Dodgers Changing Direction

OK, so perhaps it was a lucky break.

Maybe the Dodgers were fortunate to knock off the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-2, in 12 innings Friday night, simply because the Cardinals had a catcher playing first base for the first time in his career.

It doesn’t really matter.

The Dodgers won for only the second time this week, and believe the underlying reason was their new attitude.

Dodger first baseman Eric Karros called a team meeting Friday. Players arrived 90 minutes early at Busch Stadium. The clubhouse door was shut, keeping out even Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda and the coaching staff.

“This was something we had to talk about ourselves,” Karros said. “Tommy and the coaches can’t do anything. We’re the ones who have to do it.

“It’s not their fault. It’s our fault. And we have to do something about it.”

The Dodgers realize there’s no magical cure for their woes. This is such a horrific hitting slump that not even Ted Williams could help. Yet they knew they had to do something about their mental approach.

“We knew we had to change our attitude,” said Dodger closer Todd Worrell, who pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for the victory. “When things aren’t going your way, it’s easy to hang your head and look like you’re whipped. And that’s what we’ve been doing. We’ve been hanging our head and moping around, and that’s the kiss of death.

“We can still go out there and lose, but hold your head up high when you do. When you look like you’re whipped, you play like that. And this team is too good to play like that.”

The Dodgers appeared headed toward another devastating defeat in the 10th inning when the Cardinals had runners on second and third with one out, and Ray Lankford at the plate. Scott Radinsky struck out Lankford for the second out, and Lasorda summoned rookie Jim Bruske, who had not pitched in a game this season in which the Dodgers were tied or ahead. He intentionally walked Brian Jordan, loading the bases, then struck out Danny Scheaffer.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised they brought me in in that situation,” Bruske said, “but I felt good they trusted me in a situation like that.”

The Dodgers, who had not reached third base since the sixth inning, fed off the emotion and pulled out the game in the 12th. Raul Mondesi hit a two-out double into the left-field corner off Dennis Eckersley. Cardinal Manager Tony La Russa ordered Mike Piazza to be intentionally walked, bringing up Karros.

Karros, hitless in his last 22 at-bats while batting .191, smashed a hard grounder down the first-base line. Karros figured it would go into the corner, but Pat Borders was playing him perfectly. The only trouble was that this was the first time in Borders’ seven-year major league career that he was playing first base.

The ball caromed off Borders’ glove, and into foul territory, enabling Mondesi to score the winning run. It was ruled an error instead of a hit, but on this night, Karros couldn’t care less.

“We’ve been scuffling so much, it was just nice to get a win,” Karros said.

“It was big for us. We needed something like that.”

The Dodgers hardly are in the clear. It’s not as if one game is going to turn around their season. But they realize that if they don’t soon start winning, this summer could be ugly.

“That’s why we had the meeting,” outfielder Milt Thompson said. “Before, we kept saying it’s a long season. But there’s a sense of urgency now. We had to bring this thing to a head.”

The Dodgers concluded during their meeting that they had lost their confidence and swagger.

“We kept trying to stress this spring how important it was to play with confidence, and it wasn’t happening,” said Dodger starter Tom Candiotti, who yielded five hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings.

“You’ve got to go out there expecting to win. This is a game. We’re supposed to have fun. It’s hard to play when you’re pressing, and that’s what’s happening.”

This is where the Dodgers perhaps most have missed Brett Butler, who wouldn’t succumb to frustration.

“The thing we miss most about Brett is his attitude,” Karros said. “The way he approaches every at-bat, every pitch. We need that. We’ve got to have that same approach. If that happens, I think we’ll be fine.”