Dodgers Regain Lost Ground With Win in First Game

The fear was that maybe just being in the same time zone, with an earthquake fault line directly connecting them to Chavez Ravine, would be enough to make the Dodgers feel closer to home and somehow end their road dominance.

But, after losing Monday night’s opener of this important four-game series against the San Francisco Giants, the Dodgers resumed their long-playing hit road show with a 7-3 victory Tuesday over the Giants in the first game of an evening doubleheader.

Behind Orel Hershiser’s pitching and an offense that featured home runs from such unlikely sources as Rick Dempsey and Jeff Hamilton, the Dodgers regained the ground they lost to the Giants Monday, going going into Tuesday’s second game.

“I think this was my biggest start so far this year,” said Hershiser, who improved his record to 14-5 after allowing 2 runs and 7 hits in 7 innings. “We had pretty much been cruising along and haven’t really faced a losing streak. It would have been demoralizing to start one in this series.”

Meanwhile, in the Giants’ clubhouse, Manager Roger Craig called Tuesday’s second game the most important of the season thurs far for his team.

After the first game, the Dodgers had a 6 1/2-game lead over the second-place Houston Astros and 7 over the Giants.

The Dodgers led, 4-1, in the top of the sixth inning of the second game.

Before the Dodgers rallied, the early highlights from Tuesday night’s second game included a third-inning home run from Chris Speier that gave the Giants a 1-0 lead as well as Manager Tom Lasorda’s act of protesting the game.

In the third inning, Lasorda asked umpire crew chief Doug Harvey to order Giant pitcher Don Robinson to remove an ace bandage on his left, non-pitching forearm. An inning earlier, Robinson had been hit on the arm by a grounder hit by Alfredo Griffin.

Normally, Harvey reported, pitchers are not allowed to wear bandages. But Harvey said that since he saw Robinson get hit, he would allow him to wear the bandage. When the protest was announced, the Candlestick Park crowd booed.

Given the Dodgers’ mastery on the road this season, the notion of a doubleheader sweep, protest or no, was not out of the question.

Going into Tuesday’s second game, the Dodgers boasted a 33-17 road record--considerably better than their 25-23 home record--and were 10-4 on this marathon trip.

Hershiser and a revitalized offense got the evening off to a good start for the Dodgers, though there were more than a few anxious moments throughout the first game.

Trying to snap a three-game winless streak, Hershiser allowed a run in the first inning after the Dodgers had scored a run off Giant starter Terry Mulholland.

It was not Hershiser at his best in the first. He walked Brett Butler, who later stole second base and went to third on a groundout. Former Dodger Candy Maldonado then ripped a double down the right-field line to score Butler to make it 1-1. Hershiser, however, further made it difficult for himself by walking Mike Aldrete.

But after getting Kevin Mitchell to fly out to end the inning, Hershiser reverted to the dominating pitcher who won 13 games before the All-Star break. He retired 13 of the next 14 batters going into the sixth inning, when he worked out of a minor jam.

Mulholland, however, shut down Dodger hitters through the sixth, no great feat considering the way the Dodgers have hit recently.

Then came the seventh inning, when Dempsey delivered a two-run home run to left field that gave the Dodgers a 3-1 lead and probably kept Hershiser in the game. The rally started when Hamilton doubled off the glove of Giant third baseman Kevin Mitchell, who was nearly hit in the head by the hard-hit liner.

Dempsey fell behind, 0-2, in the count before launching an inside slider just over the fence down the left-field line. The ball landed on top of the Dodger bullpen cage, 335 feet from home plate.

Had Dempsey not delivered, the Dodgers might have pinch-hit for Hershiser to try to push across the go-ahead run. Naturally, Hershiser was thankful to see the Dodgers take the lead, which enabled him to remain in the game.

“I told Tommy (Lasorda) that I felt great, but let’s go for the runs,” Hershiser said. “They were getting (Alejandro) Pena ready just in case.”

Hershiser nurtured that 3-1 lead into the eighth inning, when he faltered. With one out, the Giants loaded the bases against Hershiser, prompting Lasorda to summon Jesse Orosco to pitch to pinch-hitter Joel Youngblood.

Youngblood hit into a fielder’s choice at second, scoring Brett Butler from third to narrow the lead to 3-2. Orosco was then replaced by Jay Howell, who got Mitchell to fly to deep center to end that threat.

In the ninth inning, the Dodgers got the breaks and capitalized on them.

Hamilton hit a home run to left field to give the Dodgers a 4-2 edge. Dempsey then walked and Franklin Stubbs laid a drag bunt down the first base line. The Giants let the ball roll foul, but did not pick up the ball. It rolled back into fair territory, and Stubbs had a single. Steve Sax then followed with a two-run triple to center, increasing the Dodger lead to 6-2. Later, Sax scored on Scott Garrelts’ balk for a seventh run.

Howell struggled a bit in the ninth, allowing a run. But he worked out of a jam with runners on second and third by striking out Will Clark on a curveball to register his 13th save.

“I have a theory that what goes around, comes around on offense,” Hershiser said. “We haven’t been scoring a lot of runs, but I figured if I could stay around long enough, they’d get me enough runs.”

Dempsey’s home run was his fifth, which isn’t very impressive until you compare it to injured slugger Pedro Guerrero’s totals. Both Guerrero and Dempsey have played in 44 games. Dempsey has 5 home runs, Guerrero 3.

“I’m not what you’d call a home run hitter,” Dempsey said. “But I can hit home runs. My elbow operation (at Cleveland) last year kind of ruined me offensively and defensively last season. I had a tough time reaching the warning track last season.”

Dodger Notes

In the second game, Mike Marshall made his first start at first base since asking to move to the outfield to lessen the strain on his chronic lower back condition. The move enabled Manager Tom Lasorda to start Mike Davis, hot at the plate recently, in right field and John Shelby in center field. . . . Lasorda’s protest of Tuesday’s second game was his third time protest this season. The Dodgers won the other two games that were protested. Pedro Guerrero update: Guerrero, who hit safely in a pinch-hit role for the triple-A Albuquerque club Monday night, was scheduled to start as a designated hitter Tuesday, according to Dodger executive vice president Fred Claire. However, Claire said he does not know when Guerrero, out 51 days with a pinched nerve in his neck, will return to the Dodgers. Trainer Bill Buhler said Guerrero is scheduled to be at Dodger Stadium Friday, but he did not specify whether it was to be examined or activated. We’ll see him, that all,” Buhler said. Said Claire of Guerrero: “There’s no way I can pinpoint when he’ll be back. I don’t think Pete needs that type of pressure. We can’t do anything about Pete, except give him the best medical attention we can.

Mariano Duncan, Albuquerque’s shortstop, suffered a broken bone in his left hand while swinging a bat Monday night. Buhler said surgery to remove the bone is possible. Even if surgery is not required, it appears as if Duncan will miss the remaining four weeks of the Pacific Coast League season and probably would not be ready to join the Dodgers when the roster expands to 40 players in September. . . . Alfredo Griffin played as defensive replacement at shortstop in Game 1, making a throwing error, and started the second game at shortstop, making a throwing error. Lasorda remained noncommital when asked whether Griffin would eventually supplant Dave Anderson as the Dodgers’ starter. “I think Anderson has played a lot of innings,” Lasorda said. “We’ll see how it goes. I want to make sure Alfredo feels good and ready to come back.” Said Anderson of the situation: “It’s no difference to me. I’ll just go out and play. It’s a long season. We’ll play a lot of games, and we need these guys--Pete and Alfredo--to play. I think I’ve played well. But, more important, we’ve been winning.” . . . Tim Leary (10-6) opposes the Giants’ Atlee Hammaker (4-3) tonight at 7:30.