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Against Mets, Dodgers Win in a Balkover

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<i> Associated Press</i>

Neither the New York Mets nor Dodgers are scoring much these days, so Sunday’s extra-inning ending was no surprise.

Roger McDowell’s balk with none out in the 12th inning scored Dave Anderson to give the Dodgers a 4-3 victory.

‘It’s a judgment call,’ Mets Manager Davey Johnson said. “I hate to see it happen. If you’re going to call it, call it early. It’s putting the game in the umpire’s hands and that’s not the way it should be.”

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McDowell (1-4) walked Anderson on four pitches leading off the inning and Willie Randolph, who was four for six, singled to left after failing to sacrifice.

On the first pitch to John Shelby, catcher Barry Lyons tried to pick Anderson off second but threw wildly into center field for an error allowing the runners to move up a base.

With a 2-1 count on Shelby, a balk was called on McDowell by umpire Bob Davidson for failing to come to a stop in the set position.

“He said I bounced and never stopped,” McDowell said. “It’s the same move I make everytime. I think I’ve been pitching fine. But there’s no excuse for walking that leadoff hitter on four pitches. I go home at nights wondering what I might have done to anyone.”

Ray Searage (3-2) pitched two innings and allowed two hits for the victory as the Dodgers took two of three weekend games from New York. Overall, the Dodgers have won four of six from the Mets this season after dropping 10 of 11 last year.

With the Dodgers leading 3-1, Darryl Strawberry led off the seventh with a walk to chase Fernando Valenzuela and one out later Tim Teufel doubled to left off Alejandro Pena. Tim Crews relieved, and after Lyons struck out, pinch-hitter Gregg Jefferies lifted a fly ball double to left to score two runs.

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Dwight Gooden pitched six innings before giving way to Rick Aguilera. Gooden allowed three runs on nine hits. Aguilera struck out six in 2 1/3 innings.

Valenzuela was trying for his first victory of the season and first since June 14, 1988. In six innings, he allowed three hits and two runs.

“I thought Fernando pitched a super game,” Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said. “There have been three or four games Fernando could have won if we’d have gotten him a few runs. He should have at least four victories.”

Randolph doubled with one out in the first and scored on Mike Davis’ double to right to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.

Chris Gwynn led off the third with a single, moved to third on Randolph’s hit-and-run single and scored on Davis’ single. After Eddie Murray fanned, Mike Marshall singled home Randolph to make it 3-0.

“My fastball was just OK,” Gooden said. “My curve ball was what hurt me. I kept getting the ball up in the strike zone. Seven hits in the first three innings is way too many. The hard thing to understand is today I felt the best I’ve felt in my last four or five starts. Without the curve they just sat and waited for my fastball.’

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With one out in the fifth, Kevin McReynolds singled, moved to second on a walk and scored on Lyons’ single to move the Mets within 3-1.

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