Schiraldi Is Sore, but Dodgers Are Ones Left Aching, 7-1

The game’s start was only 45 minutes away. The Dodgers were in the clubhouse. The Padres were taking their last cuts in batting practice.

But scheduled Padre starter Calvin Schiraldi was lying on the trainer’s table with a pained expression, and Padre trainer Dick Dent working furiously on his right forearm, which was strained.

Fellow starter Dennis Rasmussen was stationed in the bullpen. Middle relievers Greg Harris and Mark Grant were told not to stray far from the bullpen phone. Mark Davis was forewarned that he could be called upon for one of the longest save situations of his life.

“The way I felt,” said Schiraldi, who lasted two innings in his last start because of a strained forearm, “they had to be ready for anything. I mean, I was hurting.”

It was no secret to the Dodgers, who lost anyway, 7-1, before 24,338 at Dodger Stadium Saturday.

They saw how Schiraldi had to abandon his windup, pitching from the stretch. They watched Schiraldi’s fastball float across the plate. They even observed Schiraldi receiving rubdowns with anti-inflammatory cream on his aching forearm during each half-inning.

If it was not an indignity enough to get only two hits in five innings off Schiraldi, the Dodgers also suffered the embarrassment of giving up Schiraldi’s first home run since 1980, when he played for Westlake High School in Austin, Tex.

“Yeah, we wanted to get Schiraldi out of there earlier but we wanted to leave him in there to hit,” Padre Manager Jack McKeon said.

“Really, it’s just incredible to what’s happening to this team. We’re tickled to death by everything we’re seeing out there.”

Well, everything except the scoreboard.

The San Francisco Giants won again Saturday against Houston, retaining their five-game lead over the Padres with seven to play.

Winning 25 of their past 32 games might be their finest streak in the 21-year history of the franchise, and the Padres’ 85-70 record guarantees them of their second-best record in history.

But the reality of the situation is that the Giants’ magic number is only three. The Padres must win their remaining games, and hope that the Giants lose twice before they come into San Diego Friday for a three-game series.

“Eight straight for an extra date,” Davis kept saying over and over in the Padre clubhouse before the game.

And now that there are seven games left?

“Give me time, I’ve got to think of something that rhymes,” he said.

Actually, the chore should have been left to Schiraldi. He practically did everything else Saturday.

“The guy was just awesome,” said Harris, who gave up only one hit in the final four innings after inheriting a 7-1 lead from Schiraldi. “I mean, I didn’t even know he’d be able to pitch today. We were told to be ready for anything, and then he comes in and does that.”

Schiraldi, who is 3-0 in four starts since being traded Aug. 30 from the Chicago Cubs to the Padres, appeared to be in for a brief outing based on his first-inning performance.

He opened the game by striking out Alfredo Griffin and Lenny Harris, but then walked Mike Davis, Eddie Murray and Jeff Hamilton.

Padre pitching coach Pat Dobson strolled to the mound, and asked if Schiraldi’s arm was bothering him.

“No, I actually feel all right,” Schiraldi said. “I’m just pitching lousy.”

Dobson told him to keep the ball on the outside part of the plate then, and prevent one swing from producing four runs. He threw one pitch. Mike Scioscia hit a lazy fly to center. And after 30 grueling pitches, Schiraldi’s first inning was over.

The rest was a breeze. The Dodgers couldn’t touch him. The only problem was that the Padres weren’t doing anything against Fernando Valenzuela either.

In the fourth inning, catcher Benito Santiago got only the second Padre hit of the game. Carmelo Martinez, who had gotten the first hit--his first since Aug. 23--walked. But after Darrin Jackson struck out, the Padres had two outs and Schiraldi striding toward the plate.

This is a guy who had not hit safely all season. He had a lifetime batting average of .081, and none of his seven hits were homers.

Valenzuela, who walked six, fell behind, 2-and-1, to Schiraldi. He said he then told himself, “Hey, it’s Schiraldi. Don’t try to be cute.”

His next pitch was a fastball over the heart of the plate.

It landed about six rows into the left-field seats.

It was, in the words of Dodger Manager Tommy Lasorda, “the ballgame.”

Schiraldi shut down the Dodgers in their half of the fourth, watched his teammates score four more runs in the fifth, as he contributed a walk, and with a 7-0 lead, made his only mistake of the game in the fifth by yielding rookie Darrin Fletcher’s first home run.

“It was a very special day for me,” Schiraldi said. “Not so much that I pitched and I won. Or that I pitched with the injury. What made it special was the homer.”

Said teammate Tony Gwynn: “I don’t know who was surprised more. The Dodgers or us. When he hit that homer, we were going absolutely crazy.”

Dodger Notes

Padre pitcher Bruce Hurst, who surrendered his first home run in 64 innings Friday to Jose Gonzalez in the fifth inning of the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory, happened to be walking by a TV Saturday when it was shown again on highlights. Hurst kneeled in front of the TV, watched his delivery, and screamed out: “Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Gosh, he threw it again.” . . . The Padres and Dodgers are scheduled to open the 1990 season Monday, April 2, with a four-game series at Dodger Stadium. It will be the first time since 1986 that the Dodgers have played their season-opener against the Padres. . . . Dodger outfielder Mike Marshall’s back is out again, and his status is questionable for the final 10 games. He has missed three consecutive games, and 50 this season.

. . . Today is Fan Appreciation Day at Dodgers Stadium, and the game is sold out. Orel Hershiser (14-14) and Andy Benes (5-2) are the scheduled pitchers for the 1:05 p.m. start. . . . Dodger right fielder Mike Davis, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knees, started Saturday for the first time since June 30.

Padre catcher Benito Santiago, when given the chance to throw, has thrown out each of the five Dodger baserunners who have attempted to steal off him this season. . . . The Giants have shuffled their pitching rotation for the three-game series beginning Monday at Dodger Stadium. Don Robinson (12-10), who had a cortisone shot Friday, will make his first start since Sept. 13 when he strained his right knee. He is scheduled to face John Wetteland (4-8). Ramon Martinez (5-4) is scheduled Tuesday against Kelly Downs (4-6). Tim Belcher (14-12) and Scott Garrelts (14-4) are the probables in the finale.