Two Down, Three to Go

By MIKE DOWNEY

Sept. 26, 1997 12 AM PT

DENVER —

Pedro Astacio, whose argument with a Dodger manager helped him become an ex-Dodger, pitched four baseballs here Thursday night that got knocked out of the park. Since he couldn’t throw a ball past the Dodgers, he began throwing baseballs at the Dodgers.

That stunt got Astacio pulled from the game by his current manager, Don Baylor, who says the pitcher probably “owes me 300 bucks,” for rescuing him before an umpire could give Pedro the heave-ho.

It also got the Dodgers hot under the collar.

Good.

Something has to light a fire under this team. Perhaps it will be Astacio, their old friend, of all people, who helps the Dodgers pull off the “little miracle” they need to shock the baseball world and win the National League West.

Darren Lewis was livid after Astacio threw at him twice.

“What, you give up some home runs, you got to throw at somebody’s head?” the Dodger left fielder asked in the locker room after a 9-5 victory.

It was the second night in a row that an enemy pitcher seemed to be using Dodger helmets for target practice.

Joey Hamilton of the San Diego Padres was a headhunter Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, hitting a pair of Dodgers. After that, relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman--whose brother, Glenn, manages the Albuquerque club in the Dodger organization--hurled a ball behind Todd Zeile’s back.

Hoffman later said something on the order of “Oops.”

Yeah, right. It slipped.

That night, though, the Dodgers were so agitated about being on the brink of elimination, they let the matter slide.

Eric Karros, for example, asked if the Dodgers would remember those brushback pitches, gave a look of disdain and simply said, “We’ve got bigger things to worry about.”

In theory, he was right. But sometimes, some teams need a call to arms.

Maybe this is it.

During the summer, easygoing Bill Russell had to show who was the boss. A couple of his pitchers--one of them Astacio--made the mistake of getting in the manager’s face.

Upon taking the mound Thursday, Astacio was undefeated since being traded to Colorado on Aug. 17. Right off the bat, the Dodger lumber came out of its slumber.

Todd Zeile homered in the second inning. Lewis homered in the fourth. Karros and Zeile then took Astacio deep in the fifth.

Lewis stepped into the batter’s box, and Astacio brushed him back.

Plate umpire Larry Vanover issued a warning.

Karros, Eddie Murray and other Dodgers could be seen on TV, staring daggers at Astacio from the dugout.

The next pitch sailed over Lewis’ head.

Lewis gave the pitcher a long look. Astacio said something from the mound.

“Really, it’s between me and him,” Lewis said later. “But he said something to me that was unprofessional.”

Baylor gave the pitcher a quick hook, before things got worse.

Acting innocent, Astacio said later, “I just try to throw ball inside. When you pitch behind a batter [in the count], this happens. I just have a bad day.”

His manager knew better.

“I think he owes me 300 bucks,” Baylor said. “I kind of saved him, I think. There was a kind of frustration on his part.”

And the brushback pitches?

“That was his call. It’s been part of the game for a hundred years, I guess. Sure, you don’t want to hurt anybody. You want to drive them off the plate. You stand out there, just kind of letting guys take batting practice off you, you can’t do that, either.”

The Dodgers are trying to hang in there.

They haven’t played well. They know that. But they haven’t been eliminated yet. Nor do they yet feel they have “choked” or “underachieved,” as Karros was quoted in one story after Wednesday’s loss.

Karros said adamantly Thursday, “I never once said that, not even close. I never have once used the word ‘choke’ and I didn’t say anything with the word ‘underachieving.’ ”

Things are tough enough, without the C word.

All the Dodgers can do is keep swinging, at whatever pitches aren’t thrown behind their backs or over their helmets.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

THE FINAL 9

Dodgers vs. Rockies (L, 6-4), SEPT. 19

Dodgers vs. Rockies (L,2-1), SEPT. 20

Dodgers vs. Rockies (L, 10-5), SEPT. 21

OFF, SEPT. 22 Dodgers vs. Padres (W, 6-2), SEPT. 23

Dodgers vs. Padres (L, 4-1), SEPT. 24

Dodgers at Rockies (W, 9-5), SEPT. 25

Dodgers at Rockies, SEPT. 26

Dodgers at Rockies, SEPT. 27