Belcher Pitches Fifth Shutout to Lead Majors

As soon as Dodger pitcher Tim Belcher released the pitch, he was pretty sure it would be coming straight back at him.

Belcher was sailing along in the eighth inning of Saturday night’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies when left fielder John Kruk lined a drive off Belcher’s right shin and reached base for a single.

“It was the second time I’ve been hit this season,” Belcher said. “And it was almost in the exact same spot. It was almost like I had a target on me. Barry Larkin (of the Cincinnati Reds) hit me there in a game earlier this year.”

Dodger pitching coach Ron Perranoski rushed to the mound to check on Belcher’s condition. Although Belcher was sore, he remained in the game to register his sixth complete game as the Dodgers won, 4-0, before 42,000 fans at Dodger Stadium.

With his fifth shutout of the season, Belcher took over the major league lead. He gave up seven hits, struck out nine and walked one.

“I’m really proud of the fact that I’m the major league (shutout) leader,” Belcher said. “But I’d like to have a few more wins.”

Belcher, who was beaten in Philadelphia, 6-2, on Aug. 15, thwarted the Phillies Saturday.

What was the difference in Belcher?

“It’s tough to explain,” Phillie Manager Nick Leyva said. “I wish I had the answer. Tim Belcher has good stuff. He just needs consistency around the plate and tonight he got it. He got all of his pitches over and kept us off balance.”

Belcher helped himself by retiring the leadoff batter in every inning except the seventh, when Dickie Thon singled.

“Every pitch Tim threw was working,” said catcher Rick Dempsey. “He made only three mistakes in location. You can’t ask for a better game.”

Belcher was almost as effective with his bat as he was with his arm, driving in two runs with a second-inning single.

“It was kind of strange,” Belcher said. “I went up looking for a pitchout. I was trying to draw a pitchout, but I dug in and the ball was right down the middle so I swung.”

It was the third time this season that the Dodger right-hander has driven in two runs in a game.

Belcher singled home two runs in a 6-0 win over Cincinnati on April 18, and he doubled in two runs in his next start April 25 at Cincinnati.

Belcher was in trouble twice in the first three innings.

After striking out Len Dykstra and Tommy Herr to open the game, Belcher walked Kruk and gave up a single to Ricky Jordan. But Belcher struck out Von Hayes.

With one out in the third, he gave up consecutive singles to Herr and Kruk but got Jordan to ground into a double play.

Belcher retired nine consecutive batters before giving up a two-out single to Jordan in the sixth.

Jeff Hamilton, who had hit only 11 home runs in his career before this season, hit his 11th home run of the year when he belted the first pitch from reliever Randy O’Neal into the left-field bleachers in the sixth inning.

After losing four of their last six games against left-handers, the Dodgers finally found one they could beat--Dennis Cook, who came to the Phillies from the Giants in the Steve Bedrosian deal.

The Dodgers chased Cook in the second inning, scoring three times on five hits.

Hamilton beat out an infield single, and Dempsey walked. Jose Gonzalez doubled with Hamilton scoring and Dempsey stopping at third. Belcher drove in both runners with a single to left off Cook’s glove.

Cook, winless in his last five starts, departed after loading the bases on back-to-back singles to Alfredo Griffin and Willie Randolph.

O’Neal needed just one pitch to get out of the jam, getting Mickey Hatcher to ground into a double play.

Maybe the Phillies should have started O’Neal, who retired 11 consecutive batters before Hamilton homered to left with one out in the sixth.

Dodger Notes

Outfielder Chris Gwynn, sidelined since Aug. 11 with a sprained right knee, had a Magnetic Resonance Imaging test Saturday morning. The MRI revealed that Gwynn doesn’t have any cartilage damage. “I think surgery has been ruled out,” Gwynn said. “But my knee is still swollen and I can’t straighten it out.” . . . Outfielder Mike Marshall, who suffered a bruised left thigh last Monday at Montreal, ran before the game and took batting practice in the indoor cage. While unable to play regularly, Marshall is available for pinch-hitting.

For the first time this season, catcher Rick Dempsey started back-to-back games. The Dodgers may have been trying to test the endurance of Dempsey, who sat in the training room covered with ice bags after hitting a game-winning homer in Wednesday’s 22-inning victory at Montreal. . . . Center fielder John Shelby, who went one for three in Friday night’s 3-2 loss to the Phillies in his first game since being recalled from the minors, flew out with runners on first and second in the second inning. Shelby struck out in a similar situation Friday night. . . . The Dodgers’ minor league teams at Albuquerque and Kissimmee, Fla., clinched playoff berths with wins Saturday night. The Dodgers have five teams in playoffs for the second consecutive season.