Mets Unravel Dodgers in Eighth Inning : Wilson Fuels Comeback to Complete New York’s Three-Game Sweep

His chronically stiff back literally against the wall, Dodger right fielder Mike Marshall seemingly expected the worst as he watched the ball’s flight. But when he jumped, in an attempt to save the potential home run, Marshall discovered that the ball wasn’t leaving the park.

Turns out, that didn’t help matters. Marshall misplayed Mookie Wilson’s deep fly ball into a triple to lead off the eighth inning Wednesday night, starting a chain of events that enabled the New York Mets to eke out a 2-1 comeback victory over the Dodgers before a crowd of 47,115 at Dodger Stadium. “I thought I should have caught it,” Marshall said. “I got to the wall in plenty of time. I made a little leap, and I just misjudged it. It’s a play I make a lot of times.”

This was not one of those times, however. Marshall’s drop typified a series in which the Dodgers, leaders in the National League West, dropped all three games to the Mets, the Eastern Division leaders.

The Dodgers’ third straight loss, this one with Kirk Gibson out of the lineup because of bursitis in his left shoulder, denied the Dodgers an opportunity to build on their 4 1/2-game lead over the second-place Houston Astros and San Francisco Giants, both of whom lost Wednesday.

Although Dodger players once again downplayed the importance of the defeats by the Mets, it surely will be mentioned if the teams meet in October. New York has won 8 of 9 games against the Dodgers this season, including 6 straight at Dodger Stadium.

In this series, the Dodgers were outscored, 14-3, and made numerous errors, both officially and in judgment, that contributed to the Mets’ sweep.

Until the eighth inning, it looked as if this would be the night the Dodgers finally ended the Mets’ domination.

Orel Hershiser, the Dodgers’ best pitcher, was nursing a 1-0 lead into the eighth, having repelled several Met rallies. The offense, which has been hampered by Marshall’s recurring back stiffness and Gibson’s shoulder soreness, produced only a fourth-inning run off Met starter Bob Ojeda on Marshall’s run-scoring double.

But the way Hershiser was pitching, the lead appeared somewhat safe.

That assumption was wiped away in the eighth, when Wilson launched a deep fly ball to right field. Marshall got to it but mistimed his jump. The ball hit in the middle of his glove and popped out, Wilson going to third on what was credited as a triple.

Hershiser then walked Wally Backman. Keith Hernandez singled to right field to score Wilson, which tied it, 1-1, as Backman moved to third. After Hershiser struck out Darryl Strawberry, Kevin McReynolds lofted a fly ball deep enough to center to score Backman for a 2-1 Met lead.

Hershiser stuck it out and eventually earned his ninth complete game. But with Met reliever Roger McDowell stifling Dodger hitters in the eighth and ninth innings, Hershiser also earned the loss, dropping his record to 17-8. The win went to Terry Leach, who pitched a scoreless seventh inning. McDowell earned the save, his 14th.

“I can’t throw the ball any better,” Hershiser said. “If we were fortunate and that ball is caught, it’s a different game. I don’t walk Backman trying to protect the run. Hernandez doesn’t get the three-hop single when we’re holding on the runner. And I get Strawberry to strike out (conceivably to end the inning).

“When you play close ballgames, you have to execute. That’s the difference in close games. I don’t think it’s a theory that we don’t (execute) against the Mets. I think there are teams around the league that are just as good as the Mets that we have beat up on.”

The Dodgers’ acute lack of execution--and offense--was addressed by Manager Tom Lasorda in a pregame meeting. Lasorda, according to several players, stressed a return to fundamentals and talked in soothing, rather than strident, tones about relaxing at the plate against Met pitchers.

“It just happens,” said Mickey Hatcher, who went 0 for 4 as Gibson’s replacement in left field. “When you play New York, the same caliber of club we have, it’s the team that executes that wins. But it’s only three games. We can bounce back.”

Fortunately for the Dodgers, they will attempt to replenish their offensive reserves against the Philadelphia Phillies, whom they racked for 16 runs in a three-game sweep last week.

Ojeda, lifted for a pinch-hitter during the Mets’ failed seventh-inning threat, had even less offensive support than Hershiser during his term on the mound. It was Ojeda’s best outing since July 29, when he shut out Pittsburgh, 1-0. That also was Ojeda’s last win.

On this night, he was on the wrong end of that 1-0 score at the time of his departure, despite striking out 8 batters and working out of several jams.

Of the three hits Ojeda allowed through six innings, the only well-struck ball was Marshall’s fourth-inning double that scored Mike Sharperson for a 1-0 Dodger lead. Ojeda settled down after that lapse, reaching his peak in the sixth when he struck out the side.

After Ojeda’s exit, the Dodgers again had a chance to build on the lead in the seventh inning against Leach.

Leach allowed consecutive singles to Tracy Woodson and Rick Dempsey, putting runners on first and third with none out. Dave Anderson then grounded back to Leach, who turned to second base, apparently thinking about starting a double play, before pivoting and throwing to home plate to get Woodson. Hershiser’s sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with two out, but Steve Sax popped to second to end the threat.

Dodger Notes

Kirk Gibson said the soreness in his left shoulder, a recurring injury, was aggravated last Thursday when he was swinging a weighted bat in the on-deck circle. Gibson said he continued to play with the condition but that it affected his hitting more than his throwing. “It was bound to affect aspects of my game,” said Gibson, who had struck out six times in the first two games against the Mets. “I wasn’t as quick (with the bat) and tried to overcompensate.” Gibson, however, said he hopes to return to the lineup Friday night, when the Dodgers open a trip in Philadelphia. “We’ve talked about it, and I’ve got a good feeling about Friday. I’ll be in there.”

Mike Marshall, who had taken himself out of Tuesday night’s game when his chronic back stiffness flared, said he felt better Wednesday. Said Marshall: “I was just trying to catch it before it got worse. It’s nothing new. It just comes and goes. I’ve had it a couple of times this year. It’s nothing serious.” Marshall, who had moved from first base to right field because he thought that playing the infield put too much strain on his back, said there was no play in particular that prompted the stiffness. “I can’t attribute it to anything,” Marshall said. “The doctors told you guys (reporters) two years ago it’s chronic and something I’m going to have to play through. For the most part, I have. That’s why I wanted to move back to the outfield from first base. And I’ve played most of the games. . . . I felt (pain) every day. Sometimes, it comes to a point where I have to watch it or I’ll have prolonged problems. I don’t think there’s many guys who play every day who aren’t hurting.”

Trainers are saying that Fernando Valenzuela, out since July 30 with a left shoulder injury, will “play catch” sometime early on the coming trip. Valenzuela’s rehabilitation figures to be a long process, and the Dodgers reportedly aren’t counting on him to be ready to pitch on the major league level before the season ends in five weeks. “I feel a lot stronger,” Valenzuela said. “But in my case, I don’t want to rush it. I don’t help nobody if I come back too soon. We have 30-something games left. I’m not worried about my contract (he’ll be a free agent). It’s fine if I stay on the DL the rest of the season, if I’m not ready. When all the games are finished, I’ll think about the contract and my future.”

After a poor outing Tuesday night in a Class A rehabilitation start, Mario Soto will stop throwing for the time being, according to trainer Pat Screnar. “We want to see him concentrate more on strengthening than throwing,” Screnar said. “It had nothing to do with his outing (in Class A). We just think it’s best that he concentrate getting stronger.” . . . Terry Reynolds, 35-year-old general director of the Dodgertown spring-training facility and manager of the Class A Vero Beach, Fla., Dodgers, has been named the club’s assistant scouting director. Reynolds may be next in line when longtime scouting director Ben Wade retires.