Belcher Pitches Sixth Shutout as Dodgers Beat Expos

The way the Dodgers have been hitting lately, Tim Belcher figured to need a shutout to win Friday night.

No problem for Belcher.

Already the major league leader with five, Belcher beat the Montreal Expos, 2-0, before 24,844 at Dodger Stadium.

Belcher (11-12) is starting to remind people of another Dodger right-hander, Orel Hershiser. A year ago at this time, it was Hershiser who was practically unbeatable and now its Belcher.

He’s coming off a week in which he was 2-0 with an 0.53 ERA.

His last outing was a seven-hit shutout of the Philadelphia Phillies. This time he pitched a five-hitter and was in relatively little trouble in beating Mark Langston (10-6).

Belcher walked Hubie Brooks and Tim Wallach back to back with two out in the first inning, but then struck out Andres Galarraga.

He allowed singles to Tim Raines and Dave Martinez in the third, but got out of that by throwing a double play ball to Brooks.

The only other Montreal threat came in the seventh. Martinez got aboard on a two-base throwing error by Alfredo Griffin. He then stole third.

But there he stayed as Belcher came up with his old reliable, the ground ball, to retire both Brooks and Wallach, both on balls hit to Jeff Hamilton at third. As for the offense, the Dodgers turned to another old reliable, Mickey Hatcher, to ignite them.

When last sighted, Hatcher was sitting at home plate with his head buried in his hands.

That was on Wednesday night when he ran through a stop sign from third-base coach Joe Amalfitano and was thrown out trying to score from first on a double in a 9-3 loss to the New York Mets.

Hatcher later told reporters he was just trying to make things happen, that “nobody is having any fun around here anymore.”

When you’re effectively out of the pennant race before Labor Day and the customary big crowds have gone elsewhere for the long holiday weekend, who can have fun?

Hatcher found a way Friday night, along with the chance to make amends for Wednesday.

It was the fourth inning, a scoreless tie, the Dodgers struggling once again at the plate.

That’s a season-long story, but its been particularly bad lately.In seven of their previous 11 games, they’d scored two or fewer runs.

Eddie Murray had singled with one out in the fourth and stolen second.

With two out, Hatcher singled to right to give Belcher all the runs he would need this night and break a three-game Dodger losing streak.

The club later added another in the sixth, but could have had more.

Griffin opened with a line drive into right, but he tried to get a double out of it. Instead, he wound up with nothing when Hubie Brooks fired a strike from right to nail him st second.

Randolph followed with a walk and a stolen base. He then scored on a double to right by Mike Marshall.

The Dodgers had one more big opportunity in the seventh. With one out, Rick Dempsey and Belcher walked. Griffin, having a long night, struck out on a pitch over his head. But a wild pitch moved the runners up and Randolph walked to load the bases.

That brough up Murray, but he grounded to third, Wallach making a diving stop, to end the threat.

As it turned out, it didn’t matter. Belcher already had all the help he needed.

Dodger Notes

Back to the Future: While the Dodgers struggle at the big-league level, their farm clubs continue to flourish. For the second straight year, five of them (Albuquerque, Triple A; Bakersfield, A; and Great Falls, Kissimmee and Santo Domingo, all rookie league) are in postseason playoffs. . . . The Dodgers’ Mike Marshall had a chance to make the catch of the year Friday night when a gray cat wandered into right field. Instead, with the crowd cheering him on, Marshall pointed toward the bullpen and the cat meekly responded by scurrying through the open gate to safety, thus ending the short paws in the game. . . . Dodger president Peter O’Malley is in Moscow for the opening of the first baseball stadium in the Soviet Union, Matsumae Baseball Stadium at Moscow University. Teams from the host country, the United States, China and Japan will play a series of games. Representing this country is a squad from the University of Miami. . . . The Dodgers were 13-14 in August. . . . The Dodger-Expo series continues tonight at 7:05 with Bryn Smith (10-8) opposing Fernando Valenzuela (9-12).