BASEBALL / ROSS NEWHAN : No Fanfare Needed for Complete Player

The box score for Game 1 of the World Series will show that he was a modest one for four, driving in two runs.

It does not reflect the timing of the hit--a seventh-inning double that enabled the Toronto Blue Jays to put the Philadelphia Phillies away, stretching a 6-4 lead to 8-4 en route to an 8-5 victory.

Nor does the box score reflect the two pivotal fielding plays that saved at least two runs and probably more.

Merely another night at the office for second baseman Roberto Alomar, or as teammate Joe Carter put it:

“Now you know why there’s a rob in Robby.”

Said Alomar: “I’m confident in my hitting, but I love to play defense. I love to make the big plays.”

The first of the big ones came in the fifth inning when leadoff batter Lenny Dykstra blooped a fly ball beyond first baseman John Olerud into shallow right field.

Alomar, playing straight away, raced over and made a diving catch near the foul line. Mariano Duncan followed with a triple off of the left-field fence. The Phillies got Duncan home, but a one-run inning would have been more without the catch against Dykstra.

The second of the big ones came with runners at first and second and two out in the sixth. Duncan drove a single up the middle, but Alomar, in shallow center this time, made a diving stop, scrambled to his feet and held Kevin Stocker, running from second, at third. The bases were loaded, but Al Leiter struck out John Kruk to end a scoreless inning.

“The second was the easier play, but it was the more important,” Alomar said. “It saved one run, and may have saved the game. If I don’t stop it, they have a run in and runners still at first and third.

“I thought I could knock it down, but I wasn’t sure I could actually stop it. On the ball Dykstra hit, I didn’t think I had any chance to catch it, but when I saw that I did, I dived and was lucky to have the ball land in my glove.”

Lucky?

“I don’t think so,” said former Dodger shortstop Alfredo Griffin, now a Toronto reserve. “Roberto is able to make those plays because he anticipates them. He has great instinct. Incredible.”

Defense might separate these teams. Alomar saved at least two runs while the Phillies gave one away, when Dykstra and Milt Thompson failed to communicate on a fly by Devon White in the third.

“If you don’t play good defense against our offense, we’re going to hurt you,” Alomar said.

“That happened in the (American League) playoffs. Chicago didn’t play good defense, and we capitalized on it.

“It may be overlooked, but you have to play good defense to win, and the thing is, when you make good plays like those tonight, the hitter gets upset and his team gets frustrated.”

Alomar made 14 errors in 709 regular-season chances and seems certain to win his third consecutive Gold Glove. He was about to complete his 24th postseason game without an error when he couldn’t hold on to a routine grounder by Dykstra in the eighth.

“The more balls you get to, the more errors you make,” Alomar said. “I’m not afraid of errors. You have to play aggressively, or you sit on the bench and watch.”

With Alomar, of course, you get more than leather. He is something of the silent partner compared to Toronto’s other most-valuable-player candidates--Paul Molitor, John Olerud and Carter--but he had a spectacular season, with career highs for batting average (.326), home runs (17), runs (109) and runs batted in (93).

He batted .348 after the All-Star game to finish third behind Olerud and Molitor in the batting race--the first time this century players from the same team have finished 1-2-3--and he was also fourth in the league in hits, second in stolen bases and sixth in on-base percentage.

“He’s the total package,” coach Gene Tenace said.

Left-hander David West learned the truth of that after Alomar had struck out and popped out twice Saturday night. With runners at second and third and one out in the seventh, Alomar said he simply got a pitch in his zone and drilled it into the left-field corner.

Was he surprised he wasn’t walked with first base open?

“No,” the switch-hitting Alomar said. “I have Carter behind me and I was batting right-handed. People have made it a big thing because I’m hitting .240 something (.241) right-handed this year (compared to .359 left-handed), but they forget I hit .308 right-handed last year.”

The Phillies had believed that their chances in this Series were enhanced because left-handed starters Terry Mulholland and Danny Jackson will force Alomar and White to bat right-handed, and the Blue Jays were 22-25 against left-handers this season.

Alomar’s key hit might have given Philadelphia second thoughts, but it didn’t give Alomar any.

“I’m the kind of guy who goes out and does his job,” he said. “People like to focus on home runs and RBI, so guys like Molitor, Olerud and Carter get more attention.

“That doesn’t bother me. I’m just happy to help the team win and continue to have good years.”