Gonzalez Gets Expos on Run, 6-1

Jose Gonzalez, faster than everything but the sale of Dodger season tickets, is finally beginning to understand.

You don’t run with just your legs. You also run with your mind.

After countless lectures from coaches about both the wonders and dangers of speed, Gonzalez passed a road test Monday. He brain-stormed into second base to set up one run, then thoughtfully slid fast into Montreal catcher Nelson Santovenia to score another, leading the Dodgers to a 6-1 win over the Expos and ace Mark Langston.

In front of 24,440 at Olympic Stadium, Gonzalez once again gave the Dodgers hope that somewhere inside that ability lies a true center fielder. One who cannot just catch a ball and slap a hit, but one who can steal a win.

“I’ve got great speed, but they won’t let me use it,” Gonzalez complained afterward, referring to his six stolen bases in 69 games. “I get on base with nobody out and I go nowhere. They won’t give me the signs. I want to be able to run.”

Countered Manager Tom Lasorda: “A guy who has speed is sometimes not a good base stealer. Let’s just say, Jose is getting smarter.”

In that context, Monday night bordered on genius.

In the second inning, with Jeff Hamilton on second base and Gonzalez on first after his one-out single, Mike Huff’s grounder to shortstop appeared to ruin everything. Spike Owen cleanly fielded the ball and made a quick throw to second to force Gonzalez.

Except when Tom Foley caught the ball on the base, he looked down to find Gonzalez was already there. With a big lead and a good jump, Gonzalez simply outran a sure out.

From there, with the bases loaded, a broken-bat single by Rick Dempsey was enough for two runs to give the Dodgers a lead they never lost.

“I get a great lead and from there, I just hustle,” Gonzalez said. “When you get that close to the base you figure, yeah, you got a chance.”

Said Huff: “I knew he had a chance. But I’ve played with Jose in the minor leagues. I’ve seen him nearly get a triple on a bloop ball down the left-field line. The guy has always had great speed. Now he’s using it better.”

Later that inning Alfredo Griffin singled off the wall to score two more runs, but Langston held the Dodgers to just one more hit until the ninth inning, when Gonzalez’s speed cinched it.

He led off the inning with a double, then Huff bunted him to third. With one out, pinch-hitter Mike Sharperson grounded a ball to shortstop Owen.

Gonzalez again had a good jump, and arrived at the plate just as Owen’s throw was reaching catcher Nelson Santovenia’s glove. Known for his slow, hesitant slides, Gonzalez got down quick and kicked through Santovenia’s tag.

Home plate umpire Mark Hirschbeck called Gonzalez out. But Santovenia dropped the ball, as noticed by first-base umpire Bob Davidson. Gonzalez was ruled safe on the error, and the Expos were headed for their 13th loss in their last 18 games.

“I just slid hard and he dropped the ball,” said Gonzalez, who started all of but one of the 10 games on this trip, going 11 for 37 (.297) to improve his average to .281. He ended the night with a twisted ankle after nearly being picked off second base, but his confidence was strong.

“I am a better base runner now, I am sliding fine now,” Gonzalez said. “I learn all these things in the minor league, but they never let me use them. I should have 20 stolen bases by now. I just wish to be able to run.”

Said third-base coach Joe Amalfitano: “He is improving. But he still has room for improvement.”

So do the Expos, who could have used a win from Langston, who has won 10 times in 18 Montreal starts.

“I put us in a hole early and the way we’ve been playing, we just can’t afford to do that,” said Langston, who had one of his worst performances since joining the Expos from Seattle May 25. In 8 1/3 innings he allowed just seven hits, but five earned runs with more walks (five) than strikeouts (three).

Langston is still the National League’s earned-run average leader at 2.15. But the third-place Expos lost a good chance to gain ground on the losing Chicago Cubs, and remain three games behind the East leaders.

Meanwhile, Dodger starter Tim Belcher rebounded from three straight losses to improve his record to 9-12. He pitched past the seventh inning for the first time in July 30, going eight innings while allowing one run on five hits.

And he said that for the first time since July 30, he didn’t worry himself to death before the game.

“I found myself on the bench asking to be reminded how to pitch certain hitters,” he said. “I would never say that before, because I would have gone over those hitters again and again two days before the game.”

Besides Gonzalez, he was helped by another unlikely hero, catcher Rick Dempsey. His two-run single in the second inning broke an zero-for-16 slump with runners in scoring position.

“It was a tremendous blast--right over the shortstop’s head,” he said of the bloop.

Dodger Notes

The Dodgers witnessed one of the strangest plays of the year in the ninth inning, after Montreal Manager Buck Rodgers had been ejected from the game for arguing that Jose Gonzalez had been tagged by catcher Nelson Santovenia. In the course of his argument, Rodger kicked his hat near the Dodger dugout. A fan jumped out of the stands, casually jogged to the hat and put it on his head, all with no security guards in sight. He then crossed home plate and ran into the Montreal dugout before he was finally accosted by guards.

Mike Marshall left the game in the sixth inning with a bruised left thigh caused when he broke up a double play with a hard slide into second baseman Tom Foley in the second inning. “It’s really sore, I took his knee right through to my bone,” Marshall said. His status is listed as day to day. Since coming off the disabled list July 1, Marshall has played in 43 of 47 games and has hit in 16 of his last 19 games to improve his average to .267 with 10 homers and 32 runs batted in. . . . In a celebrity softball game prior to Monday’s game, hockey star Larry Robinson made his first public appearance since leaving the Montreal Canadians to sign with the Kings last month. When he came to the plate, he was greeted more whistles (French equivalent to boos) than cheers. Even King teammate Luc Robitaille was more warmly greeted. “I’m not here to see how the public would react,” said Robinson, who was embraced and welcomed by Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda. “I can’t make a decision on how this move will affect me until training camp.”

John Wetteland learned a new pitch in his between-starts throwing session Monday--a slow curve. “It’s my new toy. I can’t wait to use it in a game,” said Wetteland, who learned it from pitching coach Ron Perranoski. Wetteland needed to try something new after allowing 11 runs in his last 20 innings. He has the best hard curve on the team, but needs something in case that doesn’t work. “I needed to correct a lot of things, and today I got them corrected,” Wetteland said. “I’m ready to pitch again right now.” . . . Mickey Hatcher said he’s more than ready to return to action today, when he comes off the 15-day disabled list. “I’m beyond crazy,” said Hatcher, who was disabled Aug. 6 with a strained left hamstring. “If I don’t come back, I’m going to tear the called out by home plate umpire Mark Hirschbeck. But locker room up.” Hatcher’s return will mean a one-day major league stay for rookie third baseman Dave Hansen, who arrived in Montreal at 1 a.m. Monday to replace Franklin Stubbs, who was hurt last weekend and will undergo knee surgery. “I was in my hotel room today and I’m thinking, I don’t know what I’m doing here,” said Hansen, who was on the 28th floor. “This is a big skyscraper and I’m on top of it. It didn’t all sink in until I came to the park and put on the uniform.” Hansen was recalled from double-A San Antonio. Even after today he’ll may still have a promotion, as he could be sent to triple-A Albuquerque to finish their season as a replacement for the AWOL Tracy Woodson.

Alfredo Griffin’s sore right elbow was examined by Dr. Frank Jobe last weekend but according to Griffin, nothing extraordinary was found. Griffin continues to play in mild pain, particularly when he swings the bat. . . . The Expos’ homer and RBI leader Andres Galarraga was rested Monday. He was one for eight against Dodger starter Tim Belcher this season and three for 17 against the Dodgers.