Sun May 11 20:10:04 2008

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Astros bring out brooms against Dodgers

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Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Hunter Pence went 3-for-4, drove in two runs and scored twice as the Houston Astros fought off Hiroki Kuroda's no-hit bid and rallied for six runs in the eighth inning and an 8-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers to complete a three-game sweep.

Brad Ausmus added a two-run single for Astros, who have won eight of nine. Miguel Tejada went 2-for-4 and scored a pair of runs, while Mark Loretta Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee and Michael Bourn drove in a run apiece.

Geoff Geary (1-1) earned the win with a scoreless inning in relief of Shawn Chacon, who held the Dodgers to two runs on seven hits over six frames. Jose Valverde only had to record one out for his eighth save.

Jonathan Broxton (1-1) allowed six runs in one-third of an inning for the Dodgers, losers of four straight. Kuroda took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and allowed a run on one hit over 6 2/3 frames, striking out five and walking three.

James Loney hit a two-run homer, while Blake DeWitt went 3-for-4 and scored twice. Andre Ethir had three hits, including a double, and Delwyn Young drove in a run and scored a run.

After managing just one hit through seven innings, the Astros took the lead with five straight singles in the eighth.

Matsui and Tejada started the eighth with singles off Broxton, and the Astros pulled within one when Berkman grounded a single to left to plate Matsui. Lee dropped a single to left to score Tejada and tie the game, then Pence bounced a single back through the middle that allowed Berkman to give the Astros a 4-3 lead when Kemp's throw bounced off the mound.

Pence stole second, and after Wigginton struck out, Ausmus singled through a drawn-in infield to bring in two more runs. Hong-Chih Kuo came on in relief, but was greeted with a pinch-hit double by Darin Erstad. Bourn lofted a sacrifice fly to score Ausmus, before Kuo finally ended the six run, seven hit onslaught with a strikeout of Matsui.

Pence added an RBI double in the ninth, while the Dodgers picked up two runs off Doug Brocail in the bottom half. After putting men on second and third with nobody out, Chin-Lung Hu knocked in DeWitt with a groundout, then Andruw Jones crushed a sac fly to deep center that was snagged by Michael Bourn, who smashed into the wall making the catch. After Mark Sweeney's pinch-hit single, Valverde came on and got Ethier to pop out to third and end the game.

Loney's two-run shot helped the Dodgers to a first inning lead, but they couldn't put another run across against Chacon.

Pence finally broke up Kuroda's no-hit bid with two outs in the seventh, lining a single to left. Ty Wigginton drew a walk, and after Kuroda fell behind pinch-hitter Geoff Blum 1-0, Joe Beimel came on in relief. But, Beimel issued back-to-back walks to Blum and pinch-hitter Loretta to force in Houston's first run.

L.A. tacked on a run in the bottom of the seventh, as DeWitt doubled off Wesley Wright, then scored when Matsui couldn't handle Wright's throw on Young's bunt attempt.

Game Notes

The Astros completed their first three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium since 1992...The Astros left eight men on base, while the Dodgers stranded six...Pence added a pair of stolen bases...The Dodgers begin a three-game series in Milwaukee on Tuesday...The Astros travel to San Francisco on Monday to open a four-game set...Time of game was 3:31...Attendance was 40,217.