End of Long Dodger Season Is Short at Houston : Baseball: The Astros win, 3-0, in a 1-hour 44-minute game, shortest in the National League in three seasons.

Minutes after the Dodgers completed their first last-place season since 1905, Manager Tom Lasorda said he wants to come back for 1993.

“I don’t want it to end,” he said. “This has been my job for a long time and I love it. But this season has been a stressful thing because of the circumstances. It’s been horrible.”

Doug Harvey, umpiring behind the plate in the last game of his 31-year career, made sure that Lasorda’s misery would be as short as possible, according to Astro Manager Art Howe.

“I knew there would be an expanded strike zone today,” Howe said after Houston beat the Dodgers, 3-0, in a 1-hour, 44-minute game, shortest in the National League since April 10, 1989. “I told our guys just to be aggressive.”

“He called a strike on me,” Houston pitcher Pete Harnisch said, “and then he looked at me and said, ‘That pitch wasn’t even close.’ ”

Harnisch matched his personal best with 12 strikeouts.

Pedro Astacio (5-5) gave up three runs and eighth hits in seven innings, struck out seven and walked two for the Dodgers, who finished with a 63-99 record. It was their most losses since going 53-101 in Brooklyn in 1908, a season in which they finished seventh.

Four of Astacio’s five victories were shutouts.

“It’s been a tremendous storm we’ve had to face, and we hope we can correct it next year,” Lasorda said. “I feel I’ll be back for my 44th year with the Dodgers.”

Lasorda has managed the Dodgers since 1977, but club owner Peter O’Malley has declined to say whether Lasorda will be allowed to return. Outfielder Brett Butler was curious about the future.

“We’ll see how a longtime successful organization deals with having to bounce back,” Butler said.

Houston finished with an 81-81 record. The victory enabled them to reach .500 for the first time since May 6, when they were 13-13.

“I can’t be anything but optimistic,” Howe said. “Our guys played hard all season and never gave up. With a new owner, we all know we are headed in the right direction. To be honest, this is the first season I wish we could keep on playing.”

It was the first year the Astros didn’t have a losing record since 1989, when they were 86-76.

The Astros finished fourth in the NL West behind Atlanta, Cincinnati and San Diego, and were 33-17 after Aug. 10.

“We went from 65 wins last season to 81 wins this season,” said Bill Wood, Astro general manager. “If we can continue to improve like that, we can contend.”

Harnisch (9-10) won for the fifth time in six starts, giving up five hits in eight innings and walking none. Doug Jones pitched a perfect ninth for his 36th save in 42 opportunities.

Jeff Bagwell drove in two runs with two doubles as Houston finished the season with eight victories in nine games. It was the Astros’ seventh consecutive victory over the Dodgers.

Houston took a 2-0 lead during the first inning. Craig Biggio started the inning with a single and moved to second on a single by Steve Finley. Both runners advanced on a groundout by Luis Gonzalez before Bagwell’s double.

Harnisch doubled during the seventh inning and scored on Biggio’s single.