Bevacqua Beats Dodgers Again, 4-3

Someone pinch Kurt Bevacqua.

Again he came through in a pinch Saturday night, delivering the game-winning hit in the seventh inning of the San Diego Padres’ 4-3 victory over the Dodgers before 49,801 at Dodger Stadium.

The previous Saturday night, his two-out, 10th-inning pinch hit beat the Dodgers in San Diego, by the same 4-3 score.

In that one, the win went to Goose Gossage. Saturday night’s win went Andy Hawkins, who scattered seven hits. Gossage got the save, his fourth.

The Padres were ready for Dodger starter Tom (Flamingo) Brennan, who does a little hesitation with his left leg before he throws. Pitching coach Galen Cisco copied Brennan in batting practice, throwing that way to Bevacqua.

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda once said he’d send a limousine to pick up Bevacqua to make sure the Dodgers could pitch against him.

No need. Bevacqua arrived at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego for the previous Saturday night’s game in his agent’s ’84 Rolls Royce. And, on his own, he lined up a limo to bring him to Los Angeles for this series. Bevacqua he has some sort of trade-out with a San Diego business.

The injury-riddled Dodgers used their 12th lineup of the season Saturday night.

And the Padres have problems of their own.

With second baseman and leadoff hitter Alan Wiggins having checked into a rehabilitation clinic, there is little speed in the lineup. Tim Flannery is now the leadoff man.

Manager Dick Williams called up Ed Rodriguez (.375, no homers, 5 RBIs in 12 games at AAA Las Vegas), but he will be no savior. Williams said General Manager Jack McKeon is looking everywhere for possibilities, and Williams is searching everywhere in his mind for possible combinations.

For instance, he could use Tony Gwynn as his leadoff man, but that takes away some of Williams’ RBI power. As of now, Flannery stays as the second baseman and leadoff man.

Naturally, many Padres were asked what will happen to the team now that Wiggins, their catalyst, is gone.

Said Jerry Royster: “People ask me if this will disrupt the team, as if that’s anything compared to the disruption of his (Wiggins’ life).”

And now for the Dodgers’ problems:

--First baseman Greg Brock has two sore elbows. Both arms were X-rayed Saturday, and the results were negative. But his elbows, particularly his left one, is very sore. Status: Day to day.

--Dave Anderson has a sore back. He was examined by Dr. Bob Watkins Saturday. His condition was better, so he played. Status: OK for now.

--Pedro Guerrero injured his right shoulder sliding back into first during a pick-off attempt. He took batting practice before Saturday night’s game, felt fine, but had a hard time throwing. He was moved from third base to first base, and Mike Marshall, originally supposed to play first, went to right. Anderson played third. Status: OK for now.

--Mariano Duncan’s hamstring injury is improving, but he can’t play. Status: Day to day.

--Bob Welch’s strained ligament in his right elbow is better. Status: Day to day.

As for Saturday night’s game, Brennan walked two consecutive batters in the second inning, but got out of the jam when the Dodgers turned a double play, Guerrero stretching at first to make the play.

It instead was the Padres who made silly plays. Starter Andy Hawkins threw a wild pitch in the second inning, allowing Mike Scioscia to score from third. The ball had been way to the right of catcher Terry Kennedy.

In the fourth, the Dodgers had their second run, Guerrero scoring on Scioscia’s sacrifice fly to right. But Guerrero had come to second base on a Hawkins’ balk. He’d stepped to make a pickoff throw, but the ball slipped out of his hands, completely by accident. This was a balk, and Guerrero then reached third on Mike Marshall’s infield single, a ball that Wiggins’ replacement, Flannery, bobbled.

The Padres had led 2-1 before that, getting three singles and a double in the third inning, a rally that scored two runs. Flannery, hitting .333, had one RBI.

So this how it stood when it came to be the seventh inning. Brennan had walked Graig Nettles and Garry Templeton, and Bevacqua, batting 1.000 with three hits in three pinch appearances. came up with two outs.

This time, he drove an 0-1 pitch down the left-field line. It rolled to the fence, and both men scored. Bevacqua, getting greedy, was thrown out trying to stretch his double into a triple.

The Dodgers scored in the eighth, getting doubles from pinch hitter R.J. Reynolds and Bill Russell, but reliever Craig Lefferts escaped when Al Oliver lined a very hard hit ball into Tony Gwynn’s glove in right.

Goose Gossage entered, yielded just a single in the eighth and then threw five straight strikes in the ninth before retiring the side in order. It was his fourth save, and he has now retired 20 of the last 21 batters he’s faced.