Dodgers Do Miss Old Days : Baseball: In fact, they miss a lot during 9-3 loss to Phillies and fall 13 1/2 behind. Strawberry might return today.

On old-timers’ Sunday, the Dodgers lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, 9-3, with the type of performance that must have left their former stars wondering if they retired prematurely.

What’s new?

The erratic Ramon Martinez lasted only five innings, the worst-in-the-National League defense made two errors leading to five unearned runs and the Dodgers got only three hits against rookie right-hander Mike Williams, making his second major league start.

After greeting Sandy Koufax, Maury Wills and other former Dodger standouts with warm applause, a Dodger Stadium crowd of 31,024 hooted derisively as the bumbling ’92 team fell 13 1/2 games back of the first-place Cincinnati Reds in the NL West, the Dodgers’ biggest deficit of the season.

Too big to overcome? Darryl Strawberry shook his head and said: “You can never say that. There’s a whole half to go. We still have a chance. We have to get healthy and play to our capability.”

Strawberry is expected to be activated before or during tonight’s first of three consecutive doubleheaders with the Montreal Expos.

Dr. Frank Jobe gave Strawberry clearance Sunday during a meeting with the Dodger right fielder and Fred Claire, team vice president.

“It was a very positive meeting,” Strawberry said. “I really anticipate that I’ll come to the park tomorrow and play. Fred is cautious. He’s concerned about a reinjury, but I’m not worried about that. I feel I’m ready.”

Claire acknowledged that Strawberry’s return is “very close,” but he was coy about the details of the roster move and who will pitch tonight’s first game other than to say he expects to make two announcements today.

It is still anticipated that Kip Gross will be recalled from Albuquerque to start the opener, with the Dodgers making room by returning Henry Rodriguez to their triple-A team.

How would Strawberry be activated?

There are several possibilities.

--The Dodgers could take advantage of the option that Steve Wilson has left, as they planned to do before Dave Anderson was put on the disabled list Friday night, when it was decided to keep Pedro Astacio after his spectacular debut.

--Lenny Harris, who aggravated his broken right ring finger attempting a diving catch Sunday, could go on the disabled list, although Claire said that didn’t appear necessary.

--The Dodgers could also wait until after the first game to activate Strawberry, who would be eligible to play in the second game if Gross, having fulfilled his assignment in the opener, was immediately returned to Albuquerque.

That, however, would force yet another roster move if Pedro Martinez is brought up to pitch one of the Tuesday games.

There is also a lingering possibility that second baseman Juan Samuel will be released or traded, a move that would not surprise Samuel.

The intrigue provided more interest than the game Sunday as the Dodgers did little against the 22-year-old Williams.

An error, a double by Mike Scioscia and two groundouts led to two unearned runs during the second. The Dodgers did not get another hit until Dave Hansen singled with two out in the seventh. They did not get another run until Eric Karros hit his 10th home run with two out in the ninth.

Manager Tom Lasorda said he was “mystified” by his team’s ineptness against a pitcher who struck out only one and was chased by Montreal after 4 2/3 innings of his first start Tuesday.

“I was as nervous today as I was in my first start,” said Williams, who was 6-0 at triple A before his Monday recall, “but I was able to keep the ball down today and I had a good changeup.”

Martinez, who had gone eight strong innings in a 2-1 loss to San Diego in his last start, went only five innings in this one, giving up nine hits and nine runs, only four earned. He made 94 pitches and has given up 101 hits in 97 innings of his 4-6 season.

“He deserved a better fate today,” Lasorda said, “but he still wasn’t throwing well. His command wasn’t there. He doesn’t seem to pitch two alike.”

A two-run homer by Darren Daulton during the third and a two-run homer by Dale Sveum during the fifth were the biggest hits against Martinez.

Philadelphia put it away with four runs in the fifth. All were unearned, the result of Sharperson’s error on a double-play grounder, the 71st error by the Dodgers this year.

Lasorda reflected on another statistic in relation to the return of Strawberry and said of his absence:

“I don’t think we’d have lost twenty two games by one run. You never know, but I think he would have made the difference in some of them, at least. We need to put some wins together and we need him in there.”

Dodger Attendance

Sunday: 31,024

1992 (40 dates): 1,422,858

1991 (40 dates): 1,677,725

Decrease: 254,867

1992 Average: 35,571

* ANGELS: They score in the first but do little right after that against Blue Jays and lose seventh in a row, 6-2. C2