BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Brains Produce No Real Storms

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda rounded up his coaching staff Saturday morning, closed his office door and huddled for a 30-minute brainstorming session.

Lasorda asked for suggestions to solve his team’s woes. He wanted to know why the Dodgers have the league’s third-highest batting average, but are next-to-last in runs scored. He wanted to know why they have good, young relievers, but with the exception of Todd Worrell, none have been completely reliable. He wanted to know why they have the top minor league home run hitter in left field, and he has been having difficulty just hitting foul balls.

Any brilliant ideas?

“Nope,” Lasorda shrugged. “We’re trying to figure out what we need to do. [We] weighed all of our options and decided there’s really not much we can do right now but stay patient.”

So the Dodgers stayed with the same lineup, decided no roster moves will be made and routed the Chicago Cubs, 12-5, while left fielder Billy Ashley hit two home runs.

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Second baseman Delino DeShields slipped in the wet dirt while trying to steal second base in the first inning and left the game because of a strained left groin. He was replaced by rookie Chad Fonville.

Fonville, who until this season never had played above Class A, went four for five, doubling his combined major league total.

“This feels great,” he said. “The first person I’m going to call is my mom.”

And the reaction by DeShields, who said he should be able to return today or Monday?

“I was thinking about calling Larry Parker, the lawyer on TV,” DeShields said. “It was like trying to run on mud.

“It was great for Chad, but I knew there were going to be some hits up there today.”

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The Dodger coaching staff discussed at length what to do with starter Pedro Astacio (1-5, 4.55 ERA). Although Lasorda said that he remains undecided whether to leave Astacio in the rotation or send him to the bullpen, Astacio is expected to remain in the rotation simply because they have no other viable candidates.

The coaches also discussed their three struggling rookie relievers--Joey Eischen (7.11 ERA), Greg Hansell (6.35 ERA) and Todd Williams (5.12 ERA). For now, no roster moves will be made because they have no one better at Albuquerque.

“Our best young arms that are closest to the major league level already are here,” said Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president. “The pitchers we have here deserve to be here.”

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Todd Zeile, who joined the Cubs and played the first five innings in left field before moving to third base, became the 69th player to appear at third since Ron Santo’s retirement in 1973.