Dodgers Handle Mets, 4-2 : Baseball: Valenzuela, Howell combine for victory, using Murray’s 20th homer to beat Cone.

For 14 years, Eddie Murray has been a model of consistency. For the last decade, when the New York Mets came to town, Fernando Valenzuela has been a model of, well, consistency.

When the two teamed up Thursday, Murray did what he has done throughout his career--hit a decisive home run--and Valenzuela did what he has rarely done: beat the Mets in Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers’ 4-2 victory lifted them to within 5 1/2 games of the Cincinnati Reds in the West. The loss dropped the Mets four games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates in the East.

Valenzuela (11-10) engaged David Cone in some role reversal before a Dodger Stadium crowd of 44,997. Valenzuela cooled off a team that has been a nemesis here, a team against which he had a 2-7 lifetime record entering the game.

Murray’s fifth-inning two-run home run broke a 2-2 tie and did in one of the league’s hottest pitchers. Cone, who was 8-2 in his last 13 starts, fell to 9-7 despite pitching a complete game and striking out nine.

When Valenzuela opened the eighth inning by walking Darryl Strawberry, Jay Howell pitched the last two innings to earn his 12th save.

The Dodger pitchers got an assist from an outfield defense that has not been considered one of the league’s slickest. Kal Daniels made a leaping catch of Kevin McReynolds’ drive in the fifth inning, going over the left-field wall to rob him of a two-run homer.

And in the eighth, with Strawberry on second, Howard Johnson on first and none out, Hubie Brooks made a shoestring grab of Daryl Boston’s drive and doubled Strawberry off second to snuff the rally.

“That turned out to be one heck of a play,” Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said. “We’ve been playing much better defense. That makes your pitchers look better, when you have defense like that.”

Valenzuela opened the second inning by walking Strawberry and Johnson, and both scored on singles by Tim Teufel and Alex Trevino.

But the Dodgers came back in the bottom of the inning, tying it on run-scoring singles by Mike Scioscia and Valenzuela.

The Mets threatened several more times but left the bases loaded in both the fourth and fifth innings and finished with only four hits.

With a man on, Murray hit an 0-and-1 fastball barely over the right-field wall, his 20th home run. Murray has nine home runs and 34 RBIs since the All-Star break.

He has hit 20 or more home runs in all but one of his 14 seasons, a fact that didn’t seem to impress him. Instead, Murray, who has been the Dodgers’ top hitter in their surge into contention, bemoaned the runners he has left on base.

“I finally got a fastball. It was a little bit up and I was able to get it five feet over (the wall), which is enough,” Murray said. “It’s just good to win a ballgame.”

Lasorda was more impressed with Murray’s accomplishment. “That’s amazing,” he said. “He’s been playing extremely well, and he’s made some fantastic plays defensively for us.”

Valenzuela said he wasn’t aware of his troubles against the Mets. “I never check what I do against some teams,” he said. “I don’t want to (psychologically) change anything.”

Valenzuela did change his pitching pattern midway through the game, he said, going for the outside corner after working inside in the early innings.

Scioscia said Valenzuela “was a little erratic but he made some tremendous pitches to get out of trouble.”

“No, I didn’t have good stuff,” Valenzuela said. “I’m not a power pitcher so I have to put the ball in the right spot. But the most important thing is to win the game. The team is doing great--a lot of (close) games we’re winning.”

Dodger Notes

Jim Neidlinger didn’t get a decision in Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over Philadelphia, but he continues to solidify his position in the rotation. He lowered his earned-run average to 2.70 and has a strikeout-to-walk margin of 26-6 in 33 innings. “He’s been as consistent as a pitcher can be,” said catcher Mike Scioscia. “He has the mark of a late bloomer. We found a diamond in the rough.”

Scioscia’s run-scoring single Thursday gave him 55 RBIs, a career high. He had 53 in 1985. . . . Kirk Gibson’s third-inning stolen base gave him 18 out of 20, the best percentage in the National League. . . . Catcher Rick Dempsey continues to play while appealing his one-game suspension for Monday’s fight with Lenny Dykstra. Dempsey expects to meet with NL President Bill White next week when the team in is Philadelphia.

Following an outbreak of injuries, Mets Manager Bud Harrelson has had to juggle his lineup to stay in contention with Pittsburgh in the East. Outfielder Mark Carreon was lost for the season when he tore a knee ligament in San Diego. He will have surgery in Tucson Saturday. It’s a similar injury to the one that cost Pedro Guerrero most of the 1986 season. . . . Shortstop Kevin Elster is also out. Harrelson said he “can live with” Howard Johnson at short, Dave Magadan at third and Kelvin Torve at first. “A lot of those moves have been made out of necessity,” Harrelson said. “Magadan said he can play third every day. Howard hasn’t hurt us at short.” . . . His lineup Thursday included recent addition Alex Trevino at catcher, recent callup Darren Reed in the outfield and Gregg Jefferies batting leadoff.

Four Bakersfield Dodgers were named to the California League (Class A) all-star team--catcher Bryan Baar, designated hitter Brett Magnusson, left-handed pitcher Jason Brosnan and right-handed pitcher Jamie McAndrew. . . . McAndrew, son of former Met pitcher Jim McAndrew, has already been promoted to double-A San Antonio.