Bad Game for Gross, Dodgers : Baseball: The starting pitcher yells at Lasorda when he is pulled after four innings in a 4-1 loss to the Astros.

When the Dodgers signed pitcher Kevin Gross last winter, Manager Tom Lasorda said he couldn’t wait to get a close look at one of baseball’s most competitive spirits.

On Monday, Lasorda learned just how close when he was confronted by Gross in the dugout after removing his pitcher for a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning of a 4-1 defeat to the Houston Astros.

Gross, who retired 11 of the previous 14 hitters before being removed, stopped in front of Lasorda’s seat at the end of the dugout and began shouting and gesturing. Lasorda remained seated, and eventually Gross stalked into the clubhouse.

If only the rest of the team had shown such fire as they managed only four hits against Jimmy Jones and Al Osuna before 9,058 at the Astrodome, the smallest crowd to watch the Dodgers this year.

“We just had a discussion,” Lasorda said of the incident with Gross. “He was a little upset, but I don’t blame him. He didn’t want to come out of the game, just like I didn’t want to come out of games when I pitched.”

Ironically, it is Lasorda who has nicknamed Gross, “Pit Bull,” a variation of the “Bulldog” tag he bestowed on Orel Hershiser.

“Actually, it was good to see Kevin like that,” Lasorda said. “I never want my guys to want to leave games.”

Gross may not have seen it as such a positive experience. For the first time this season, he refused to speak to reporters afterward.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve got nothing to say,” he said sharply.

Gross took the loss by allowing three runs and five hits in four innings, dropping his record to 2-4 while raising his earned-run average to 5.93, worst on the team.

He was probably upset because, after allowing three runs to the Astros’ first six hitters, he settled to allow only two hits in the next 3 2/3 innings.

Lasorda agreed that Gross could have pitched, “three or four more innings.” But he said he was trying to get back into the game against Jones, a former No. 1 draft pick of the San Diego Padres who has resurrected his career in Houston.

The decision was made with one out in the fifth inning, Mike Scioscia on first base after drawing a leadoff walk, and the Dodgers trailing, 3-0. Chris Gwynn, batting .500 as a pinch-hitter, took Gross’ place and grounded to Jones.

“Unfortunately, it didn’t work,” Lasorda said. “But what it came down to was, we had to go for the runs. When you are on the road in the fifth inning and you are down, you’ve got to go . You know?”

Afterward the clubhouse was quietly buzzing about the incident, with the general consensus being that the Dodgers and Gross are frustrated with each other after an unhappy beginning to their scheduled three-year marriage.

“It was just frustration talking,” one veteran said. “Kevin was mad because he had settled down to pitch well. But the Astros had already scored three runs and maybe (Lasorda) was saying, ‘Hey, we’ve seen enough of your stuff.’ ”

In his six starts this year, Gross has yet to go more than six innings. Since last year’s All-Star break, he is 3-12 with a 6.15 ERA.

Gross entered the game on his best streak of the season, allowing one run in his past 13 innings.

But Steve Finley started the Astros in the first inning with a slow bouncer that nicked off a charging Juan Samuel’s glove. After Craig Biggio fouled to first base, Finley stole second and Luis Gonzalez tripled to right field.

Gross walked Ken Caminiti, then hit Jeff Bagwell on the hand with a pitch to load the bases. Karl Rhodes bounced a ball past Samuel to drive in two runs.

Gross struck out Casey Candaele and Dave Rhode to end the inning.

The Astros lost six of their previous seven games, so before the game Manager Art Howe held a spring-training type fundamentals workout that lasted an hour.

Jones (4-1) gave up just a ninth-inning run on four hits in his eight-plus innings, improving to 4-0 lifetime in the Astrodome, and 5-1 against the Dodgers. He entered with a career 4.31 ERA.