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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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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Los Angeles Clubhouse
Houston Clubhouse
Yankees trade Leyritz to L.A. for Vizcaino
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