Dodgers’ Defeat No Glove Affair

A good bunt, a botched potential double play, a timely hit and the Dodgers were reintroduced to disappointment.

The game-turning scene unfolded during the ninth inning of the Montreal Expos’ 6-5 victory Wednesday night--capped by Rondell White’s game-winning, two-run single against Dodger closer Jeff Shaw.

Trace Coquillette scored the tying run and Peter Bergeron, the former Dodger prospect, the winner on White’s single to center, handing the Dodgers their first loss after they went ahead on Dave Hansen’s two-out, three-run, pinch-hit home run against Montreal closer Ugueth Urbina in the eighth.

Bergeron’s bunt eluded catcher Chad Kreuter and Shaw wasn’t able to make a play either, putting runners on first and second. Jose Vidro then sent a one-hop grounder to second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, who dropped the ball to load the bases.

Enter White. He was hitless in his first 10 at-bats in the series, with six strikeouts, but delivered the key hit.

“There were a few little things we didn’t do that turned into bigger things,” Dodger Manager Davey Johnson said. “You can’t give them that many outs in the ninth, and that’s what we did.”

Orel Hershiser struggled in his first regular-season Dodger start since 1994, giving up four runs in five innings and upsetting Felipe Alou.

The Montreal manager became enraged when Hershiser hit Expo outfielder Vladimir Guerrero with a pitch on his left shoulder in the fifth, shouting and pointing at Hershiser while claiming the right-hander did it intentionally.

“I wasn’t trying to hit him, I was just trying to work him up and in,” said Hershiser, who apologized to Guerrero. “He’s obviously been hitting pretty well this series.”

The Dodgers experienced a letdown before 8,867 after routing the Expos in the first two games, and they quickly assigned blame on themselves.

“We just didn’t make the plays when we had to in the ninth,” first baseman Eric Karros said. “We didn’t execute defensively, and that bunt opened up the inning and it came back to bite us.

“I’m not sure who should have made the play because I was running [to cover] the bag, but we had to make it. It’s disappointing because [Hansen] had a huge hit for us.”

Hitting for reliever Matt Herges with runners on first and second, Hansen crushed an 0-1 fastball from the hard-throwing Urbina, sending the ball off speakers suspended above right field and giving the Dodgers a 5-4 lead.

“Urbina has got too much stuff to try to think about what you’re going to do up there against him, you just have to pick one out and let it fly,” said Hansen, second on the Dodgers’ all-time pinch-hit list. “I just try to put the bat on the ball, and it’s one of those things where you surprise yourself sometimes.”

The good vibes didn’t last long.

Coquillette singled to center to start the ninth. Bergeron, acquired in the deal that brought Grudzielanek and Carlos Perez to the Dodgers, then laid down a bunt toward the mound.

Kreuter, playing again for injured starter Todd Hundley, couldn’t field the ball, and Shaw didn’t try to make a play.

“Shaw should have probably had it,” Johnson said. “I mean, for me, Shaw has got to field that bunt.

“Kreuter called the ball and Shaw kind of backed off, but you can’t take anything for granted on the turf. As for Grud, he’s been good at the flips, he just went [the wrong way] on that one. That [Bergeron’s bunt] was the one we had to have there.”

Shaw said Bergeron’s bunt was simply too good.

“It was pretty much in no-man’s land,” Shaw said. “Bergeron just laid down a good bunt.”

*

BAD BET?

Once-taboo sponsorships by gambling interests provide some major league teams with a lucrative source of new revenue. A1

NEW POWER

The Cardinals still don’t have Mark McGwire, so former Angel Jim Edmonds is helping to fill the void. Page 7

*

TODAY

DODGERS

(Carlos Perez)

at MONTREAL

(Carl Pavano)

4 p.m. PDT

Fox Sp. Net 2

KXTA (1150)