Astros Cut Dodger Lead to 1 1/2 With 10-0 Win

After 17 pitches Monday night, Dodger starter Shawn Hillegas was finished. He dejectedly walked to the dugout and sent some pitching charts flying with an angry swipe of his arm.

With Hillegas having faced just four Houston Astros batters and allowing two runs--it swelled to four by the end of the first inning--it seemed only two questions remained:

--Would the Dodgers rebound from the early deficit and avoid having their National League West lead trimmed to 1 1/2 games by losing three of four to the Astros?

Answer: Not against Houston ace Mike Scott, who breezed to his fourth shutout of the season with a resounding 10-0 Astro victory, as Pedro Guerrero’s offensive funk continued and reliever Alejandro Pena yielded six runs in the eighth inning to effectively erase a chance at a comeback.

--Would Hillegas, 23, who has won just one of eight starts since July 7, remain in the rotation as the Dodgers head into the final 52 games battling the second-place Astros and third-place San Francisco Giants?

Answer: Unknown. But Hillegas certainly didn’t help himself with the shortest outing of any Dodger starter this season.

Hillegas’ night began well enough. He had a 1-and-2 count to leadoff batter Gerald Young. But then he threw three straight fastballs out of the strike zone, and the onslaught had begun. With two strikes against him, Bill Doran hit a double to right to score Young. Then, Terry Puhl’s single to center scored Doran for a 2-0 lead.

Before reliever Tim Crews could adequately warm up in the bullpen, Hillegas had walked Glenn Davis on four pitches and Manager Tom Lasorda had sent pitching coach Ron Perranoski to make the change.

Crews gave up a run-scoring single to Kevin Bass and, one out later, a run-scoring fly ball to Rafael Ramirez, which gave the Astros a commanding 4-0 lead. At least it was with Scott (12-3) pitching against a Dodger team that has not been hitting.

Typifying the Dodgers’ offensive woes is Guerrero, who hit into two rally-killing double plays and, in all, stranded four runners Monday night. Guerrero went 0 for 14 in the series, but he wasn’t alone. John Shelby, hitting behind Guerrero, struck out three times Monday and finished the series at 3 for 15.

Even before Hillegas’ quick exit, Guerrero killed the Dodgers’ best scoring chance against Scott in the top of the first. With Kirk Gibson on third and Mike Marshall on first after consecutive singles, Guerrero grounded into an inning-ending double play.

But the Dodgers’ main problem in this loss, their 8th in the last 11 games, was the lack of a quality start from Hillegas (3-4). Actually, lack of a start, period.

“How much can I say after facing just four batters, except that I . . . tonight?” Hillegas said. “That’s it. It’s nobody’s fault but mine. I’ve been in a slump and I can’t get out of it.”

At this stage of the season, the Dodgers seemingly cannot afford to keep a slumping pitcher, especially one who lacks major league experience, in the rotation.

Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ executive vice president, remained noncommittal about Hillegas’ status. But he did say that there are many options available--keeping Hillegas, making a trade for a veteran pitcher, preferably a left-hander, or calling up a minor league pitcher.

Claire would not mention any names regarding a possible trade, but the Dodgers are interested in Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Mike Flanagan and several available right-handers. But Claire also mentioned that perhaps 20-year-old Ramon Martinez, the organization’s top prospect, might be called up from triple-A Albuquerque. The eventual activation of rehabilitating pitcher Mario Soto also must be considered, Claire said.

“We’re always looking to improve the team,” Claire said. “So, I’m not going to overreact after one loss and say, ‘Oh, I’m going to trade three of our top prospects for a pitcher.’ That would be the easy thing to do.

“Our pitching, overall, has been good . . . I’m not going to count out (Hillegas) just from tonight. That evaluation will be made by Tommy, myself and the coaches.”

After winning his first two games after being recalled from Albuquerque June 17, Hillegas is 1-4 with three no-decisions. His earned-run average in that span is 4.74. In his last three starts, Hillegas has allowed 10 earned runs in 11 innings.

Despite the discouraging statistics, Hillegas said he deserves to remain in the rotation.

“I have to go out with confidence and make the pitches count,” Hillegas said. “Up here, at this level, if you make mistakes, it costs you. I hope they (keep him in the rotation). I think I’m capable of getting out of the slump and doing the job. It’ll give me more confidence if they stick with me.”

The Dodgers have no choice but to stay with their lineup. Lasorda said after Sunday’s game that he will not give Guerrero a rest, unless the chronic neck condition flares again.

The Dodgers were clearly overmatched against Scott. Gibson was so baffled by Scott that he asked home plate umpire Jerry Crawford to check the ball for scuff marks on three occasions. Each time, Crawford returned the ball to Scott.

“When you get four runs down, you have to put three or four hits together every inning to realistically score against him,” said Marshall, who had three of the Dodgers’ eight hits. “The odds against that aren’t great.”

Dodger Notes

In order to make room on the roster for Don Sutton, who pitches tonight, the Dodgers said they will return outfielder Jose Gonzalez to triple-A Albuquerque today. Sutton, who had been on the disabled list with a sore elbow, flew to Cincinnati Monday to prepare for his first start since June 28. Because Sutton rarely makes it into the seventh inning in his starts, it hurt the Dodgers that they had to use four relievers Monday night. As the Astros were in the midst of a six-run rally against Alejandro Pena in the eighth inning, catcher Rick Dempsey was summoned to the bullpen to warm up. The Dodgers apparently wanted to save Jay Howell for tonight’s game. . . . Reliever Tim Crews, who pitched three innings Monday, was forced to leave after the third inning because of what he termed a minor shoulder injury. “I’ve been pitching with a knot--an adhesion--in the back of my shoulder,” Crews said. “It popped on me and it went straight, instead of knotting up on me. It feels fine now. I think I can pitch tomorrow (tonight).”