Green Fails to Unload on Astros

A season that has taken more turns for the worse than a Greek tragedy deteriorated further for Shawn Green on Friday night during the Dodgers’ 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros in front of 52,783 at Dodger Stadium.

Given an ideal opportunity to at least tie the score in the ninth inning --bases loaded, one out -- Green grounded into a game-ending double play that ended the short-handed Dodgers’ six-game winning streak and prevented them from gaining additional ground on the San Diego Padres in the National League West.

The Dodgers had loaded the bases after Cesar Izturis led off with a bunt single and Paul Lo Duca and pinch-hitter Jason Grabowski drew one-out walks. Green flailed wildly at Houston reliever Brad Lidge’s first two pitches before drawing three balls to work the count full.

But Green ended the threat by grounding to first baseman Jeff Bagwell, who turned a 3-6-1 double play.

“I was happy to put the ball in play and I thought it was going to get the job done, but Bagwell made a great play,” said Green, whose prolonged slump earlier in the season prompted Manager Jim Tracy to bench him and drop him as low as sixth in the batting order.

Said Tracy: “I didn’t think they were going to be able to turn it initially. That’s just one of those games where you put yourself in position to win or tie in the ninth inning and it doesn’t work out.”

Pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro scored the winning run for the Astros in the eighth after hitting a leadoff bloop double down the left-field line and coming home on Jose Vizcaino’s one-out single to left-center.

A Dodger lineup devoid of injured regulars Juan Encarnacion and Adrian Beltre couldn’t generate enough offense against Houston left-hander Andy Pettitte and Lidge, who combined on a five-hitter.

“It was kind of a tough loss,” said center fielder Jayson Werth, whose two-run homer in the fifth had tied the score at 2-2. “We battled hard, Jeff Weaver pitched a great game and we came up short in the end.”

Pettitte (5-2) barely outdueled Weaver, his former New York Yankee teammate, giving up four hits and two runs in seven innings to record his first victory in three starts since coming off the disabled list because of a strained left forearm. Weaver (6-9) gave up seven hits and three runs in 7 1/3 innings, including Carlos Beltran’s solo homer in the fourth that gave the Astros a 1-0 lead.

Brad Ausmus doubled and scored on Pettitte’s single to left-center in the fifth to give Houston a 2-0 cushion.

But Werth tied the game in the bottom half of the inning with his line-drive homer off the top of the wall in center that prompted fans to wave their giveaway beach towels in celebration.

Werth is batting .333 with six homers and 13 runs batted in in his 14 starts, a 162-game pace that would give him an otherworldly 69 homers and 150 RBIs.

Pretty impressive numbers for a guy limited to one at-bat over the first two months of the season by a strained abdominal muscle.

Green’s double play left Werth standing in the on-deck circle as the game ended.

“I was ready to go,” Werth said. “That’s a situation late in the game where I want to be called on.”

Beltran, whose homer was his fifth since being acquired by the Astros on June 24 in a trade with Kansas City, had to leave in the middle of the eighth inning because of a stiff right knee. Vizcaino had to leave in the middle of the ninth because of a bruised left wrist, though X-rays were negative.