Dodgers Outlast Cubs in Victory

Even another poor performance from Ismael Valdes, a four-run deficit after three innings and three ejections Sunday afternoon did not derail the Dodgers in a 7-6, 10-inning victory over the Chicago Cubs before 37,557 at Wrigley Field.

Umpire Mark Wegner sent Manager Davey Johnson to the clubhouse in the fifth inning for arguing after Valdes was warned for throwing his first pitch high and inside to Mark Grace.

Johnson was upset because Cub starter Kerry Wood was not warned for throwing a pitch behind the head of Alex Cora in the top of the inning after Bruce Aven hit a two-run home run--his second in the game.

Valdes and bench coach Jim Tracy joined Johnson four pitches later after Valdes hit Grace on his right shoulder with a pitch.

Tracy had taken over as manager for Johnson and managers, even acting ones, are automatically ejected if a batter is hit after a pitcher is warned.

Enter Glenn Hoffman.

The third-base coach was next in line, and he managed to remain until the end.

After struggling for seven innings against Wood, the Dodgers got going against the Cubs’ ineffective relievers.

They scored three runs in the eighth on Eric Karros’ two-run single and Adrian Beltre’s sacrifice fly to take a 6-5 lead.

The Cubs tied the score in the bottom of the inning on Roosevelt Brown’s solo homer against Mike Fetters, and the teams were scoreless in the ninth.

But the Cub bullpen was still at work.

The Dodgers scored the go-ahead run without a hit in the 10th.

Pinch-hitter Jeff Branson walked, advanced to second on Beltre’s sacrifice, to third on Aven’s groundout and scored on Todd Van Poppel’s wild pitch.

Then closer Jeff Shaw capped the Dodgers’ solid relief work.

With one out and a runner on first, Shaw struck out Willie Greene and Brown to get his 21st save and third in the four-game series.

Fetters (5-2) was sharp in two innings considering he had flu, Carlos Perez worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings and Terry Adams held the Cubs hitless in 1 1/3 innings.

And the Dodger defense did its job, turning four double plays in the game.

Aven provided an unexpected boost playing for all-star left fielder Gary Sheffield, hitting two homers in only his second game with the club after being recalled Saturday from triple-A Albuquerque.

The Cubs (56-73) were burned again by their bullpen, which has a 5.26 earned-run average.

Van Poppel (2-4) was the last of four relievers to waste Wood’s 11-strikeout performance, his first double-digit strikeout game in almost two years.

The Dodgers (68-62) moved within six games of the first-place San Francisco Giants in the National League West.

They’re still in a hole, but they’ve still got some fire.

“My beef was that the pitch to Cora was flagrant after [Aven’s] home run,” Johnson said. “That ball was behind his head and that’s head-hunting.

“You can throw him [Wood] out for that and nothing [was done]. Then the first guy [Grace] up in the inning, and we throw up and in, and there’s a warning. I had a problem with that.”

Wegner warned both benches after Valdes’ first pitch to Grace.

Valdes insisted he was not retaliating for Wood’s pitch to Cora.

However, several Dodgers said Valdes did his job, and they presumably were not referring to the eight hits--including a homer--and five runs the right-hander gave up before Wegner ended his work.

“That was not my intention at all, that pitch just got away,” said Valdes, who has a 7.33 ERA in seven appearances with the Dodgers.

And Wood’s pitch to Cora?

“It was too close to him, but I really wasn’t trying to hit him,” Wood said.

“I was trying to elevate a fastball and it got to his head.

“Fortunately, no one got hurt on our team or their team.”