Dodgers: 20 years ago today

By Matt McHale
Staff Writer

Orel Hershiser was going to pitch on three days rest anyway.

But for the record, Hershiser will be pitching today in Game 3 of the best-of-seven National League Championship Series due to a rainout of Friday night's game at Shea Stadium.

The postponement only changes the setup of the Dodgers' rotation and cancels Monday's off-day. The "Blood Feud" between the two clubs, which was reported in the New York Post, continues although none of the players seem to be aware of it.

Dodger momentum from Wednesday's 6-3 victory disappeared during Thursday's flight to New York. "Those things are there during the game but they pass quickly," catcher Mike Scioscia said.

The series, which is tied at a game apiece, resumes here today (9:20 a.m. PDT) with Game 3. The teams play Games 4 and 5 Saturday and Sunday before flying back to Los Angeles for Game 6 (if necessary) Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

All this, of course, hinges on an unpredictable weather forecast that calls for a 50-percent chance of rain for today. The temperature at game time Friday would have been 44 degrees.

"If we don't get that game in we will have a problem," National League president A. Bartlett Giamatti said. "We'll have to gather at the river and talk about it. . . .

"We have a legal and spiritual obligation to play three in New York."

By saving the scheduled Game 3 starter, John Tudor, for Sunday, the Dodgers maintain the possibility of starting Hershiser in three games, including Game 7 if the series lasts that long.

Hershiser will be making his fifth start this season on three days rest. Two of them came during his record-setting streak of 59 consecutive scoreless innings.

"The only thing that is really different is that I get to the mound a day earlier," said Hershiser, who went 3-1 on short rest this season.

"Sometimes, I feel more in control when I pitch with three days rest. You stay in a good groove. There is no extra day to sleep on it and maybe lose it. If I win on three days rest it's good. If I lose on three days rest it's bad. So I guess I'll save that as an excuse."

Tudor's start on Sunday will be his first in 10 days. He left last Friday's game after two innings with muscle spasms in his right hip. He tested during Monday's pre-series workout and reported no problems.

"I'm disappointed," he said. "The only way to find out about the injury is to get out there and do it. I was looking forward to getting it over with. Now this adds to the anxious moments, not knowing whether it's going to hold up. Hopefully, this will work out."

Asked if he would have been totally healthy Friday night, Tudor said, ''No, but any pitcher who goes out only when he's 100 percent probably makes three or four starts a year."

When the game was called after a 69-minute delay, most of the Dodgers headed for the nearby subway back to Manhattan. If they don't fear the New York night, Dwight Gooden may not be a problem on Sunday.

Unlike the Dodgers, the Mets are sticking with their Game 3 starter, Ron Darling, today. Left-hander Sid Fernandez, who was scheduled to pitch Sunday, has been moved back to Monday afternoon against Game 2 winner Tim Belcher.

If the series continues, the Dodgers' 17-game winner, Tim Leary, will pitch Game 6 on Tuesday with Hershiser returning for Game 7.

"I just get ready to pitch every day," said Leary, who probably would have pitched Game 3 if he hadn't slumped the last three weeks of the regular season. "There isn't much more to add."

Leary, nor any of his teammates, appeared upset with published reports that there is a feud between the two clubs. Today's lead headline in the Post said "Blood Feud" in red with the illusion of dripping blood.

The story contends that mutual hatred has existed since the May 23 bat- throwing incident between Pedro Guerrero and Mets pitcher David Cone.

The problem reportedly intensified when Dodger players, angered by Cone's unflattering comments in Wednesday's New York Daily News, spent most of Wednesday's game riding Cone from the bench.

"That is part of the game," Scioscia said. "I think to blow that up and say there is hatred between these clubs is ridiculous. Sure, we want to beat them bad, but that doesn't mean you're always on the top step waiting to fight them. The competition here is very strong. I think the teams are evenly matched."

There was no chance to find out Friday, although Giamatti and Ed Vargo, NL supervisor of officials, walked the grounds several times hoping the rain would stop.

It was expected to rain through the night here and all morning. There were two games postponed at Shea Stadium during the 1986 post season - Game 3 vs. Houston and Game 7 vs. Boston.

"Obviously, you try to do everything you can to get it in, but you don't want to put the ballplayers in position where they can get hurt," Giamatti said.