Tudor’s Injury Clouds Dodger Win

The meeting in the executive offices at Dodger Stadium Friday afternoon dealt with the Dodgers’ playoff roster.

It was the playoff rotation, however, that became a concern in the game that followed.

A crowd of 42,580 saw the Dodgers win, 6-4, but John Tudor, in his final tuneup for Wednesday night’s scheduled start against the New York Mets in Game 2 of the National League playoffs, pitched only 1 innings against the San Francisco Giants before departing with a muscle spasm in his right hip.

The Dodgers announced that Tudor would be on a day-to-day basis, but they are almost out of days.

What happens if Tudor can’t pitch Wednesday?

Tim Belcher, scheduled to pitch 5 innings today, might move up from his expected start in Game 3.

Or a left-hander named Fernando Valenzuela might enter the picture.

Valenzuela, who is expected to make his second appearance since leaving the disabled list today, is not on the playoff roster at this time. His status was the main issue at the Friday meeting attended by Executive Vice President Fred Claire, Manager Tom Lasorda and the coaches.

The apparent question: Should Valenzuela replace left-hander Ricky Horton, the inconsistent relief pitcher?

Claire said the Dodgers would wait until Monday’s deadline before making a decision, giving them another chance to see Valenzuela.

The consensus, however, seemed to be that Horton should stay on the roster.

“It would be unfair to put Fernando on the list,” a source said. “He doesn’t have the stamina to start, and he takes too long to warm up in relief. I don’t see the roster changing.”

Tudor’s injury could alter that thinking.

Valenzuela may replace either Horton or Tudor on the playoff roster.

Ramon Martinez moves back in the picture, perhaps.

Tim Leary, an uncertain playoff starter before, may be more certain. All of it is conjecture.

This much is certain:

The Dodgers would significantly miss the left-handed Tudor, who was acquired specifically with the left-handed power of the Mets in mind.

Though only 4-3 in his previous 8 starts with the Dodgers, he had a 2.12 earned-run average and allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in 6 of those 8, and 1 earned run or less in 19 of his 29 starts overall.

Four singles--on a bunt, a hit-and-run grounder and an opposite field bloop--helped the Giants score two runs off Tudor in the first inning Friday.

Tudor had one out in the second and a 2-ball count on pitcher Dennis Cook when he walked to the side of the mound in obvious discomfort.

Pitching coach Ron Perranoski walked to the mound and asked Tudor to throw a test pitch to catcher Rick Dempsey. It took only one. Tudor’s knees buckled and he almost stumbled off the mound, which he kicked at dejectedly while following Perranoski to the dugout.

Tudor has been handicapped some by an irritation in his left elbow, but the hip spasm was believed to be a new condition.

Successor Brian Holton, who pitched three shutout innings, emerged with his seventh victory against three defeats when the Dodgers snapped a 2-2 tie by scoring four runs in the fourth.

A 2-run single by Steve Sax, who now has a career-high 57 runs batted in, was the key hit in an inning that saw the rookie Cook walk four.

Cook had delayed the Dodgers clinching of the Western division title with a 2-hit, 2-0 victory last Sunday at San Francisco, but he worked only 3 innings of this one and was charged with all of the Dodger runs, though the Sax single came off Scott Garrelts.

Dodger Notes

A biopsy determined that a tumor in the left arm of left-handed pitcher Dave Dravecky is malignant, the Giants announced. Dravecky, 32, will undergo a bone scan next week to determine if any grafting is necessary. The tumor will be removed at the Cleveland Clinic within the next two weeks. Dravecky has not pitched since May 28. He had surgery to remove inflamed scar tissue from his left shoulder June 11. “The man has been through hell this year,” Manager Roger Craig said.

Terry Collins, manager of the Dodgers’ triple-A Albuquerque team in the Pacific Coast League for the last four-plus years, resigned to become manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ triple-A team at Buffalo, which set a minor league attendance record this year. Said Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president: “Terry felt this was a unique opportunity, what with the focus on Buffalo, the aggressive ownership and the chance, as I understand it, to do some baserunning instruction at the major league level.”