Hershiser Shows He’s in Control : Dodgers: He follows a shaky opening-day outing by Martinez with 3-0 victory over Giants.

OK, so he pitched on the second day instead of the first.

So his appearance was not marked by marching bands or old-time ballplayers or birds. So the stadium was not decorated, the stands were not full.

Make no mistake, Orel Hershiser still behaves like the ace of the Dodger pitching staff.

The San Francisco Giants will not be fooled again after Hershiser turned their 17-hit offense of opening day into a whimpering three-single attack during the Dodgers’ 3-0 victory Tuesday before 41,117 at Dodger Stadium.

Backed by Darryl Strawberry’s first home run, Brett Butler’s first triple and Mike Scioscia’s first 270-foot dash from first base to home plate, Hershiser gave the Dodgers their first victory and drew the season’s first standing ovation.

“The Big Boy stepped in and popped a big one for us,” Butler said.

Hershiser threw 104 strong pitches in seven innings, giving up three hits and two walks and striking out two.

The only thing louder than that ovation for Hershiser were sighs of relief from Dodger officials, who had watched Hershiser compile a 1-4 record and 5.23 earned-run average this spring.

“I look at Orel as the guy, along with Bob Ojeda, who can show us the way,” Manager Tom Lasorda said.

Roger McDowell, who picked up his first save in his first appearance by throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings, put it another way.

“We know that when Bulldog is on, he’s on,” he said. “And we know that when he is off, he’s on.”

Hershiser acknowledged the cheers, which came as he left the game after giving up a leadoff single to Mike Felder in the eighth inning, by waving his glove to the crowd.

It was the Dodgers’ best use of leather all night, because Hershiser was forced to overcome much silliness in the field, including a bad throw by shortstop Jose Offerman and a dropped fly by Strawberry.

Two games into the season, and the Dodgers have committed two errors.

That neither error led to a run is a tribute to a pitcher whose rebuilt shoulder showed that, as Hershiser predicted, he is at least as strong as when he finished last season with a five-game winning streak.

“I guess I’d give myself pretty high marks,” Hershiser said. “But I don’t think about anybody saying, ‘Oh, you’re the ace.’ To me it’s ‘Oh, you’re the pitcher tonight.’

“I’m just a guy looking to get us into the sixth or seventh inning with a chance to win.”

Also working on a winning streak Tuesday was Giant pitcher Kelly Downs, who had not lost in eight decisions and not lost to the Dodgers since Sept. 26, 1989. During that time, he had won four consecutive decisions against them.

But Strawberry’s fourth-inning homer and Butler’s run-scoring bloop triple in the fifth ended that streak. Not that Hershiser needed much offensive help, although he could have used better fielding.

After Hershiser worked out of a first-inning jam that included a single by Felder and a walk to Will Clark, he was put in another jam during the second inning when Offerman threw a ground ball by Robby Thompson into the ground.

Thompson moved to second on a ground ball by Royce Clayton, then took third when Kal Daniels stumbled after making a running catch of a fly ball in foul territory behind first base.

But Hershiser retired Downs on a fly ball to end the inning.

“I don’t think of errors, I think of situations I am in, and how to get out of them,” Hershiser said. “And I know that one pitch either way can change everything.”

Strawberry’s home run during the fourth came with two out, after Daniels lined a ball to right-center field for his third hit in six at-bats.

Strawberry, who had gone hitless in his previous five at-bats, then hit a 2-and-1 pitch over the right-field fence. Last season it took Strawberry 40 at-bats to hit his first home run.

But as Strawberry gave, he quickly took away when he dropped a fly ball by Darren Lewis in shallow right field with one out and Kirt Manwaring on second during the fifth inning. But Manwaring was stranded on third as Hershiser retired Felder and Matt Williams on fly balls to right field, sandwiched around an intentional walk to Clark.