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  Tuesday, Jun. 20 8:05pm ET
Sheffield belts 21 HR in four-run 10th
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

HOUSTON (AP) -- Jose Vizcaino ended his stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a high note.

Moments before he was traded to the New York Yankees, Vizcaino hit a pinch-hit RBI single in the 10th inning that helped Los Angeles beat the Houston Astros 9-6 on Tuesday night.

"You've got to feel good to get a hit to win the game," said Vizcaino, who was traded to New York for Jim Leyritz. "Then I found out I got traded. But I will do my job wherever I am."

Vizcaino, who hit .204 in 40 games for the Dodgers, could even see the bright side of the sudden trade.

"That's baseball," he said. "I'll have a lot of chances to win over there. I think I'll have more playing time over there."

With the score tied 5-5, Chad Kreuter led off the 10th with a double off Joe Slusarski (1-4), and pinch-runner Paul LoDuca scored the go-ahead run on Vizcaino's single.

"It was a big hit for us," Vizcaino said. "I was trying to get the run in from third any way I could. He gave me a tough pitch but I got the hit."

After Todd Hollandsworth singled and Mark Grudzielanek struck out, Gary Sheffield hit a three-run homer, making it 9-5.

"My job is to get zeros," Slusarski said. "And I didn't do it. The pitch to Sheffield was a stupid fastball."

Matt Herges (4-0) picked up the win with one perfect inning of relief. Jeff Shaw blew his sixth save in 18 opportunities this season, giving up Jeff Bagwell's 17th homer leading off the ninth.

Chris Truby had an RBI groundout in the bottom of the 10th. Kevin Brown ended a string of three straight complete games, allowing four runs on nine hits and a walk, with five strikeouts in seven innings.

In was only the second time in nine career starts against Houston that Brown allowed more than one earned run. He allowed three earned runs in a no-decision July 26, 1998, pitching for San Diego.

"It could have been an inspirational win for us with all the young kids going against Kevin Brown like that," manager Larry Dierker said. "But the eighth inning really hurt us. It seemed we couldn't get anyone out and the walks especially hurt."

Marc Valdes, who relieved starter Chris Holt in the seventh, gave up an unearned run in the eighth. With two outs, Alex Cora reached on shortstop Tim Bogar's throwing error.

Yorkis Perez relieved Valdes and allowed a single to pinch-hitter Kevin Elster, then walked Hollandsworth to load the bases. Doug Henry relieved Perez and walked Grudzielanek to bring in Cora and make it 5-4.

Holt allowed 10 hits and two walks in six innings, striking out six.

Bill Spiers had a double, single and two RBIs for Houston before leaving in the fourth inning with a strained hamstring. He is day-to-day.

Spiers led off the first with a double to right-center, moved to third on Craig Biggio's sacrifice bunt, and scored on Bagwell's sacrifice fly.

Cora tied it in the second when his double to the left-field bullpen screen drove in Chad Kreuter from first.

The Astros regained the lead on Mitch Meluskey's eighth home run, leading off the bottom of the second.

In the third, Grudzielanek singled, went to third on Sheffield's single and scored on Shawn Green's groundout to tie it at 2. Sheffield went to second on Eric Karros' walk and scored on Adrian Beltre's single to center for a 3-2 lead.

Spiers' two-run single gave Houston a 4-3 lead in the fourth.

Green's single to center in the fifth drove in Sheffield and tied the score for the third time.

Game notes
Barker had a career-high three hits, all singles and two in the infield. ... Spiers' wife Laura gave birth to a baby girl Monday. ... Bogar ended an 0-for-25 slump with an infield single in the fourth ... Green's single in the fifth gave him a 50-game streak of reaching base by either a hit or walk ... The Dodgers are 0-3 when Sheffield does not start ... The Dodgers and Astros are the only two NL teams with five players who have 10 or more home runs.
 


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Los Angeles Clubhouse

Houston Clubhouse


Yankees trade Leyritz to L.A. for Vizcaino


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