Dodgers Go More Quietly Than Bonilla

How many Dodger coaches does it take to subdue Bobby Bonilla when he gets angry?

It took the combined strength of three to escort the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Bonilla off the field in the second inning Saturday night after he became incensed following a strike call by home plate umpire Bill Hohn.

The energy exerted by Bonilla did not transfer to his Dodger teammates. San Diego Padre pitcher Andy Ashby limited the Dodgers to four hits over eight innings in a 4-1 victory before 48,950 at Dodger Stadium.

The defeat prevented the Dodgers from gaining ground on the San Francisco Giants, who lost to Colorado but remained 6 1/2 games ahead in the wild-card race. Even more important, the loss halts any momentum the Dodgers attained in beating the National League West-leading Padres twice after the All-Star break.

There was much talk about the decision of Dodger Manager Glenn Hoffman to move Bonilla to left field to create a spot in the lineup for 20-year-old rookie third baseman Adrian Beltre.

Both were prominent in Saturday’s game.

Bonilla didn’t last long. In the second inning, on a 0-2 count, he started arguing with Hohn after a strike call, then was quickly ejected.

Bonilla unleashed his anger by slamming his bat into the dirt, breaking it in half. Hoffman raced out of the dugout trying to restrain Bonilla, but he needed reinforcements. First-base coach Mickey Hatcher, third-base coach Joe Amalfitano and bench coach Mike Scioscia soon had their hands and arms around Bonilla as they tried to keep him separated from Hohn.

Bonilla finally left after throwing his shin guard, then hurling some catching gear from the dugout.

“Write what you saw,” he said outside the wives’ waiting room afterward as he handed out toys.

Scioscia said Bonilla is “a mellow guy” who became upset with Hohn’s strike calls.

“That’s what started the whole confrontation,” Scioscia said. “I think he thought he was voicing his displeasure in a professional manner before it escalated.”

Hohn had no comment.

Bonilla didn’t seem upset before the game with the decision of Hoffman to move him to left field. It was Bonilla’s first starting appearance as a left fielder since July 26, 1995, as a member of the New York Mets.

“I’m a third baseman, I’m a left fielder, I’m a player,” Bonilla said. “The kid is good and he can help us. I told [Hoffman] to put me wherever he needs me.”

Hoffman said he made the judgment that Beltre “needs to play.”

“There’s a lot of things he brings to the table in the lineup right now and I want to see him out there,” he said.

Beltre’s eighth start since being recalled from double-A San Antonio on June 24 didn’t go smoothly.

His wild throw to catcher Charles Johnson with the bases loaded in the first inning allowed two Padre runs to score. He also was thrown out at the plate in the bottom of the first trying to score from third on a shallow fly ball to center fielder Steve Finley. He went hitless in four at-bats, striking out twice.

Ashby (12-5) struck out four and walked none in his eight-inning stint. Trevor Hoffman, Glenn’s brother, struck out the side in the ninth.

“This year, he [Ashby] has just been outstanding,” Padre Manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s keeping his pitch count down and throwing strikes.”

Eric Karros’ leadoff home run in the second accounted for the Dodgers’ only run.

Afterward, the Dodgers optioned outfielder Trenidad Hubbard to triple-A Albuquerque to make room for pitcher Brian Bohanon, who starts tonight.

Ismael Valdes (6-9) pitched six innings, giving up a run-scoring single to Finley in the fifth and a run-scoring double to Wally Joyner in the sixth. Relief pitcher Darren Hall, sidelined since April 8 because of a partially torn rotator cuff, retired all three batters he faced in the ninth.

Padre all-star right fielder Tony Gwynn went 0 for 3, making him hitless in 14 at-bats, tying the longest drought in his 15-year major league career.