Dodger Notebook : Marshall Is in a Familiar Position

VERO BEACH, Fla. —  For the man who has to hit behind them, it doesn’t matter whether it’s Eddie Murray or Pedro Guerrero batting cleanup for the Dodgers.

“It’s just like with Pete,” said Mike Marshall, when asked how the acquisition of Eddie Murray will affect his game. “Other teams are going to make me beat them.

“That will be their game plan, when they get in a tough situation and we have runners in scoring position. It’s not that they won’t respect me, but for some reason they’d rather let me beat them than (Kirk) Gibson or Murray. It’s no different for me. It’s the same situation.”

It’s a situation, however, that could result in some big numbers for Marshall, who last season led the Dodgers in runs batted in with 82, a figure that he has exceeded only once in his career--1985, when he drove in 95 runs and also hit 28 home runs.

Last season, Marshall had 20 home runs, a total exceeded only by Gibson’s 25 on the Dodgers. That kind of production is why the Dodgers signed the right fielder to a three-year, $3.5-million contract last November, and with the switch-hitting Murray and, presumably, Gibson hitting ahead of him, Marshall figures he’ll have ample opportunity to enlarge those numbers.

“Gibby walks a lot (73 times last season), and they’ll be careful with Murray (who walked 75 times in 1988), and how far can you go down in a lineup?” said Marshall, who hit his first home run of the spring in the Dodgers’ 4-2 win over Minnesota Thursday in an exhibition game that was shortened by rain to 5 1/2 innings.

Marshall worked out with weights all winter, adding 20 pounds to his 220-pound frame, though he expects to take 10 pounds off by opening day, April 3, in Cincinnati.

“I’m getting up there in age,” said Marshall, 29, “and lifting has worked for so many guys I decided it was time to try it.”

Marshall missed about two weeks last August with a pulled thigh muscle, but wound up playing in a career-high 144 games. He also said he has come to terms with the back problems that have bedeviled him for the last three seasons.

“It’s something I have to deal with every day, but I’ve learned to live with it and it’s improving,” Marshall said. “It’s a very difficult problem to locate and rehabilitate. It’s not as if it’s a broken bone or muscle pull. I just have to build up the muscles around it. It’s something that will never heal.”

Ricky Horton, trying to win management’s confidence in him as the left-handed relief pitcher, has not been scored upon in four innings this spring.

“I have to do a little more work on my fastball,” Horton said. “There was a period last year it was straight as an arrow. You can’t pitch that way. Last year, I had an awesome spring, as good as you can have, but it didn’t seem to carry me through (the season).

“All I want is a chance to prove myself every time I get the ball.”

Orel Hershiser went four innings Thursday against the Twins, allowing a run on four hits and striking out four.

Ramon Martinez worked two innings, giving up a run on one hit and two walks, and striking out two. After a shaky start, he retired the last six batters.

Weather conditions--the temperature was in the mid-40s with strong winds--made it difficult to evaluate Martinez, who is heavily counted upon to be the Dodgers’ No. 5 starter.

Fernando Valenzuela is scheduled to pitch for the second time this spring at Miami today against the Baltimore Orioles.