HOU 2 5 0
LAD 9 10 0
WP – Messersmith LP – Redding
HR – Ferguson
A last minute decision to start Andy Messersmith paid off for the Dodgers. Andy dominated the Stros allowing only 5 hits with 0 walks and 7 K’s for the complete game win. The Dodgers scored one in the 1st on a Buckner FC and one in the 3rd on a Joshua single. LA broke it open in the 7th with four runs to take a 6-0 lead. Houston managed 2 runs in the top of the 8th, but a Joe Ferguson 3 run HR sealed the with for LA.
Game #2
HOU 4 7 1
LAD 7 10 1
WP – Sutton LP – Oswalt Sv - Brewer
HR – Hidalgo, Berkman
With a solid win by Messersmith in the books, LA turned to Don Sutton to keep the home field advantage alive. Houston countered with Roy Oswalt. LA wasted no time getting the scoring started has they gave Oswalt a case of the Willies – Davis led off with a double and Crawford brought him in with a single. In the top of the 3rd Kent and Berkman led off the inning with singles and Hidalgo brought them home with a 3 run HR, giving Houston it’s first lead in the series. But that was short lived as the Dodgers got to Oswalt for 5 in the bottom of the 5th, the key hit being a 2 run double by Ron Cey. LA padded their lead in the 8th on a Davy Lopes sac fly and Berkman got that back with a solo shot in the 9th off a tiring Sutton. Jim Brewer came in for the last two outs to score the save and send the teams to Houston with LA holding a 2-0 series lead.
Game #3
LAD 3 7 1
HOU 7 12 1
WP – Villone LP – Downing
HR – Ferguson, Hidalgo, Ensberg, Everett
A match up of lefties in Game 3 and the Dodgers showed out of the gate that they wanted to keep their winning streak alive. With one out and two on in the first, Joe Ferguson hit is 2nd 3 run HR of the series to spot Downing with a quick 3-0 lead. The Astros got on the board in the 2nd behind a solo shot by Hidalgo, and Ausmus triple (I know, right?) and a Villone RBI single. In the 3rd, Morgan Ensberg launched a solo HR of his own to tie the score at 3. Houston added three more in the bottom the 4th and then another run on Adam Everett’s HR in the bottom of the 6th to close out the scoring. Downing gave up all of the Houston runs and was pulled after 6. Villone pitched a strong 7 for Houston before turning it over to Dotel for the last 2 innings.
Game #4
LAD 2 7 0
HOU 5 9 0
WP – Miller LP – Osteen
HR – Cey, Ausmus
Houston plated 3 runs in the 2nd on a WP, ground out and single. They add solo runs in the 5th and the 8th. Wade Miller held the Dodgers to no runs on 5 hits, no walks and 7 K’s through 6 innings. Brad Lidge pitched the 7th and 8th, allowing no hits while striking out 4. A well-rested Billy Wagner came in for the 9th and after two quick outs gave up a single to Buckner and a 2 run HR to Cey, before settling down for the final out.
Game #5
LAD 3 8 1
HOU 7 6 2
WP – Redding LP – Messersmith
HR – Ferguson, Hidalgo, Berkman
In the rematch of Game 1 pitchers, Houston fared better against Messersmith than the first time. Ferguson continued to mash for the Dodgers with a 2 run HR in the first, but Houston rallied back. Hidalgo hit his 3rd of the series leading off the 2nd inning, and then Lance Berkman crushed a 3 run HR in the 3rd. Messersmith was pinch hit for in the 7th, leaving him on the hook for the loss after 6 IP allowing 4 runs on 4 hits, 4 walks and two K’s. Redding pitched well after the 1st inning and was lifted after allowing a single run in the 7th to pull the Dodgers within one run, 4-3. Houston added 3 more runs in the bottom of the 7th off of Charlie Hough while Miceli and Dotel combined for two shutout innings to preserve the win for Redding. After 5 games the home team cannot lose – back to LA.
Game #6
HOU 1 8 0
LAD 8 11 2
WP – Shanahan LP – Oswalt
HR – Garvey
With the series on the line, LA sent Sutton to the mound for Game 6 vs Oswalt for the Astros. LA again scored first on a Ferguson ground out. In the 2nd inning terror struck the Dodger fans when after 2 outs Sutton called out the trainer and was removed from the game with an undisclosed injury. Greg Shanahan relived and intentional walked Ausmus before striking out Oswalt. The Dodgers used Sutton’s injury as motivation as they came out and scored 3 off of Oswalt in the bottom of the 2nd on a Bill Russell double and a Ken McMullen PH sac fly. Tommy John came on to pitch the 3rd inning and went 4.2 innings, allowing one run on 4 hits. Oswalt was done after 6, allowing 5 runs on 8 hits. Charlie Hough and Pete Richert pitched the last 2 to hold on for the win for Shanahan, who got the win despite only pitching 1/3 of an inning. On to Game 7 with the home teams still holding serve….
Game #7
HOU 4 9 1
LAD 2 6 0
WP – Dotel LP – Brewer Sv – Wagner
HR - Bagwell
The teams saved the best for last in the closest game of the series. Villone and Downing matched up for the 2nd time, with both pitchers going a strong 6 innings. Lopes led off the 4th with a bunt single and scored on a Davis double to right. A Manny Mota ground out to moved Davis to 3rd, and he scored on a very deep sac fly by Ferguson. Houston came right back on the top of the 5th, when with Everett on first Bagwell crushed a 2 run HR to left to tie the score at 2. That was it for scoring for both teams until the 9th inning. With one out in the 9th, PH Orlando Merced reached on an infield single and Adam Everett drew a walk. Berkman was up next and launched a drive deep to left that was foul. The Dodgers quickly subbed Von Joshua into left to replace Mota in the event of another one of those. Berkman did drive it to left again, but it hit the wall and brought both Merced and Everett home to score. Still well rested Billy Wagner came in for the 9th and promptly put two on with a single and walk before getting Garvey to ground out in to force play, punching out Yeager and getting Russell to ground out for the save and the series win.
Great back and forth series. The Dodgers played like champs. Berkman gets the MVP with a .345 AVG and 9 RBI in the series.
Game #2
HOU 4 7 1
LAD 7 10 1
WP – Sutton LP – Oswalt Sv - Brewer
HR – Hidalgo, Berkman
With a solid win by Messersmith in the books, LA turned to Don Sutton to keep the home field advantage alive. Houston countered with Roy Oswalt. LA wasted no time getting the scoring started has they gave Oswalt a case of the Willies – Davis led off with a double and Crawford brought him in with a single. In the top of the 3rd Kent and Berkman led off the inning with singles and Hidalgo brought them home with a 3 run HR, giving Houston it’s first lead in the series. But that was short lived as the Dodgers got to Oswalt for 5 in the bottom of the 5th, the key hit being a 2 run double by Ron Cey. LA padded their lead in the 8th on a Davy Lopes sac fly and Berkman got that back with a solo shot in the 9th off a tiring Sutton. Jim Brewer came in for the last two outs to score the save and send the teams to Houston with LA holding a 2-0 series lead.
LAD 3 7 1
HOU 7 12 1
WP – Villone LP – Downing
HR – Ferguson, Hidalgo, Ensberg, Everett
A match up of lefties in Game 3 and the Dodgers showed out of the gate that they wanted to keep their winning streak alive. With one out and two on in the first, Joe Ferguson hit is 2nd 3 run HR of the series to spot Downing with a quick 3-0 lead. The Astros got on the board in the 2nd behind a solo shot by Hidalgo, and Ausmus triple (I know, right?) and a Villone RBI single. In the 3rd, Morgan Ensberg launched a solo HR of his own to tie the score at 3. Houston added three more in the bottom the 4th and then another run on Adam Everett’s HR in the bottom of the 6th to close out the scoring. Downing gave up all of the Houston runs and was pulled after 6. Villone pitched a strong 7 for Houston before turning it over to Dotel for the last 2 innings.
Game #4
LAD 2 7 0
HOU 5 9 0
WP – Miller LP – Osteen
HR – Cey, Ausmus
Houston plated 3 runs in the 2nd on a WP, ground out and single. They add solo runs in the 5th and the 8th. Wade Miller held the Dodgers to no runs on 5 hits, no walks and 7 K’s through 6 innings. Brad Lidge pitched the 7th and 8th, allowing no hits while striking out 4. A well-rested Billy Wagner came in for the 9th and after two quick outs gave up a single to Buckner and a 2 run HR to Cey, before settling down for the final out.
LAD 3 8 1
HOU 7 6 2
WP – Redding LP – Messersmith
HR – Ferguson, Hidalgo, Berkman
In the rematch of Game 1 pitchers, Houston fared better against Messersmith than the first time. Ferguson continued to mash for the Dodgers with a 2 run HR in the first, but Houston rallied back. Hidalgo hit his 3rd of the series leading off the 2nd inning, and then Lance Berkman crushed a 3 run HR in the 3rd. Messersmith was pinch hit for in the 7th, leaving him on the hook for the loss after 6 IP allowing 4 runs on 4 hits, 4 walks and two K’s. Redding pitched well after the 1st inning and was lifted after allowing a single run in the 7th to pull the Dodgers within one run, 4-3. Houston added 3 more runs in the bottom of the 7th off of Charlie Hough while Miceli and Dotel combined for two shutout innings to preserve the win for Redding. After 5 games the home team cannot lose – back to LA.
Game #6
HOU 1 8 0
LAD 8 11 2
WP – Shanahan LP – Oswalt
HR – Garvey
With the series on the line, LA sent Sutton to the mound for Game 6 vs Oswalt for the Astros. LA again scored first on a Ferguson ground out. In the 2nd inning terror struck the Dodger fans when after 2 outs Sutton called out the trainer and was removed from the game with an undisclosed injury. Greg Shanahan relived and intentional walked Ausmus before striking out Oswalt. The Dodgers used Sutton’s injury as motivation as they came out and scored 3 off of Oswalt in the bottom of the 2nd on a Bill Russell double and a Ken McMullen PH sac fly. Tommy John came on to pitch the 3rd inning and went 4.2 innings, allowing one run on 4 hits. Oswalt was done after 6, allowing 5 runs on 8 hits. Charlie Hough and Pete Richert pitched the last 2 to hold on for the win for Shanahan, who got the win despite only pitching 1/3 of an inning. On to Game 7 with the home teams still holding serve….
HOU 4 9 1
LAD 2 6 0
WP – Dotel LP – Brewer Sv – Wagner
HR - Bagwell
The teams saved the best for last in the closest game of the series. Villone and Downing matched up for the 2nd time, with both pitchers going a strong 6 innings. Lopes led off the 4th with a bunt single and scored on a Davis double to right. A Manny Mota ground out to moved Davis to 3rd, and he scored on a very deep sac fly by Ferguson. Houston came right back on the top of the 5th, when with Everett on first Bagwell crushed a 2 run HR to left to tie the score at 2. That was it for scoring for both teams until the 9th inning. With one out in the 9th, PH Orlando Merced reached on an infield single and Adam Everett drew a walk. Berkman was up next and launched a drive deep to left that was foul. The Dodgers quickly subbed Von Joshua into left to replace Mota in the event of another one of those. Berkman did drive it to left again, but it hit the wall and brought both Merced and Everett home to score. Still well rested Billy Wagner came in for the 9th and promptly put two on with a single and walk before getting Garvey to ground out in to force play, punching out Yeager and getting Russell to ground out for the save and the series win.
Great back and forth series. The Dodgers played like champs. Berkman gets the MVP with a .345 AVG and 9 RBI in the series.
--submitted by Tom Landers--
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