Dodgers Get Eyeful of Cubs’ Hibbard

The totally calm, cool and collected Dodger relief corps was once again called upon Monday night. But by the time the first reliever took the mound at Wrigley Field, the game was in the control of the finesse pitching of Chicago Cub starter Greg Hibbard.

It was only the fifth inning.

Hibbard allowed only three hits in eight innings of a 6-2 victory over the Dodgers before 31,208.

Most of the Dodgers had never seen Hibbard throw, much less bat against him. But many in the crowd of 31,208 probably knew about Hibbard, because he pitched across town for the White Sox before being traded to the Cubs before this season.

“It was a hell of a ballgame until the fourth inning,” Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said. “Then all of a sudden they got a couple of hits and busted loose and we were not able to get a hold of that guy (Hibbard).”

The Cubs scored four runs in the fourth inning off Dodger starter Pedro Astacio (2-3) and added two runs in the fifth.

Center fielder Dwight Smith homered into the left-field seats to put the Cubs up, 6-0. Jose Vizcaino singled, and then Lasorda summoned reliever Steve Wilson, who retired the next two batters to get out of the inning.

Hibbard (3-2) retired the first 15 batters--12 on groundouts--before Eric Karros led off the sixth inning with a double to the warning track in center field.

In the eighth, Cory Snyder doubled in Karros, who had singled and moved to second on a groundout by Jose Offerman.

“I knew he would throw me a changeup, so I was looking for it the whole way,” Snyder said. “This guy is a control pitcher and tonight he was on.”

Bob Scanlan pitched the ninth inning and allowed the Dodgers’ second run.

Darryl Strawberry played in his second consecutive game and was 0 for 4. He said that his back was sore.

“In this league you don’t face too many pitchers like him,” Strawberry said of Hibbard. “In this league, guys come after you with fastballs.”

Karros, who is struggling at the plate, batting .242, got a little satisfaction from his two hits. His inconsistency has caused Lasorda to move him around in the batting order. He batted seventh on Monday.

“What’s that, two hits in the last week?” Karros said. “(The hits) give me some momentum. I have been trying to change this, trying that, and it gives me a little peace of mind.”

What would give Lasorda a little peace of mind would be some consistency on the mound and at the plate. Just when it seemed that the offense was warming up, his starting pitcher couldn’t hold on.

“We are still looking for that consistency and a winning streak, and we have got to have it. We will get it,” Lasorda said. “This Hibbard stymied us.”

The Dodgers’ most consistent performers have been the middle relievers. Wilson, Rick Trlicek and Roger McDowell combined to shut out the Cubs over the final 3 2/3 innings.

“Everybody always hears about the starters because they make more money, or the closer because they get the saves,” said Trlicek, who gave up one hit in two innings. “The set-up guys and the middle guys, nobody knows. But the guys here in the clubhouse know who gets the job done, and that it takes 25 guys, and that is what counts.”

McDowell got into a jam in the ninth inning when he loaded the bases, but got out unscathed.

“My approach is just to do the best we can. Everybody is going to go in streaks, and hopefully there is someone down there to pick us up when that happens,” McDowell said.

“Our role is to keep us in the game, or ahead, and to get three outs. Then we see some kid like Pedro Martinez, who is used to being a starter, and he comes in here and starts developing the mindset of a short reliever. He goes into the game in San Francisco with runners on second and third and there’s Matt Williams, who is hitting around .500. And he strikes him out. Then Jim Gott goes in and closes it out.

“I’ve said this before, you can close a game out in the sixth, seventh and eighth before you get to the ninth.”

Monday night, Hibbard closed it out from the start.