Astros Trail by 5 After Ryan Holds Dodgers to 5 Hits

Nolan Ryan knew what he had to do Thursday night if his Houston Astros were to keep their hopes alive.

Calling the game a must win, Ryan delivered, pitching the Astros to a 2-1 victory over the Dodgers to salvage a split of the two-game set and tighten the race in the National League West again.

The Astros left Los Angeles as they arrived, five games behind the Dodgers, but with two fewer to play.

Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Reds, who open a three-game series at Dodger Stadium tonight, closed within 6 1/2 of the Dodgers with a 2-1 victory in San Diego.

A crowd of 36,504 at Dodger Stadium saw a vintage performance from Ryan, 41, who is unsure whether he wants to pitch beyond this season. He allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked none, and he retired 13 of the last 14 Dodgers in his third complete game of the season.

The Dodgers thought he might have been scuffing the ball, but Steve Sax, for one, offered only praise. Sax shook his head and said:

“Retire? Him? He might pitch until he’s 70. The way he threw tonight is the best I’ve seen anyone throw this year. When he’s getting his curveball over as well as his fastball, forget it.”

Mike Marshall missed his ninth consecutive start because of a pulled muscle in his right leg, and the Dodgers collected what has become their quota of five hits, including a home run by Kirk Gibson in the fourth, his 24th.

Ryan, who is having a typical hard-luck season, is 11-11, but he is thinking now only of September and the waning race.

“We came in feeling we had to sweep the Dodgers and were disappointed to lose last night (Wednesday),” he said. “That made tonight even more of a must. The calendar is against us. We’re running out of time.”

“Ryan pitched a hell of a game, and so did (John) Tudor,” Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said. “You can’t win if you don’t score.”

Tudor is 2-3 as a Dodger and 8-8 overall, having lost twice by 2-1 scores since he was traded to Los Angeles. He gave up a home run to Alex Trevino in the fourth. Then, with the game tied, 1-1, in the eighth, Tudor allowed a single to Glenn Davis, who continued to second when Mike Davis bobbled the ball and scored the decisive run on Buddy Bell’s single.

It was the eighth hit off Tudor, who walked four and was charged with two balks, one more than he had been cited for in his previous 173 innings.

The umpires also spotted Tudor wearing a gold necklace as he ran out a fly ball to left in the third, and they ordered him to take it off when he went out to pitch the fourth.

Tudor argued for several minutes, then reluctantly removed it from his neck. It was on again in the fifth inning, although the umpires did not see it until there were two outs. At that point, Doug Harvey, the crew chief, told Lasorda that Tudor would be ejected unless the necklace came off and stayed off, which it did.

“We’ve had no problems with that rule,” Harvey said. “Everybody we’ve told to take it off has kept it off, but I learned a lesson tonight. The next time I tell a pitcher to take it off, I’m telling him he’s out of there unless it stays off.”

Tudor said later: “If I had a six-inch medallion around my neck, I could understand it. Then again they let Ryan cut the ball, and no one says anything.”

Lasorda agreed.

“I told Harvey he’s worried more about the chain than the balls. Look at ‘em.”

A dozen baseballs sat in a box on Lasorda’s desk. Each bore a scuff mark circled in ink. Will the Dodgers send them to the league office?

“I don’t know yet,” Lasorda said.

Ryan is immune to the accusation. What was new for him Thursday night was a victory over the Dodgers, particularly at Dodger Stadium. He had a career record against Los Angeles of 11-19 and was 4-10 here.

He said he entered the season thinking he would pitch through 1989 but now isn’t sure he wants to continue. If he does, it could be in another uniform, since he is eligible for free agency when the season ends. Might he return to the Angels?

“If they were interested, I’d certainly give that consideration,” he said.

In the meantime, the Dodgers drew his full consideration Thursday night.

Dodger Notes

Fernando Valenzuela played catch for 25 minutes, the last eight off a mound, as part of the rehabilitation and reacclimation process for his ailing shoulder. Assistant trainer Charlie Strasser said Valenzuela continues to make progress, but there’s no timetable regarding his possible return. . . . The contracts of minor league hitting instructor Tommy Davis, Vero Beach infield instructor Paul Popovich and San Antonio pitching coach Pat Zachry will not be renewed for 1989, the Dodgers announced. In addition, Bakersfield manager Gary LaRocque and San Antonio coach Mark Sheehy are being moved to the scouting staff. LaRocque will scout the Carolinas, and Sheehy will scout Northern California. . . . A survey of Pacific Coast League managers by the publication Baseball America placed four Dodger prospects among the league’s top 10. Pitcher Ramon Martinez was No. 2, shortstop Juan Bell No. 3, pitcher William Brennan No. 5 and outfielder Mike Devereaux No. 7. San Diego catching prospect Sandy Alomar Jr. was No. 1.