Dodgers Miss a Chance : Baseball: Cincinnati loses, but Montreal helps the Reds by beating Los Angeles, 5-2.

The Dodgers’ hopes Friday night revolved around the number 4 1/2, but there was nothing magical about it.

They entered the night with a chance to move to within 4 1/2 games of the National League West-leading Cincinnati Reds, who had lost to the Chicago Cubs.

But the Dodgers lost to the Montreal Expos, partially because of a ground ball that bounced off the chest of a second baseman who later said he is glad there are only 4 1/2 weeks left in his miserable season.

The final score was 5-2, the second baseman was Juan Samuel and the Dodgers could kick themselves.

“To have the Reds already lose, that made this that much tougher for us--this would have been a big win,” Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said.

It was only the sixth time since the All-Star break that the Dodgers did not take advantage of a Reds’ loss with a game-gaining victory. Each wasted chance is magnified because, as Juan Samuel can now tell you, the Dodgers have only 31 games remaining.

“What do we have left in this season?” asked a weary Samuel, who will probably leave the Dodgers as a free agent this winter.

When informed, he sighed in resignation.

“Then I’ve only got 4 1/2 weeks left to deal with this stuff,” he said. “All I can do now is take it one day at a time, one day at a time.”

Despite his obvious effort and intensity, Samuel will leave the Dodgers with memories like those of Friday’s fourth inning, when Delino DeShields bounced a ball off him for a two-out, two-run single that gave the Expos the lead for good.

Mike Morgan, the Dodger starter who was given a 1-0 lead after a wild first inning by Expo rookie pitcher Chris Nabholz, started the Expos’ fourth-inning attack by issuing a one-out walk to rookie Jerry Goff. Spike Owen singled and Nabholz advanced the runners with a bunt.

Then DeShields knocked a hard shot barely to the right of second base. Samuel took one step and attempted to backhand it, but the ball bounced up and hit him in the chest, ricocheting into shallow center field.

Morgan suddenly trailed, 2-1, and was headed for his sixth consecutive winless start.

“When you get guys to hit the ball right at guys, in the long run, you should come out ahead,” said Morgan, who fell to 10-12 despite a 3.35 earned-run average. “If I get ground balls and the plays aren’t made, there is nothing I can do about it. I mean, I just throw the ball.”

Explained Samuel: “I knew I would have a hard time with the ball as soon as he hit it. I don’t think I have a shot at nobody even if I do catch it. It was difficult.”

Before 14,514 at Olympic Stadium, the Expos added two runs in the seventh inning against Morgan and reliever Dave Walsh. That offset a Dodger run in an eighth inning, which ended when a bases-loaded fly ball by Rick Dempsey fell short of the center-field wall.

DeShields, a leading candidate for National League rookie of the year, added his third homer in the eighth inning against Don Aase. It ensured a third victory for Nabholz, who allowed one hit in seven innings; and a seventh save for Steve Frey, who finished with a 1 2/3 hitless innings. The Dodgers had only just three hits.

Samuel was also part of the offensive story, going hitless in four at-bats to lower his latest slump to two hits in 27 at-bats while dropping his average to .214, which would be the lowest of his career by 21 points.

This is the reason he is now playing only against left-handers. And that was one reason he was able to find some humor in Friday’s problems.

“I was tired--I played two days in a row,” Samuel said with a smile, later adding, “I am not going to complain about the lineup. That is not an excuse. I just keep trying and, who knows, I get lucky I get a couple of hits. And if not. . . .”

Finally admitting to being unlucky was Morgan, who winless streak has made him 0-for-August. He has not won since a two-hit victory over Cincinnati July 30.

His earned-run average during these six starts has dropped from 3.47 to 3.35, but it has done the Dodgers little good. He has been supported with just 2.2 runs per game during that time.

“I never want to feel unlucky--I’ve got my health and a good contract and all of that--but I guess pitching-wise, I have been unlucky,” he said.

He was also his own worst enemy Friday, allowing a season-high 11 hits. He remained in the game for six innings only because the Expos stranded seven runners in the first four innings.

The Dodgers’ other worst enemy was fatigue. They appeared tired and sluggish after not arriving in their Montreal hotel Friday following a flight from Philadelphia until 3:30 a.m.

“I really think we were tired, you could just tell,” said Lasorda, who had only three hours of sleep.

Dodger Notes

Kal Daniels missed his third consecutive start with a pulled muscle in his back. The Dodgers hope he can return today against right-hander Oil Can Boyd and break out of his 0-for-13 slump. . . . Boyd will be making his first start against the Dodgers today.

While the Reds were acquiring second baseman Bill Doran from Houston just before to the deadline for postseason eligibility, the Dodgers were standing pat. As promised, Dodger Vice President Fred Claire has decided to challenge the Reds with his current lineup. “Some of these trades are a matter of teams adding depth--but our depth has played a key role in our success, when you look at the (Chris) Gwynns and (Jose) Gonzalezes,” Claire said. The biggest reason the Dodgers did not make a deal is the effectiveness of Jim Neidlinger and Mike Hartley. Since they joined the rotation beginning with Neidlinger’s recall from triple-A Albuquerque July 30, they have combined to go 5-1 in nine starts.