LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Los Angeles' Orel Hershiser tied a modern-day major league record by hitting four batters in the Dodgers' 10-3 loss to the Houston Astros on Wednesday night.

It took Hershiser, pitching despite a slight groin muscle pull, just 1 1-3 innings to equal the mark shared by 19 others and last matched by Omar Olivares of Anaheim on June 13, 1999.

The Astros' Richard Hidalgo was hit twice by Hershiser and a third time by reliever Matt Herges, also tying a major league record. It was the 20th time in major league history one batter was hit three times in a game.

Obviously unable to control his throws, Hershiser hit Hidalgo and Shane Reynolds in the first inning, then hit Jeff Bagwell and Hidalgo again in the second. Hershiser (1-1) gave up seven runs on four hits and two walks, and also threw several pitches into the dirt and several others to the backstop.

There seemed to be no animosity toward the 41-year-old pitcher, and Hidalgo, Reynolds and Bagwell all remained in the game after being hit.

The five hit batters on one team tied a modern National League record. The 1969 Atlanta Braves also had five batters hit by pitches in a game.

Mitch Meluskey had a two-run double and RBI single for Houston in the first two innings.

After getting his third RBI on a single, Meluskey left the game after the top of the second with a mildly sprained left ankle. He injured his ankle on a freak play where he was looking toward the outfielder and slowing as he approached third and appeared to bump his left foot on the bag.

Houston's Ken Caminiti went 3-for-3, drove in one run and scored two. Roger Cedeno also had three hits, with one RBI and one run scored.

The Dodgers' only run off Reynolds (3-0) was Gary Sheffield's homer, his sixth, leading off the sixth.

Reynolds held Los Angeles to four hits in six innings, with two walks and three strikeouts.

Los Angeles added a run in the ninth on Chad Kreuter's homer off Billy Wagner.

Notes: The all-time record for hit batters is six, by John Grimes in 1897. ... Hidalgo, hit three times, was the only Astros starter without a hit. ... Larry Dierker became only the fifth manager in Astros history to be at the helm for 500 games. The others were Bill Virdon (1,066), Art Howe (810), Harry Walker (708, and Bob Lillis (537). Dierker's record is 289-211. ... The Dodgers already have a rainout and a "snowout" to make up. They will make up the game lost to snow April 9 at New York with a contest against the Mets on Monday. Monday's rainout against the Astros in Los Angeles will be made up June 8. ... Houston's Julio Lugo had his first major league hit, an infield single in the eighth inning. ... The Dodgers' Eric Gagne, recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque earlier this week, gets his seventh major league start Friday at Cincinnati.