[clari.sports.baseball] Astros 7, Braves 6, 14 innings

clarinews@clarinet.com (09/21/89)

	ATLANTA (UPI) -- Alex Trevino said he was just trying to make
contact with the ball when he blasted a home run leading off the 14th
inning Wednesday night to lift the Houston Astros to a 7-6 victory over
the Atlanta Braves.
	``I was having a hard time at the plate,'' said Trevino, a former
Brave. ``I was just trying to make contact that last time at the plate
so I slowed down my swing a little.''
	Trevino ripped a 1-2 pitch down the left-field line off Joe Boever,
4-11, the sixth Atlanta pitcher.
	``I got a changeup and got it over the fence,'' said Trevino.
	Larry Andersen, 4-4, earned the win pitching the 12th and 13th.
Brian Meyer, the eighth Astros pitcher, picked up his first major-league
save by pitching a scoreless 14th.
	Trevino said the Astros, trailing NL-West leader San Francisco by
six games at the start of the night, can't afford any losses.
	``There's no time with 10 games left,'' he said. ``We can't afford
to lose a ball game and we're going to try to give it a shot.''
	Trailing 6-2, the Astros tied it in the seventh. Bill Doran led off
with a single off reliever Tony Castillo and went to second on a
groundout. Pinch hitter Alex Trevino walked and Mark Eichhorn replaced
Castillo. One out later, pinch hitt4er harry SpilmaN walked to load the
bases. Kevin Bass then rippd a 1-2 pitch over the right-field fence for
his fourth career grand slam -- second this season -- and his fifth homer.
The grand slam was the sixth by the Astros this season setting a new
club record.
	Atlanta took a 3-0 lead in the first off Houston starter Rick
Rhoden. With two out, Dave Justice singled and Lonnie Smith walked.
Darrell Evans thern singled to score Justice. Mark Lemke followed with a
two-run double.
	The Astros got a run back in the second when Rafael Ramirez singled
to score Terry Puhl who led off the inning with a double.
	The Braves upped it to 4-1 in the third on a run-scoring single by
Evans.
	Atlanta increased their lead to 6-1 in the fifth on a two-run
double by Lemke.
	Houston made it 6-2 in the sixth off Atlanta Rusty Richards, making
his major league debut, on Craig Biggio's 12th home run.
	Richards allowed five hits over 5 1-3 innings, walking three and
striking out one.
	Rhoden gave up five hits over 2 1-3, walking two.