Two left-handers with losing records. One isn`t the pitcher his record makes him appear to be. The other isn`t the pitcher he was.
Jamie Moyer improved his record to 5-7 Friday night as the Cubs pummeled Fernando Valenzuela and the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-2 before 42,763 quick-to-leave fans in Dodger Stadium.
Mark Grace drove in five runs, a career high, three on a home run in the ninth. Grace and Ryne Sandberg each drove in a pair of runs for the Cubs in a five-run third inning that saw 10 men come to the plate against Valenzuela. Shawon Dunston, showing no effect from Wednesday`s hand injury, had two hits and scored twice.
Moyer pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up a run on nine hits before needing relief help from Les Lancaster and Al Nipper. Moyer has allowed three runs or fewer in 14 of his 16 starts. And with his first victory over the Dodgers, he has beaten every National League team at least once in his two-plus seasons with the Cubs.
”He`s pitched very well,” said manager Don Zimmer. ”He`s pitched better than his record. I think he knows it. Just like a guy that`s 0 for 9-he hits five line drives, he knows he`s hitting the ball good. A guy knows when he`s pitching good.”
The victory was the Cubs` 11th in their last 15 games, and improved their National League-leading record against left-handers to 15-5.
”There have been some games this season that I pitched a lot better,”
Moyer said, ”but just staying ahead of the hitters and making them put the ball in play was the key.”
The Cubs starting staff in general is pitching good. Over the last eight games, their combined earned-run average is 2.09.
Valenzuela isn`t pitching good at all. The loss dropped him to 5-6. In seven innings, he gave up six runs, eight hits, walked six (one intentional)
and struck out only two.
He lasted two-thirds of an inning his last time out. In 104 2/3 innings this season, Valenzuela has walked 56 and struck out 41. A year ago, he struck out 190 in 251 innings.
”He seems to be having problems with his control, and it`s something we`ve been working on,” Dodger manager Tom Lasorda said. ”He has no physical problems that we know of.”
Moyer looked as if he might be in trouble after the Dodgers gave him an interesting second inning. One-out singles by Jeff Hamilton and Mike Scioscia and a walk to Dave Anderson filled the bases. But Moyer got Valenzuela on strikes and Steve Sax on a grounder to Sandberg, who ranged far to his left to make the play.
The Cubs` third looked like a repeat of the L.A. second-for a while. With one out, they loaded the bases on singles by Dunston and Rafael Palmeiro (his 100th hit of the season) and a walk, after numerous foul balls, to Andre Dawson.
That`s where the similarity ended, along with the shutout. Sandberg singled between short and third for two runs. After a checked-swing groundout by Vance Law moved the runners to second and third, Dodger manager Tom Lasorda walked Jody Davis to pitch to Grace, who had singled to left off Valenzuela in his first at-bat.
Grace singled again, same spot, scoring Dawson and Sandberg to make it 4-0. Darrin Jackson made it 5-0 with a single up the middle.
The Cubs added a run in the sixth when Dunston walked, stole second and scored on Palmeiro`s second hit.
Moyer had a shutout for six innings before weakening in the seventh. With one out, pinch-hitter Jose Gonzales and Sax singled. Franklin Stubbs popped to short center, but Kirk Gibson singled to score Gonzalez.
When Moyer went to 3-2 on Mike Marshall, Zimmer brought in Lancaster to throw one strike. Lancaster did. Marshall took it. The Cubs were out of the inning.
Lancaster had allowed just two earned runs in his previous 14 relief appearances, totaling 18 innings. Since April 27, his earned-run average out of the bullpen was 0.89.
The Dodgers did nick him for a run in the eighth. With one out, Hamilton doubled to right, sliding into second just ahead of Dawson`s throw.
Scioscia fanned, but Dave Anderson sent Hamilton home with a hit to center.
Prior to the game, the Cubs announced that right-hander Bob Tewksbury, who had been with the Triple-A team in Iowa, will undergo surgery on his right shoulder Thursday in Boston. He is expected to miss the rest of the season. The Cubs said that last year`s No. 1 draft pick, right-hander Mike Harkey, would be promoted to Iowa.
