Phillies End Dodgers’ Streak at 4 : Baseball: L.A. wastes a strong outing by Astacio in a 4-0 loss to Philadelphia.

You knew it couldn’t last, and it didn’t.

The Dodgers, who had won four consecutive games since catcher Mike Piazza’s return last Sunday, finally lost with Piazza behind the plate, falling to the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-0, Friday night before a paid crowd of 29,769 at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers’ four best hitters--Raul Mondesi, Eric Karros, Jose Offerman and Piazza--were a combined one for 16 against starter Paul Quantrill, who scattered five hits in eight innings. Quantrill (5-2) struck out six as he defeated Dodgers for the second time this season.

Dodger pitcher Pedro Astacio, who had lost his last two starts and registered losses in three of his last five games, has been getting extra help from pitching coach Dave Wallace, who is working with Astacio on his delivery.

The extra work paid off, even though Astacio (1-4) got no run support.

Astacio, who lasted only 3 2/3 innings in his last start against the Phillies, giving up six runs and nine hits in an 8-6 loss at Philadelphia on May 29, looked sharp in the first six innings, giving up only two hits and striking out seven.

“Astacio has got a good arm,” Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said. “He’s got a lot of ability. If he corrects a few things he’s going to be tough. He just has to do a little bit [of work] on his delivery. It’s not going to be that tough. It’s nothing really bad.”

Mondesi, batting .583 with six runs, one double, one triple and one homer since Piazza was activated, was hitless in four at-bats but made a sensational leaping catch to take away an apparent home run from left fielder Gregg Jefferies in the the seventh inning.

Piazza, who had hit in three of four games since his return, was hitless in four at-bats with a walk. Piazza came close to hitting a homer in the eighth inning, but right fielder Jim Eisenreich reached over the railing in front of the right-field box seats to take a foul ball away from a fan. If Piazza had hit the ball 20 feet to the left, he would have had his sixth home run of the season.

Karros was one for four, doubling in the sixth inning. Offerman, who was batting. 362, went hitless in four at-bats.

The Dodger defense did its part for Astacio.

Mondesi took away what would have been a leadoff homer from Jefferies with his catch in the seventh. Mondesi timed his jump perfectly at the 370-foot mark.

Jefferies’ near home run seemed to shake up Astacio, who gave up two runs.

Dave Hollins, batting behind Jefferies, singled up the middle and Astacio walked Darren Daulton. Astacio almost got out of it with a double play, but Jim Eisenreich beat Offerman’s throw to first, advancing Hollins to third.

After working the count to 1-2 on third baseman Charlie Hayes, Astacio gave up a run on a wild pitch. Hollins scored when Astacio bounced a ball in the dirt. Hayes followed with an infield single that drove in Eisenreich.

Trailing, 2-0, Astacio was lifted for pinch-hitter Chris Gwynn with two out in the bottom of the seventh.

Quantrill, who worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the second inning by getting Delino DeShields to hit into a force play, hit Gwynn and walked DeShields. But Quantrill got Offerman to ground out to second to end the inning.

The Phillies added two runs in the ninth against relievers Greg Hansell, Joey Eischen and Felix Rodriguez.

The Phillies, who had lost five of their previous six games, were without center fielder Lenny Dykstra, who sat out his fifth consecutive game because of a back injury.

Dykstra said he’ll take the next 10 days off to rest his injured back.

“I want to get it right so that I can get out there and help the team,” Dykstra said. “To try and go out there without giving it sufficient time to heal isn’t helping myself or the team.”