|
|
 |
 |
|
| |
Sunday, May 7 8:05pm ET
Astros pummel Dodgers for 17 hits | |||||
|
| ||||||
|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Houston Astros are struggling so much these days, any victory is a masterpiece -- no matter how ugly it looks on the surface. The Astros, who needed just one inning to squander a four-run first, overcame four errors and another shoddy outing by Jose Lima on Sunday to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 14-8 in 10 innings and avoid a three-game sweep. Jeff Shaw hit Richard Hidalgo with the bases loaded to force in the go-ahead run and Roger Cedeno capped Houston's seven-run 10th inning with a three-run homer. "It was just an ugly game," Astros second baseman Craig Biggio said. "I've never seen a game before where you have nine guys on both teams go to bat in the first inning. "But we needed a win today and we got it. Usually, if you have four errors, you're not going to win many games." Mitch Meluskey led the Astros' 17-hit attack with a career-high five hits, including a two-run single in the 10th. Billy Wagner (1-1) was the winner, retiring all four batters after entering the game with the bases loaded in the eighth. Shaw (2-2) hit Hidalgo after walking Ken Caminiti. Lance Berkman, who hit a tying homer off Shaw with two outs in the ninth Friday night, followed with a bloop RBI single over a drawn-in infield for a 9-7 lead. Meluskey drove in two more with a single off Alan Mills, and Cedeno followed with his second homer of the season. Todd Hollandsworth, Eric Karros and Mark Grudzielanek homered against Lima, helping the Dodgers build a 7-4 lead through four innings. But the Astros tied it in the seventh on pinch-hitter Russ Johnson's RBI single against Orel Hershiser, and Bill Spiers' bases-loaded two-run single off Antonio Osuna. All week long, Dodgers manager Davey Johnson said he would ease Osuna back into the mix, using him either in long relief or middle relief. But he had no choice this time, because Matt Herges pitched 2 1/3 innings Saturday night and Mike Fetters was given one more day to rest from a swollen right elbow. "When I come in to pitch, I'm ready for anything -- long relief or closing," Osuna said. "My arm's strong and I feel good. Next time, I'll be a little more relaxed out there." After replacing Eric Gagne in the fourth, Hershiser allowed three runs and five hits in three innings. Hershiser was bumped from the starting rotation after a 10-3 loss to the Astros on April 19, when he tied a modern major league record by hitting four batters. And he didn't stop there, plunking Biggio in the sixth and seventh innings. "I had two outs, nobody on, and I gave up three runs. That's just not good," Hershiser said. "Biggio's got that armor on him, so there's not much getting out of the way for him. He just kind of turns into balls. Those things are not real good for the game, I don't think. But that's just a pitcher's perspective." Biggio was hit for the second time after Johnson's hit. Osuna, who had elbow surgery in September and last pitched for the Dodgers on May 16, 1999, went 3-2 on Spiers before giving up a single to center. The Dodgers took advantage of three Houston errors in a five-run first against Lima, who lost his previous five decisions. The All-Star right-hander was charged with seven runs -- four earned -- and six hits in four innings. "He throws the ball down the middle, and he has to keep the ball near the corners more," Astros manager Larry Dierker said. "He has the ability to do it. He did it last year. He's just in a slump." Lima, whose ERA jumped from 8.42 to 9.53, committed one of the Astros' four errors. Caminiti and Hidalgo hit back-to-back homers of Gagne in the Astros' four-run first. Caminiti hit his seventh homer into the right-field bullpen and Hidaldo followed with his ninth. But Lima, who got to bat before he got to pitch, surrendered Hollandsworth's third homer on his second delivery of the game to ignite the Dodgers' five-run rally. Karros led off the third with his eighth homer and Grudzielanek hit his third home run in the fourth for a 7-4 lead. Game notesBiggio has been hit 158 times, more than any active player. ... Caminiti has hit 17 home runs at Dodger Stadium. The only opposing players who have hit 20 or more are George Foster (23), Hank Aaron (22), Mike Schmidt (22), Dale Murphy (21), Willie Stargell (21) and Dave Kingman (20). ... Lima has surrendered 16 homers in 39 2-3 innings. ... Spiers committed the Astros' fourth error, misplaying Alex Cora's grounder in the third. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Houston Clubhouse Los Angeles Clubhouse   | |||||