Wrist Assured, He’s a Fighter

Mike Piazza might not be Cal Ripken, but getting him out of the lineup isn’t easy.

Playing with a wrist that deserved a rest, the Dodger catcher handled the team’s fastest pitcher (Ramon Martinez), gunned down one of San Francisco’s fastest runners (Barry Bonds) attempting to steal, legged out an infield single and worked all nine innings of a much-needed 4-2 victory Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.

Let no one ever accuse Mike Piazza of sitting down on the job. Squatting, yes. Sitting, no.

Piazza was asked beforehand if his status was day to day.

“More like hour to hour,” he said.

This was around 5:30. Sure enough, at 6:30 sharp, Tom Lasorda--not needing to be told twice--got a thumbs-up from the doctor and told Coach Bill Russell to write Piazza’s name on the scorecard.

Lasorda said of his godcatcher, “Michael’s got two things in his favor. No. 2, his attitude. And No. 1, he’s Italian.”

The entire team’s attitude was improved after this game, the Dodgers having avoided dropping into a playoff-race tie with Houston.

“Now that,” said relief pitcher Todd Worrell, who saved it, “was a big, big game.”

Before it began, a different attitude-related matter kept coming up:

Retaliation.

Specifically, why had the Dodgers not responded after Piazza’s near-beaning by San Francisco’s Mark Leiter, and would they be seeking any payback Wednesday?

No, swore Lasorda.

“We will not retaliate tonight,” was the pre-game promise of the Dodger manager, who, back in his pitching days, was known to stick one in somebody’s ear here or there.

Lasorda thought it unnecessary because his gut instinct told him that Leiter hadn’t thrown at Piazza on purpose. Had he thought otherwise, you can bet that some unlucky Giant would have gone home Wednesday wearing a Ramon Martinez fastball for an earring.

Anyway, why would the Dodgers maim some valuable San Francisco player when the Giants still have several games remaining against Colorado, the very team L.A. is trying to catch?

Yet angry fans called talk-radio all day, demanding: “Retaliation!”

How sweet.

Angry fans have been such a help to the Dodgers this season, especially in that forfeit on the night of Aug. 10. Yeah, sure. Let’s throw some more baseballs at visiting players. That’ll clinch the pennant.

A defeat Wednesday would have dropped the Dodgers three games behind Colorado in what announcers like to call the “all-important loss column,” with only 10 games remaining.

That’s why Piazza’s presence was so welcome.

Applying treatment to his swollen hand all afternoon, Iron Mike gripped a bat and felt like taking a poke at something. He made contact with his first cut, fouling one toward the right-field foul pole, before grounding out. Piazza wasn’t about to go after the National League batting crown lying down.

Next time up, Piazza took another big rip and hit a single . . . about 60 feet.

Topping the ball toward third, Piazza ran as hard as he knows how. For one night, at least, his legs were working better than his hands.

Piazza’s swinging bunt was instrumental in a three-run rally, during which the Giant defense was equally instrumental, playing the field in a way that reminded absolutely nobody of Ozzie Smith. No Dodger hit the ball out of the infield, but a couple of Giants kicked it there.

A 3-0 advantage was nice, but hardly comfortable, what with Colorado and Houston winning.

And the suspense grew, with the Giants scoring twice while the Dodgers were letting an opportunity go to waste. Roberto Kelly got caught off third base with Brett Butler at bat because of a mix-up in communications, one that had Lasorda pinching the bridge of his nose, feeling a migraine coming on.

As soon as Kelly homered, though, Lasorda’s headache went away.

And so did the Giants, whose next opponent is Colorado. Yes, that’s right. The Los Angeles Dodgers now have to pull for the San Francisco Giants.