New Combo Gives Power to Dodgers : Baseball: Butler and Piazza hit home runs for the second game in a row as L.A. denies the Astros’ Drabek his 11th victory, 5-4.

That new power combination, Brett Butler and Mike Piazza, showed its stuff again Sunday, muscling a couple more home runs in the Astrodome to lead the Dodgers to a 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros.

It was the second consecutive game in which Butler and Piazza homered, and although watching Piazza do so has become somewhat routine, watching Butler hit a ball out of any park still seems somewhat remarkable--but even that reaction is fading.

“He’s starting to swing like that now; when he hits it out, he’s trying to jack it out,” Manager Tom Lasorda said.

Butler, 37, would be having one of the best seasons of his 13 years in the majors even without his five home runs, the most he has hit since he hit six in 1988 while a San Francisco Giant. But Butler sees nothing unusual.

“It’s not remarkable for a college coach who saw me hit 31 homers one year or in Cleveland, when I hit nine, “ said Butler, who is batting .327 with an on-base percentage of .436, one of the best in the league. “But I would rather concentrate on the team wins.”

After losing the first game of this series, 16-4, the Dodgers won the next two in a stadium where they rarely win. And Sunday’s victory came against the Astros’ best starter, Doug Drabek (10-4). The last time the Dodgers won a series at the Astrodome was in 1988.

The victory increased the Dodgers’ NL West lead to four games going into a 14-game home stand that will begin tonight.

“This was a good way to start anything,” Lasorda said. “This is a team that never gives up; they keep battling.”

Kevin Gross (7-4) held the Astros to four runs and five hits over seven innings, becoming the first Dodger pitcher to win seven games. The Astros made their hits count, getting four doubles, including a two-run double by Andujar Cedeno in the fourth inning as the Astros tied the score, 3-3.

Todd Worrell retired six of seven batters over the final two innings to earn his sixth save. Worrell has converted his last four save opportunities. “The key for me is just getting out there on a consistent basis,” said Worrell, who lowered his earned-run average to 1.88. “If I can stay out there, you are going to see good results out of me.”

Of the Dodgers, Butler had the best career batting average against Drabek--.440--before Sunday’s game, and it got better. He went three for five, drove in two runs and scored one, with his solo home run in the seventh inning hitting the inside screen of the right field foul pole to break a 4-4 tie.

“The power comes from me just pulling the ball more; Reggie (Smith, hitting instructor) and I worked on some things and I’m doing them,” Butler said. “Teams are used to me hitting the ball up the middle and the other way.”

The Dodgers took a 3-0 lead in the second inning. After Eric Karros and Raul Mondesi got back-to-back singles, Dave Hansen walked. Hansen made his first start at third base while Tim Wallach rested. Wallach’s career batting average against Drabek is .141.

Karros scored on a sacrifice fly to shallow left field by Jose Offerman, Mondesi on a line-drive single to left by Butler and Hansen scored from second on a grounder to center by Delino DeShields.

Piazza’s opposite-field home run in the fifth cleared the right-field wall to put the Dodgers ahead, 4-3, before Jeff Bagwell led off the sixth inning with a double and eventually scored on a groundout to tie the score again.

Put a Sock in It

Brett Butler has five home runs, so the ball must be juiced, right? If that’s the case, why don’t these National League hitters have more homers?

Player (Team): HR

Mark Whiten (Cardinals): 6

Howard Johnson (Rockies): 6

Terry Pendleton (Braves): 5

Benito Santiago (Marlins): 5

Kevin McReynolds (Mets): 4

Dave Hollins (Phillies): 4

Andy Van Slyke (Pirates): 4

John Kruk (Phillies): 3

Mark Grace (Cubs): 1