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GAME LOG
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Chan Ho Park wasn't slowed down a bit by his blister. Park pitched 7 2/3 strong innings, and Shawn Green hit a two-run homer as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat Houston 4-1 Friday night, the Astros' fifth consecutive defeat. In his longest outing of the season, Park (5-4) allowed only five hits and struck out 10 -- despite a fastball and breaking ball that weren't as sharp as usual because of a blister on his middle finger. He was forced him out of his previous start after six innings because of it. "Not only does the blister keep him from throwing his breaking ball, but it has to affect the feeling on his fastball, too. But he was able to battle through it," catcher Chad Kreuter said. "It was a gutsy performance. I think this was one of Chan Ho's best, because he went into this game not knowing how long he could last." Park, who did not commit a balk in 226 innings last year, recorded his first one this season after Brad Ausmus' eighth-inning single and then gave up a two-out RBI single by Craig Biggio. "He's predominantly been a guy with a good fastball and a great breaking ball," Kreuter said. "But tonight he was able to pretty much dominate a game in which he basically went fastball and changeup and maybe threw less than 10 percent breaking balls." Jeff Bagwell, who went 3-for-4 with a double, singled his first two times up for Houston's only hits through the first 5 2/3 innings. He and Biggio combined for five of Houston's seven hits. "Bags is a great fastball hitter," Kreuter said. "We got a couple of swings and missed on him with the changeup, but as you get deeper in the count with him, he adjusts and you don't want to throw the changeup because that's the pitch he can drive a long way. So you have to go fastball on him." Jeff Shaw got three outs for his National League-leading 15th save in 16 attempts. The Dodgers opened the scoring with a pair of second-inning runs against Wade Miller (6-2), who allowed four runs and nine hits in seven innings. Miller had been 4-0 in his previous six starts. "I've obviously had better starts than I did tonight," Miller said. "I'm not going to win every time I do out there, but I want to go out there and give a chance to win. That's all I can do. I just have to make better pitches in clutch situations." Marquis Grissom singled in the second inning and scored from first on Kreuter's double to left-center. Kreuter advanced on a wild pitch and came home on Alex Cora's sacrifice fly. Green, the only legitimate home run threat in the Dodgers' lineup because of injuries to Eric Karros and Gary Sheffield, increased the margin to 4-0 in the sixth when he drove an 0-2 pitch to right-center for his 11th homer. Karros was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday because of sprained lower back. The Dodgers are going to wait at least a couple of days before deciding whether Sheffield's sprained right index finger is severe enough to place him on the DL. "I think everyone needs to step up and carry some of the load. When you have two of your top hitters out of the lineup, it makes it that much tougher to score runs," Green said. "There are still nine guys trying to put runs on the board. So however we do it is the key. It doesn't matter who's doing it." The Astros' consecutive game home run streak ended at 15 games, three shy of the club record they set last season. They have a league-leading 74 homers, but the Dodgers have yielded a league-low 43. Game notesDodgers starting pitchers have a 3.60 ERA, the best in the league. ... Shaw's 101st save with the Dodgers tied Ron Perranoski for third place on the Los Angeles career list behind Todd Worrell (127) and Jim Brewer (125). ... Ausmus threw out Goodwin trying to steal in the first inning and Paul Lo Duca in the third. The Astros' catcher is 13-for-28 in that department. ... Kreuter picked off Miller at first base after Park walked him to open the third. ... The defeat was Houston's second in its last 12 road games. The Astros began their six-game trip with a league-best 14-7 record away from Enron Field. ... Houston allowed fewer than six runs for the first time in five games.  Send this story to a friend
| RECAPS Baltimore 7 Texas 6
Los Angeles 4
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