Dempsey’s Homer in 11th Inning Clears Howell, Dodgers

It was one of the nicest afternoon walks this 40-year-old man has had all summer.

Amid his furious late-season chase for a job with the 1990 Dodgers, Dodger catcher Rick Dempsey hit a ball far enough Sunday that he could finally slow down. Leading off the 11th inning against the Atlanta Braves, Dempsey powered Joe Boever’s second pitch over the left-field fence about 380 feet for a home run that gave the Dodger a 4-3 victory in front of 31,192 at Dodger Stadium.

It was a ball hit with such fury, Dempsey remained at home plate after the swing. Like everyone else, he wanted to watch.

“Then I saw the outfielder reach the fence and all of a sudden, I relaxed,” he said.

He dropped his bat and began his best home run trot, a slow jog that he hopes will be remembered this winter by Dodger officials. Dempsey, whose contract expires at the end of the season, doesn’t want to work anywhere else. And he wants to make sure the Dodgers know that.

“When you get to be 40, you can’t go through the motions,” he said. “You won’t get re-signed just because people like you. You have to make some noise and make them want you.”

And so he has. Beginning Aug. 23 in Montreal, when Dempsey beat the Expos with a home run in the 22nd inning, he has all but screamed for a job.

He has 12 hits in his last 41 at-bats (.293) with three homers (he has four overall) and six RBIs.

“Forget my average (.188), I feel like I’m doing the important things at the plate now,” he said. “I’m actually getting intentionally walked a few times.”

Defensively, in an area considered top priority for a backup catcher, he has done more. He has thrown out six of the last 12 runners who have attempted to steal. And the Dodgers have a 24-13 record in his starts, including two of the team’s last three shutouts.

“I’m on a defensive roll,” he said. “Sometimes you go out there and you just aren’t calling the right pitches. But lately, I’ve been guessing right.”

Now for the question which is anybody’s guess--are the Dodgers listening to Dempsey?

Dodger Vice President Fred Claire has told Dempsey he would not negotiate with him until the season ends--”I understand, because how can they do anything with backup players when they don’t even know who their main players are going to be?” Dempsey said.

But the bosses had to be pleased by the loose ends that he tied Sunday in giving the Dodgers their first three-game series sweep since June 13-15 here against Houston, and only their second such sweep all season.

In one swing, Dempsey:

--Exonerated reliever Jay Howell, who nearly cost the Dodgers a victory when he gave up a ninth-inning, two-run home run by Tommy Gregg to tie the game, 3-3.

--Comforted starter Fernando Valenzuela, who saw a victory ruined by Howell for a second consecutive start. In seven innings, Valenzuela allowed only a first-inning run on a wild pitch, giving up only six hits and striking out seven.

--Encouraged the team of Lenny Harris and Eddie Murray. Batting third and fourth respectively, they combined for four hits and two runs scored in the game’s final four innings. Harris scored the game-tying run in the seventh, and scored again in the eighth to make it 3-1; Murray had a season-high four hits.

“The attitude I take in extra innings is just, get the game over with,” Dempsey said. “It had been a long day today, we wanted to get off the field . . . when I went up there, you can bet I wasn’t looking for a single.”

By that time, Howell was looking for a place to hide. After retiring the Braves in order in the eighth, he gave up a ground-rule double down the right-field line to pinch-hitter Oddibe McDowell to start the ninth. Then, on a 2-and-0 fastball, pinch-hitter Gregg dumped the ball over the 330 sign in the right-field corner for his sixth homer but only the second off Howell this season.

After giving up only six earned runs in his first 50 appearances this season, Howell has allowed nearly that many (four) in his last two appearances. One reason could be that, since setting the Dodger record with his 25th save on Aug. 20, he has worked only six times.

Except Howell won’t accept that reason.

“I’m not the kind of guy who gives a lot of excuses, so I won’t give you one,” he said. “Today, I stunk. I just stunk.”

He paused. “Why? I haven’t thought of a good enough excuse yet.”

Dodger Notes

The fans gave their opinion on whether the Dodgers should re-sign potential free agent Fernando Valenzuela Sunday by booing his removal from the game for pinch-hitter Mike Marshall in the seventh. Valenzuela has given up three earned runs or less in 18 of his last 19 outings. It was against the Braves that his comeback began. Since he defeated them June 7 in Atlanta for his first victory in nearly a year, he has gone 10-6 with a 2.92 ERA. His finest moment Sunday came in the fourth inning, when the Braves loaded the bases with none out on singles by Andres Thomas and Drew Denson and a walk to Mark Lemke. Valenzuela then got a pop fly to shortstop from catcher Kelly Mann, struck out pitcher Marty Clary, and ended the inning by getting a pop fly to third base by Ron Gant. . . . The Dodgers scored what appeared to be the winning run in the seventh inning on a Mike Scioscia fly ball that right fielder Dale Murphy lost in the sun for a double. Scioscia’s hit came after singles by Lenny Harris and Eddie Murray and an RBI grounder by Jeff Hamilton. . . . The Dodgers are 32-31 since the All-Star break. To end the season at .500, they need to go 9-3 in their final 12 games. But nine of those games are against San Francisco and San Diego.