1988 Dodgers Week 9 review: John Shelby extends streak, Mike Davis benched

The Dodgers had an up-and-down week, including two more losses to the Mets. But the Dodgers managed one victory in New York on getaway day Wednesday, snapping their five-game losing streak to the National League East leaders, then took two of three games from the Reds.

While John Shelby remained red-hot for the Dodgers, his outfield mate, Mike Davis, took a turn for the worse. Davis, mired in a 3-for-42 slump that saw his average drop to .206 with no home runs in 48 games. As a result, Davis was benched for three games, including sitting against a right-handed pitcher (Dwight Gooden, Tuesday) for the first time all year.

Davis, who hit 22 home runs in 139 games with the Athletics in 1987, has been driven to refer to himself in the third person this year.

"You really have to know Mike Davis to know what's wrong. It's really a very small adjustment. A half inch here or there on hand placement can make a difference. Basically, I've got to relax my hands and I've been moving the bat slightly before the pitch," Davis told Sam McManis of the Los Angeles Times. "But once Mike Davis starts swinging the bat the way he can, you'll see. You give me until the end of June, then look at the numbers and maybe you can write something positive about Mike Davis just once."

Dodger Batter of the Week: The hottest hitter on the team remains center fielder John Shelby, who hit .348 with three walks, three stolen bases, and five runs scored during the week and ended the week with a 20-game hitting streak, the longest in the National League this season.

Honorable mention goes to Mickey Hatcher, who had seven hits in 12 at-bats during the week, including five hits in six at-bats Friday night against the Reds. The only Cincinnati pitcher to retire Hatcher on Friday was longtime shortstop Dave Concepcion, who pitched 1⅓ innings of scoreless relief for the Reds to help save a beleaguered bullpen. "I think he scuffed the ball," Hatcher joked to the Times.

Dodger Pitcher of the Week: The pitching staff had a rough week with Orel Hershiser allowing five runs in a bullpen-saving effort on Saturday, Don Sutton leaving with a blister on Monday, and Tim Belcher getting ejected in the third inning of his start on Wednesday. The award this week goes to Tim Crews, who pitched 6⅔ scoreless innings in relief and picked up the win on Friday against the Reds.

Week 9 Record: 3-3

30 runs scored (5.00 per game)
25 runs allowed (4.17 per game)
.583 pythagorean winning percentage

Seasonal Record: 30-21

226 runs scored (4.43 per game)
173 runs allowed (3.39 per game)
.620 pythagorean winning percentage (32-19)

Draft Dodger: The Dodgers had the fifth pick in the first round of the MLB draft on Wednesday, and went with a local arm. Sam McManis of the Los Angeles Times has more:

Fred Claire, the Dodgers' executive vice president, said the team chose right-handed pitcher Bill Bene from Cal State Los Angeles fifth overall in the first round of Wednesday's free agent draft, ahead of touted third-base prospect Robin Ventura of Oklahoma State, because he felt Bene was the best athlete available. It was speculated that the Dodgers would select Ventura, considered a top prospect.

Bene, on the other hand, is a risk. He had a 6-3 record with a 5.80 ERA for Cal State Los Angeles this season and had more walks (51) than strikeouts (45). But the Dodgers were wooed by Bene's fastball, reportedly clocked in the 90 mile-per-hour range. "Our feeling was just to take the best player with the most potential," Claire said. "(Bene) has maybe the best arm in the country."

Transactions: none this week

Game Results:

• Monday, May 30: Mets 3, Dodgers 2
• Tuesday, May 31: Mets 5, Dodgers 4 (11)
• Wednesday, June 1: Dodgers 4, Mets 3
• Friday, June 3: Dodgers 13, Reds 5
• Saturday, June 4: Reds 5, Dodgers 2
• Sunday, June 5: Dodgers 5, Reds 4

Upcoming Week: The Dodgers run the Nate Colbert Gauntlet, finishing up a seven-game homestand with an extended series against the Astros, followed by three games in San Diego against the Padres.

Previous 1988 weeks in review: Apr 4-10 | Apr 11-17 | Apr 18-24 | Apr 25-May 1 | May 2-8 | May 9-15 | May 16-22 | May 23-29

Week 9 Stats