ASHLEY PERFORMS WELL IN THE PINCH : DODGERS 6, HOUSTON 5.

Byline: Tim Brown Daily News Staff Writer

He tried asking. Maybe Billy Ashley can hit himself out of Los Angeles.

The one-time mega-prospect whose playing time has diminished to almost nothing in his first two full seasons in the major leagues, Ashley hit a pinch three-run homer in the ninth inning Saturday night, and the Dodgers defeated the Houston Astros 6-5 in 11 innings at the Astrodome.

It might have been won on Eric Karros' two-out single two innings later, but the game arrived at that point only because Ashley finally found his fastball, on a two-strike pitch from Astros reliever Billy Wagner. It tied the score 5-5 in a game the Dodgers trailed since the fifth inning.

The home run was his fifth hit in his past 60 at-bats.

Under the current system, in which he plays once, maybe twice a week, Ashley wants out. Depending on the source, either Ashley doesn't play because he doesn't hit, or he doesn't hit because he doesn't play. Either way, it's not working for Ashley. At least not typically.

In 14 previous pinch at-bats, Ashley had two hits. One was a home run.

Against Wagner, the Dodgers put two runners on base ahead of Ashley. Greg Gagne singled to right with one out. Pinch-hitter Rick Parker was behind, 0-and-2, when Wagner was charitable enough to hit him in the thigh with a curveball.

That brought Ashley in place of slumping leadoff hitter Wayne Kirby. Ashley, too, was two strikes behind, suddenly a fortuitous count for the Dodgers.

Wagner's next pitch was a high fastball, and Ashley rode it into the seats beyond the right-center field fence. He gave a little fist pump around first base.

``With the situation as far as the trade talk, what happens with me is up to the Dodgers,'' Ashley said. ``I have no say-so with what's going on. When I get a chance to play, I have to take advantage of it. This is one of those times I did.''

Ashley said he wasn't necessarily attempting to tie the score, not with an 0-and-2 count.

``With two strikes you shorten your swing,'' he said. ``I just wanted to put the ball in play. Whether it was a home run, a double or a single, I leave that up to the baseball gods.''

They were smiling down upon him, as were a handful of scouts, one from the Detroit Tigers.

``I didn't expect to see a fastball in that situation,'' Ashley said, ``but I was more than happy.''

Two innings later, while the bullpen was holding the Astros to one hit over the final 6-1/3 innings, Karros singled with Tom Prince at second base and Mike Piazza at first. Prince reached with one out when a Terry Clark fastball hit him in the shoulder, Piazza on his fourth single in five at-bats.

Prince scored just ahead of the throw by center fielder James Mouton, and caught a piece of catcher Kirt Manwaring on the way to the plate.

``I'm fine,'' said Karros, whose road trip was lousy until he doubled twice and singled. ``I'm going to have my periods when I'm horses--- and others when I'm going all right.''

Of course, nearly everyone in the clubhouse deferred glory to Ashley's moment.

``That was huge for him,'' Karros said, ``with all the things he's gone through this year. The first two pitches exemplified what his season's gone like. He had two good cuts and he was down 0-and-2.''

Stung in the first game of this series, when it allowed two eighth-inning runs in a 4-3 defeat, the bullpen gave up only one infield single after starter Chan Ho Park was pulled with two out in the fifth. In place of injured Tom Candiotti, Park gave up seven hits and five runs.

In his first major-league appearance since June 22, 1994, a gap that includes reconstructive elbow surgery, Darren Dreifort had two strikeouts in 1-1/3 innings. Antonio Osuna (6-4) pitched two innings for the win, and Todd Worrell pitched the 11th for his 26th save.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: Houston's Derrick May slides home as Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza tries to locate the ball (under his leg).

Associated Press