He May Be the MVP, but Not of This Game

In this election year, Dodger Manager Bill Russell crossed party lines Thursday and said he would cast his vote--if he had one--for Ken Caminiti as the National League’s most valuable player.

Accordingly, Russell then treated the San Diego Padre third baseman with proper respect in a pivotal situation in the first inning of the first game of this showdown series in the National League West.

Ramon Martinez dutifully pitched around Caminiti, issuing a five-pitch walk that helped establish a frustrating tone for the Padres’ offensive leader and his team in the pivotal opener of the biggest series here since 1984, when San Diego last won a division crown.

Admitting to impatience after that unintentional intentional walk--the only walk Martinez issued--Caminiti struck out three times. The Dodger right-hander struck out 12 while pitching a six-hit, 7-0 victory that dropped the Padres 1 1/2 games behind the Dodgers.

“Sometimes you have to tip your cap to the pitcher,” Caminiti said. “Martinez had a good live fastball and good live arm action on his changeup.

“He simply beat us, and we have to blow it off. If we go about it with the same, yank-the-ball-out-of-the-park approach against Tom Candiotti tomorrow, we’ll be in trouble.”

How does Caminiti approach Candiotti?

“I don’t even take a stance against him,” he responded. “I treat it like it’s a slo-pitch softball game.”

Unfortunately for the Padres, Caminiti admitted, his team’s approach wasn’t quite that relaxed in the long-anticipated opener of this four-game series.

“There seemed to be a little tension,” he said. “We did our best to keep each other alive in the dugout, but I definitely sensed a little tension that we’ll have to get rid of.”

It wasn’t so much tension but tightness that big-game veteran Fernando Valenzuela was feeling.

Undefeated in his previous eight decisions, Valenzuela was unable to get loose in the five days between starts.

Pitching coach Dan Warthen said the left-hander experienced tightness “in his shoulder, elbow and whole body.”

Valenzuela wouldn’t use it as an excuse, but by the time the Padres came to bat in the first, they were already trailing, 3-0.

It was with two out and a runner at second in that inning that the Dodgers established their approach to Caminiti, pitching around him when possible in favor of challenging Greg Vaughn, batting .211 in 37 games with the Padres and .140 with runners in scoring position.

The obviously pressing Vaughn struck out on four pitches.

It was then 4-0 and San Diego had runners at first and third with two outs in the third when Martinez came at Caminiti and ultimately got him to chase a high, full-count fastball.

“I can’t lie, it was frustrating,” Caminiti said of a performance that included a first-inning error on Chad Curtis’ leadoff grounder.

“I should have walked three or four times but I got impatient,” he said. “I tried to do too much instead of just putting the ball in play.

“He gave me some pitches to hit, but I swung too hard. I never hit when I swing too hard.”

The late-afternoon shadows would inhibit the Padres ability to play catch-up against Martinez after Valenzuela lasted only 45 pitches, yielding a two-run homer to Eric Karros on a cut fastball that didn’t cut in the first inning and three walks in the second.

“I wouldn’t say he was hurting, but he just couldn’t get loose,” Warthen said of Valenzuela’s program between starts, “[and] his location was affected today.”

Said Valenzuela: “I’m disappointed and frustrated. I didn’t do my job, but I never make excuses.

“I warmed up pretty good and felt pretty good. The problem was control. I couldn’t get my screwball over, and the walks killed me.”

Valenzuela has been here before. He said it was one game, no reason to panic.

Tony Gwynn agreed.

“I heard catcalls from people behind our dugout, as if the season is over,” he said. “You have to keep it in perspective. If you put too much emphasis on the first game, it tends to let the air out if you lose. It’s one of four.”

Caminiti tried to remember that after his third-inning strikeout on the high fastball. He lifted the bat over his head, as if to break it on his knee, but then cast it aside.

“No,” he insisted, “that’s a good bat. I wasn’t going to break it. I don’t have that many good bats left.”

He obviously hopes to put this one to better use against the Candiotti knuckleball, providing the Dodgers let him put it anywhere close.