There’s Plenty of Spring in Malone’s Step

The Dodgers left Dodgertown on Wednesday, perhaps for the final time, pleased about their strong performance in the Grapefruit League.

The starting rotation has been outstanding, even though Kevin Brown had a lackluster outing Wednesday in a 6-4 loss to the Houston Astros at Dodgertown. The everyday lineup has produced runs in bunches, even though left fielder Gary Sheffield hasn’t been productive. And the Dodgers have been solid defensively, even though they are considered shaky in that area.

Of course, spring training isn’t the real thing.

None of what happened here will matter if the team, expected to win the National League West, stumbles when the games count, beginning Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. But doing well in the spring doesn’t hurt either, the Dodgers said.

“I’m more solidified in my opinion of this ballclub now than I have ever been,” General Manager Kevin Malone said shortly before boarding the team charter to Los Angeles. “The club has really come together under [Manager] Davey [Johnson] and his staff.

“They’ve been able to unite the team and get everyone on the same page; they’ve bonded well, which is so important. We have a long way to go, there is a lot of work to do in this journey, but we like how things have started.”

The Dodgers are 18-9-1 with three exhibition games remaining. Then again, they were 18-10-1 last season--and imploded once the season started. But this edition is considered much more talented.

After a day off today, the Dodgers play the Angels at Edison Field on Friday, and the World Series-champion New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on Saturday and Sunday in the teams’ final tuneup.

For the most part, Brown, Chan Ho Park and Ismael Valdes, the first three starters in the rotation, have been dominant. Brown dropped to 2-1 Wednesday, giving up seven hits--including three home runs--and five runs (four earned) in five innings. He struck out three without a walk as his earned-run average increased to 3.42.

Park is 2-1 with an 0.78 ERA, and Valdes, who seems determined to shed his image as an underachiever, is 3-0 with a 1.37 ERA. Teammates have said Valdes has never been as focused in the spring.

“I liked our pitching a lot before we got here, and I like it a lot more now,” Johnson said. “With Kevin, Chan Ho, Valdes, Carlos [Perez] and [Darren] Dreifort, we’ve got a chance to be real good. You can’t help but be encouraged about that.”

Todd Hundley’s work behind the plate has been the Dodgers’ most encouraging news of the spring. It’s not that Hundley has done anything eye-opening, it’s that he has been able to catch at all.

Hundley has been slowed because of muscle irritation in his surgically repaired throwing elbow. Team officials, citing precautionary reasons, prohibited Hundley from catching until last Friday.

He has caught in four games, including the last two, without pain. Hundley, who went hitless in three at-bats Wednesday, acknowledges he hasn’t caught as many innings as he would have preferred.

Because of his lack of work, it may take him longer to feel ready. But he is determined to be the opening-day starter, and the plan is for him to be Brown’s batterymate Monday.

“I haven’t wavered on that point all spring,” Malone said, alluding to earlier speculation about Hundley beginning the season on the disabled list. “He had a setback midway through [spring training], and it was the medical staff’s opinion it wasn’t serious but that we should just be safe.”

Management is so encouraged that the plan to carry three catchers on the 25-man roster has been scrapped for now. Rookie Paul LoDuca, who is batting .324 (12 for 37), has earned the backup job.

*

The Dodgers, considering relocating to Arizona for spring training, were greeted by a supportive crowd of about 300 at the Vero Beach Municipal Airport. The Florida state legislature is putting together a package of financial incentives in an attempt to persuade the Dodgers to remain in their spring home of 51 years. . . . Pedro Borbon begins the final exhibition weekend ahead of Greg Cadaret for the left-handed situational role in the bullpen. Borbon has appeared in nine games without a decision and a 2.70 ERA, and Cadaret is 0-1 with a 4.97 ERA in 10 appearances. Impressive rookie Onan Masaoka is expected to be the left-handed setup man to open the season, and the Dodgers may carry only one left-handed reliever once Antonio Osuna, recovering from off-season elbow surgery, returns from the 15-day disabled list.