Dodger Offense Continues to Sputter in Loss to Braves

Tom Lasorda had seen enough.

The Dodger manager raced from the third-base coaching box to confront plate umpire Mike Winters after Eddie Murray struck out swinging to end the sixth inning in Saturday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves.

“All I wanted to do was talk to him,” Lasorda said.

But Winters didn’t want to talk to Lasorda.

Winters ejected Lasorda, who first moved in close to Winters at the plate, then continued to rage at third-base umpire Bob Engel.

The confrontation concluded with Lasorda making a gesture at Engel with his right hand as he walked to the dugout.

Lasorda’s outburst was the biggest Dodger explosion on a night when they lost, 2-1, to the Braves.

Lasorda was still seething after the game.

“When the hell has there been a rule that you can’t go talk to the umpire?” Lasorda asked. “He threw me out before I came down to talk to him. Go ask him why he threw me out.”

Winters said of Lasorda: “He said a few things about balls and strikes.”

Lasorda had other worries, namely the Dodgers’ anemic offense.

A Dodger Stadium crowd of 42,940 saw Brave starter Pete Smith and relievers Paul Assenmacher and Joe Boever limit the Dodgers to seven hits as Atlanta beat Los Angeles for the second straight night.

Murray continued to slump, striking out three times before drawing an eighth-inning walk. And leadoff hitter Kirk Gibson went hitless in four at-bats.

“They’ve got to start hitting, that’s what they’ve got to do,” Lasorda said. “They’ve got to start scoring runs. It’s very simple.”

Mariano Duncan lit the Dodgers’ only offensive fire, lining a pinch double to left field with one out in the eighth inning. After Gibson flew out to short left, Willie Randolph drove in Duncan, lining a double off the left-field wall over the leaping Lonnie Smith. But Boever struck out pinch-hitter Franklin Stubbs to end the threat.

Trailing, 2-1, in the ninth, Duncan came to the plate with runners on first and second and two out. But Boever struck out Duncan to earn his 10th save of the season.

After breaking out of a slump in their five-game winning streak, the Dodgers have returned to form, scoring just two runs in losing the first two games of a three-game series against the Braves.

Dion James gave the Braves a 1-0 lead when he homered into the right-field box seats to open the fifth inning.

James’ home run was the only mistake made by Dodger starter Mike Morgan, who brought a league-leading 1.59 earned-run average into the game. But once again, the Dodger offense failed to support its pitchers.

The Dodger defense also failed in the eighth as the Braves scored an unearned run off Morgan to take a 2-0 lead.

After Bruce Benedict opened the inning with a double to left, shortstop Alfredo Griffin botched Lonnie Smith’s grounder as Benedict moved to third. Jeff Treadway, who homered in the Braves’ 6-1 victory over the Dodgers Friday night, then drove in Benedict.

Smith, sidelined with a sore right shoulder since losing to the Dodgers June 5, struck out five before leaving after the sixth inning when he felt a twinge in his right elbow.

“(Smith) had his best command of his pitches,” Atlanta Manager Russ Nixon said. “Tonight, he did a lot to build up his confidence.”

Dodger Notes

Outfielder Mike Marshall, eligible to come off the disabled list Wednesday, will not accompany the Dodgers Monday when they leave on a six-game trip. Marshall, who was put on the 21-day disabled list May 31 because of back spasms, is still undergoing rehabilitation. Dr. Robert Watkins met with Manager Tom Lasorda, General Manager Fred Claire, Marshall and other Dodger officials before Saturday night’s game to review Marhsall’s treatment. “I’m hopeful that we will have him the second half of the season,” Claire said. . . . Claire said the Dodgers aren’t working on a trade to acquire outfielder Dan Gladden of the Minnesota Twins, who said he hopes to play in Los Angeles. “If (Gladden) says he’s coming here, he knows a lot more than I know about it,” Claire said. . . . Dodger left-hander John Tudor, still recovering from shoulder and elbow surgery, is scheduled to make his second rehabilitation start tonight for the Bakersfield Dodgers gainst San Bernardino in Bakersfield. He pitched five innings in his first start June 7 in Vero Beach, Fla. . . . Mickey Hatcher, sidelined since June 3 with a strained left hamstring, hopes to come off the disabled list Monday. Hatcher tested his hamstring by running in the outfield before Saturday night’s game. . . . The Dodgers end their home stand today when Fernando Valenzuela (2-5) opposes Zane Smith at 2 p.m. The game will be preceeded by an old-timers’ game featuring players from the Dodgers’ six World Series championship teams.