BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : The Day Had a Few Oddities

Anytime baseball is played for 7 hours 15 minutes, there are bound to be a few unusual plays.

The first came in the 11th inning of the first game Wednesday, when Montreal used a five-man infield. With one out, the bases loaded and Mike Scioscia at bat, Montreal first baseman Arci Cianfrocco was on second base and left-fielder John Vander Wal moved to first base. Second baseman Delino DeShields stayed in his usual position. Scioscia hit a grounder to shortstop Tom Foley, who forced Eric Davis at home plate. Then Vander Wal and Cianfrocco moved back to their normal positions.

Then, in the third inning of the second game, the Expos had another seldom-seen play that many in the crowd didn’t see at all. Even Tom Lasorda missed it.

Cianfrocco, playing first base, fielded Pedro Astacio’s sacrifice bunt down the line and threw to DeShields, covering first base, for the out. Jose Offerman advanced to second base. But second baseman DeShields didn’t throw the ball back to pitcher Bill Risley. Instead, DeShields pulled the hidden ball trick, taking the ball with him back to second base and tagging Offerman when he stepped off the bag. It was ruled as a double play. “A lot of older players and managers don’t like that play,” DeShields said. “When you are in a game, anything goes. We are trying to win here.”

Davis, who strained a right groin muscle Monday night, started the first game Wednesday but did not play in the second. “I started to stiffen up at the end of the first game, so I was available to pinch-hit but the situation didn’t arise,” Davis said. “But I will be back out (tonight).” . . . After the second game, Montreal sent winner Bill Risley (1-0) back to their triple-A club and called up catcher Greg Colbrunn.