Yesterday's demotion of talented lefthander Clayton Kershaw to the minor leagues was probably only a temporary setback for the highly regarding prospect, but the transaction showed once again how difficult it often is for young pitchers to get their feet on the ground in the Major Leagues.
Back on this day in 1992, the Dodgers entered play with a 32-42 record in a season where they'd lose a Los Angeles franchise record 99 games. Little did the Dodgers know that the day, which had the team facing the Philadelphia Phillies in a doubleheader at Dodger Stadium, would be one of the most productive in this horrible season and would feature a dominant performance by a rookie pitcher.
Game one of the twinbill saw the Dodgers beat the Phils 5-1 behind veteran Bob Ojeda. The Dodgers scored all five runs (three of them earned) off of Phillies' starter Curt Schilling without registering an extra base hit. Ojeda made the runs stand up in a complete game, seven hit performance.
It was the nightcap, however, that had the Dodgers' crowd buzzing with energy in Pedro Astacio's debut. The 22 year old from the Dominican Republic shut the Phils out, striking out 10 and allowing only three in the Dodgers' second complete game effort of the day. The Dodgers won 2-0, as Astacio was supported by a first inning RBI groundout by Lenny Harris and a second inning sacrifice fly by Mike Scioscia off of Philadelphia's Don Robinson.
Astacio would be one of the few bright spots for the Dodgers in 1992, as he would go 5-5 with four complete game shutouts and a 1.98 ERA in 11 games. The righthander would win 48 games in his time with the Dodgers, including 14 in 1993.
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