With One Swing, Sharperson Cuts Reds’ Lead to 5 1/2

With bats, fists and a growing fury, the Dodgers slugged their way to within 5 1/2 games of first place in the National League West Monday.

Rick Dempsey knocked Philadelphia’s Lenny Dykstra out of the game when both players were ejected because of a bench-clearing incident in the seventh inning, then Mike Sharperson knocked a fastball over the left-field fence in the ninth innning to beat the Phillies, 2-1, before 28,112 at Dodger Stadium.

It is difficult to determine what was more rare--Dempsey’s fight at home plate with the major league’s leading hitter, or Sharperson’s home run on a one-out, 2-and-0 pitch from the Phillies’ Terry Mulholland.

Sharperson’s blast was the second of his career. It came only four days after he ended his homerless streak at 446 at-bats. That was the longest streak for any active player yet to hit a major league home run.

Sharperson’s home run moved the second-place Dodgers closer to first-place Cincinnati than they have been since May 7. The Reds lost Monday for the fifth time in a row, falling to the Chicago Cubs, 3-1.

“Hitting a home run was the furthest thing in the back of my mind,” Sharperson said. “I seldom hit the ball that hard here. I think I’ve only had a couple of homers here all year in batting practice .”

Sharperson said he was been inspired, however, since several members of the San Francisco Giants alerted him to a story in a national baseball magazine that listed him as the current homerless king.

“I’m on the field a couple of weeks ago and I hear Kevin Mitchell and some guys calling me, ‘The Zero Hero,’ ” Sharperson said. “I check it out and see that I’ve gone the longest without a career homer and so I say, ‘Man, I’m getting that label off me right now.’ ”

His second homer in his last 14 at-bats barely overshadowed an equally dramatic blow that resulted in the Dodgers losing a .202-hitter while the Phillies lost a .342-hitter.

“We lost 150 points right there . . . that hurt,” said Phillie Manager Nick Leyva after Dempsey and Dykstra were ejected with two out in the seventh inning.

Two innings earlier, with runners on first and third and two out, Dykstra had been called out on strikes on a pitch that grazed the outside corner. He said a few things to home plate substitute umpire Ron Barnes then, and continued his conversation as he stepped in the batter’s box in the seventh against Dodger starter Mike Morgan.

“He was still mad about the last pitch, he said it was 12 inches high and 12 inches outside,” Dempsey said.

The conversation stopped for a second, then Dykstra stepped out of the batter’s box and continued talking until Dempsey interrupted.

“I told him, he’s hitting .340, what does he have to be mad about?” Dempsey said.

Dykstra then yelled at Dempsey.

“He said I had been brown-nosing the umpires,” Dempsey said. “He should not have involved me.”

Dempsey calmly stood, took off his mask, and slugged Dykstra in the face with his catcher’s mitt.

“It was not my best left,” Dempsey said.

He followed with a right to the midsection, but Dykstra blocked it and the players clenched and tumbled to the ground. Both benches cleared, the players piled on top of each other at home plate, and the game did not resume until eight minutes later, after both Dempsey and Dykstra were ejected. It was the second fight involving the Phillies in 11 days; on Aug. 9 they brawled with the New York Mets.

“It was between me and him, it was one of those things,” said Dykstra, who offered no further explanation.

When asked whether the fight inspired the Dodgers, Manager Tom Lasorda, who was bumped to the ground in the incident, just smiled.

“I’ve seen games affected before,” he said.

Sharperson’s homer gave reliever Jim Gott his first victory since Aug. 14, 1988 at Philadelphia. Gott retired all six hitters he faced in relief of starter Morgan, extending his streak to 18 consecutive outs, and he has not allowed an earned run in his last 13 outings.

“What a great time for us to be doing this,” said Gott of the Dodgers, who have picked up eight games in the standings in a span of 28 games, since July 23.

They have 41 games remaining, and the Reds have 42 left.

“Everybody around here is getting on a high,” Gott added. “We know what we can do, and we are doing it.”

The Dodgers had scored in the first inning on a grounder by Kal Daniels after singles by Jose Offerman and Stan Javier and a wild pitch by Mulholland. Offerman was making his second consecutive start in place of Alfredo Griffin, who so far is not complaining.

The Phillies countered six innings later against Morgan when Darren Daulton doubled to right field and eventually scored on a run-scoring single by Dale Murphy, who had two hits in 17 career at-bats against Morgan including two strikeouts earlier in the game.

Dodger Notes

Alfredo Griffin defused the growing shortstop controversy in a unique closed-door meeting. Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda, who promised Griffin Sunday that he would be rested only one day so phenom Jose Offerman could make his major league debut, summoned Griffin into his office before Monday’s game. Considering Offerman had three hits Sunday, including a home run, Lasorda wanted to ask Griffin a favor.

“It’s your decision,” the manager reportedly told Griffin, “but the kid had such a good game, would you consider sitting down one more day so he can have another chance?” Griffin replied yes, and Offerman made his second consecutive start. “I understand this game, I’m not selfish,” Griffin said later. “I know I’m still the regular. The kid had a good game. Give him a chance.”

In his last start, the Phillies’ Terry Mulholland had become baseball’s eighth pitcher to throw a no-hitter this season in defeating the San Francisco Giants, 6-0. However, precedent was not in Mulholland’s favor. This season’s previous seven no-hit pitchers all struggled in their next starts, going 2-4 with a 4.60 earned-run average during that time.

Mickey Hatcher made only his sixth start of the season at third base in place of Lenny Harris, who is hitting .212 against left-handers.

Ray Searage said that a Magnetic Resonancy Imaging test on his left elbow Monday was inconclusive. He will wait two weeks before deciding whether to have surgery. Because the medial collateral ligament injury is located within the joint, Searage faces the prospect of reconstructive surgery, rather than arthroscopic surgery. “I just hope it’s inflamed, I am thinking of surgery only as a last resort,” said Searage, 35, who is facing the first serious injury of his 15-year pro career.