Hershiser Has Stuff of Dreams : Baseball: He pitches five scoreless innings in comeback, giving up two hits, throwing only 44 pitches in Class-A game.

Orel Hershiser returned to the pitching mound by way of his wildest dreams Wednesday night, throwing five scoreless innings against the Class-A Reno Silver Sox in his first official game in 378 days.

Hershiser, pitching for the Bakersfield Dodgers in a dust storm, stopped the game twice in the first inning to apply water to his drying contact lenses.

By the end of the evening, his eyes were red and watery for another reason. This was not simply a 9-4 victory; it was an emotional triumph for a pitcher who, on April 27, 1990, underwent reconstructive shoulder surgery that threatened his career.

“To have done something from the time you were 5 or 6 years old, then for some reason to not be able to do it anymore . . . and then to come back and do it again, this was a gift from heaven,” Hershiser said. “I had no pain, no stiffness, no trouble coming back after innings. It was a fantastic feeling.”

Hershiser allowed two hits, struck out three and walked none. Of 17 hitters he faced, two hit the ball in the air, and only one of those balls went into the outfield in fair territory.

He fell behind in the count to six hitters while throwing only 12 balls among 44 pitches.

The number that most concerns Dodger fans is the date of his return to the major league roster. Although Hershiser won’t even announce his next step until he sees how his arm feels today, he will probably make at least two more rehabilitation starts, and he could remain in the minor leagues for the entire 30 days of his rehabilitation option.

If he pitches in a minor league game every five days as he hopes, he could be in uniform as soon as May 23 for the Dodgers’ game at Houston. If he makes as many as five or six starts, he could still be back by the first week in June.

“I just know that if I make it back to the major leagues, it will be a miracle . . . literally a miracle,” Hershiser said. “It might not seem like that from the outside, but to those of us who have gone through this, it will be a miracle.”

Said Dodger therapist Pat Screnar: “To say that we are overwhelmed would be a good word for it. Nobody knows how hard Orel has really worked for this.”

Hershiser’s appearance Thursday was like a miracle to the 4,048 fans who jammed every inch of Sam Lynn Park, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season.

Reserved tickets were sold out two hours after a local radio station announced his appearance last Saturday. Fans began lining up for the general admission seats at 3 p.m. Wednesday, 3 1/2 hours before the game. Team officials said 2,000 to 3,000 fans were turned away at the gate.

By the time Hershiser made his first appearance in uniform 45 minutes before the game, fans were standing and chanting, “Or-el, Or-el.”

“This is the biggest thing that has ever happened to Bakersfield, ever,” said Rick Smith, general manager. “This is the biggest thing athletically, medically, politically . . . the biggest thing ever.”

Smith was asked if perhaps he was overstating the case. He paused.

“Well, OK,” he said. “When George Strait played here, there were people in line early.”

Pitching an official game for the first time since April 25, 1990, Hershiser retired the first six batters he faced without allowing a ball to leave the infield. He needed 16 pitches, 13 strikes, to get through the first two innings.

Jimmy Jones, who entered the game with an .095 average, hit a line drive to right field for a single in the third. Jones stole second, then Matt Williams hit a grounder that was botched by second baseman Domingo Mota for an error that put runners on first and third.

But Hershiser did not flinch. He retired Mark Cole on a fly ball that right fielder Garey Ingram turned into a double play with a perfect throw home to get Jones. Three pitches later, Hershiser retired Mark Krumback on a grounder to end the inning.

Hershiser allowed a single to former major leaguer John Rabb with one out in the fourth inning on a blooper that blew from deep to shallow right field. But this only gave him a chance to show that more than his pitching skills are returning.

Hershiser made two great pickoff moves to first base, one that seemed to get Rabb, although he was ruled safe. Hershiser then bounded off the mound to grab a chopper in front of home plate by Cliff Gonzalez. He picked up the ball, spun, and made a perfect off-balance throw to first base for the out.

After falling behind, 2 and 0, to Dodd Johnson, Hershiser threw three consecutive strikes to strike him out looking and end the inning.

Hershiser breezed through the fifth with 10 pitches, and retired his last batter, Williams, on a swinging strikeout.

“I don’t care where we are, you can see he is pitching great,” Dodger pitching instructor Dave Wallace said.