Dreifort Shows Pirates He Isn’t Merely Hitter

Darren Dreifort spoiled what might have been a good weekend for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The rookie Dodger pitcher beat the Pirates with his bat Friday night, then came back Sunday to stop them with his arm.

Dreifort, cheered on by most of the 44,622 Dodger Stadium fans, retired the last two Pirates with two runners on in the ninth inning to save a 4-3 victory for Kevin Gross.

The victory, the 12th in the last 15 home games, enabled the Dodgers to stay three games ahead of the San Francisco Giants in the Western Division.

The Dodgers hit well, play solid defense, have a deep bench and the starting pitchers are going very well.

But, oh, that bullpen. Manager Tom Lasorda is trying to save games with a committee. Most of his relief pitchers seem able to get the first man out, then hardly anyone else.

Before Dreifort came on to strike out Jay Bell and get Andy Van Slyke on an easy grounder to short, Lasorda tried three other relievers. And the one expected to be the closer, Todd Worrell, was the one who put the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base in the ninth.

“I’m happy to come through when needed,” Dreifort said, adding with a smile, “It was more exciting winning it with a hit.”

But because the youngster earned his sixth save doesn’t mean the Dodgers are giving up on Worrell.

“He’s still our closer,” said pitching coach Ron Perranoski. “We’re not paying him $3 million for nothing. I think he just needs a little more work.”

Carlos Hernandez, whose two-run single in the third inning gave Gross a 4-0 lead, said of Worrell:

“He was throwing hard. He just needs better location. He’ll be all right. But I think the Pirates are in awe of Dreifort. I don’t blame them. I faced him in the spring and he broke the bat off in my hands.”

Gross, as most of the starters have, pitched a strong six innings on a hot afternoon. He gave up a run in the seventh, then had two runners on with two out and Lasorda began his bullpen parade.

Left-hander Al Osuna, who struck out the only batter he faced Friday night to get the victory, struck out pinch-hitter Brian Hunter to end the seventh. But in the eighth, he gave up three hits, two runs and left with a one-run lead and two out. Jim Gott came on to get Don Slaught for the final out.

With a one-run lead in the ninth, it’s time to bring in the closer. Worrell, who couldn’t hold the lead Friday night, got the first batter, then gave up a hit and a walk.

“I told Ronnie (Perranoski) if Worrell didn’t get the next guy (Carlos Garcia, who walked) to bring in Dreifort,” Lasorda said.

Bell, barely batting .200 when the Pirates arrived, already had seven hits in the series. But, according to Hernandez, when he saw Dreifort come out, he said, “Wow!”

Lasorda believes his bench is as good as any in baseball. He is getting the most out of it.

“We decided we had to shore up the bench,” Lasorda said. “I think we’ve done a good job of it.

Key bench players have been Hernandez, who was playing three games in a row for the first time all year because of the injury to Mike Piazza, and Mitch Webster.

Webster was in the lineup partly to give Brett Butler a day off.

“I never have hit Zane Smith and I’m in a bit of a slump,” Butler said. “To win, we need 25 players. Mitch is hot, and I told Tommy to play him. It was a good idea, too.”

Webster had two hits against Smith (4-5), including the lead-off hit that started the three-run rally in the third.