Dodgers Upset Over Traveling Call by Mets

Tired after a long season-opening trip, the Dodgers have been upset about returning East to play the New York Mets.

They didn’t want to play the Mets Monday, hoping to make up much later in the season a game that had been postponed by a snowstorm April 9.

Their mood only worsened Monday after the Mets’ 1-0 victory--capped by Matt Franco’s one-out, bases-loaded infield single in the ninth inning off reliever Terry Adams’ glove at Shea Stadium.

Jon Nunnally scored from third base when Franco, who entered as a defensive replacement in the seventh, bounced Adams’ first pitch up the middle, helping the Mets to their eighth consecutive victory before an afternoon crowd of 37,987.

“[The ball] was right there,” said Adams, who dropped to 1-1. “It was right at me, I just didn’t get my glove up high enough.

“I don’t know if I was too quick to my glove to try to get [the ball] back to home plate, but that play should have been made. I just didn’t make it.”

Said Franco: “When I hit it, I thought it was a double play. I was relieved to see it tip off his glove.”

Dodger Manager Davey Johnson was ejected during the inning for throwing his chewing tobacco while arguing a call at third, catcher Todd Hundley had the team’s only three hits against starter Pat Mahomes and three relievers and the Dodgers appeared sluggish from the outset. They stranded seven runners, leaving the bases loaded in the seventh.

The ninth-inning play at third was indicative of the Dodgers’ day.

Robin Ventura doubled against Adams to start the inning. Melvin Mora ran for Ventura and Nunnally, who entered as a defensive replacement in the top of the inning, walked to put runners on first and second.

With the infield in, Jay Payton grounded to shortstop Kevin Elster, who threw to third baseman Adrian Beltre. But Beltre had trouble locating the bag with his foot as he backpedaled, trying to tag Mora for the out.

Third base umpire Gerry Davis ruled that Beltre missed the bag and the tag was too late. Johnson raced toward Davis, throwing a wad of chewing tobacco on the ground. After Johnson was sent to the clubhouse, Mora was thrown out at the plate on Rey Ordonez’s grounder.

“He was ejected for throwing his tobacco in disgust,” Davis said.

Johnson said Beltre touched the bag before Mora.

“I had a pretty good angle on it,” he said. “Even though he tried to tag him, I thought his foot was on the bag. That was my beef with Gerry.”

Beltre agreed.

“I was sure I got the tag,” he said. “I thought I got both [the bag and tag], but I’m sure about the tag.”

The final inning overshadowed another strong performance by starter Darren Dreifort. The right-hander worked six scoreless innings while matching Mahomes, who gave up two hits in 5 2/3 innings in his second successful outing against the Dodgers in as many starts this season.

It was a worst-case scenario for the road-weary Dodgers, who have the Mets on their list.

“We were sluggish from the travel,” said Johnson, whose team completed a three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. “I didn’t like this [the rescheduled date], and I said it at the time.

“I would have rather played later when the weather was a little warmer back here, but we don’t have any say so. There just wasn’t much left in the tank.”

The Dodgers began the season with a 10-game, 11-day trip to Montreal, New York and San Francisco while workers finished Dodger Stadium’s $50-million make-over. They also played two exhibition games in Toronto after finishing spring training at Vero Beach, Fla.

Johnson didn’t appreciate playing Monday for several reasons. The game occurred on a scheduled day off between series at Cincinnati and Atlanta, and Johnson wanted the Dodgers to have a break. The players did too.

“Major league baseball just shouldn’t allow this,” said left fielder Gary Sheffield, hitless in four at-bats. “Not to make excuses for the way we played, but you can’t ignore what type of travel we’ve had.

“We’re a West Coast team, and we have to start on the road for two weeks. Then we had to go back East on the road to play the Reds and a big series against the Braves, so it just didn’t make sense to have us play one game here. We shouldn’t have had to do this.”

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RANDY HARVEY

The Dodgers show signs of improvement. Page 2