Dodgers Get Some Relief From Orosco to Beat Giants, 1-0

If, as reported, the Dodgers are seriously considering adding another starting pitcher to their collection, the San Francisco Giants must be wondering why they should bother.

Dodger pitching, especially solid outings from all their starters but their reputed ace, was the main reason why they were able to win 3 of 4 games from the Giants in a series of great importance in the National League West.

Monday night, it was rookie right-hander Tim Belcher--aided by excellent late-inning relief by Jesse Orosco--that enabled the Dodgers to score a 1-0 victory before a Dodger Stadium crowd of 49,306, a season-high.

The victory kept the Dodgers 2 1/2 games in front of second-place Houston in the West. The Giants, meanwhile, left town after an extended weekend stay in third place, 4 1/2 games behind the Dodgers.

The Dodger offense, meanwhile, produced only a fourth-inning run off Giant starter Don Robinson (4-3) on a sacrifice fly by Franklin Stubbs.

Belcher pitched seven shutout innings and managed to work out of several early jams before turning to Orosco in the eighth inning.

This was a familiar situation for Orosco in this series. On Friday night, he struck out Will Clark in the ninth inning but was denied a possible save by a manager’s decision. Saturday night, he blew a 1-0 Dodger lead in the eighth inning. But Monday, he earned a long-sought seventh save with 1 innings of hitless relief.

Belcher ventured into the eighth inning for the third time in his last four starts. All three times, he has not made it out of the inning. This time, with Jose Uribe at second base after a single and a sacrifice bunt, Belcher needed Orosco’s help.

Sent in to face Butler with a 1-and-0 count, Orosco ran the count to 3 and 2 before striking him out looking at a pitch on the outside corner. Thompson suffered the same fate, striking out on three straight pitches.

Orosco retired the Giants in order in the ninth.

Belcher (9-4) had his best outing since returning to the starting rotation on July 17. His seven shutout innings had to reinforce Manager Tom Lasorda’s faith in his hard-throwing rookie and in his decision to go with a four-man starting rotation. It also erased the memory of Belcher’s last start, when he allowed 4 earned runs in 2 innings of a 9-8 loss to Cincinnati last Thursday.

Belcher did not exactly breeze through the Giant order, however.

In the seventh, he allowed a one-out single to catcher Bob Melvin, who had three of the Giants’ five hits off Belcher to that point.

Craig, trying to manufacture a run, brought in speedy Donell Nixon to pinch-run. Matt Williams made two failed attempts to advance Nixon to second via a bunt and eventually struck out.

Sensing a steal attempt, the Dodgers called for pitchouts on the first two pitches to Jose Uribe. Each time, Nixon did not run. But on the third pitch, a high fastball, Nixon was running and catcher Mike Scioscia made an accurate throw to shortstop Alfredo Griffin to put out Nixon and the Giant threat.

Compared to Sunday’s 19-run offensive festival (15 by the Giants), the early innings Monday were relatively quiet. The teams traded empty scoring chances in second and third innings before the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the fourth.

The rally began after Kirk Gibson struck out to open the inning, the fifth straight hitter retired by Robinson. But Mike Marshall lined a single to left and went to third on John Shelby’s single to right, bringing up Stubbs.

Stubbs fell behind in the count, 0 and 2, and fouled back a pitch with Shelby attempting to steal second. Stubbs sent Robinson’s next pitch deep to right field, the ball curving just to the right of the foul pole.

One pitch later, Stubbs flied deep enough to right to score Marshall, who tagged at third.

Before that rally, the Dodgers failed to take advantage of fielding error by left fielder Kevin Mitchell that allowed Mickey Hatcher to advance to second on a two-out single in the second. Dave Anderson, the next hitter, grounded to short to end the threat.

The Giants staged their own two-out rally against Belcher in the third inning. It began when Butler singled up the middle and went to third on Thompson’s bloop single that fell just beyond the reach of second baseman Anderson’s outstretched glove.

As a result, Belcher was faced with the difficult task of pitching to Clark, the Giants’ RBI leader with 88. Belcher ran the count full before Clark fouled off two pitches and then lofted a routine fly ball to left field for the third out.

Marshall came close to getting the Dodgers another run in the sixth inning, launching a line drive deep to right field. But Mike Aldrete made a running catch close to the railing and almost catapulted into the seats.

Dodger Notes

Steve Sax was not in the lineup Monday night because his wife, Debbie, gave birth to the couple’s second child, John Jeremy, earlier Monday at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance. . . . Mario Soto, rehabilitating his right shoulder, pitched another simulated game before Monday night’s game. Soto threw 44 pitches and, according to trainers, improved on his mechanics. “I’d say Mario is getting closer to the point where he would pitch again,” Fred Claire said. “He may need another simulated game or two. I think his ability and performance will dictate when we make a move with him.” Claire said that Soto is ineligible for a stint on injury rehabilitation in the minor leagues until Sept. 1. . . . Pitcher Ken Howell arrived from triple-A Albuquerque Monday and said he hopes his role as a reliever might eventually lead to a starting spot. “I’m just here to help the ball club any way possible,” Howell said. “I thought going down (to Albuquerque) was the best thing for me. I was able to get some innings in and work on getting my shoulder better. Maybe if I can prove myself out of the pen, it’ll lead to some starts. But I don’t know about that right now.”