Bulldog Day afternoon

A familiar face returning to the place and a remolded stage created a buzz about the premiere.

The Dodgers’ performance did the rest.

They scored six runs in the seventh inning to break open the Dodger Stadium opener Friday against the Cincinnati Reds, winning, 8-1, behind a strong effort from starter Orel Hershiser while unveiling the renovated ballpark.

Hershiser (1-0) stirred memories of past big games during his first start for the club at Dodger Stadium since 1994. The right-hander worked six solid innings in the victory, taking the mound first at the ballpark that underwent a $50-million make-over.

He received a rousing standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 53,223 when his name was announced in the opening lineup and did his part to send the fans home happy. His teammates helped make the overcast day memorable too.

Terry Adams continued his timely relief work, striking out Ken Griffey Jr. with the bases loaded in the seventh to preserve a 2-1 lead.

Gary Sheffield, Shawn Green and Eric Karros--the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 batters--provided power again, driving in two runs apiece.

Sheffield increased his hitting streak to 10 games with a first-inning solo home run (his third homer), and Green pushed his mark to nine.

Green and Karros had two-run doubles in the six-run seventh. The Dodgers sent 11 batters to the plate against the bullpen after rookie starter Rob Bell (0-1) limited them to four hits and two runs (one earned) in 5 1/3 innings.

“Everyone on this club has a good feeling about each other,” said Sheffield, batting .429 with nine runs batted in. “It’s just a quiet confidence. We let our play do the talking, and we know we can count on each other.”

The late-inning support made things easier for Matt Herges. The rookie reliever capped the club’s fifth consecutive victory--and third in less than 24 hours--with two shutout innings.

The Dodgers were weary after going 6-3 on their opening trip, returning to Los Angeles at 3 a.m. and arriving at the stadium at 11:30 a.m. for the afternoon game.

But the show must go on, and the Dodgers had another good one.

“It was a great day for Orel, and it was a great day for the team,” Manager Davey Johnson said.

“It was fun for me to watch him keep a great hitting club at bay, and we swung the bats well. We’ve been through a tough part of our schedule, being on the road while they got the stadium ready, and we came home and got a good feeling from the crowd and played well.

“It doesn’t get any better than that for me. You couldn’t have written it any better than that.”

The Dodgers traveled to Toronto, Montreal, New York and San Francisco after finishing spring training at Vero Beach, Fla., on March 30. They have eagerly awaited the Dodger Stadium opener--no one more than Hershiser.

He left the organization after ‘94, last starting for the Dodgers at the stadium Aug. 8 that season. The San Diego Padres defeated the Dodgers that day, and Hershiser was determined to start his second stint with the organization better than his first ended.

“It was really like a playoff game for me,” said Hershiser, who had a no-decision in his first start against the Montreal Expos.

“For me to pitch opening day, with the bunting out, in [Chairman Bob Daly’s] first home game, it was very special for me. But you have to put those emotions behind you and execute.”

Hershiser gave up six hits, including a solo homer to Aaron Boone in the third. He struck out two and walked two while throwing 98 pitches, 59 for strikes.

Adams relieved him to start the seventh and got in a jam. With two out, the Reds got three singles to load the bases for Griffey.

The right-hander struck him out with a high fastball, exciting the crowd with a pumped fist while walking off the mound.

“Right there I was thinking, ‘Great, this guy has got [401] home runs,’ that’s what I was thinking,” Adams said. “He’s damn near the best player in the game, I wasn’t trying to show him up at all, it was just one of those things where it was pure emotion.

“I mean the crowd, opening day, and everything we went through on the trip, it just all came together at that moment. It was just kind of a big moment.”

The Dodgers had many Friday.

*

* ROSS NEWHAN 10

* DODGER REPORT 10

* RANDY HARVEY 11

* GRIFFEY’S DAY 11

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Dodgers by The Numbers

24-19: Dodger record in home openers in L.A.

53,757: Attendance record for home opener at Dodger Stadium (1994)

53,223: Friday’s attendance

3: Home opener starts by Orel Hershiser (includes this season)

3-0: Dodger record in those games

5: Current winning streak for the Dodgers