Dodgers: 20 years ago today

By Matt McHale
Staff Writer

High drama may be the tone of the 85th World Series, but with every highlight clip there are subtleties that really tell the story.

Mark McGwire's home run off Jay Howell with one out in the ninth inning Tuesday night gave the Oakland Athletics a 2-1 victory and cut the Dodgers' Series lead to 2-1.

But it may be a blown bases-loaded, no-out situation in the Dodgers' sixth inning that is remembered as a turning point in the Series. The Dodgers were 90 feet from taking the lead in a pivotal game, and failed.

No team ever has come back after trailing three games to none and the Dodgers might have enjoyed that luxury with a little clutch hitting.

"In the overall picture, we're still ahead, two games to one, and we have to remember that," Steve Sax said. "But this is a hard game to forget."

The Dodgers already had lost right fielder Mike Marshall and starter John Tudor to injuries, but the limping hero of Game 1, Kirk Gibson, told Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda he was ready.

Lasorda, however, elected to go with his set lineup. The biggest play of the game may have been when A's manager Tony La Russa replaced starter Bob Welch with left-hander Greg Caderet, who retired contact hitter Mike Scioscia in the sixth with the bases loaded.

Jeff Hamilton was next, and La Russa countered with right-hander Gene Nelson. Hamilton grounded to third, forcing Danny Heep at the plate. Alfredo Griffin grounded to first to end the inning.

"That was our opportunity to win the ballgame," Lasorda said. "We couldn't capitalize with the bases loaded and nobody out. We couldn't drive in the run, we couldn't get the ball out of the infield. It's got to hurt you . . . .

"I didn't want to use Kirk in the sixth inning and be caught short at the end. I thought that the guy (Hamilton) I had coming up could do the job."

Tuesday's loss has got to hurt Howell, whose unfortunate postseason has only gotten worse. First, he was criticized by New York Mets pitcher David Cone, then was suspended two games in the National League Championship Series for using pine tar.

Before the World Series even opened last Saturday, former teammate and Oakland designated hitter Don Baylor ripped Howell for being an ineffective reliever throughout his career.

Now, there was McGwire on Tuesday -- the first right-handed batter to hit a home run off him all year.

Howell retired Jose Canseco on a broken-bat fly ball to center. He ran the count to 2-2 on McGwire -- all fastballs -- before the home run.

"It's not important," Howell said of all the unwanted attention. "I tried to throw a fastball by him. I got it up and he hit it. I just made a bad pitch."

The Dodgers squandered six runners in scoring position, much like the A's did in Game 1. Oakland was 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position in that game, stats that were lost behind Gibson's dramatic game-winning homer.

The A's were limited to just five hits, dropping their Series average to .172. After Tudor left with an elbow injury in the second, relievers Tim Leary and Alejandro Pena allowed four hits and one run over the next 6-2/3 innings.

But like Gibson's homer, all that was obscured by McGwire. Rick Honeycutt, who pitched the final two innings against his former mates to get the victory, was reduced to a footnote.

"This has to be No. 1," said McGwire, the USC product and 1987 AL Rookie of the Year, when asked if this was his greatest professional thrill. ''We've always managed to come back. We have too many good hitters on this team to stay in a prolonged slump. As far as the team goes, I am sure the homer will pick us up. They had a great chance to blow this game open when they had the bases loaded and no one out in the sixth inning. But our guys shut them down. Hopefully we can keep it up in Game 4 tomorrow."

That game will feature a rematch of Game 1 starters Tim Belcher and Dave Stewart. It also will give the A's a chance to tie. This was the 13th consecutive Series game won by the home club, dating back to Game 6 in 1986.

But the Dodgers' greater concern now is reclaiming the Series momentum.

"What you're doing is hoping for the best," La Russa said of the sixth inning. "I'm hoping Scioscia or Hamilton hit a sac fly and they score a run, and the guy stays at second. Then you get out of it. You don't even hope to get out of a situation like that without a run."

Marshall left the game after four innings when his chronically sore lower back stiffened. He is expected to play today.

The Dodgers already are playing with a patchwork cast with Mickey Hatcher in left and Franklin Stubbs at first. Hatcher, Stubbs and Heep, who replaced Marshall, each had doubles.

Gibson, whose sprained right knee is slightly improved, would not say when he might return.

"But the situation (in the sixth) was definitely tempting," he said.

Tudor had not pitched since playoff Game 3 against the New York Mets, nine days ago. Before that, he was nursing muscle spasms in his right thigh, which flared up during the final weekend of the regular season.

Tudor was making just his second start in 24 days, not the kind of production the Dodgers expected when they acquired him Aug. 16 from the St. Louis Cardinals for Pedro Guerrero.

He first experienced pain in the elbow retiring Dave Henderson with one out in the first. Trainer Bill Buhler and pitching coach Ron Perranoski went to the mound, but Tudor remained in the game.

Leary got loose between innings as team physician Dr. Frank Jobe headed for the Dodgers clubhouse. Tudor went started the second, but was forced to leave after striking out the first batter, McGwire.

The A's scored the game's first run off Leary in the third when Glenn Hubbard singled stole second and went to third when Scioscia's throw bounced into center field.

Catcher Ron Hassey grounded a single between short and third for a 1-0 Oakland lead.

Tudor, who said repeatedly on Monday, "I'm not hurt," may have pitched his final inning of the Series.

He opened the season on the disabled list with shoulder and knee problems. Because he missed most of spring training, Tudor did not have a plate appearance until his return on April 26. He irritated the elbow swinging the bat.

Tudor had more pain in his first Dodger start, April 17, in a complete game victory over Philadelphia. There were twinges in two other starts, but Tudor's limited role in the playoffs is due to the hip problem and scheduling changes.

He was rained out of Game 3 in New York and didn't pitch until Game 5. Belcher won two games against the Mets and started the Series opener Saturday.

Welch had a history of poor starts in the postseason when he pitched with the Dodgers, but showed none of the jitters that reportedly caused the problem. It was the first time he had ever reached the fourth inning in any playoff or Series start.

Sax opened the game with a single, but Welch struck out the side.

He struck out five batters, none more important than Scioscia with John Shelby on third with two outs in the fourth.

But Hamilton opened the fifth with a single and went to second on a sacrifice by Griffin. Sax was retired on a tough play by Carney Lansford at third, but Stubbs doubled him home.