Dodgers: 20 years ago today

By Matt McHale
Staff Writer

NEW YORK -- Jay Howell was gone, but not forgotten. The Dodgers' only wish was to survive the National League playoffs until he was eligible to return.

That meant sending the best-of-seven series back to Los Angeles and meant Kirk Gibson would finally have to make some noise.

But most of all, it meant the Dodgers' bullpen, minus its suspended ace, would have to deliver.

In a wild 12th inning to match anything seen in this now-tied series, the Dodgers used three relievers, including Orel Hershiser at the end, to halt a Mets rally and hold on for a 5-4 victory in front of 54,014 fans Sunday night at Shea Stadium.

It was Gibson's two-out home run off Roger McDowell that gave the Dodgers the lead, just his second hit of the series and his first home run since Sept. 13.

But it was the improbable bullpen with Hershiser and fellow starter Tim Leary, and featuring a brilliant three innings of hitless relief by Alejandro Pena, that got it done.

Earlier in the day, Howell, the club's save leader, was suspended for three games by National League president Bart Giamatti for using pine tar on his pitching hand in Game 3.

With the chance to fall behind 3-1 in the series, the Dodgers knew this game called for desperate measures. It meant even using Hershiser, a 23-game winner and the major-league record-holder with 59 consecutive scoreless innings, in relief after throwing 110 pitches the day before.

"We were at a point where there was no reason to think ahead," said Hershiser, who is scheduled to pitch Game 7 on Wednesday. "The season was right in front of us. I was ready to stay out there until we got Belcher back
from the hotel."

Gibson's home run smacked off the bottom of the scoreboard and stunned the capacity crowd. As ABC's Al Michaels said, "There were only nine people clapping on that one."

"I figured it was about time I did something," Gibson said. "I'd been terrible for most of the series. I was trying not to get down on myself. You tell yourself that these are the moments you dream about and you feel fortunate when it happens. I was long overdue and I felt the team was counting on me. I was counting on me."

But the Mets had runners at first and second with no outs in the 12th off Leary, who was dropped from the starting rotation after slumping the last month of the season.

Gregg Jefferies failed to move the runners over with a bunt, and later flied to left. Jesse Orosco was brought in to face Keith Hernandez and walked him to load the bases.

Orosco retired Darryl Strawberry on an infield fly. It was time for Hershiser, who pitched seven innings the day before. On a 1-1 pitch, Kevin McReynolds broke his bat on a fly to shallow center.

John Shelby, who dropped Gary Carter's game-winning blooper in the series opener, made the catch, ending the game at almost 1 a.m., less than 12 hours before the first pitch of Game 5.

"If he hadn't made that play, I would have committed suicide," manager Tom Lasorda said. "We had no one left. I would have gone out there and pitched if I could."

The Dodgers got this far because of Mike Scioscia's ninth-inning, two-run homer off Dwight Gooden, who still has not won in six career post-season starts.

Gooden was given a 4-2 lead on back-to-back homers by Strawberry and McReynolds in the fourth inning against John Tudor.

But Scioscia, with just three homers, was just looking to make contact.

"That home run meant everything," said Hershiser, still three innings away from his big moment. "I remember during the last inning of my streak, Sosh came up to me and said he'd go deep to end the game," Hershiser said. ''I told him, 'Forget it, you don't have the power.' "

The only question after who would score first was: would the Dodgers have enough bullpen to survive extra innings?

Lasorda is using Belcher tonight in Game 5, so he sent his starter back to the club's Manhattan hotel. Although the manager didn't rule out using Leary in Howell's short relief role, Leary is expected to start Game 6 if the series lasts that long. Leary warmed up in the 10th inning, but didn't enter the game until the 12th.

Hershiser would pitch Game 7 on three days rest, but volunteered for relief work after hearing Sunday's verdict. With Howell's suspension, the Dodgers are limited to eight pitchers. Hershiser made one relief appearance this season and registered a save.

"That's the way he is," Lasorda said, before the game. "He wouldn't hesitate going to the bullpen. He has the arm and the attitude for it. But I'm not going to use him. No, no, no way."

Even Belcher, who went to the bullpen for a month when Howell suffered a broken rib, said he would be ready if Lasorda needed him.

"The season is getting short," he said. "They can use me any way they want."

But there is no substitute for Howell, who had the most saves by a Dodger since Terry Forster had 22 in 1978.

In Lasorda's mind, there was no reason for Howell to immediately file a grievance with the Major League Players Association because the Dodgers did not plan to use him in Sunday's game.

Game 6 in Los Angeles would have been an ideal place to bring him back. Now they know they are going home.

Howell issued a statement but did answer questions in a pre-game news conference. He never changed into his uniform and obviously did not participate in the batting practice.

He remained in the Dodger clubhouse until after the game started, then returned to the hotel with Belcher.

"Losing a pitcher of the caliber of a Jay Howell certainly isn't going to help," Lasorda said. "I didn't go to church smiling this morning. I didn't come out here telling jokes. I didn't even eat well today."

The bullpen situation didn't look any better when starter John Tudor lasted just five innings and left trailing, 4-2.

Tudor was making his first start since the last Friday of the regular season when he left in the second inning with muscle spasms in his right hip.

That injury was critical to the rotation, because Tudor, originally scheduled to pitch Game 2, will be limited to Sunday's start.

But he was spotted a two-run lead in the first after Steve Sax opened by reaching on an infield single. Mickey Hatcher walked and Shelby lined a two- run single to right.

Tudor had little trouble through the first three innings. The Mets had runners at first and second with one out in the second, but Tudor retired Tim Teufel and Kevin Elster on fly balls.

But the fourth was his undoing and it all started with a bloop single to right, by Keith Hernandez.

Strawberry entered the game with a .265 average (9 for 34, 2 homers) against Tudor, but 6 for 14 in the series.

Tudor got a breaking ball out over the plate on the first pitch and Strawberry lined it into the Mets' bullpen in right.

McReynolds, who batted .345 with seven homers and 22 RBI in September, was next, and he homered on an 0-1 fastball.