Dodgers Put Reds on Edge

Still stinging from an eight-run beating Friday, Cincinnati Reds Manager Lou Piniella questioned Tom Lasorda before Saturday’s game about the Dodgers’ abrasive style of play.

Piniella thought the Dodgers were too aggressive with a big lead. He thought the Reds had been insulted.

Lasorda explained that he plays that way all the time.

Then, to prove it, his Dodgers insulted them again.

In their second consecutive rout of the defending World Series champions, the first-place Dodgers scored seven runs in the first two innings in an 8-1 victory before 38,260 at Riverfront Stadium.

When the teams take the field this morning for the finale of this three-game series, there should be no misunderstanding. The Dodgers are not easily intimidated by left-handed pitching, red-faced opposing managers or pressure.

“We aren’t just sending a message to the Reds, we are sending a message to the rest of the league,” said Stan Javier, who ended the game with a running catch in left-center field. “We are here for real. When we get hot, there is no better offensive team in the league. I know you have been hearing that 100 times, but now we are showing it.”

Besides the standard plays, once again the game was filled with signature Dodger scoring plays.

Lenny Harris scored a run after sneaking to third base on a fly ball to medium center field. Brett Butler was knocked down with a pitch behind his head, but stood up and drew a walk that led to another run.

Then there were the runs batted in by pitcher Kevin Gross, on his first hit of the season, and Alfredo Griffin, playing in his first game in 17 days.

“The Reds have seen that this is a different club this year,” said Darryl Strawberry, who left the game in the second inning with a toe injury that is not considered serious. “They now realize it will be a lot tougher to beat us. We came here ready to play.”

The Reds, who have lost eight of their last 10 games with the Dodgers dating to last season, are in no position to disagree.

In the last two games, the Dodgers have outscored them, 19-4; outhit them, 24-17; and chased their starting pitchers before the fifth inning. They have batted .324 against Reds pitching, and sent the entire batting order to the plate in three innings.

After entering the series with a batting average of .217 against left-handers and a 5-10 record against left-handed starters, they have batted .353 against the Reds’ left-handers. This includes Saturday’s starter Norm Charlton, who left with sore shoulder after allowing five runs on six hits in only one inning.

More impressive, the Dodgers have altered Cincinnati’s posture from cocky to defensive.

“If the Dodgers think that because they won these first two games like this, it’s going to be this way for the rest of the season, they’ve got another think coming,” said Reds’ center fielder Eric Davis, who has gone hitless in six at-bats in this series with four strikeouts. “This should not be a confidence booster for them, or a confidence downer for us.”

The Reds seemed more aggravated than anything else, as evidenced by the managerial meeting before Saturday’s game. Piniella was upset that Butler was attempting to bunt in the eighth inning Friday with the Dodgers leading by five runs.

Piniella was so angry Friday, he screamed at Butler from the Reds’ dugout. After Butler explained that he was following orders, Piniella apologized and then approached Lasorda behind the batting cage Saturday morning.

According to witnesses, Piniella told Lasorda, “You want to bunt and run and play your game like last night? Fine, we’ll play our game.”

Lasorda said he responded, “What is wrong with bunting? What is wrong with trying to score? Last year you ran (Mariano) Duncan when you were seven runs ahead of us. You would do the same thing I did.”

Later, Lasorda said he felt the matter was closed. “Lou and I are good friends. Everything is straightened out,” he said.

Piniella acknowledged, “The Dodgers are really playing well right now.”

This, though they were missing not only Strawberry, but Juan Samuel, who left the game in the first inning when he aggravated a twisted ankle, another injury that is not considered serious.

Eddie Murray had two singles and three RBIs, giving him seven RBIs in the last two games. Jeff Hamilton collected his third RBI in two games after entering this series with just six this season.

It made things easy for Gross, who held the Reds to one run and five hits in seven innings, his longest appearance of the season.

After allowing 14 runs in his first three starts, Gross (3-4) has allowed five runs in his last four starts. But he knows it may be too late to save his starting job, which will soon go to Orel Hershiser when Hershiser returns to the active roster.

“I know I’m probably the guy who is going to go (to the bullpen), because earlier I was struggling,” Gross said. “But I will do whatever they want, because I really want to be here when we win.”