all, playing a team that is only 3 1/2 games behind the New York Mets in the NL East.

“This is just one game,” Hershiser said. “It’s not that big a deal that we lost three straight as far as I’m concerned. What we established in the first half is that we will be in the race, not that we’ll win it in the first half. One half of the season doesn’t make the season or give us a flat tire.”

Lasorda, who lost his temper Saturday night after a reporter mentioned that Sunday’s scenario might happen, seemed more concerned about the weekend losses and the Giants’ emergence.

“We lost three games in three days,” Lasorda said. “That’s hard to accept. The thing I feel bad about is that we lost the games. If we had been able to salvage one of three or if (the Giants) lose one of three, we’re in better shape.”

It’s not as if the Dodgers are on the critical list, however. They head into the break with a 48-36 record and have been in first place since late May.

And, perhaps as early as during the upcoming trip, Pedro Guerrero, Alfredo Griffin, Mickey Hatcher and Don Sutton will return from the disabled list.

When compared with their first half of 1987, the Dodgers’ stark improvement is evident. They have better statistics this season in almost every area, except for home record (25-23). At the break last season, they were 39-49 and out of first place by 8 games.

“It’s amazing,” catcher Mike Scioscia said, “because we haven’t played really the way I think we’re capable. I don’t know if that’s a compliment to our club or a weakness in the division. I think it’s a compliment to us.

“We didn’t play well at all over the weekend, and we’re in a rut right now. But we’re still 2 1/2 games in front. It’s going to be tough to sit back for three days after the way we played.”

It began as a promising afternoon for the Dodgers. They pushed across a run in the second inning against Walk, a late addition to the All-Star team Sunday, for a 1-0 lead.

At that point, Hershiser was as dominating as he had been in any of his six previous wins. He retired the first 11 Pirate batters he faced, 4 on strikeouts before Andy Van Slyke stepped to the plate with two out in the fourth inning.

Van Slyke, who had hit a homer off Hershiser May 4, deposited his 13th home run deep into the bullpen in right field. It was the 14th home run Hershiser has allowed in 140 innings this season, more than any other Dodger pitcher. Last season, Hershiser gave up 17 home runs in 264 innings. The Pirates alone have hit six home runs off Hershiser in his three starts this season.

Van Slyke’s home run tied it, 1-1, but the Pirates soon forged ahead when Bobby Bonilla slashed a bad-hop double past first baseman Danny Heep and down the right-field line. Former Dodger R.J. Reynolds--a .407 lifetime hitter against Hershiser--then lined a triple to right to score Bonilla and give Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead.

Hershiser wasn’t hit nearly as hard in the Pirates’ four-run sixth that led to Hershiser’s unusually early departure. But a few well-placed hits, compounded by two Dodger errors and a walk, gave the Pirates a 6-1 lead.

The rally began when second baseman Steve Sax tried to barehand Barry Bonds’ chopper on the run and could not handle it. It was ruled an infield hit. Rafael Belliard laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Heep slipped and fell while trying to field it, Belliard reaching first and Heep drawing an error.

After Van Slyke’s grounder forced Belliard and advanced Bonds to third, and a walk to Bonilla loaded the bases, Reynolds’ single up the middle scored two runs for a 4-1 lead. Sid Bream, another former Dodger, then singled in Bonilla from third to make it 5-1, prompting Hershiser’s exit and reliever Tim Crews’ entrance.

The Pirates’ sixth run scored on a bungled double-play attempt. Junior Ortiz grounded to short, Dave Anderson flipping to Sax, who then threw wide of first for an error that scored Reynolds.

“That inning unraveled the game; it didn’t unravel me,” said Hershiser, who nonetheless did not finish 6 innings for the first time in 18 starts. “They got an infield hit, a few errors, some seeing-eye hits. That’s baseball.”

There still is much baseball to play--78 games, to be exact--and the Dodgers are wary of the trip after the All-Star break.

“It is a big trip,” Hershiser said. “If we go 15-1, it will be very important. If we go 1-15, it will be very important. If we win about half, people will talk like we’ve survived it. I think it’ll be a telltale trip, simply because of its length.”

Mostly, though, the Dodgers seemed happy with their first-half performance, even if it didn’t end the way they wanted.

“If you had asked us in spring training if we’d like to be 2 1/2 (games ahead) now, we’d say, yeah, we’ll take it,” Anderson said.

Dodger Notes

Orel Hershiser, the Dodgers’ only All-Star representative, said he will ask Whitey Herzog, manager of the National League team, not to use him in the game unless he “really needs me.” Hershiser, who pitched Sunday, has his next start Friday in Chicago. . . . Mike Davis, who lost his starting right-field job in May and is hitting .197, met with Manager Tom Lasorda after the game and lobbied for his return to right field. “I still think the team is at its best with Mike Marshall at first base and me in right field,” Davis said. “But I got no assurances from (Lasorda). It’s up to management to straighten this out. I still believe I can be a big part of the team.” . . . Reliever Jay Howell made his second appearance in as many days after coming off the disabled list with a fractured rib. Howell pitched two scoreless innings Sunday, giving up two hits. “I feel fine,” Howell said. . . . Pittsburgh pitcher Bob Walk was added to the National League All-Star team on Sunday because San Francisco Giants second baseman Robby Thompson has been injured. Herzog and representatives from the league office passed over Steve Sax, who is hitting .287. Thompson is hitting .299. “It’s up to (Herzog),” Sax said. “That’s fine with me. I would have liked to have gone, sure. But if he doesn’t want me to go, it’s all right with me.” . . . Tim Belcher will return to the Dodger rotation during the upcoming trip. He will start next Sunday against the Cubs. Pitching coach Ron Perranoski said that the team did not seriously consider bringing up an 11th pitcher for the trip. “I think the two doubleheaders are split up enough that we could have two guys--probably Belcher and (Tim) Leary--pitch on three days’ rest,” Perranoski said. Said Belcher, on his return to the rotation after a successful stint in the bullpen: “That is where I want to be--starting.” . . . Dr. Frank Jobe examined injured pitcher Don Sutton Sunday morning and reported improvement in Sutton’s sore right elbow. . . . Jobe also told trainers that Pedro Guerrero is about two to three weeks away from returning. “I’d say that is a conservative estimate,” trainer Bill Buhler said. “But again, it’s up to Pete when he can play.”