Dodgers Have 4-3 Lead Over Braves in Seventh

The Dodgers’ long, frustrating struggle to replace the injured Orel Hershiser continued Friday night with no end in sight.

As a matter of fact, Friday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium seemed, at times, to have no end sight either.

The Dodgers led, 4-3, in the seventh inning and seemingly threatened to go on so long that Hershiser himself, not due back until season’s end at the earliest, might have a chance to get in a few innings.

After more than three hours of walks errors and wild pitches, the crowd of 40,907, was just getting up for the seventh-inning stretch.

The game began at an agonizingly slow pace, but the Braves wasted little time in scoring.

After Dodger starter Terry Wells had walked Jim Presley to open the second, Dale Murphy slammed his 16th home run of the season deep into the left-field pavilion between the 370- and 385-foot sign.

It was a memorable homer for Murphy, his 370th lifetime, moving him past Ralph Kiner into a tie with Gil Hodges and Dave Winfield for 33rd on the all-time list.

But the night was anything but memorable for Wells.

After losing Murphy, he seemed to lose his control and, perhaps, his hopes of filling that troublesome fifth spot in the Dodger rotation. Although the next two Braves got aboard, Wells got ahead of pitcher Tom Glavine with two quick strikes only to walk him, loading the bases.

Goodby Wells.

Hartley came on to turn the Braves back without any further damage, but there seems no relief in sight as the Dodgers as they continue their frustrating search for a replacement for Hershiser.

John Wetteland, Mike Maddux, Tim Crews and Wells have all taken a shot. The result is a 1-7 mark over 13 starts.

Things weren’t much brighter Friday night on the Braves’ side where Glavine, the starter, did plenty of struggling of his own.

Glavine surrendered the tying runs in the third. Hubie Brooks got one home on a fielder’s choice following a double by Kirk Gibson and a walk to Kal Daniels. Glavine gave up the other on a bases-loaded walk to Jose Vizcaino.

In all, Glavine, who had walked a total of six over his last four starts, walked that many through 4 1/3 innings Friday.

At that point, he departed after giving up back-to-back singles to Juan Samuel and Vizcaino.

Pinch-hitter Chris Gwynn then got Samuel home on a sacrifice fly to left off Doug Sisk.

Dodger Notes

Better luck last time: Tom Glavine was also the starter for the Braves last July 27th. That day, Dale Murphy hit two home runs behind him as Glavine breezed over the San Francisco Giants, 10-1. . . . No change in the status of shortstop Alfredo Griffin following an examination by Dr. Matthew Bernstein Friday. Griffin remains day to day due to continued sensitivity to light in his left eye, the lingering result of a fight in a Pittsburgh bar last weekend. Griffin will be reexamined Monday, but could possibly see action in this series. . . . Pitchers Don Aase and Pat Perry, both recovering from shoulder problems, threw before the game. Aase pitched a simulated game for about 15 minutes. Perry threw in the bullpen. . . . Fernando Valenzuela (8-8) will face John Smoltz (7-7) in tonight’s game, scheduled for a 7:05 start.