Astros Stymie Hershiser : Dodgers: Pitcher loses to Houston for the third time this season. Finley goes four for four in the 6-1 victory.

The Dodgers could have stopped after four pitches.

They had a 1-0 lead.

That was it. The Houston Astros went on to 6-1 victory Friday night at the Astrodome, and Orel Hershiser was reduced to making jokes at his own expense.

“I’m not going to say how I pitch to Steve Finley,” Hershiser said. “I don’t give out my secrets on how to give up hits.”

Finley, who this season is seven for 13 against Hershiser, was four for four Friday night with four runs scored and two runs batted in.

Hershiser (10-15) dropped to 0-3 against the Astros this season. He gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings, striking out five and walking one.

Houston starter Darryl Kile (5-10) tied his career-high with 11 strikeouts after falling behind in the first inning when Jose Offerman singled on the first pitch and scored on Eric Young’s double to center.

“I couldn’t ask for anything better, going out on a high note with a big win,” Kile said. “I want to take everything I did here tonight right down to winter ball and keep on doing it.”

Houston tied it in the bottom of the first when Finley reached on a bunt, went to second on a grounder, stole third and scored on Jeff Bagwell’s single off Hershiser’s glove.

The Astros took a 3-1 lead in the third on Luis Gonzalez’s two-run double after Craig Biggio had doubled and Finley had singled.

Finley hit his fifth homer of the season in the fifth to make it 4-1. He then tripled in the seventh to score Kile and scored on Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly.

“Finley? I thought that was Joe DiMaggio out there the way he was hitting,” Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said. “He doesn’t hit just one. He hits all of our pitchers. He’s a heck of a player.”

Finley narrowly missed hitting for the cycle. He had it all except a double.

“I don’t care about that,” Finley said. “It would have been nice, but it’s still great to finish up on a high note like this. Orel has made a couple of mistakes against me this year and I’ve been able to take advantage of them.”