It’s Deja Blue: Dodgers Let Another Big One Get Away : Baseball: 7-0 lead turns into 10-8 defeat as Daniels’ two homers and another chance to gain on Reds are wasted. Astros knock out Martinez.

After two innings Tuesday, the Dodgers suffered an embarrassment of riches, leading by seven runs with their ace, Ramon Martinez, on the mound.

But after nine innings, Martinez and the fat lead were long gone, and the Dodgers were suffering their second embarrassing loss in two weeks, 10-8, to the Houston Astros.

Before a Dodger Stadium crowd of 28,939, the Dodgers were swept in the two-game series, wasting two home runs and six runs batted in by Kal Daniels and another opportunity to gain on the first-place Reds, who remain 6 1/2 games ahead despite losing the the Atlanta Braves.

The victory allowed Houston to slip past San Diego into fourth place in the National League West. Al Osuna (1-0), one of six Houston pitchers who saw action, got his first major league victory. Jim Gott, one of six Dodger relievers, fell to 2-4.

Eddie Murray hit his 21st home run for the Dodgers in the eighth inning as they staged rallies in both the eighth and ninth but fell short. The Dodgers had only one run and four hits after their early onslaught--a pattern similar to their 12-11 loss to Philadelphia on Aug. 21, when they gave up nine runs in the ninth inning.

“I didn’t plan on seeing one like this,” said Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda, one of the few on the Dodger side able to express his feelings. “I saw one worse a week ago. It’s very important (to come back today).”

Houston’s Ken Oberkfell said coming back was even more impressive against a pitcher such as Martinez--who had blown the Astros away in two previous starts this year.

“He’s the type of pitcher where if he has a seven-run lead, he’s usually going to slam the door,” Oberkfell said. “It seemed like everything we did after the second inning was golden.”

Astro Manager Art Howe, pleased to be moving up in the standings, noted that his team has eight games left against the Reds.

“We’re beating good clubs now, we’re moving,” he said. “So we can do some more damage.”

Astro right-hander Mark Portugal was looking for his fifth consecutive victory Tuesday night, but with Daniels leading two rallies, the Dodgers knocked him out in two innings.

The tour of Portugal started in the first when Stan Javier singled with one out and Daniels followed with a home run into the right-field bullpen. Murray and Hubie Brooks got consecutive singles, and Murray scored on a groundout for a quick 3-0 lead.

The Dodgers opened the second with two singles and a walk, and before Houston could even get a reliever warmed up, Daniels hit a grand slam into the left-field pavilion, giving Martinez a 7-0 lead.

It was Daniels’ second multiple-homer game in three days. He hit two home runs Sunday in Montreal.

But Martinez, following the staff’s recent trend, was unable to make it through the fifth inning, surrendering four runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth. It has been five days since a Dodger starter was around for the sixth inning.

The Astros’ fourth began placidly, with Karl Rhodes singling between two groundouts. But Rhodes stole second and Rich Gedman hammered a hanging curve into right to produce the Astros’ first run. Dave Rohde followed with an infield single, bringing up Eric Anthony, pinch-hitting in his first appearance since his minor league recall.

Anthony sent Martinez’s first pitch into the right-field bullpen to make it a 7-4 game before Martinez got out of the inning.

Martinez hastened his exit the next inning by hitting Oberkfell to open the fifth. Franklin Stubbs reached first when Lenny Harris bobbled a potential double-play ball, and Glenn Davis hit a rare drive down the right-field line for a two-run triple to make it 7-6. Davis was out after overrunning the base, and when the next batter, Rhodes, doubled, Martinez was through.

The Astros’ devastating comeback was completed in the sixth off an unlucky Gott, who gave up the tying run on two hits and an infield out but appeared to be out of the inning when Stubbs lined to right. However, the drive skipped off Brooks’ glove and rolled to the wall for a three-base error and another run scored, giving the Astros an 8-7 lead.

The Astros built the lead to 9-7 in the seventh with another unusual run against reliever Dave Walsh. Rafael Ramirez led off with a single off shortstop Alfredo Griffin’s glove and moved to second on a balk.

With Gedman attempting to bunt, Walsh threw the ball in the dirt for a wild pitch. Catcher Mike Scioscia, apparently thinking Gedman had fouled the pitch, stood at home plate as Ramirez scored from second.

Murray homered in the eighth to make it 10-8, but the Dodgers left two men on base in the eighth and ninth innings.

Dodger Notes

Kal Daniels’ second-inning grand slam was his second of the season and second of his career. By hitting home runs in his first two at-bats, Daniels recorded the ninth multiple-home-run game of his career and third this season.

Tests on Tim Belcher’s ailing shoulder were negative Tuesday. He threw lightly in the outfield and will be reexamined by Dr. Frank Jobe today. . . . Reliever Ray Searage threw about 50 pitches off a mound Tuesday and will be examined today. . . . Ramon Martinez is bidding to become the first Dodger to lead the National League in strikeouts since Fernando Valenzuela led in the strike-shortened 1981 season with 180.

Mike Morgan is featured in a new United Way commercial, which was unveiled at Dodger Stadium Tuesday on Diamond Vision. . . . Two promotions have been added to the Dodger schedule. Monday, Oct. 1, will be fireworks night. Wednesday, Oct. 3, the last regular-season game, will feature a giveaway of more than 100 airline flights. The games Oct. 1-3 are makeups of spring lockout postponements.