Fonville on Dodgers’ Cutting Edge

Maybe it’s a coincidence, but Chad Fonville has started two games in a row and the Dodgers have won them both.

Fonville, who made his first start of the season in Tuesday’s 3-2 victory at Atlanta, playing third base, started in left field Wednesday night against the Houston Astros and was three for three, scored a run and drove in a run as the Dodgers defeated the Astros, 5-2, before 26,666 at Dodger Stadium.

Dodger starter Ismael Valdes (1-1) registered a season-high 10 strikeouts, one shy of his career high, and gave up one run on five hits before he was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the seventh inning.

“I was lucky,” Valdes said. “I’m not a strikeout pitcher. I’m not like [Hideo Nomo]. He’s a strikeout pitcher, I’m not.”

Catcher Mike Piazza drove in three runs with a two-run homer in the first and a run-scoring single in the seventh.

“Power hitters get in streaks,” Manager Tom Lasorda said of Piazza, who has three homers in his last five games after opening the season by going 65 at-bats without one. “All of a sudden they hit them in bunches.”

Fonville’s versatility makes him invaluable to the Dodgers. He has played every position except pitcher, catcher and first base. He moved to second base in the ninth inning.

“He’s the John Havlicek of our team,” Lasorda said.

Fonville, who started 69 consecutive games at the end of last season, said it’s easier to start than it is to come off the bench.

“I’m glad to be back in the lineup,” said Fonville, who is five for seven (.714) in his last three games. “I’m going to try to stay in the lineup and go out there and do what I can do to help the team win. I want to get on base and make things happen.”

Fonville, who has sported a shaved head since last season, has also started a fashion trend.

Right fielder Raul Mondesi, who has moved into the cleanup spot with the injury to Eric Karros, sported the Mr. Clean look, debuting a shaved head. Second baseman Delino DeShields, batting only .179 at home, also shaved his head.

“I didn’t even recognize them,” Lasorda said. “I didn’t know who the hell they were. I said, ‘Who the hell are those strange guys in the clubhouse?’ ”

“It looks like somebody clipped their dog,” Executive Vice President Fred Claire said as he noticed Mondesi’s hair on the bathroom floor. “If it helps us hit and win games, we’ll subscribe to anything that works.”

Said Fonville: “I don’t think I started anything, they just wanted to shave their heads. It has nothing to do with anything. They just wanted to make a change for themselves.”

DeShields shaved his head Tuesday night.

“I woke up this morning and it was like that,” DeShields said. “My wife’s been on me because she said I was looking too old, so I just cut it off.”

The look isn’t for everyone.

“Myself, personally I think I’ll just keep my hair,” Piazza said. “I shaved this morning and that’s it for me. I guess we needed some sort of a drastic change and that’s pretty drastic.”

Valdes, who had received only two runs from the Dodgers in his last two starts, had a 4-0 lead after two innings.

Piazza’s homer in the first inning went halfway into the right-field bleachers. Brett Butler drove in Mike Blowers with a sacrifice fly in the second to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead and Fonville singled in Greg Gagne.

Reliever Darren Hall worked 1 2/3 innings, giving up one hit and one run with three strikeouts. He left with two outs in the ninth after suffering a strained elbow when he struck out Derrick May.

Closer Todd Worrell replaced Hall and got Orlando Miller to hit an apparent game-ending fly ball to left. However, rookie Roger Cedeno dropped the ball, which allowed a run to score.

But Worrell got pinch-hitter Tony Eusebio to hit a game-ending comebacker.