Dodgers Lose Their Cool, but Not Game

The Dodgers have always had that Hollywood image to maintain. You simply don’t go around and act uncool. You don’t show too much emotion.

You just win games, shrug your shoulders and act as if it’s another day on the job.

Well, Friday night in the heat of a pennant race, the Dodgers forgot all their senses, and shed their image for all of the world to see in the aftermath of their dramatic 7-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

With Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president, pacing in his private box and Manager Tom Lasorda clasping his hands in prayer, the Dodgers unveiled their pent-up emotions the moment of the final out.

Closer Todd Worrell, who tied the franchise record with his 28th save, excitedly pumped his fist. Second baseman Delino DeShields rushed over to shortstop Chad Fonville and slapped him on the back three times, nearly knocking Fonville over. Outfielder Chris Gwynn ran from the dugout, jumped into the air and high-fived everyone until his hands were raw.

And there was catcher Mike Piazza, walking into the clubhouse, and screaming: “What a team! What a team!”

It easily was the most emotion the Dodgers have displayed all season, and with only 14 games remaining, the Dodgers have decided to abandon their demure image.

“It’s time to be excited,” DeShields said.

The victory enabled the Dodgers to remain one game behind the division-leading Colorado Rockies, and 2 1/2 games ahead of the Houston Astros in the wild-card race.

But, oh, how disastrous it could have been if not for Eric Karros’ two-out, game-winning single in the ninth inning, and Worrell’s save.

The Dodgers were cruising with a 6-3 lead in the eighth inning. Eric Karros and Piazza each had two RBIs. Brett Butler and Fonville combined for three bunt hits, two more than the Cardinals have produced all season. And starter Tom Candiotti was about to get his eighth victory.

John Cummings relieved Candiotti to start the eighth, retired the first two Cardinals, and then the Dodgers ran into big trouble.

John Mabry hit a single to right, and Lasorda immediately summoned Antonio Osuna. No one fretted. This was Osuna, who had pitched 9 2/3 hitless innings in his last nine appearances.

But there was Jose Oliva slapping a single to center on an 0-and-2 pitch. There was David Bell doubling to left, scoring two runs. There was Mark Sweeney tying the game with a pinch-hit single.

There was Lasorda losing his sanity.

Mark Guthrie relieved Osuna, threw a wild pitch, and then walked Danny Scheaffer. Now, it was left up to Pedro Astacio. Bernard Gilkey--who had a career .400 batting average against Astacio--struck out, ending the inning.

The Dodgers came into the dugout, yelled at one another to end the game, and did just that. Fonville hit a one-out single to right field. Piazza--who raised his batting average to .361-- lined out to center for the second out.

That brought up Karros, who already had two, two-out RBIs in the game. Cardinal reliever Tom Henke, pitching cautiously, fell behind 2-and-1. Fonville then took off and stole second while Karros watched ball three. Cardinal Manager Mike Jorgensen, whose team had won six consecutive games, rushed to the mound.

Jorgensen gave Henke the decision: Pitch to Karros or intentionally walk him and pitch to Raul Mondesi. Henke elected to stay with Karros. Henke threw a pitch low, nearly in the dirt, and Karros swung and missed. The next pitch also was low. Karros swung anyway. He sent the fastball into left-center for a 7-6 lead.

“Nine out of 10 times, I don’t hit that pitch,” said Karros, who has a career-high 95 RBIs. “But I needed that. The team needed that. For us to come back with a game like that, especially at this point of the season, was huge.”

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Batting Race

A look at how the battle between the Padres’ Tony Gwynn and the Dodgers’ Mike Piazza for the National League batting title is shaping up:

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Player AB H AVG Gwynn 477 174 .365 Piazza 388 140 .361

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(Friday: 2 for 5, HR, 2 RBI)