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Valenzuela of Old Leaves Giants Twisting in Wind, 5-1

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Times Staff Writer

It wasn’t so much a game as three hours of sweet memories.

There was Fernando Valenzuela, throwing the ball around hitters. There he was, throwing the ball past hitters. There he was, ultimately making hitters twist in the Candlestick Park wind like hot dog wrappers.

Then, after his two-hitter helped the Dodgers score a 5-1 victory over the Giants Saturday, there he was, being funny.

Of his fastball, timed at 85 m.p.h.: “I think the wind helped it.”

Of worry over his comeback from shoulder problems: “Sure, I worry. Why do you think I’ve been swinging a bat so much? I can’t pitch, I got to do something.”

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About next year, when he could be lost to the Dodgers through free agency: “You mean, am I going to retire? I don’t think I should retire, do you?”

Many who watched Saturday’s game, including most of the 49,772 fans and some stunned Giants, wouldn’t mind if he quit. He gave up only a fifth-inning single by Kirt Manwaring and a sixth-inning double by Matt Williams, both grounders down the third-base line, barely out of reach of third baseman Jeff Hamilton.

The victory equaled the low-hit game of his nine-year career and, although he has thrown eight two-hitters, it was his first since Sept. 22, 1986. If shortstop Alfredo Griffin had not made a third-inning error that led to the Giants’ unearned run, it would have been his first shutout since 1987.

“He doesn’t throw like he did in the past,” said the Giants’ Brett Butler, who faced Valenzuela in his early 1980s glory days. “But today, he had a little bit of that magic.”

Butler’s teammates, whose lead in the National League West was cut to three games over Houston, preferred different words.

Will Clark, who had a 14-game hitting streak working, went hitless in four at-bats and drove only one ball out of the infield.

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Williams, who had four homers in his last 10 at-bats, managed only the double and struck out twice.

Said a frustrated Clark: “That’s as good as I’ve seen him in a while.”

Giant Manager Roger Craig was more specific. “That’s the best I’ve seen him throw in two years,” he said.

Valenzuela was even a terror at the plate with two hits, including an RBI double that gave the Dodgers their second run.

“After watching him today, there is no reason at all to believe he cannot get back to where he was,” Dodger infielder Dave Anderson said.

Valenzuela, who at one point this season had not won a game in 11 months, merely smiled. It isn’t like this performance should have sneaked up on anybody. Although he is 7-11, he has a 3.46 earned-run average and has given up more than three earned runs in only four of 23 starts this season.

Since he defeated Atlanta June 6 for his first victory in 19 starts since June 14, 1988, he has gone 7-6 with a 3.34 ERA. He got only eight runs to work with in four consecutive starts in that a stretch.

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“If I get frustrated, I quit,” Valenzuela said. “I understand how the game can be. I know what little things can do to you. I have learned how to take them.”

It was no small thing July 31, 1988 when he was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his career with a sore left shoulder. He made only two appearances after that, then began this season winless in his first 10 starts.

The cries to remove him from the rotation were ignored by Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda.

“He had been so great for us through all the year, he deserved the opportunity to get himself right,” Lasorda said.

“I was going to give him that chance.”

Said Valenzuela: “I only worried about it when I first hurt the shoulder. I wondered what was ahead for me. But then I realized, there was nothing I could do about it. I have a good career. If I’m finished, I’m finished.”

Despite his record, with every start this year he has proved he is not finished.

“We always saw improvement,” pitching coach Ron Perranoski said.

“Nobody else may have noticed it, but we saw more velocity, better control, a lot of little things.”

They finally saw it all Saturday. Only seven Giants hit the ball out of the infield on the fly. He had six strikeouts. The new Valenzuela impressed nearly everyone, even those who didn’t know the old Valenzuela.

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“From what I’ve seen this year, today said a lot more about Fernando than just pitching,” Dodger rookie pitcher John Wetteland said.

“All he has been through, this says more about himself. To do what he did, against these caliber of hitters. . . . I only wish I was around to see what he used to be like.”

“He was masterful,” second baseman Willie Randolph said. “He was throwing the ball in, then throwing it away, putting it right where he wanted. They were swinging at a lot of screwballs that weren’t even strikes.”

Valenzuela: “I think I threw more strikes today than usual. That was the thing. I got ahead of the hitters, then they had to swing at my pitch.”

And sometimes Saturday, that pitch was even a fastball, which Valenzuela used to throw at more than 90 m.p.h.

“He had more velocity than I’ve seen in a long time,” catcher Rick Dempsey said, noting the 85 m.p.h. clocking on one fastball. “I’d say he’s gone up 5 m.p.h. just during the season.”

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“The more I pitch,” Valenzuela said, “the more my arm feels much better. I can’t tell you if my arm is stronger. I only know it feels good.”

He said it also felt good to watch his teammates score, which they did on 14 hits against three pitchers. Against starter and loser Bob Knepper, Jose Gonzalez hit his second homer of the season. Valenzuela had his RBI double, and Hamilton had an RBI single. The scoring was completed in the seventh inning when Eddie Murray hit a two-run homer, his 13th, off Jeff Brantley.

Dodger Notes

The Giants scored their only run on a rare error by shortstop Alfredo Griffin in a third inning that featured no hits. One out after Fernando Valenzuela had hit Kirt Manwaring on the foot to lead off the inning, pitcher Bob Knepper attempted a sacrifice bunt. Valenzuela grabbed it and threw to second for what would have been a sure out. But the ball glanced off Griffin’s glove and bounced into left field. Manwaring wound up on third base, then scored on Brett Butler’s grounder. It was only Griffin’s 12th error of the year, but Valenzuela is used to those. Opponents have scored a team-leading 11 unearned runs against him. . . . Valenzuela dodged the question of free agency Saturday, saying, “We have two more months left. I worry only about my next game. This winter is in the future.”

Although they are not pennant contenders, the Dodgers have a magic number--four. Thirteen of the last 15 times they have scored four or more runs, they have won. Overall they are 38-9 in games in which they have scored at least four runs. . . . Willie Randolph was back in the lineup after being sidelined for two days because of sore upper legs. He went two for five, but with upcoming games on the turf of Philadelphia and Montreal, he has other worries. “My hamstrings are fine, but turf doesn’t hurt those,” said Randolph, who has missed only 10 games, fewer than all but Jeff Hamilton (10 missed games) and Eddie Murray (no missed games). “Turf hurts the knees and feet. I’ll just have to stretch a lot and pray.”

Dodger rookie outfielder Mike Huff, who beat out an infield single and scored a run in his second major league start, said he was used to the Candlestick Park wind and cold. At Northwestern University north of Chicago, he said he once played a doubleheader in 25-degree temperatures with a 20-m.p.h. wind. He has also played in a snowstorm so bad he couldn’t see the batter from the outfield. “I’ve played where you tape your sleeves to your arms so you won’t freeze,” Huff said. “I’ve played where everyone wears stocking caps and boots in the dugout.” Huff was nonetheless fooled by a fly ball here Friday night, finally making the catch after falling, crawling, then diving. . . . Knepper, Saturday’s loser, has lost to the Dodgers more times--20--than to any other National League opponent.

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