Nomo Brings Back Sunshine

By BOB NIGHTENGALE

April 9, 1996 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

The Dodgers fought their way through rush-hour traffic Monday morning, squinted through the thick layer of haze and smog, listened to the latest array of murders and carjackings on the radio and finally arrived at Dodger Stadium.

Man, did it ever feel good to be home again.

“It was just nice to go out and not see your breath,” outfielder Milt Thompson said. “We almost forgot what it was like to be warm again.”

The Dodgers, putting on sunscreen instead of long underwear, then sat back and watched Hideo Nomo return normalcy to their season, shutting out the World Series champion Atlanta Braves, 1-0, in front of a sellout 53,180 at Dodger Stadium.

Nomo, delighting the crowd and drawing standing ovations after almost every inning, yielded only three hits while pitching the major leagues’ first shutout of the season. It also was the first shutout by a Dodger in a home opener since Fernando Valenzuela’s 2-0 victory in 1981 against the Houston Astros.

Welcome to Nomomania, Round 2.

“Today was probably as well-pitched a game as I’ve ever been involved in from both sides,” Dodger first baseman Eric Karros said. “To be honest, it didn’t matter who we were playing. We just needed to win and play a good ballgame.”

The Dodgers’ victory might have represented only one game in a long season. But, considering they dragged into town with the National League’s worst record at 2-5, they considered the game critical to their confidence.

Manager Tom Lasorda met privately with his players before the game. He told them there was no need to panic. Merely play your game, he said, and permit the talent to take over.

“We needed this game desperately,” Lasorda said later. “I told them in the meeting, ‘Look, every team, no matter how good you are, you’re going to lose 60 games. The five games we lost are just part of the 60.’

“We just have to get back where we belong.”

Dodger right fielder Raul Mondesi, who provided the lone run against Atlanta starter Tom Glavine with a two-out single to right field in the third inning, said now that the Dodgers have escaped the cold and wind of Chicago, the season is officially under way.

“Now, we can get started,” he said. “We know we’re a good team. When this thing is over, we’ll be in first place.”

Funny how one great pitching performance can resurrect a team’s confidence, allowing the Dodgers to once again believe in their ability.

“I don’t know if you can expect that on a daily basis,” second baseman Delino DeShields said, “but we sure needed a performance like that. It was his game to lose or win, and I’m glad we left him in there.”

Nomo, who walked five batters and struck out six, gave up a leadoff single to David Justice in the second inning. He did not give up another hit and retired 11 consecutive batters before Jeff Blauser’s two-out double in the eighth. That brought up third baseman Chipper Jones, who finished second to Nomo in the rookie-of-the year balloting and is as dangerous as anyone in the Braves’ lineup.

The crowd, sensing the game could be won or lost at that moment, watched Nomo throw a fastball. Jones swung and missed.

Nomo came back with a forkball. Jones watched. Strike two.

Nomo threw another forkball. Jones swung . . . and missed.

Nomo walked off the mound, tipped his cap, and the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

The decision then was whether to permit Nomo to start the ninth. Lasorda and pitching coach Dave Wallace discussed taking him out for closer Todd Worrell but decided against it.

“He proved to us last year that he could finish a ballgame,” Wallace said. “He told me he felt good, and that’s all I needed to hear.”

Fred McGriff opened the ninth, however, by hitting a single to right field. Justice then hit a check-swing bouncer back to Nomo, who seemed to have a play at second, but threw to first for the first out. Ryan Klesko grounded out to DeShields for the second out, bringing up right-handed hitter Javier Lopez and moving the tying run to third. Wallace went to the mound again to check on Nomo.

“I think any pitcher in that position wants to finish the game,” said Dodger catcher Mike Piazza, praised afterward by Lasorda for his pitch selection. “It’s your ballgame. You want to finish it. He didn’t look toward the bullpen.”

Nomo fell behind 2-and-1 to Lopez, who then lined the next pitch to center. Brett Butler went to the warning track to make the catch.

“You can’t pitch much better than that,” Butler said. “That’s what we expect from him. Really, it’s like a new beginning.”

Nomo, in typical fashion, showed little emotion afterward.

“I wasn’t conscious of my shutout,” said Nomo, who gave up four earned runs in four innings last week against Houston in his first start. “The Dodgers got the score in the early innings, and I wanted to keep that. I just wanted to give my best pitching out there because I was unable to do so last time.”

The Dodgers realize there’s still plenty of work to be done. They had only one baserunner after Mondesi’s run-scoring single in the third, and all five of their hits were singles, including three by Piazza. He is batting .441, but all 15 of his hits are singles.

“I’m going to get on him about that,” DeShields said. “I’m going to tell him, ‘You’re average is high enough already. It’s time to get airborne.’ ”

Said Piazza: “I agree with him, but I’m trying. I guarantee at the end of August, I’ll be screaming for these singles. Hey, I’m not complaining.”

Considering the Dodgers finally are home again in 78-degree temperatures, who’s got problems?