Astros Learn It’s Not So Safe at Dodger Stadium : Baseball: Houston players get lesson in California earthquakes, then lose, 8-2.

The 26,260 who ventured to Dodger Stadium on Sunday afternoon, despite warnings to the contrary, were rewarded with good, solid baseball. It wasn’t merely that the Dodgers beat the Houston Astros, 8-2, it was how they beat them.

Like something straight out of that dusty old book, “The Dodger Way To Play Baseball,” the Dodgers strung together fundamentals of the game to craft each run. Only one error was committed--and it wasn’t costly--and the pitching was solid.

Former times, revisited.

The only potentially bad thing that happened was that Brett Butler, a veteran of both baseball and earthquakes, made a diving catch to stave off a Houston rally and suffered a sprained shoulder. He came out of the game in the fifth inning and will be evaluated today.

Also, pitcher Jim Gott, who relieved starter Bob Ojeda (4-4), suffered a mild pulled groin muscle.

“We have been working on playing good, fundamental baseball, and now that we are starting to do it, we are starting to win,” Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said. “We need a good home stand to get in the running (in the NL West), but taking three out of four games from Houston is OK.”

The day didn’t start out OK.

Houston players, getting an early wake up call in their Los Angeles hotel when the Landers earthquake hit, wondered if the game would be postponed.

Seismologists were saying there was at least a 50% chance that another earthquake or an aftershock with a magnitude of 6.0 would hit within the next 24 hours.

“Since the (state) officials were telling people to stay home, we were wondering what was going to happen,” said Art Howe, Houston’s manager.

However, Dodger officials said they inspected the stadium Sunday morning and found no damage. “Since there was no damage, and since other attractions such as Disneyland were going to be open, we decided to do so also,” said Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ executive vice president.

The Dodgers estimated 8,000 no-shows Sunday.

On April 22, during a Dodger-Cincinnati Red game, a temblor hit and players scurried onto the field for safety.

Some players believed the ballpark would be a safe place Sunday, too. When the first earthquake hit shortly before 5 a.m., Astros Ken Caminiti and Gerald Young left the hotel and stood out in the street. When the second jolt hit three hours later, Young threw all of his clothes haphazardly into a suitcase and headed for the ballpark, about three hours earlier than the rest of his team.

“I was scared,” Caminiti said. “I have been in earthquakes before, but not that bad. But when we left for the park, we put it all behind us.”

Caminiti, who matched a personal best with four hits Sunday, said the morning events didn’t affect him or the team. Nor did it seem to affect the Dodgers, who have had a season-full of distractions.

“With the riots and the injuries, we can’t let that affect how we do out there,” said Dodger Mike Sharperson, who started in right field Sunday and went two for four with one walk, two runs scored and one run batted in. “During the earthquake in 1987, I had just been traded here and was staying on the 16th floor of the Bonaventure Hotel. That one scared me so bad, I didn’t even know what it was because they don’t have them in the South, where I’m from. But when I figured it out, I got dressed and came to the park right away, and it was a night game.

“But I think that the players were probably more safe down here on the field then the people in the stands.”

Butler, who played for the San Francisco Giants in the 1989 World Series when a devastating quake hit Northern California, made a diving catch during the fourth inning to hold off an Astro rally and keep the Dodgers in control.

With the Dodgers leading, 2-0, Houston had runners on first and third with one out. Eric Anthony hit a line drive to center field that tailed toward left. Butler leaped and caught the ball and landed on his shoulder before rolling. He flipped the ball to Eric Davis, who held Jeff Bagwell at first. Caminiti tagged and scored easily, but Ojeda was able to get catcher Scott Servais to pop up to end the inning.

Butler stayed on the ground a few minutes before playing out the inning. But his shoulder started to stiffen, and he came out of the game before the fifth inning. Davis replaced him in center field, and Mitch Webster played left field. Trainers iced the sprain and Butler dressed and went home.

“We really won’t know until (today) how this affected him,” said Pat Screnar, the Dodger physical therapist.

Dodger Attendance

Sunday: 26,260

1992 (32 dates): 1,177,231

1991 (32 dates): 1,309,274

Decrease: 132,043

1992 Average: 36,788