DODGERS NOTEBOOK : ASTROS ROOKIE WAGNER MAKES BIG IMPRESSION ON DODGERS.

The precocious performance of Houston rookie left-hander Billy Wagner on Thursday night had the Astros and Dodgers clubhouses buzzing a day later.

Wagner came out of the bullpen to get eight outs - and seven of them were by strikeout, including his last five in a row.

``You have scouting reports, but you can't really tell until you get in the box against a guy,'' said the Dodgers' Delino DeShields, who struck out looking in the seventh, then helped chase Wagner with a double in the ninth. ``They said he was a power pitcher, but most lefties I've seen don't throw that hard. He was getting it up there.''

``He throws gas, and the ball moves a little bit,'' agreed Roger Cedeno, the only other Dodger to put the bat on the ball (a flyout to right). ``He keeps the ball low. Low and hard - that's tough to hit.''

This was no fluke outing for Wagner, the Astros' first-round pick in 1993 (12th overall) out of tiny Ferrum (Va.) College. Since coming up from Triple-A three weeks ago, he has fanned 23 batters in 14-2/3 innings, compiling a 1.84 ERA with a 1-0 record and a save.

``We've been very impressed with the way he's dealt with things,'' said Houston manager Terry Collins. ``There's been so much talk about him, it's almost like he's (expected to be) the answer to all our problems. . . . We're trying to get him some innings, and then hopefully down the road he'll be one of our starting pitchers.

``The one thing he has done, he's come in in every situation we've used him and thrown the ball over the plate. He had some control problems in the minor leagues at times. We haven't seen that yet.''

What the Astros would love to see is a measure of the dominance Wagner displayed at Division III Ferrum. There, he set an NCAA single-season record for highest strikeout average per nine innings - a staggering 19.1. In his college career, he blew down 327 batters in 182-1/3 innings.

Farm swap: The Dodgers acquired right-hander Michael Judd from the New York Yankees' Single-A team for left-hander Billy Brewer, who was 2-2 with a 3.13 ERA at Triple-A Albuquerque and is to join the Yankees' major-league club today.

Judd, 20, had 10 saves and a 3.81 ERA at Greensboro, N.C.

Getting reacclimated: Shortstop Greg Gagne's first action in more than a month was a source of considerable relief.

``I slept a little better last night because I played nine (innings),'' Gagne said of his return to the lineup Thursday after a 29-game stay on the disabled list with a sprained ankle. ``My ankle felt good. Now it's just a matter of getting back into the routine and thinking about hitting.''