Ashley Starting to Make His Case

Outfielder Billy Ashley dislikes doing postgame interviews, but if he continues to hit like he has in helping the Dodgers win two consecutive games, he’s going to have to learn to be more accommodating to the media.

Ashley, who hit a three-run home run when the Dodgers ended a six-game losing streak on Saturday night, broke up a scoreless tie with a seventh-inning single in a 2-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday before a paid crowd of 40,417 at Dodger Stadium.

Catcher Mike Piazza doubled in Raul Mondesi with one out in the eighth inning off Brave starter Denny Neagle, who lost for the first time in eight decisions.

The Dodgers, who won two of three games from the defending National League champions, limited the Braves to a .152 average during the series. They were hitting .291 before the series.

Ashley believes doing interviews is bad luck.

“It’s a superstition of mine,” he said. “I guess I really don’t like talking about myself.”

Ashley, who was inserted into the starting lineup after Brett Butler was placed on the disabled list because of a shoulder injury earlier this month, has hit in his last seven starts in left field and is batting .435 with two home runs and seven RBIs during that span.

Ashley, who led all National League pinch hitters with five home runs last season, would like to start regularly.

“I think I’m a little bit beyond frustrated,” he said. “It’s something I’ve had to deal with for the past couple of years. With the opportunities I get, I have to go out and give it my best shot and hopefully I’ll be able to stick one day.

“I wish I could be out there and contribute more, but there’s nothing I can really do. I can’t really feel angry. We’ve got to do everything we can to win ballgames, and if that means mixing up the lineup and putting different guys out there to win these games, that’s what we’ve got to do.”

Ashley, who nearly hit his fourth home run when he flew out to deep center field in the fifth inning, is playing so well that Manager Bill Russell is reluctant to take him out of the lineup, even though Todd Hollandworth, who hasn’t started six consecutive games after suffering a knee injury on May 19 in Montreal, is well enough to return.

“You don’t want to see anybody lose their job because they got hurt,” Russell said. “But Ashley is playing well. He’ll be out there again tomorrow.

“Billy’s really improved at the plate. He showed it at the end of last year. He puts a lot of pressure on a pitcher because he knows if he doesn’t make the right pitch it could cost him a run real quick.”

Dodger pitcher Ismael Valdes, who entered the game ranked eighth in the NL with a 2.53 earned-run average, outpitched Neagle, who signed a reported $17.5 million, four-year contract last winter, giving up three hits and striking out six before he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Valdes, who didn’t allow a walk for the second time in 10 starts, has walked only 14 batters in 64 innings.

Neagle, who retired 15 consecutive Dodgers before walking Roger Cedeno with two outs in the sixth inning, gave up two runs on six hits with four strikeouts and five walks in 7 1/3 innings.

Valdes (3-5), who has gotten only 20 runs in his first nine starts, pitched his best game of the season.

“I’ve been frustrated because I’ve been pitching really well and I don’t get the wins,” he said. “But you have to keep fighting until the end. It had to change.”

Valdes’ luck changed in the seventh inning when the Dodgers scored a run on two hits and a walk with a hit-and-run play in a situation that might have called for a sacrifice bunt.

Todd Zeile, who didn’t have any sacrifices last season, singled in Eric Karros, who had drawn a leadoff walk, to third on a hit-and-run play and Ashley singled in Karros.

“It’s a tough play, but it’s a play that I do enjoy,” Zeile said. “I’ve told Joey [Amalfitano] and Bill [Russell] that if the situation arises, that I would be more than happy to hit and run.”

And he got a ideal pitch.

The Dodgers got a scare when closer Todd Worrell issued a leadoff walk to pinch-hitter Michael Tucker and Kenny Lofton sent center fielder Roger Cedeno to the warning track with a fly.

But Worrell, who was making his first appearance in a save situation since recording his 12th save in a 2-1 win at Cincinnati on May 15, struck out Andruw Jones and got Chipper Jones to pop out as the Dodgers recorded their second shutout of the season.

It was the third time that the Braves have been shut out.