Heat Is Taken Off Hershiser : Dodgers: Home runs turn his 4-0 deficit into an 11-7 victory over the Mets. Lasorda says he will stick with pitcher.

After sparring with the New York Mets for nearly four hours in the soup of 100-degree temperatures Saturday, the Dodgers learned a couple of things about themselves.

Their offense and Orel Hershiser are both pretty good at deflecting heat.

The Dodger bats overcame a 4-0 hole dug by Hershiser with two three-run homers by rookie Dave Hansen and Eddie Murray for an 11-7 victory before 41,608 at Shea Stadium.

Afterward, Hershiser and Manager Tom Lasorda teamed up to let critics know that Hershiser was not going to leave the starting rotation even though he has a 7.04 earned-run average in his past five starts.

The postgame dramatics were as good as the game, which gave the Dodgers two victories in three games after their seven-game losing streak.

“I’m staying with him, I believe in him,” Lasorda said of Hershiser, who gave up four runs in four innings. “It is a little short of a miracle that the guy is still pitching.

“To get back to where he once was, he has to do it out there (against major league hitters).”

Hershiser, who can become a free agent at the end of the season, said reports that his starting job was in jeopardy were “pretty stupid. Real stupid.”

He added: “If it is their long-term plan for me to pitch for this club, then I have to pitch. If not, I’ll go another direction. They have their decisions, and I have my decisions. But my arm is feeling great. I just need to pitch. And I will pitch good again.”

Reports that Hershiser may be temporarily moved from the rotation surfaced last week after Fred Claire, Dodger vice president, answered a question about Hershiser’s status by saying, “Anything is possible.”

Anything seemed possible for Hershiser in the first three innings Saturday, when he gave up only one hit. But for a second consecutive start, he could not make it past the fourth inning.

With one out, he gave up a home run to Dave Magadan, who had been hitless against Hershiser in 12 career at-bats.

Gregg Jefferies then singled to right, and Hershiser began losing control. He threw seven consecutive balls to Kevin McReynolds and Howard Johnson, walking both hitters to load the bases.

Mackey Sasser then hit Hershiser’s first pitch up the middle, barely past the glove of a diving Juan Samuel, to drive in two runs. Two pitches later, Darryl Boston singled to right to drive in another run.

Four pitches later, Hershiser hit Kevin Elster in the back with a pitch before retiring pitcher Wally Whitehurst and Keith Miller for a second time in the inning to end the uprising.

“Orel didn’t have the same velocity on his fastball,” Magadan said. “But he did have a lot of movement on his pitches.”

Said Jefferies: “I remember he used to rely on the ball really moving, and today it was still moving. But that’s all it was doing.”

After throwing 38 pitches in the first three innings, Hershiser threw 34 in the fourth inning for a total of 72, his fewest since returning from surgery May 29.

Those pitch totals have diminished in each of his past five starts while his ERA has increased. In those five starts, he has pitched past the fifth inning only once.

What has helped the Dodgers tolerate this trend is that his record is 3-2, and the Dodgers are 6-4 in games that he starts, even though his overall ERA is 4.47.

“If I thought this guy was hurting the ballclub, I wouldn’t pitch him,” Lasorda said. “It is just one inning that is grabbing him right now. Today he pitched good for three innings and had the one poor inning.

“I’m satisfied with the way he is throwing the ball. I am not satisfied with his location and control, but I think he will find that.”

Hershiser is mostly hurting the bullpen, which rescued him with another four relievers Saturday. In his past five starts, the Dodgers have used 18 relievers--more than three per start.

The best thing that happened to the Dodgers Saturday was that Hansen batted for Hershiser in the fifth. Hansen, after barely laying off a high fastball that made the count full, drove Whitehurst’s pitch over the right-field fence with runners on first and second to make the score 4-3.

It was Hansen’s first career homer and the Dodgers’ second pinch homer this season. After Brett Butler (four for five) and Juan Samuel singled to chase Whitehurst, new reliever Doug Simons was greeted by Murray’s ninth homer on an 0-and-2 pitch that he hit over the center-field fence.

The six runs equaled the Dodgers’ biggest inning of the season, and their 16 hits also equaled a season high.

“I really couldn’t believe that ball was out,” Hansen, a third baseman who has four hits in 12 at-bats this season, said of his home run.

“I cranked my neck rounding second base because I didn’t want to stop watching it.”