Astacio Goes Wild in Loss
Dodger pitcher Pedro Astacio, banished to the bullpen last season after winning only one of his first 11 starts, could wind up there again this season if he continues to pitch as he did in a 4-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies before a paid 30,377 Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.
Astacio, who was 1-0 with an 0.93 earned-run average in his last three starts, collapsed in the fifth inning, giving up a two-run, bases-loaded single to Walt Weiss and back-to-back, two-out, bases-loaded walks to Ellis Burks and Dante Bichette.
Astacio (2-3), who threw 35 pitches in the first four innings, threw 35 pitches as the Rockies batted around in the fifth, scoring four runs on three singles and four walks.
“I’m very [angry],” Astacio said. “It’s not me.”
He said he isn’t worried about going back to the bullpen.
“I don’t think about what happened last year,” Astacio said. “I’ve got to pitch my ballgame, that’s all I can do.”
Manager Tom Lasorda said Astacio simply came apart.
“He was pitching extremely well and all of a sudden he seemed to lose his control,” Lasorda said. “He was just missing, and that’s what caused his downfall, bases on balls.”
You’ve got to be wild to walk Bichette and Vinny Castilla in the same inning because they don’t walk very often. Bichette had only 22 walks last season and Castilla 30.
And with Ramon Martinez getting closer to coming off the disabled list, Astacio’s control troubles might push him out of the rotation.
Astacio, who retired 11 consecutive batters after giving up a leadoff single to Eric Young, opened the fifth by giving up a single to Larry Walker. Walker stole second on a called third strike to Andres Galarraga and Astacio walked Castilla before giving up an infield single to Jody Reed to load the bases.
Weiss drove in Walker and Castilla with a single to center and Astacio walked Young to load the bases with two outs after pitcher Mark Thompson’s sacrifice.
Astacio, who had issued 11 walks in his first five starts, walked Burks and Bichette and then walked off the mound when Joey Eischen replaced him.
Thompson (2-1), who came within one pitch of throwing the Rockies’ first complete game of the season, didn’t give the Dodgers many opportunities.
L.A.’s 3-4-5 hitters were a combined one for 11. Mike Piazza was one for three, extending his hitting streak to 15 games, and Eric Karros and Raul Mondesi were 0 for 4.
Thompson, who probably would have opened the season in the minors if the Rockies hadn’t decided to keep 12 pitchers, gave up one run on six hits before he was replaced by reliever Bruce Ruffin with two outs in the ninth inning.
Thompson, the first Rockies’ starter to go more than eight innings since Sept. 2, 1995, when Roger Bailey went 8 1/3 innings in a 5-4 victory at St. Louis, was disappointed that he didn’t get the complete game.
“I got the first two outs in the ninth inning and it always seems that the last out is the toughest out to get,” Thompson said. “The little things I’ve been doing well all year are staying ahead in the count and getting the fastball inside.
“It was a big win for me because last year I got roughed up by the Dodgers in Colorado.”
Manager Don Baylor didn’t want to take him out.
“I was pulling for Thompson to get the complete game because he was one of the guys that made the ballclub on the last day, maybe even the last pitch in spring training,” Baylor said. “Thompson threw the way he wanted to pitch. He got ahead in the count and kept Piazza in the ballpark and challenged Mondesi.”
Brett Butler, who drove in the Dodgers’ only run, said the offense has yet to be consistent.
“Our offense is still just pitter-pattering a little bit,” Butler said. “This is the best club I’ve been on 16 years. It’s like anything else, pitching is going to keep us close, it’s just a matter of it coming together.”
