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Hershiser Sets Sights on the Home Opener

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

After pitching impressively for four innings against minor leaguers Monday, Orel Hershiser has made it his goal to pitch in the Dodgers’ home opener April 12 against the San Diego Padres.

“I don’t want to say anything because I never know how I’ll feel tomorrow,” Hershiser said after giving up two runs and three singles with four strikeouts. “But today was the first time I’ve thrown that I’ve not felt pitcher’s stiffness or soreness. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it never did. I felt pretty good.”

Said catcher Mike Scioscia: “He continues to amaze.”

Hershiser looked so good in the 10 a.m. game that he hopes to make his first exhibition start Friday against the Atlanta Braves.

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“Right now, I’m throwing hard enough and well enough to pitch in an exhibition game,” Hershiser said. “I don’t think it will help or hurt me any more than what I’m doing now.”

That start would be exactly four weeks before the Dodgers’ home opener. Barring setbacks, the month of starts should give Hershiser plenty of time to get ready.

Although his quick return from last season’s reconstructive shoulder surgery would be cause for the Dodgers to celebrate, it would also force some roster juggling. The rotation is already set, with Ramon Martinez, Tim Belcher, Kevin Gross, Bob Ojeda and Fernando Valenzuela.

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Most vulnerable is Valenzuela, who struggled last season and whose $2.55-million contract is not guaranteed until April 2. The Dodgers could also trade. Their top commodity is Belcher.

One of the Dodgers’ few remaining worries is Hershiser’s anxiety about the shoulder. Pat Screnar, team therapist, said Hershiser was tentative in the first two innings Monday before realizing that his shoulder was not going to start hurting.

“We don’t want him bringing that tentativeness into a Grapefruit League game,” Screnar said. “Medically, he is fine. As long as we’re sure he can get over that mental part and believe that he really is OK, he will be fine.”

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Said Hershiser: “In the first couple of innings, I was worried about doing anything to hurt the shoulder. So I didn’t do anything that would have hurt it. In the last couple of innings I stopped thinking like that and just pitched. That’s the way it has to be all the time.”

Hershiser threw 49 pitches with fielders behind him and with the batting cage pushed back. The average pitch count for most pitchers in their exhibition debut is 45.

“I didn’t really do anything different today than anybody else on the staff during games, except I got to make my own rules,” said Hershiser, who was opposed by minor league pitcher Greg Hansell.

Said Screnar: “The only difference between this game and a regular game was his adrenaline. It will go up in a real game, and we’ll have to make sure he doesn’t overdo it at first.”

The morning game started in chilly weather with strong winds.

“How many games is Orel going to pitch at 10 a.m.?” Scioscia asked. “He looked real good, and that made it even more impressive.”

Equally impressive to the Dodgers was the return of Hershiser’s competitiveness. He yelled at the ball, at himself and even at the rotation of three minor league hitters who faced him.

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“He’s getting a little cockier out there,” pitching coach Ron Perranoski said with a smile.

Said Hershiser: “Yeah, I guess I started to get a little frisky. This happens when I start getting confidence in my arm.”

Hershiser worked through the first inning on only seven pitches. On a ball hit down the right-field line by Raul Mondesi, Hershiser shouted, “Get foul! Get foul!” It did.

“Gee, I’m going to last 10 innings at this pace!” Hershiser shouted after the inning ended.

He began throwing curveballs in the second inning, using them to strike out Mondesi and John Deutsch. He started the third inning by striking out Deutsch on a curveball that broke about a foot.

“Damn!” shouted Deutsch, who is headed for double-A this season.

Said Deutsch: “He wasn’t overpowering, but he was really hitting his spots. He was everything everybody always said he was.”

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Asked if Hershiser looked like a pitcher coming off shoulder surgery, Deutsch said, “He looks like a guy who can probably win 20 games right now.”

Hershiser was particularly proud of the curveball, which has become part of his repertoire again.

“That was one area where I really made progress,” he said. “The fact that they looked bad trying to hit it, that told me it was biting.”

Hershiser gave up three consecutive singles in the third inning, the first on a 3-and-0 pitch to Anthony Collier.

“What are you doing swinging at 3 and 0?” Hershiser shouted to Collier at first base, only half-kidding. “You’ll never get to the big leagues swinging at 3 and 0!”

He ended the inning with a strikeout, then was joined by team officials on the bench to see if he could pitch another inning.

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“There was no question he wanted another inning,” Screnar said. “Same old Orel.”

Hershiser got three grounders on seven pitches in the fourth.

“I’m starting to feel like a pitcher again,” he said. “I’m feeling things I haven’t felt in a long time. It’s fun again.”

Dodger Notes

Darryl Strawberry hit a three-run homer that led the Dodgers to a 5-4 victory over Montreal at West Palm Beach. Strawberry left the game in the third inning because of a tight right hamstring. He said he will be out the next couple of games. . . . The Dodgers (1-3) got three scoreless innings from relievers Dennis Cook, Jim Gott and John Candelaria. Candelaria got the save by retiring Tim Wallach on a pop fly to end the game with runners on first and second. . . . Tim Belcher gave up four runs in three innings and has given up seven runs and eight hits over five innings in two starts.

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