Dodgers End 4-5 Trip on Painful Note

PITTSBURGH — The Dodgers received more disturbing news Wednesday night in an 8-4 trip-ending loss to the Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium.

Typically, they played poorly--but that’s a recurring theme.

What concerned Manager Davey Johnson more was the left wrist injury suffered by Todd Hundley. The Dodger catcher may have broken a bone in his wrist during a third-inning collision at the plate with Pirate third baseman Ed Sprague. Or it may be a sprain. The extent of the damage won’t be known until X-rays are taken this afternoon.

The news on the field was no better. The Dodgers dropped the final game of a three-game sweep by Pittsburgh before a crowd of 20,807. Darren Dreifort (5-4) lost for the second time in as many starts on the nine-game, 10-day trip during which the Dodgers had a 4-5 record.

Dreifort gave up nine hits and was charged with seven runs (six earned) in 6 1/3 innings. He was chased with one out in the seventh as the Pirates broke the game open with three runs to take an 8-3 lead.

The Dodgers (26-26) dropped to .500 in the process. At this point, the Dodgers don’t appear capable of fulfilling the expectations that came with their $80-million payroll. Things might get worse if Hundley is sidelined.

The Dodgers trail the Arizona Diamondbacks (32-22) by five games in the National League West. The Pirates (28-24) won their sixth straight because of timely hitting and solid all-around play.

Pirate starter Todd Ritchie (5-3) pitched eight strong innings to earn the victory. Pittsburgh swept Houston in a three-game series before the Dodgers came to town.

Young Dodger third baseman Adrian Beltre went three for four and hit his fifth homer--driving in three runs. Left fielder Gary Sheffield hit his 11th homer in the eighth to cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 8-4.

By that time, though, the Pirates were in control. The Dodgers were scheduled to return home late Wednesday night.

The uncertainty regarding Hundley only added to the struggling ballclub’s mental baggage.

“There’s really not much to say about it [the Dodgers’ performance in Pittsburgh],” Johnson said. “They outplayed us every game. They outscored us, they outhit us.

“This could have been a good road trip, but we didn’t come in here and take care of business. We just have to go home now and regroup.”

That’s easier said than done with this bunch--especially if Hundley’s wrist is broken.

With one out in the third, Sprague collided with Hundley while trying to score on a grounder to the mound by Kevin Young. Dreifort threw to Hundley who held onto the ball despite Sprague’s efforts to jar it loose.

Then, Hundley quickly figured something was wrong.

“I’ve done it [broken his left wrist] twice before and you just know when something isn’t right,” said Hundley, hitless in two at-bats with a run scored. “I stayed in there and caught a couple of sinkers from Dreif and then I felt it when I grabbed a bat to hit [in the fourth inning].

“Thank God I walked [during that at-bat] and I didn’t have to swing. But then in the sixth [when he grounded out] it just lit on fire. I knew as soon as I grabbed the bat it was bad.”

Hundley was replaced by rookie catcher Angel Pena in the bottom of the sixth after talking with Johnson and team trainers. Hundley also broke bones in his left wrist in 1992 and ’95.

The switch-hitter said the pain he experienced Wednesday wasn’t as excruciating as the previous two occasions. But it was similar.

“I didn’t feel it ‘pop’ this time,” Hundley said. “I definitely felt something, but I didn’t feel that. The doctor [Pittsburgh Steeler team physician Jim Bradley] I talked to here said the symptoms are more of a bone bruise than a broken bone.

“I’ll know when I wake up [today] how bad it is. I’m going to have the X-rays [in the afternoon], but I’ll know as soon as I get up if it’s broken. When you’ve been through this before, you just know.”