European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 4, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday october 1988 the stars and strikes Paga 25 no playoffs numbers game gives Edge to mets by Jim Donaghy a sports writer the numbers game indicate the new York mels should beat the los Angeles dodgers for the National league Pennant the mics beat the dodgers 10 of 11 Barnes this season including All six at dodger stadium. New York starters were so against the dodgers with a 1.58 Camcy run average. In 85 1-3 innings mics starters allowed 65 hits and struck out 71. Lately however it s been hard to beat the numbers dodgers right hander Orel  is posting. Harsh scr 23-g, has no allowed a run in 59 innings to set a major league record. His last loss was a 2-1 setback by the mics on aug. 24 at dodger stadium. Hershiser will Start game i tuesday night at dodger stadium against Dwight Goodwn 18-9.gooden is so lifetime against los Angeles including 4-0at dodger stadium with a 0.34 Era. Maybe the dodgers can rely on the Law of averages. In 1983, they went la i against Philadelphia in in regular season and then lost to the Phillies in four games when the playoffs were bust of five. Fish St base acts Keith Hernandez Hernandez missed about two months with a hamstring pull in his right leg and the mics were a .500 team without him. The 10-Lime Gold Glove Winner is the team Leader on and off Thefield. Hernandez is one of the Best two strike bidets in inc game and can hit left handed pitching. He was 14 41 against inc dodgers this season Wilh 10  Mcreynolds Gibson dodgers Franklin Stubbs Stubbs has Power but has not lived up to expectations. In 1985, he hit 32 homers for class aaa Albuquerque. Stubbs made 13 errors this season and is slow around the bag. In his career Lubbs average is less than .200 after the All Star break. M Ickov Hatcher is belter Contact hitter and could Start i Stubbs slumps. Edge mics. Second base mets Wally Backman Backman started the season As Tim thu Fol s backup but played his Way Bick into the starting lineup by hitting around .300 since May. Manager Darcy Johnson did t think Backman was gelling on base enough in 1987. Considered Only an average fielder Backman has been solid in 1988 and has made Only four errors. His 49 strikeouts Are Loo much for a no. 2 hitter and Johnson has been batting him eighth lately. He was l3-for-30 against the dodgers this year. Tufel will Start against  Steve sax sax i inc key player on of sense for inc dodgers in this series. The dodgers need to gel the Lead Early and sax figures to be the Man Roget them going. Sax struck out 51 times too High for a Lead off Batter. Sax was 10-for-46 against the mels this season but stole Only one base against a team that has lots of trouble throwing out runners. Edge dodgers. Shortstop mics Howard Johnson and Kevin Elster John Sun played third base most of the season but will see most of his playing time in the playoffs Al shortstop As Gregg left cries takes Over Al third base. The mels expect this to be a Low scoring series and Johnson pro Vides More Power than the Slick Fielding Elster. John son had a career year in 1987 when he hit 36 homers with 99 rib. He slipped 10 24 homers and 68 rib in1988 and fanned 104 times. Johnson has lots of Trou ble hitting the curve Ball and everybody knows it his defense is shaky at Short so if he does Start expect Elster 10 move in late in the  Alfredo Griffin a Good series could provide a measure of revenge and redemption for grif Fin. On May 21 Al dodger stadium Griffin suffered a broken wrist when he was hit by a Goodwn fastball. He had i rouble getting started and stayed around .200 the Rusl of the season. Griffin even showed signs of slowing Down in the Field with 15 errors. Edge mics. Third base mics Gregg left cries when be clerics was called up from class aaa Tidewater in late August the acts Al ready had a seven game Lead Over Pii Isburgh. But his offence sparked a team that had trouble scoring runs much of the season. He was named no player of the week ending sept. 11 when he went 1 -for-25 with eight runs scored three homers and eight rib. When jul tries made his first Start Al third base on aug. 28, he became the 84ththird baseman in acts history. Jeff incs 21, has a Quick Bat and a Quick temper when he does l produce. How will he react to playoff pressure dodgers Jeff Hamilton Hamilton provides steady defense but if she truth be known the dodgers will be looking for a third baseman during the Winter. For a singles Hilter Hamilton stikes out too much 51 in 307 at bats. Edge mels. Strawberry Marshall left Field mets Kevin Mcreynolds Mcreynolds has been the mels map this season. He does everything Well but does t attract much attention. Mcreynolds who is 21 for-21 in steals this season leads All no outfielders in assists and has hit Over .300 with runners in scoring Posi Tion. He finished with 27 homers and 99 rib. Dodgers Kirk Gibson Gibson is the front runner for no map because Many feel he has changed the dodgers into winners with his hard nosed Altitude. Gibson has been plagued by nagging injuries late in the season and his final Power numbers might be a Little Tow for an map. He has a weak  and is Only a fair outfielder. In 36 at Bals against the mics Gibson struck out 19 times and had one Home run. Edge mets. Center Field mels cookie Wilson and Len Dykstra Dykstra a hero of the mels 1986 championship team was named a regular in july but Wilson got hot and took Over. Along Wilh Jeffene Wilson was Given credit for sparking the acts in late August. He drove in six runs against the dodgers this season bul also struck out 10 times in 47 at bats Wilson can run Down anything inthe Outfield bul often has trouble seeing the Ball in the Sunshine. Dykstra will probably move in for defense. Dodgers John Shelby Shelby acquired from Baltimore for reliever Tom Niedenfuer in May 19s7, has been a pleasant Surprise for the dodgers. He hit 21homers in 1987 but slipped to lot his year. Suit he has Home run potential and Good Speed. The acts think his weakness is off Speed pitches. Shelby had 12 Hils in40 Al bats against new York but struck out 12 times. Edge even. Right Field mels Darryl Strawberry along with mercy Goldsand Gibson a Strong candidate for map. Strawberry seemed a cinch for the award but had a slump in late july and August. Still he led the league in homers 39 and had 101 rib. Strawberry is a Streak Hitler and picked up the last few weeks of the season including two Home runs on sunday. He has a Strong  but most of Bis throws to the plate Are olt line. Like Wil son Strawberry often misses the Ball in the Sun and that could prove a problem in the . Dusk. He nil under .200 with runners in scoring position. Dodgers Mike Marshall the dodgers need better production from Marshall against Llie mets. During the regular season he was s-for-26 Wilh one double. Marshall enjoyed a relatively healthy year and led inc dodgers in rib. Like Strawberry hell never win any awards for Fielding. Marshall is a Good Fisl Bill hitter. So Goodwn and Cone will have to be careful. Edge acts. Catch Imbs mics Gary Carter Carter 34, seemed to have spent most of the summer looking for his 300th Homer. He finally got it. Hut the season was a personal disappointment. The combination of new York pitchers not holding runners on and Carter s throwing pro lems Nikac the mels an easy target to steal against Only 53 of-204. The dodgers were 2-of-l 6 during the regular season and Reed to exploit this weakness More. Car Ter s strength now is his ability to Call a game and handle  Mike Scioscia Scioscia is a great defensive Catcher who is Lou a to strike out. Scioscia Hal second and is often used in hit and run situations. He is slow and will have problems scoring from second on a single. Against left hander Sid Fernandez tic Dodg ers will probably Start Veteran Rick Dempsey. Demp sey the map of the 1983 world series won by Balli More hit seven homers this season. Edge dodgers. Starters acts the acts who led the majors in Era. Will go with Goodwn David Cone Ron Darling and left hander Sid Fernandez. Cone has emerged has the Best of the group and finished the season with a 20-3 record with 2i3 strikeouts and a 2.22 Era. Darling is much tougher Al Home and will Start game 3 at Shea. Fernandez allowed Only 127 Hils in 187 innings and fanned 189. As a staff the mics averaged Jusi More than Ivi walks per  after harsh scr. It s John Tudor if healthy Tim scary and Rookie Tim Belcher. Tudor had to leave Friday s Start in the second inning with muscle spasms in his hip and is Uncertain. Fernand Valenzuela looked Good in iwo appearances after com ing off the do with a sore shoulder and could be a Factor in Long Relief. Leary has been in a slump allow ing 22 earned runs in his last 25 innings and May Siart game 4 Wilh Belcher moving up to game 3. Edge even. Relievers mels if the mics have the Lead Laic in the game. Randy Myers usually is a Good bet to keep it. Myers was 7-3 Wilh 25 saves and a \ .75 Era. Roger Mcdow Ell 16 saves has been inconsistent the last few weeks. Dodgers the dodgers knew they needed a Bill or bullpen to win and they found it Wilh the acquisitions of Jay Howell 21 saves and Jesse Orosco. Former starter Alejandro Pena has also been Strong in Long re 1.93 Era. Edge even. Bench mels by starting pc faeries Davey Johnson has All sorts of options in the infield. Among the infield cars he has Tufel. Elsler and Dave Magadan. The top Pinch hitlers Are Mackay Sasser and Veteran Lee Maz Illi. Dodgers the dodgers can t match the mets Bench but in Low scoring games they May not need to. Best Pinch hitters arc former met Danny a cup and Mike Davis. Davis was signed to a big contract As a free agent but had a poor season Hilling .198 with two homers. Tracy Woodson can play first and third and has some Power. Edge mics. Managers Darcy Johnson manages with computers and Tommy Lasorda with his heart. Bolh work. Johnson is the Only manager in no history to win 90 or More games in his first five seasons and Lasorda has won sin no West titles and the world series in 1981. Edge  the dodgers will be tougher for inc acts than during the regular season but new York should win in six. Television olympic tip up i ., wednesday. Radio baseball nation league playoffs game i new York mels Al los Angeles dodgem 1 07  Wednes Day