Nothing for Dodgers to Fret About : Marshall’s Relaxation Response Beats Reds in Ninth, 5-4

Dodger outfielder Mike Marshall has had trouble relaxing at the plate because he has been hampered by a bad back this season.

When Marshall pinch-hit for pitcher Jay Howell with the bases loaded in the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds Tuesday night, he reminded himself to relax.

And Marshall did, hitting a 2-2 pitch from reliever Rob Dibble off the base of the left-field wall to drive in two runs and give the Dodgers a 5-4 victory before 22,606 at Dodger Stadium.

“Dibble is a great pitcher especially when he gets two strikes on you,” Marshall said. “You don’t make a living hitting off a guy like Dibble. He throws extremely hard and he’s a great pitcher. I was as surprised as anyone to see the ball take off.

“I hit a slider on the inner part of the plate. I tried to relax and just stroke the ball into the outfield.”

Until Marshall’s heroics, it appeared that outfielder Paul O’Neill had lifted the Reds to a 4-3 come-from-behind victory.

After striking out in his first three at-bats, O’Neill drilled a two-run eighth inning triple to left field off Howell to give the Reds a one-run lead.

Dodger left fielder Mickey Hatcher tried to make a diving catch of O’Neill sinking liner, but the ball got past him, scoring two runs.

But the Dodgers weren’t finished, loading the bases in the ninth inning.

Jeff Hamilton singled to center to open the ninth and Jose Vizcaino ran for him. John Shelby tried to advance the runner with a bunt, but catcher Jeff Reed threw the ball away, putting Vizcaino on third and Shelby on first. The Reds loaded the bases when Dibble intentionally walked Mike Scioscia to get to Howell.

Up stepped Marshall, and he brought the Dodgers out of the dugout with his hit.

Dodger starter Fernando Valenzuela was extraordinary for the first four innings.

Valenzuela, who beat the Reds 8-2 in his last outing, last week at Cincinnati, held the Reds hitless in the 4 2/3 innings, collecting four strikeouts. Shortstop Jeff Richardson broke up Valenzuela’s no-hitter with a two-out single in the fifth inning.

Valenzuela struck out a season-high eight batters, giving up two runs and five hits before he was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Did Valenzuela think he could have finished the game?

“I was fit to stay in the game but (Dodger pitching coach Ron Perranoski) said, ‘That’s enough,’ ” Valenzuela said. “It was fine with me. Jay Howell has done a good job for us all season.”

The Dodgers shelled Reds starter Tom Browning the last time they faced him, getting seven runs and 11 hits in three innings last Thursday at Cincinnati. The loss ended Browning’s eight-game winning streak, the longest winning streak by a Red in four years.

Browning didn’t last much longer Tuesday, pitching only four innings before he was lifted for a pinch-hitter.

The Dodgers took a 3-0 lead against Browning in the fourth.

Alfredo Griffin led off with a single to center and Randolph followed with a single to left. Griffin tried to take third on Randolph’s hit and scored when left fielder Rolando Roomes threw the ball into the Dodger dugout. After Browning loaded the bases, intentionally walking Eddie Murray and Mickey Hatcher, Hamilton and Shelby got back-to-back singles to drive in Willie Randolph and Murray.

But the Reds got to Valenzuela in the fifth, cutting the deficit to 3-2 on a two-run double by ex-Dodger Mariano Duncan.

Valenzuela walked Joe Oliver with one out in the fifth inning and Jeff Richardson hit a two-out single to center. After Valenzuela walked pinch hitter Chris Sabo to load the bases, Duncan drove in two runs with a double to right. Right fielder Jose Gonzalez tried to make a diving catch on Duncan’s sinking liner, but the ball got past him. Gonzalez recovered to throw out Jack Armstrong, who was running for Sabo, at the plate.

The Dodger outfielders couldn’t stop diving. After Shelby made a diving catch of a sinking liner by Eric Davis in the sixth inning, Shelby botched another diving catch in the sixth inning, helping catcher Oliver turn a single into a double.

But Shelby redeemed himself by throwing out Oliver at the plate on Roomes’ single to center.

Howell relieved Valenzuela, but the Dodger outfield betrayed him.

After Howell walked Duncan and Todd Benzinger, Hatcher tried to make a diving catch of a O’Neill’s sinking liner, but the ball got by him and O’Neill wound up with a two-run triple.

Dodger Notes

Prompted by the recent robberies of Don Drysdale and Pedro Guerrero, the Dodgers met with an FBI agent before the game for a briefing on safety and security. “Basically, we’re looking for a fugitive who has been going around scamming ballplayers,” said Ralph Difonzo, FBI agent. “Is Fletch gone yet?” Dodger first baseman Eddie Murray quipped as Difonzo left the clubhouse. . . . Jaime Jarin, the Dodgers’ Spanish-language radio broadcaster, will work the World Series and American and National League championship series for the CBS radio network.