DODGERS VICTORY A HILL RAISER ROBERTS SAVES GAGNE, WIN WITH GREAT CATCH DODGERS 6, HOUSTON 3.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

HOUSTON - Credit the Dodgers' Eric Gagne with the save. Credit Dave Roberts with saving Gagne and the closer's remarkable streak of 52 consecutive saves.

Houston's Lance Berkman hit a ball about 435 feet to straightaway center field, but Roberts charged up Minute Maid Park's grassy incline and reached above the wall to save a likely home run and prevent the Houston Astros from tying the game in the eighth inning.

``I might get him a combo (meal) at McDonald's,'' a smiling Gagne said of Roberts, after the Dodgers completed a 6-3 victory over the Astros in front of 24,054 and moved within 1 1/2 games of the National League wild-card lead.

``It's a team game, and that's what it's all about,'' said Gagne, who relieved Guillermo Mota with two outs in the eighth inning. ``It's one of the best catches I've seen.''

Gagne retired the side in order in the ninth for his 44th save, which broke Tom Gordon's 1998 record for most consecutive saves in one season. Gagne now is two behind Gordon's all-time record for consecutive saves thanks in large part to Roberts, who two days before had practiced making catches on the incline.

``I had to find a way to make that play,'' Roberts said. ``(Gagne) has been so lights-out that we usually don't even need our gloves out there.''

If a particular fan had brought a glove, the streak might be finished. Houston trailed 5-3 with two outs in the eighth and had Richard Hidalgo on first base when Berkman blasted a 1-0 changeup to center. Gagne slumped his shoulders, but Roberts remained calm as he climbed the hill and ignored the fan, who hit Roberts' arm while trying to catch the ball.

``Once I felt the (warning) track, I knew the incline was there,'' Roberts said. ``It's hard to get up that hill, but I had practiced it in batting practice (on Tuesday).''

With all the Dodgers have been through this week, their one step up the National League wild-card ladder must have felt like a climb up a much larger hill.

The Dodgers finally picked up ground in their playoff chase. The victory allowed them to avoid a sweep in Houston and head into a six-game homestand today just 1 1/2 games behind wild-card leaders Florida, Montreal and Philadelphia, and National League Central co-leaders Houston and St Louis.

Thursday's game was crucial to the Dodgers, even if just from a mental standpoint, since they had lost four consecutive games, each with a chance to gain ground.

``We've picked ourselves up off the carpet a number of times this year,'' manager Jim Tracy said, ``and we did it again tonight. We used every resource we had tonight, including every inch of that hill.''

Jeromy Burnitz, who finished with three RBI, hit an RBI double in the third inning off Houston starter Tim Redding (8-13), and Alex Cora followed with a run-scoring groundout to give the Dodgers a 4-2 lead. Adam Everett's fifth-inning home run off Dodgers starter Wilson Alvarez cut the Dodgers' lead to one.

Alvarez was one out away from qualifying for a victory, but with Jose Vizcaino on first base and power-hitting Jeff Bagwell coming up, Tracy went to the bullpen for Paul Shuey.

``I was trying to get the win,'' Alvarez said, ``but I know we had a situation where we needed to win no matter what, so (Tracy) made the right move.''

Tracy called it the ``toughest decision I've had to make as a manager,'' but Shuey got Bagwell to bounce back to the mound.

``I'm glad it worked out, because we got a key out right there,'' Shuey said.

Shuey (5-4) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the victory and combined with Paul Quantrill, Mota and Gagne for 4 1/3 shutout innings of relief.

Alvarez allowed three runs on six hits, walked two and struck out seven, rebounding well from a first-inning, two-run double by Berkman.

Burnitz hit a solo home run in the eighth inning to give the Dodgers a 5-3 lead. He also drove in a run in the first with a groundout, which gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead after Adrian Beltre's RBI single.

Redding lost his fourth consecutive start and lasted just three innings, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks.

Rich Hammond, [phone]

rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, 2 boxes

Photo:

(color) Dodgers center fielder Dave Roberts, left, is congratulated by teammate Shawn Green after making a brilliant catch in the eighth inning,

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Box:

(1) NL WILD CARD

(2) DODGERS vs. COLORADO

- Rich Hammond