Morgan Stifles Houston : Dodgers: He gives up six hits in eight-plus innings in 4-1 victory over the Astros.

On a night when the Dodgers announced that former Cy Young Award winner Orel Hershiser will rejoin their rotation this week, Mike Morgan showed again that it isn’t bad without him.

The Dodgers can only hope that a rehabilitated Hershiser, who underwent major reconstructive surgery on his right shoulder 13 months ago, will be as effective in his return Wednesday night against the Houston Astros as Morgan was Monday night against the Astros.

In lowering his earned-run average to a National League-leading 2.01, Morgan gave up six hits in eight innings, earning the decision in a 4-1 victory that ended a personal two-game losing streak as 43,680 watched at Dodger Stadium.

Morgan, who struck out a season-high eight batters and walked only one, improved to 5-4 as the Dodgers, stymied last week by Astro starter Jim Deshaies, got to Deshaies this time for nine hits in seven innings.

Two months ago, Morgan was considered the most likely to fall out of the rotation when Hershiser returned, but now he’s in solid.

“A lot of people didn’t count on me being here,” said Morgan, who was mentioned in trade rumors after injuring his hip before spring training while moving a television. “They had me going all over. Then I came out of spring training (as) the fifth starter, and I wasn’t too happy about it.”

Had he remained the No. 5 starter, might he have suffered the fate of Kevin Gross, who will be moved to the bullpen when Hershiser returns?

“Oh, yeah, if I hadn’t been pitching to my capability,” Morgan said. “That wasn’t on my mind, though. It’s tough enough getting major league hitters out without worrying about things like that.”

Morgan hasn’t seemed to have too much difficulty.

He has pitched into the seventh inning in all nine of his starts, allowing no more than one earned run in all but three.

“I’ve given the Dodgers nine quality starts,” he said. “I could easily be 9-0, and we’d be 6 1/2 games up instead of 2 1/2.”

The Dodgers maintained their lead in the National League West on the opening night of a seven-game home stand.

Limited to four hits Sunday by left-handers Tom Browning and Randy Myers in a 3-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, they scored three runs on three hits in the first inning against the left-handed Deshaies.

The first hit was a chopper over the mound by leadoff batter Brett Butler, who beat the throw from second baseman Casey Candaele.

Juan Samuel, held out Sunday because of a sprained left ankle, then lined a run-scoring double into the corner in right field, advancing to third when the ball rolled under the glove of right fielder Karl Rhodes for an error.

After Darryl Strawberry drew a walk, Eddie Murray lined a run-scoring single over the head of shortstop Rafael Ramirez and into left field, moving Strawberry to third. One out later, Strawberry scored on a sacrifice fly by catcher Gary Carter, giving the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.

Deshaies has been a slow starter this season, giving up 14 first-inning runs in 10 starts, but he allowed only two hits in seven innings in his last start, a 3-2 victory over the Dodgers last week at Houston.

He wasn’t nearly as effective this time, but the Dodgers left the bases loaded in the second and left two runners on in the third.

Finally, in the fifth, the Dodgers broke through to increase their lead to 4-0. Jeff Hamilton’s double off the wall in left field scored Kal Daniels, who had bounced a double into the box seats in left field one out earlier.

Meanwhile, the Astros had little success against Morgan.

After Steve Finley led off the game with a double into the right-field corner, Morgan didn’t allow another runner to reach second base until the fifth inning, when Candaele got there on a sacrifice.

Morgan retired the next 10 batters before losing his shutout on a home run by Finley with two out in the eighth.

Finley was the only Astro to really figure out Morgan, adding a single for a three-for-four performance.

Morgan was lifted in the ninth after giving up a leadoff single to Ken Caminiti, who earlier had struck out twice against the Dodger right-hander.

Reliever Jay Howell came on to earn his ninth save, retiring Jeff Bagwell, Rhodes and Ramirez on popups to end the game.

“All our starters are going good and our relievers are going good,” Morgan said, “but we’ve got to make room for Orel. Unfortunately, someone’s got to get the short end of the stick.”

Fortunately for the Dodgers, Morgan made sure it wasn’t him.

HERSHISER TO RETURN: Orel Hershiser will pitch for the Dodgers Wednesday night, 13 months after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his right shoulder. C5