DeShields Shows His Stuff : Dodgers: He gets on base four times and scores twice in 4-2 victory over Astros.

When Delino DeShields returned to play this week, he was hoping all the questions about his physical well-being would stop, that all the things that have happened to him this season would be put to rest. It’s all over, he said, all the freak injuries.

Saturday at the Astrodome, DeShields continued his comeback, going two for three with two walks and scoring two runs in the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory over the Houston Astros. His contributions were not as spectacular as Mike Piazza’s towering two-run homer in the seventh inning that landed high in the left-center-field seats, his 16th homer this season. Nor as surprising as Brett Butler’s solo shot over the right-field wall in the third, his fourth homer this season.

But for a team that traded away one of its best pitchers, Pedro Martinez, to the Montreal Expos to get one of the best second basemen in the league, the sight of DeShields playing well is about as pleasing as it gets.

“He’s like the Magic Johnson of the team, he and Butler,” Manager Tom Lasorda said. “They are like the guards, they bring the ball down and give it to the big guys to put in. They are the catalysts of this club.”

Behind superb pitching by Pedro Astacio (6-5), the Dodgers avenged a humiliating 16-4 loss of the previous night.

“If you don’t get upset after a game like that and come back, when do you?” said Butler, whose four homers this season equal his total production for the previous two seasons. “I was more embarrassed than upset.”

Against Astro starter Brian Williams (4-4), the Dodgers loaded the bases in the first inning but didn’t score. Butler homered in the top of the third and Houston’s Craig Biggio tied it with a homer in the bottom of the inning. Then in the fifth, DeShields hit a ball that bounced just inside the left-field line and caromed to the corner behind the Dodger bullpen, where a seemingly surprised usher caught the ball, holding DeShields on second.

“The guy was like 70 years old, he was having a good time out there and I gave him some action,” said DeShields, who scored eventually on a single by Tim Wallach, putting the Dodgers ahead to stay. He was also on first after a walk when Piazza hit his blast in the seventh for a 4-1 advantage.

It was Astacio’s third consecutive victory, and he held the Astros to two runs and seven hits in 8 2/3 innings before issuing his first walk of the game. He was relieved by Todd Worrell, who struck out Tony Eusebio, the only batter he faced, to earn his fifth save, converting his third consecutive save opportunity. “That’s the Worrell that used to pitch against us,” Lasorda said.

Since returning from the disabled list on Monday, DeShields is beginning to play like the second baseman the Dodgers used to play against, too. In five games, DeShields is batting .381, going eight for 21 with five runs scored, one run batted in and two stolen bases.

After a series of freak accidents that began in spring training when he was hit by a bat while standing in the batting cage, DeShields was never able to get his season started. He has missed 28 starts at second base, including a recent 21-game stint on the disabled list, during which he had a lot of time to think.

“I looked at all the things that had happened and all the injuries, and it’s not like I got hurt outside the game, all my injuries were on the playing field,” DeShields said. “I think sometimes people get tested, and this may be my test.

“Success had always come easy for me, I haven’t had any adversity in the game until I came here. If I can come back now and pass the test, it will be good for me and good for this ballclub.”

DeShields is now batting behind Butler, who has the highest on-base percentage in the league. DeShields, who led off for the Expos, says he doesn’t have a problem with that. “I think me and Bugsy (Butler) have a good thing going and we should stick with it,” DeShields said.