Corps of First Basemen Lets Dodgers’ Gross Finally Win

Things are looking up from the depths of the National League West, where the Dodgers rest uneasily as they make up for lost outfielders by ordering every available first baseman into the starting lineup.

Convention has no place at Dodger Stadium these days, as was evident Sunday when the Dodgers pushed all emergency levers during a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates before 37,563.

With Darryl Strawberry, Eric Davis and Juan Samuel all sidelined because of injuries, Manager Tom Lasorda introduced his fleet of part-time first basemen--Kal Daniels, Todd Benzinger, Eric Karros--into the heart of the order.

During the three-run fourth inning that decided the game, Daniels singled and scored, Karros had a sacrifice fly and Benzinger hit a two-run homer against starter Doug Drabek. The homer was Benzinger’s first as a Dodger.

Karros, the star of Saturday night’s game, also singled and scored during the eighth inning.

The Dodgers scraped together enough to finally earn starter Kevin Gross his second victory of the season to go with four losses. Gross used his sweeping curveball to strike out nine as he gave up eight hits and two runs in seven innings.

Gross has now struck out 34 in his last three starts and at least one in 21 consecutive innings.

Lasorda put Karros at first and the gimpy-legged Daniels in left field for a third consecutive game. Benzinger played in right. “It’s amazing how that worked out,” Lasorda said.

Said Karros, who went three for five during the weekend with three runs and four RBIs: “We’re not as bad as people make us out to be. We’re only five down in the loss column. Considering what we’ve been through, that’s great.”

Not that it was easy. The Dodgers, 5 1/2 games behind first-place San Francisco and a game ahead of last-place Houston, had to work from behind for the third consecutive game. The Pirates scored twice during the fourth inning when Cecil Espy drove in a run with a double and later scored on a wild pitch. But Gross escaped further damage.

“It was a battle,” he said. “I was in some situations where it could have cost me, but we won. The last time out, I pitched a better game and I lost. It’s a funny game.”

Clinging to a 3-2 lead, Gross walked Barry Bonds to lead off the sixth and he quickly stole second. But Gross reared back and struck out Espy and Steve Buechele before getting Mike LaValliere to fly out.

During the seventh, Gross gave up a leadoff single to Jose Lind, but left him stranded at third when Jay Bell struck out to end the inning.

The Dodgers added some cushion in the seventh. Karros singled on a 3-0 pitch to open the inning. Karros went to third on Benzinger’s single to right and scored when Espy’s throw skipped past third baseman Buechele.

Karros emerged from his slide and headed for home. What he didn’t know was how quickly the ball had bounced off a retaining wall and back to Buechele, who delivered a perfect throw to home.

Luckily for Karros, the ball popped out of LaValliere’s glove when he swept down with the tag.

“If I’m safe, it’s an aggressive play,” he said. “If I was out, it was stupidity. We’re going to make our mistakes.”

As it turned out, the Dodgers didn’t need the run. John Candelaria pitched a perfect eighth inning and Roger McDowell gave up an infield single the ninth that was erased on a game-ending double play started by second baseman Lenny Harris.

Dodger Attendance

Sunday: 36,407

1992 (21 dates): 797,342

1991 (21 dates): 856,258

Decrease: 58,916

1992 average: 37,969