In Any Language, Nomo a Hit as Dodgers Win, 5-1

There was a time when he was considered little more than a foreigner wearing the Dodger uniform that was responsible for crowding their clubhouse with unwanted media.

Three years later, Hideo Nomo not only has become one of the fellas, but is being relied upon to help lead the Dodgers to the World Series.

Nomo, establishing himself as one of the most feared starters in baseball, dominated the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, leading the Dodgers to a 5-1 victory in front of 37,195 at Dodger Stadium.

Nomo yielded only four hits and struck out eight in seven innings en route to the Dodgers’ first victory of the season, ending an eight-game losing streak dating to Sept. 25, 1996.

“I remember when the rap on Nomo was that the league would get to know him and he wouldn’t be the same,” said Dave Wallace, Dodger pitching coach. “Well, they’ve had plenty of time to know him now, and he keeps getting better.”

Nomo, who still conducts his interviews through a Japanese interpreter, attributes the primary difference in his ability simply to comfort. He no longer feels as if he is solely responsible for the future of all Japanese pitchers in the major leagues. He no longer acts as a stranger in a foreign world. He even communicates and goes out with his teammates on the road, acting no differently as if he were Sandy Koufax hanging out with Don Drysdale.

“I feel so much more comfortable, and there’s so much less pressure compared to my first year,” said Nomo, who still lives in Japan in the off-season. “I’m just so much more relaxed. I understand my teammates much more.”

Nomo, in fact, speaks English to his teammates. He can go out on his own and have no problems. But when it comes time to conversing with the media, well, he still is reluctant to speak without an interpreter.

“I pretty much understand the conversations,” Nomo said. “I understand what they say. But I still don’t have the confidence to do press conferences.”

Despite the language barrier, Nomo got his point across fine Wednesday night , and then he thanked teammate Raul Mondesi for providing plenty of support.

Mondesi ruined Phillie rookie pitcher Calvin Maduro’s season-debut by hitting a three-run homer off him in the first inning, and hitting a two-out single in the fourth, helping knock Maduro out of the game. Mondesi went three for four with four runs batted in.

The Dodgers, who suffered a two-hit shutout Tuesday in the season-opener, wasted no time eliminating those memories. Brett Butler led off by drawing a walk. Rookie Wilton Guerrero followed with a single to right. And Mondesi, who did not homer all spring, powered a 1-and-0 pitch into the left-field seats.

The Dodgers made it 4-0 in the third inning when they loaded the bases and scored on catcher Mike Lieberthal’s passed ball. In the fourth, it was Guerrero again sparking the offense with a two-out triple off the right-field wall. Mondesi, battling Maduro to a full-count, slapped a single up the middle for a 5-0 lead.

Nomo never gave the Phillies a chance to recover. He prevented a baserunner from reaching second until Lieberthal’s solo homer in the fifth inning. It was the last time the Phillies would reach second again until Nomo left the game.

The Phillies made it intriguing in the eighth when they loaded the bases with two outs, but reliever Darren Dreifort shattered first baseman Rico Brogna’s bat, inducing a soft roller to the mound for the inning-ending out. Dreifort, who has not been on the Dodgers’ opening-day roster since 1994 because of elbow problems that required “Tommy John” surgery, pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for his first save since May 29, 1994.

However, the night belonged to Nomo. He struck out at least one batter in every inning but the fourth, keeping the Phillies off-balance all evening with his array of forkballs, fastballs and a few curveballs.

“When I first came here,” Nomo said, “my goal was to pitch in the major leagues. Now my goal is different. Now my goal is to pitch in the World Series.”

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* TRIBUTE: Wiesenthal Center exhibit honors Jackie Robinson for breaking baseball’s color barrier in 1947. B1