10-2 Astro Win Ends the Streak : Two Walling Homers, Hatcher Grand Slam Help Rout Dodgers

Dodger karma took a dive about the same time that rookie center fielder Reggie Williams did Tuesday night, leaving the team’s eight-game winning streak in ashes before a sellout crowd of 45,525 in Dodger Stadium.

Just as quickly, the Houston Astros were reincarnated from a team that was seemingly teetering into a team that is as entrenched in first place as they’ve been all season in the National League West.

The Astro-dynamics of Houston’s 10-2 win over the Dodgers were fueled by two home runs by Denny Walling--almost as unlikely a power hitter as ex-Astro Enos Cabell--and by Williams, who attempted a shoestring catch and wound up crash-landing during a four-run Houston eighth.

Billy Hatcher’s ninth-inning grand slam off reliever Dennis Powell was merely an exclamation point for the Astros, who lead second-place San Francisco by five games, Houston’s biggest advantage of the season.

The Dodgers are 6 1/2 back and in the position of having to beat well-travelled Matt Keough this afternoon to gain any ground on the Astros.

“We’re not going to believe they’re out of it until we’re 20 games ahead of them,” Hatcher said.

Cabell’s second home run in five games had broken a 1-1 tie in the sixth. Cabell thrust his right index finger into the air as soon as he connected off Houston starter Bob Knepper, seemingly pointing the Astros to oblivion.

But Walling, who platoons at third base with Phil Garner, homered on Bob Welch’s first pitch of the eighth inning, a changeup, to tie the score at 2-2.

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda immediately went to his bullpen, summoning Ken Howell, who had two wins and seven saves in his last 11 outings.

But this time, Howell wound up the victim instead of the savior. Glenn Davis singled to left, and Kevin Bass followed with a sinking liner to center. The ball bounced a couple of yards in front of a diving Williams, then rolled to the wall, Davis scoring and Bass winding up at third.

“The ball had topspin on it, but it’s one of those things you have to take a chance on,” said Williams, who has caught similar balls on several occasions.

“If you catch it, you stop ‘em from scoring. If you don’t, the end result is what happened tonight.”

Jose Cruz, who finished with three hits for the game, followed by grounding a single through the drawn-in Dodger infield to make it 4-2, and pinch-hitter Davey Lopes singled to bring in another run.

In the ninth, Walling got his fourth hit and second home run of the game, this one off Joe Beckwith, making his debut as a recycled Dodger. After the Astros loaded the bases on Beckwith, Hatcher unloaded on Powell.

“I told you at the beginning that this would be a tough, competitive series,” Howell said after the 3-hour 21-minute trial.

“They (the Astros) are not a team that lays down. They battle, battle and battle you till the last out. They showed us that tonight.”

Williams’ dive may have been ill-advised, Howell said, “but if it was, it was a mistake of hustle, and I’ll go with that every day.”

Walling, who has lost seven or eight pounds in the last couple of days because of the flu, once hit three home runs for Clemson, his alma mater, against Wake Forest.

“But that was light years ago,” said Walling, whose eight home runs this season is a career high.

It has been awhile, too, since the Astros have been in this position at this stage of the season. They haven’t won a division title since 1980, when they beat the Dodgers here in a one-game playoff.

“I think we’re beginning to believe in ourselves,” Walling said. “We know we have the ability to come from behind to win games now, and if that doesn’t breed confidence, nothing will.

Houston reliever Aurelio Lopez pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh when Lasorda--playing the left-right percentages--sent up Greg Brock to hit for Cabell, who had eight runs batted in over the last five games. Brock flied out.

Dave Smith pitched the last two innings and recorded his 22d save.

Mariano Duncan, who had three hits and two stolen bases after coming into the game with just 10 hits in his last 46 at-bats, had been getting advice from everyone from Leo Durocher to Ralph Avila.

Durocher, the 80-year-old former manager who has been present here throughout the winning streak, recently gave Duncan some lip about the virtues of playing hurt after Duncan sat out 20 days with a sprained left ankle.

Avila, the Dodger scout who signed Duncan in the Dominican Republic, was here last week and had some stern words for the young shortstop. Avila reportedly admonished Duncan that without a change in attitude, he could find himself back in San Pedro de Macoris.

Neither of Duncan’s first two hits Tuesday night cleared the infield. And neither produced a run as he was stranded on third base each time.

In the first inning, after Steve Sax unwisely tried to stretch a leadoff single into a double and was out, Duncan beat out a grounder to deep short and easily stole second for his 43rd steal of the season.

He advanced to third on Bill Madlock’s ground out, but Mike Marshall flied out to end the inning.

In the third, Duncan hit a chopper to third baseman Walling, who chose not to make a throw, apparently believing that first baseman Davis was late reaching the base. Walling and Davis spent a couple of moments staring across the diamond at each other.

Knepper, however, retired the next three batters.

But with two out in the fifth, Duncan hit a bouncer up the middle and two pitches later swiped second again, giving him seven stolen bases in his last five games.

Madlock, whose two-run single had broken a 3-3 tie the night before, lined a 1-and-2 pitch into left to tie the score at 1-1.

The Astros had taken a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Bass lined an opposite-field double into the left-field corner to open the inning. Cabell’s belly-flop took a hit away from Cruz, with Bass taking third. Alan Ashby’s sacrifice fly brought home the run.

Dodger Notes

Pedro Guerrero, who started in left field Monday, didn’t even appear in the Dodger dugout until midway through the game Tuesday night. He was in the trainers’ room being treated for what was described as an inflamed quadriceps muscle, located in the front of his left thigh. Manager Tom Lasorda said that Guerrero wasn’t available to pinch-hit. Trainer Bill Buhler said Guerrero might be able to return to the lineup Friday at Cincinnati but expressed concern about the possible effect that artificial turf might have on Guerrero’s left knee. The Dodgers’ first eight games on their next trip will be played on artificial surfaces, four each in Cincinnati and Houston. . . . Lasorda said that no thought had been given to sending out Guerrero for a 20-day rehabilitation period at Albuquerque. “If he can’t run here,” Lasorda said, “what makes you think he can run in Albuquerque?” Dodger Vice President Al Campanis said that if it were earlier in the season, the Dodgers might have considered sending Guerrero to Albuquerque, but not now. “I just think he needs playing time,” Campanis said. “And he can play here as well as he can play there.” Campanis dismissed the idea of Guerrero playing first base instead of left field. “I think left field is the ideal spot right now,” Campanis said. “The adjustment at first base could be worse.” . . . Dodger pitcher Orel Hershiser cut his left thumb slicing a piece of fruit in the players’ lounge before the game. The cut was described as superficial. . . . The Dodgers are giving Dennis Powell a start because of Friday’s doubleheader against the Reds. The left-hander has not allowed a run in eight innings over his last three relief appearances. . . . Lasorda, who lost weight because of a two-week-long stomach virus, is now on a diet but says he doesn’t know how many pounds he has lost. “Ever seen vampires when they see a cross?” Lasorda said. “That’s the way I am when I see a scale.” . . . Instead of wearing Dodger-issue wristbands, some of the players are now wearing bands that bear the players’ computer-designed likenesses. The wristbands are being marketed by a Pasadena firm operated by James Mims, son of the clubhouse usher by the same name. Mims is negotiating to have the wristbands sold in stadium gift shops.