Dodgers: 20 years ago today

By Matt McHale
Staff Writer

With the National League pennant on the line Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, baseball's finest pitcher saved his finest hour for last.

Orel Hershiser, who set a regular-season record with 59 consecutive scoreless innings, shut out the heavily favored New York Mets, 6-0, to give Game 7 of the league championship series to the Dodgers and send them to a World Series meeting with the Oakland Athletics.

It was a trademark performance in a landmark season for a club that finished 16 games under .500 in each of the past two seasons. Kirk Gibson may have been the spark in the Dodgers' rebuilding program, but Hershiser was its soul.

"This is such a great moment for all of us, but this was Orel's night," catcher Mike Scioscia said. "He was magnificent. No one gave us chance in this series, but I don't know how you can count out any team that has Orel Hershiser."

After Hershiser, the 23-game winner and series' most valuable player, struck out Howard Johnson to end the game, he kneeled and crossed himself. This was his third start and fourth appearance against the Mets. And clearly his best performance.

"I won the MVP, but this was a team effort," Hershiser said. "If ever there was a team that did this together, it was this one. I am very happy and very proud to be a part of it."

It is the Dodgers' first trip to the World Series since 1981 and fourth league championship in Tom Lasorda's 12 years as manager. The pennant follows consecutive 73-89 seasons that forced a major restructuring on the field and in the front office.

Ironically, it was the A's, Mets and Dodgers that completed a three-way trade during the winter and represented three of the four teams in the playoffs.

The Dodgers acquired Jay Howell, Alfredo Griffin and Jesse Orosco in that deal, solidifying their defense and bullpen. They also acquired free agent Mike Davis, who played with six seasons with the A's.

"If you look at where we are today," Steve Sax said, "look at that trade. It showed the team was ready to take a new direction."

Tim Belcher, a product of the A's organization and the winner of two games in the series, said, "This won't be a Fall Classic. It will be a reunion."

The Dodgers had dropped league championships in 1983 and 1985 and easily faced their toughest postseason opponent in the Mets, who won the National League East by 15 games.

Everyone conceded the Mets were the better team in the series. But no one in the Dodgers clubhouse would admit defeat.

"I know (Oakland's) Don Baylor said he wanted to play the best team, he wanted to play the Mets," Lasorda said. "Unfortunately, he is going to have to play the team that beat the Mets.

"It's not the strongest man who wins the fight or the fastest man who wins the race or the best team that wins the game. It's the team that wants it more."

To win Wednesday night, the Dodgers' strategy was to jump out early. They had scored the first run in five of the first six games. Against right-hander Ron Darling, the Dodgers also had to shift momentum away from Tuesday night's 5-1 loss.

Darling finished 17-9 during the regular season but was 3-8 on the road. Wednesday night he started badly and only got worse. Sax opened the game with the first of his three hits and raced to third when Mickey Hatcher doubled to left.

Gibson limped to the plate, his ailing left hamstring still sore from Game 5 in New York. But Gibson flied to deep center and the Dodgers had their first run.

"Seeing him out there was a lift for everybody," Sax said. "He has been an emotional lift for us all year. There were guys here who wanted to win real bad, but this was the guy we looked up to all year."

The Dodgers put the game away in the second when they added five runs and drove Darling from the game.

Scioscia opened with a single to left and Jeff Hamilton followed with a base hit to left. Alfredo Griffin hadn't hit very well all season or in the playoffs, but his bunt single between the pitcher's mound and first base froze the Mets' infield and loaded the bases.

Hershiser, who led the Dodgers with 19 sacrifices, thought about a squeeze, but instead grounded to third. Rookie Gregg Jefferies, one of the most consistent Mets at the plate, attempted to throw before he had possession of the ball and bobbled it for an error.

Scioscia scored and the bases were still loaded. The Dodgers were just warming up. Sax followed with a two-run single center that chased Darling.

Dwight Gooden, the Mets starting pitcher in games 1 and 4, entered the game for the first relief appearance of his career.

The Dodgers scored their fifth run when Mike Marshall grounded to second and Wally Backman slipped attempting to start a double play. Hershiser crossed the plate and Sax went to third. He scored on a sacrifice fly by John Shelby, the ninth Dodger to bat in the inning.

"We tried to take them out of their element early," Sax said. "If you let these guys jump on top you're in trouble. They did it last night and you could see the results. We got a jump on them and it did a lot for our confidence. Of course, any team that has Orel Hershiser on the mound has to be confident."

Gary Carter, who drove in just four of the 20 runners on base with him at the plate, agreed the key was the early lead.

"The difference in this series was they jumped in front in six of the seven games," he said. "That made it tough to come back every time out."

The most important innings for Hershiser were the first and third. The Mets had the momentum after winning Tuesday.

With one out in the first, Backman singled to left and Keith Hernandez walked. Darryl Strawberry grounded into a fielder's choice to put runners at first and third with two out.

But Kevin McReynolds, who had four hits, including a two-run homer Tuesday night, lined out to third to end the inning.

"I was absolutely terrible in the first inning," Hershiser said. "If there was a turning point it was when McReynolds lined out to third. That out really picked up the spirit of the club. I was in the groove until the eighth and then the adrenalin kicked in. I had a good curve ball tonight and I went with it."

The third inning was critical because the Mets have been explosive all season and Hershiser needed to halt any comebacks.