BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Eischen’s Mom Loves the Trade

The message light was blinking on Expo General Manager Kevin Malone’s answering machine when he arrived to work Saturday morning.

It was Kathy Eischen, the mother of Dodger rookie reliever Joey Eischen.

“It was a beautiful call,” Malone said. “She thanked me for trading Joey.

“I’ll tell you something, [Friday] night was the first time I ever prayed and pulled for an opposing pitcher. Can you believe that? For two innings, I was pulling for him. I didn’t like that. It was an uncomfortable feeling.”

Eischen, who pitched two hitless innings Friday in the Dodgers’ 9-4 defeat, telephoned his mother after the game. She watched every minute from her West Covina home, crying the moment her son appeared in the game.

“She was a mess, an absolute mess,” Eischen said. “She was crying and telling me how proud she is of me. It was an unbelievable feeling.

“I can’t wait to see her when I go home. It’s going to be something.”

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The routine is starting to get old, but some day, some way, Ismael Valdes knows that his luck will turn.

Valdes, once again victimized by lack of support, yielded only four hits and one run in six innings. When he was removed from the game for a pinch-hitter in the seventh, the Dodgers still were scoreless.

“It’s part of the game,” said Valdes, who’s 0-2 with a 2.60 earned-run average. “I’m pitching good, but the team is not making runs. If I keep pitching like this, the wins will come.”

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Reliever Rudy Seanez is expected to go on the 15-day disabled list today after he suffered a strained right groin muscle while pitching to Tim Laker in the seventh inning.

It’s almost identical to the injury that reliever Antonio Osuna suffered May 18, trainer Charlie Strasser said, that forced Osuna to go on the disabled list.

Felix Rodriguez is expected to be recalled and replace Seanez on the roster.

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Hideo Nomo, tonight’s scheduled starter, tried going to lunch without his interpreter Friday afternoon in Montreal.

He sat down at the table, began reading a French menu, and thought he was ordering a hamburger. What he got, Nomo said, was something he didn’t recognize.

Nomo headed back to his room, telephoned interpreter Michael Okumura, and announced he was playing it safe.

“He’s going to order room service from now on,” Okumura said, laughing, “at least until we get back to the United States.”

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The Dodgers tried their third leadoff hitter this season when they moved Jose Offerman out of the spot and inserted Roberto Kelly. Offerman is in a six-for-30 slide in his last eight games. Kelly had with three singles, and Offerman reached base twice. . . . The Dodgers have gone a season-high four consecutive games without an error but still lead the league with 30. . . . The Dodgers have walked six times in the last five games while striking out 36 times.