Karros Blooms in June

Eric Karros has cleaned up since being reinstated in the No. 4 spot in the Dodger batting order June 15.

Karros hit a two-run home run and a two-run double Sunday as the Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres for the first time in 11 games, 10-4, before a paid crowd of 37,681 at Dodger Stadium.

The Padres, who had won eight consecutive games at Dodger Stadium, rested Ken Caminiti and Tony Gwynn, who had an inside-the-park grand slam, another homer and nine RBIs in the first three games of the series.

“I’m just the same bad player I was two months ago,” said Karros, who had been criticized for his performance earlier in the season, but who has a team-leading nine home runs with 26 RBIs in June. “I’m the same guy.”

Karros has batted .326 in his last 24 games to lift his average to .267.

“It’s not just the cleanup spot. It’s been basically since the beginning of June,” Karros said. “I don’t think the cleanup spot has anything to do with it.”

Karros shares the team lead with Todd Zeile with 16 home runs.

“Eric and I are completely different hitters,” said Dodger catcher Mike Piazza, who is batting .438 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs this month. “He’s just up there to drive in runs, and I’m up there to keep an inning going.”

Dodger starter Pedro Astacio (4-7) ended a seven-game losing streak in earning his first victory since May 1. Astacio is 4-0 against the Padres.

“That’s the Astacio that hasn’t been there for seven starts,” Dodger Manager Bill Russell said. “Confidence was written all over him with the way he pitched today.”

Astacio said his confidence never wavered during his losing streak, which included a dugout temper tantrum in a 9-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on June 8.

“I never doubted myself,” Astacio. “I kept working hard and it changed.”

After giving up two runs on two hits in the first inning, Astacio didn’t surrender another hit until he gave up successive two-out doubles to Chris Gomez and John Flaherty in the seventh inning.

The Dodger pitching staff, demoralized after Ramon Martinez went on the disabled list because of a shoulder injury last Monday, appears revitalized after Ismael Valdes ended a three-game losing streak in a 2-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies last Wednesday and Astacio ended his losing streak.

The Dodger offense supported Astacio.

They had 12 hits and batted around for the second time this season, scoring five runs on five hits, an error and a walk in the fifth inning off Padre starter Danny Jackson (1-6), who has lost six consecutive games.

After Roger Cedeno singled up the middle to lead off the inning, Astacio squared to bunt, but swung away and popped up. Padre second baseman Quilvio Veras, who was wearing sunglasses, lost the ball in the sun. Brett Butler reached on his third bunt single of the season to load the bases.

Wilton Guerrero extended his hitting streak to seven games with a bases-loaded one-out RBI single over the glove of third baseman Jorge Velandia, and Piazza drilled a three-and-two pitch to the left field warning track to drive in a run.

Karros, who hit a two-out, two-run home run in the first inning, then doubled in two runs.

After Zeile flied out, Billy Ashley walked, Greg Gagne doubled in a run and Cedeno walked to chase Jackson, who gave up seven runs (five earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 4 2/3 innings.

Reliever Jim Bruske struck out Astacio to end the inning.