Mondesi Struggling at No. 3

The Dodgers, who put Raul Mondesi in the third spot in the batting order and dropped Mike Piazza to fourth and Eric Karros to fifth this season, have watched Mondesi struggle the past week. Mondesi is hitting .160 (four for 25) with six strikeouts since hitting a homer in his first at-bat April 8 against the New York Mets. Mondesi entered Saturday’s game batting .232 with one stolen base while grounding into two double plays.

“We’re playing well,” Manager Bill Russell said, “so there’s no reason to take anybody out or change anything. Mondy’s struggling. He knows it.

“He’s not hitting, but the bottom line is we’re winning and playing well. We’re not going to change things at this time. He’s still going to bat third.”

If the Dodgers decide to eventually revert to last year’s batting order, it could help Karros.

Karros is batting .196 with one double, no homers and two RBIs in 46 at-bats out of the fifth spot entering Saturday’s game. Yet, as the cleanup hitter, he’s batting .625 with two doubles, one homer and five RBIs in eight at-bats.

Piazza has had only eight at-bats with runners in scoring position all season, giving him only six RBIs.

“I’m not getting a lot of pitches,” he said. “I try not to think about it. I just try to hit according to the situation.”

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Houston Manager Larry Dierker winces at the notion, knowing that as painful as it is for the Chicago Cubs to start the season 0-13, the consequences would be worse for him.

“There’s no telling what would go on around here if we were in the same position as the Cubs,” Dierker said. “The fact that we started like we have has definitely eased the pressure.”

The Astros were widely criticized for hiring Dierker, a former pitcher and commentator with no managing experience.

Yet, the Astros have responded to him, and lead the National League Central. The players say it’s a much better atmosphere than under Terry Collins, who now manages the Angels.

“I think it’s a lot more relaxed in here,” pitcher Darryl Kile said. “He’s given us the freedom to do things and play our game. It’s just a different clubhouse than it was before.”

Said first baseman Jeff Bagwell: “During the games, Larry’s been laid-back, smiling and having a good time. That helps.”

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Chan Ho Park will be become a permanent fixture in the starting rotation April 29 against the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers will then stick to a five-man rotation. . . . First baseman Eddie Williams and reliever Antonio Osuna are playing well at triple-A Albuquerque. Williams is batting .353 with a team-high eight homers and 15 RBIs for a .804 slugging percentage. Osuna has pitched six shutout innings, yielding only two hits while striking out 14.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

TODAY’S GAME

DODGERS’ ISMAEL VALDES (1-2, 2.95 ERA) vs. ASTROS’ CHRIS HOLT

(1-1, 5.03 ERA)

Opponent--Houston Astros

Site--Dodger Stadium

Time--1 p.m.

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

* Update--Ismael Valdes never has lost to the Astros, going 2-0 with a 2.59 earned-run average over 31 1/3 innings. No one in baseball gives Astro first baseman Jeff Bagwell fits more than Valdes: He is hitless in 14 at-bats against him. The Dodgers have never seen Astro starter Chris Holt. Holt has excellent control but leaves too many hittable pitches over the plate. He leads the league with 26 hits allowed, but ranks seventh in the league with 1.4 walks per nine innings. He has a 95-mph fastball, but his out pitch is a hard sinker. In his first career victory, 5-3, over the Braves, he yielded 13 hits--including five infield singles--in seven innings. The only Astro pitcher to give up more hits and win a game was Ken Forsch, who gave up 14. Center fielder Derek Bell, who was benched Saturday, is struggling, batting only .230 with no homers and five runs batted in. “We have to get Derek going to be on all cylinders,” Manager Larry Dierker said.