Dodgers and Guerrero Come Up Empty

About the only Dodger veteran who took Thursday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves seriously was Pedro Guerrero.

The man who sparked the Dodgers to their fifth Western Division title in nine seasons under Manager Tom Lasorda was maybe too serious. Guerrero went 0 for 2 as the Dodgers lost, 5-0.

Guerrero needs one more home run to break the tie with Steve Garvey and set a Los Angeles Dodger record for home runs in a season.

Guerrero failed to get the ball out of the infield against left-hander Zane Smith, but he did exchange words with Brave catcher Bruce Benedict, apparently because Smith was feeding Guerrero mostly soft pitches out of the strike zone.

The Dodger slugger waited out a walk in the first inning, but his next two times up, he hit harmless ground balls. He was walked again in the ninth, and this time he just walked disgustedly to first base.

While most of the other Dodgers will be taking it easy awaiting the start of the championship series, Guerrero is hoping to get that final home run to set the record.

Guerrero has hit only one home run after coming back from a wrist injury that sidelined him for 17 games. Since his return, he has also had a neck problem. All that would be forgotten if, in the final three games, he could just hit a home run.

That was mostly the story of the Dodger attack as Smith, trying to win a job in the Braves’ starting rotation next season, pitched a four-hitter.

For the most part, a relaxed Lasorda was mainly concerned with resting those players who are tired after the long season. He did say that Guerrero would be in the lineup as much as he wanted to be in the final four games.

Lasorda, who said he liked the idea of the new best-of-seven format for the league championship series, gave Mike Marshall, Bill Madlock, Mike Scioscia, Ken Landreaux and Mariano Duncan the night off. He also said he didn’t think the hard throwers in the bullpen, Tom Niedenfuer and Ken Howell, both of whom showed signs of tiring near the end, needed any more work during the rest of the regular season.

He will try to keep his starters in form. The Dodgers will hold an advantage over either St. Louis or New York in the number of quality starters for the playoffs. Both the Cardinals and Mets have two really dependable starters, but Lasorda has four.

Reuss, who will not see action in the playoffs until the fourth game, gave up eight hits in his six innings, and the Braves broke through against Brian Holton in the eighth for all five runs.

Dale Murphy, who was 4 for 5 to lead the Braves’ 13-hit attack, had the big hit, a double that broke the scoreless tie. Smith, who handed the Dodgers their sixth shutout of the season and fifth at Dodger Stadium, singled in the last two Atlanta runs.

The Braves had won only once in eight previous games here, but with the lineup the Dodgers presented against Smith, it was an easy victory. Smith went into the game with an 8-10 record and an earned-run average of 4.04.

Enos Cabell doubled in the fourth. Steve Yeager, Jose Gonzalez and Bob Bailor had the other Dodger hits, all singles.

The Dodgers did not advance a runner past second--and didn’t seem too concerned.

They all had a good laugh when they started out on the field as Lasorda yelled: “The Reds lost, so we can gain some ground. Go out there and win.”

Dodger Notes There’s nothing like the relaxation after clinching a title early. Tom Lasorda turned the managerial task over to Bill Russell. There are many who believe Russell will someday be managing in the majors. . . . Mario Soto was scheduled to start for the Reds in the series opener tonight, but it has been decided that the hard-throwing right-hander will not pitch again this season. He has had elbow problems and won only 12 games this season. . . . John Stuper (7-5) will pitch for the Reds tonight. Fernando Valenzuela (17-10) will start for the Dodgers.