They Also Serve Who Sit, Wait

Tom Candiotti and Billy Ashley acknowledge they’re not comfortable in their new roles as reserves. But Candiotti, the veteran knuckleballer who was sent to the bullpen this season, and Ashley, who started last season in the outfield but has started this season on the bench, played key roles Friday in the Dodgers’ 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates before 37,284 at Dodger Stadium.

Ashley, called upon to pinch hit in the seventh inning, doubled and drove in the run that broke a 2-2 tie, and Candiotti pitched two hitless relief innings to earn his first victory ever as a reliever. Todd Worrell earned his second save of the season with a perfect ninth inning.

“It feels kind of weird,” said Candiotti, who had made one previous relief appearance this season and one last season. “I didn’t even break a sweat.

“I’ve come out of the bullpen before, but only in a pinch. Doing it every day is funny. Things are kind of quiet there until the fourth, fifth, sixth inning, then the phone starts ringing. It’s an interesting place to be.”

Ashley isn’t interested in coming off the bench permanently. “It’s pretty tough,” said Ashley, who lined a 1-and-2 pitch into the left-field corner to score Todd Zeile, who had been hit on the leg by a pitch and moved to second on a ground out.

“I’ll never say that it was an easy thing to do. . . . Yeah, I’ll get used to the role if they pay me $3 million a year. I guess you’ve got to get used to it if that’s what you’re going to be doing.”

Asked if he hates the role, he laughed. “Aw, c’mon, you’re pushing it,” he said. “I love winning.”

And Manager Bill Russell likes it that Ashley isn’t content to stay where he is. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Russell said after the Dodgers extended their winning streak to three. “He’s always prepared to play, but right now his role is spot-starting and coming off the bench. . . . He worked hard this spring and improved and hopefully we’ll get him a lot of at-bats.”

Thanks to Ashley and Raul Mondesi, who led off the bottom of the eighth inning with his second home run of the season, it was Fireworks Night even before the official, post-game pyrotechnics display.

Wilton Guerrero tripled to drive in Chad Fonville, who was running for Ashley, in the seventh inning for the Dodgers’ fourth run, his first major league run batted in, and Dodger catcher Mike Piazza continued his torrid start with three singles, a walk and two runs scored. Piazza had two hits Thursday against the Phillies and has had hits in each of his last five at-bats. He has also walked three times and scored three runs. His batting average is .545.

Dodger starter Pedro Astacio struggled through a 36-pitch first inning that took 20 minutes, giving up only two runs because Tony Womack was thrown out stealing second base after leading off the game with a single to right field.

Womack took off on a high 2-and-2 pitch with Jermaine Allensworth at bat and was caught easily. But Astacio walked Allensworth and gave up a single to Al Martin, with Allensworth stopping at second. Mark Johnson sent Allensworth home when he lined a 2-and-2 pitch off the base of the wall in left-center. Martin stopped at third but later scored on Kevin Elster’s grounder to short.

Catcher Jason Kendall kept the inning going with a slow roller to shortstop that left Greg Gagne without a play. However, Astacio struck out Jose Guillen to end the inning. He retired the next nine batters, a streak that ended with Joe Randa’s leadoff single in the fifth.

The Dodgers manufactured runs in the second and fourth innings.

Piazza led off the second with a walk and took second on Eric Karros’ single to center. Piazza tagged and went to third on Todd Hollandsworth’s long fly to center and after Zeile popped up, scored on Gagne’s 2-and-0 single to right.

Piazza was the catalyst again in the fourth. He led off with a single and went to third after the first baseman, Johnson, couldn’t hold pitcher Esteban Loaiza’s throw on a slow roller hit by Hollandsworth. Johnson was charged with the error. Piazza scored on Zeile’s fielder’s choice grounder to second.

Astacio was pulled after the fifth inning, in which he gave up a hit and a walk. He totaled four strikeouts but threw 88 pitches, probably more than enough for a first start.

Mark Guthrie gave up a run in the eighth inning after he issued a leadoff walk to Womack and then threw wildly to first on a pickoff attempt, allowing Womack to get to second.

Womack tagged up on Allensworth’s long fly to center and scored on Martin’s grounder to second.