Valdes’ Stamina Hurts Him Again

Starting pitcher Ismael Valdes may have the finest arm in the organization, and many baseball executives project him to be a future 20-game winner, but he has one flaw that continues to haunt him.

Valdes still has failed to pitch a complete game this season, and once again, his early departure came back to haunt him Sunday in the Dodgers’ 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros.

Valdes, who said he was too fatigued to pitch any longer in his last start, leaving after five innings, this time was left to fend on his own. He opened the sixth by yielding a single to John Cangelosi and a double to Craig Biggio. Yet, there was not a soul warming up in the bullpen.

“He’s a young starting pitcher,” interim Manager Bill Russell said. “He needs to face those kinds of situations so he knows how to handle it.”

Valdes induced Jeff Bagwell to hit a fly ball to shallow right field for the first out. He opted to pitch to Derek Bell with first base open, but on an 0-and-2 count, watched Bell hit a belt-high fastball to center field for a sacrifice fly, cutting the lead to 2-1.

Valdes, who yielded nine hits, failed to get out of the seventh. He yielded a run-scoring single to John Cangelosi, tying the score, 2-2, when Russell removed him with runners on second and third and one out. Reliever Mark Guthrie came in and struck out Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, ending the inning.

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Left-handed reliever Joey Eischen had not pitched in a tie game since the opening week of the season, and never has he been involved in a decision.

He got another chance Sunday, but it lasted all of two pitches.

Eischen came into the game with the score tied, 2-2, in the ninth inning, but Orlando Miller hit a 1-0 fastball into the center field seats, ending the game.

“That was my first decision today,” Eischen said. “It was a tough way to get it.

Said Piazza: “The guy seems to swing hard every time up. It was unfortunate we hit his bat that time.”

Miller was hitting only .143 off left-handers with just one RBI in 63 at-bats before the homer.

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Third baseman Tim Wallach, who is three for eight with a home run and four RBIs in his first two games at Class A San Bernardino, could find himself in the Dodger lineup Tuesday.

Third baseman Mike Busch has struggled of late, going hitless in his last 11 at-bats with eight strikeouts.

Dave Hansen started in place of Busch on Sunday, and went one for three with a strikeout and walk.

If the Dodgers don’t make a trade, infielder/outfielder Chad Fonville is expected to be sent to triple-A Albuquerque to make room for Wallach.

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Reliever Darren Hall, who underwent elbow surgery April 29, threw off the mound Sunday for the first time since his surgery. “It was fun to be up there again,” said Hall, who threw about 20 pitches. “It just went by too fast. I’m going to be careful with this. Once I come back, I want to stay back.” . . . Second baseman Delino DeShields ended a 0-for-25 slump with a ninth-inning infield single. “I’m still waiting to exhale,” DeShields said. . . . Raul Mondesi, who has driven in only two runs since July 4, was dropped to sixth in the lineup--the lowest he has batted all season. Mondesi went two for four with two infield hits.