Schedule Gets Much Tougher Now

The Dodgers, after beating up on the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets--a trio that could combine for 300 losses this season--now will be playing bona fide contenders in their next 10 games.

The National League’s Central Division-leading Houston Astros will be at Dodger Stadium beginning tonight for three games, followed by last season’s Central champion St. Louis Cardinals, then the Florida Marlins, who spent $167 million on free agents and contract extensions, and finally by the Atlanta Braves, who have won four of the last five league pennants.

“The caliber gets a little better now,” Manager Bill Russell said. “We did what we wanted to against those [early] teams, but now we have to step it up.”

The Dodgers (9-4) are off to their best start since their 1988 World Series championship season but are in third place in the NL West.

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Pedro Astacio, who yielded one hit in seven-plus innings Wednesday in the Dodgers’ 5-2 victory over the Mets, will be returning full time to the starting rotation.

“He’s one of the most underrated guys in this league,” pitching coach Dave Wallace said. “Most every game he goes out there, you’re going to find yourself in the game in the seventh inning. He’s a horse.”

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The bullpen continues as the best in baseball with a 4-0 record and 1.11 ERA, having struck out 39 and yielded only 23 hits in 48 2/3 innings. . . . Shortstop Greg Gagne, who has produced four consecutive multi-hit games, batted .625 (10 for 16) on the last trip with a double, a triple and four RBIs.

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ON DECK

* Opponent--Houston Astros, three games.

* Site--Dodger Stadium.

* Tonight--7.

* TV--Fox Sports West 2, Saturday.

* Radio--KABC (790), KWKW (1330).

* Records--Dodgers 9-4, Astros 9-6.

* Record vs. Astros (1996)--6-6.

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TONIGHT’S GAME

DODGERS’ RAMON MARTINEZ (1-1, 2.65 ERA) vs. MIKE HAMPTON (1-2, 4.00)

* Update--This will be the Dodgers’ first real test of the season. The Dodgers, like the rest of the National League West, beat up on the three patsies in the East (the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates) but now will start a stretch of 10 games against the Astros, St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins. Right fielder Raul Mondesi is in a two-for-21 slump since hitting a first-inning homer April 8 against the Mets. The marquee matchup of the series will be Saturday, when Hideo Nomo faces the Astros’ Darryl Kile. No team gives Nomo more trouble than the Astros. He has a 1-3 record against them with a 6.14 earned-run average. The Dodgers have won a season series against the Astros only twice since 1985. First baseman Jeff Bagwell and second baseman Craig Biggio have had trouble against Ramon Martinez. Bagwell is batting only .222 against tonight’s starter with eight strikeouts in 36 at-bats; Biggio is batting only .192. Astro right fielder Bob Abreu is a rookie-of-the-year candidate.

* Saturday, 7 p.m.--Hideo Nomo (2-0, 3.50 ERA) vs. Darryl Kile (0-1, 3.00).

* Sunday, 1 p.m.--Ismael Valdes (1-2, 2.95 ERA) vs. Chris Holt (1-1, 5.03 ERA).