Dodgers Show Drive of '55

On a sweltering afternoon when Sandy Koufax received the loudest ovation, Johnny Podres threw out the ceremonial first pitch, Carl Erskine played the national anthem on harmonica and Don Newcombe looked on approvingly from beneath his Panama hat, it figured to come down to pitching.Especially with Roger Clemens on the mound for the other team and Jeff Weaver, a free agent at season's end, more than up to a duel with the seven-time Cy Young Award winner.

And it was Weaver who looked the ace Sunday, throwing eight scoreless innings in the Dodgers' 1-0 victory over the Houston Astros in the series finale at Dodger Stadium.Oscar Robles' two-out single to left field off reliever Chad Qualls in the eighth inning drove in Jason Repko for the only run. Closer Duaner Sanchez picked up his fourth save.With 32 games remaining, the Dodgers (59-71) are 5 1/2 games behind San Diego in the National League West. But for one day, the attention was on the club's glorious past and not its mundane present or murky future."You put on the Brooklyn uniform and Don Newcombe's number is on your back, you better go out there and put on a performance," said Weaver, who wears No. 36, the same one Newcombe wore from 1949-51 and 1954-58.The Dodgers, who moved to Los Angeles in 1958, were wearing Brooklyn jerseys and hats to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the franchise's first World Series title. Many luminaries from that team were introduced during a pregame ceremony on the field, after they'd worked the Dodger clubhouse.Current Dodgers bum-rushed the old-timers for autographs. And then they were dismantled by Clemens. You couldn't have blamed them had they approached the future Hall of Famer for his signature … during the game.But Clemens ran out of gas after giving up two hits and two walks in six innings, throwing 101 pitches in the 92-degree heat.Houston stranded nine runners, leaving the bases loaded in the second, and was shut out for the eighth time this year in one of Clemens' starts."I don't bat an eye at stuff like that," Clemens said of the Astros' scoring no runs in his no-decision. "That's baseball. I've had my share of wins. If I worried about games I should have won, I'd probably drive myself crazy."Houston (68-62) thought it was in business in the seventh when Craig Biggio, batting for Clemens, was hit on the arm by a Weaver pitch with one out and a runner on first. But plate umpire Doug Eddings ruled Biggio did not attempt to get out of the way, though he did not call the pitch a strike.Biggio then popped out to right, and both he and Houston Manager Phil Garner were tossed by Eddings in the ensuing argument."Until he has a ball thrown at him, he'll never know how tough it is to get out of the way," said Biggio, who has been hit a major league-record 271 times.Weaver, though, agreed with the call."He was over the [inner] third of the plate," Weaver said. "And with that elbow pad, there's no incentive for him to move."By the time Weaver (13-8) departed, the right-hander had given up seven hits and struck out a Dodger season-high 10 batters without a walk.Garner was less than impressed, saying, "I don't think it was Weaver, as much as it was us."Still, it took the Dodgers' cobbling together a rally in the eighth against Qualls (3-4) to get Weaver his career high-tying 13th victory.With one out, Hee-Seop Choi batted for Weaver and went the other way, doubling off the base of the wall in left-center. "I know he throws a lot of sinkers," Choi said. "I know in a tight game, a 0-0 game, he doesn't want to throw it inside."Two batters later, Robles lined his single to left and pinch-runner Repko scored easily when Orlando Palmeiro could not field the ball cleanly.Sanchez, making his 68th appearance this season, a career high, survived a rocky ninth to get his fourth save in as many opportunities, keeping the theme of the day on pitching."The performance of Jeff Weaver pretty much epitomizes what I've been saying since the beginning of last season," said Dodger Manager Jim Tracy. "What he has meant to this pitching staff, I don't think there are enough adjectives to describe it."

Source: http://www.latimes.com/

Enough to drive you mad

Even the most clever minds in Hollywood couldn't come up with such an unbelievable script as the one that continues to unfold seemingly every time Roger Clemens takes the mound.
Having one of the best seasons by any pitcher in recent history, Clemens again was forced to answer questions about his frustration level after the Astros' offense did another disappearing act.
Clemens allowed only two weak singles in six scoreless innings but was denied a victory when the Los Angeles Dodgers scored once in the eighth inning to beat the Astros 1-0 on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
"This was another game where probably the second or third inning you get the feel that 'Here we go,' " Clemens said. "You cannot make a mistake and can't leave a ball in the middle of the plate and so on and so forth to give our guys a chance. Especially on the road when you have a visiting crowd."
The shutout was the Astros' league-leading 16th of the season and second on their six-game West Coast road trip that ended 2-4. The Astros have been shut out in three of Clemens' past four starts and eight times this season, including five by a 1-0 score.
"It's really unbelievable," outfielder Lance Berkman said. "What can you possibly say about it? I've never seen anything like it. We're not that bad of a team. We don't have that bad of an offense. It just seems like every time Roger pitches the other guy elevates his game. You get the other pitcher's best game of the season, if not their career, on that night."
The Astros are 1 1/2 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League wild-card standings.
"We've worked way too hard to put ourselves back in this position to let it slip away," said Clemens, who lowered his ERA from 1.56 to 1.51. "We're going to keep fighting and find out who wants it the worst."
Dodgers starter Jeff Weaver (13-8) befuddled the Astros for eight innings, striking out a season-high 10 batters for his third consecutive victory. The Astros were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.
"It's certainly reached a frustrating point," said manager Phil Garner, who was ejected along with Craig Biggio in the seventh inning. "He's pitched so well. We had one chance to score a run and couldn't do it. It's been frustrating. We've reached a very frustrating level."
'Stay here' With the game scoreless in the seventh, Biggio pinch hit for Clemens with one out and Brad Ausmus at first base.
Weaver struck Biggio on the left shoulder with a pitch, but plate umpire Doug Eddings called Biggio back, claiming he hadn't made enough of an effort to get away from the pitch, even though Biggio ducked his shoulder.
"He just said, 'Stay here,' " Biggio said. "I guess he's had a lot of balls thrown at him and knows how easy it is to get out of the way of them. You're sitting on a slider and know he's going to throw it, and he starts one behind you and it breaks in the middle of the batter's box."
Biggio and Garner argued the call without success, extending the at-bat. Biggio lofted a fly ball toward right field and pounded his bat into the ground, glancing back at Eddings as he ran to first.
Eddings followed Biggio down the line, and tempers flared. After getting ejected, Biggio had to be restrained by third-base coach Doug Mansolino, and he threw his helmet onto the field as he departed.
"It wasn't like it was a big part of the game," said Biggio, dripping with sarcasm. "It was only first and second in the seventh inning with one out and a guy in scoring position."
Garner was ejected for the second time this season moments later.
"It wasn't a good call, let's put it that way," Garner said. "He said he had to make an attempt to get out of the way, and I said he did make an attempt to get out of the way. He said (the pitch) was close to the plate, and I asked him if it was a strike. He said it wasn't strike. I just don't understand the call."
Willy Taveras pushed Ausmus to third by reaching on a two-base error by shortstop Oscar Robles, but Orlando Palmeiro grounded out on a nice play by first baseman Jason Phillips to end the inning.
Missed opportunities The Dodgers went ahead in the eighth against Chad Qualls (3-4) when Hee-Seop Choi doubled, and pinch runner Jason Repko scored one out later on a single by Robles.
The Astros had the bases loaded in the second but couldn't capitalize with Clemens at the plate and two outs. They had runners at first and third with two outs in the fourth, but Mike Lamb was thrown out at the plate on a botched double-steal attempt.
"We were pulling out all the stops," Garner said.
Another rally in the ninth fizzled when, with runners at first and second and one out, pinch hitter Jason Lane hit into a 5-4-3 double play to end the game.

Source: http://www.chron.com/

Astros take it slow with Bogusevic

You can't blame the Astros for wanting to be extra careful with first-round draft pick Brian Bogusevic, who's approaching the end of a long summer in which he led Tulane to the College World Series.
The Astros tabbed Bogusevic as a pitcher, but he was a two-way player for the Green Wave and played in every game. That's why the Astros are being so cautious with Bogusevic in his first professional season.
Bogusevic, who got a $1.375 million signing bonus in July, has been on a strict pitch count and has been working out of the bullpen. He can throw no more than 40 or 45 pitches in a game and can't pitch on consecutive days.
"He had such a long season in college we thought it was important for him to gradually work his way into pro ball," said Astros director of player development Ricky Bennett. "We wanted to limit the number of innings he pitches and give him a taste of what pro ball is like, and he's done a nice job."
Although Bogusevic's numbers at rookie league Tri-City of the New-York Penn League aren't as impressive as his college numbers — he's 0-1 with a 6.63 ERA and three saves in 10 games through Monday — the Astros are happy with his progress.
"His win-loss numbers aren't that great, but we're pretty pleased with the way he's gone about his business and the way he interacts with his teammates," Bennett said.
Bogusevic has an above-average fastball that's between 92 and 94 mph to go along with an effective slider.
He's been working closely with Astros minor-league pitching coordinator Dewey Robinson and Tri-City coach Don Alexander to add a changeup to his repertoire.
Bogusevic could get away with relying on two pitches in college, but he'll need a diverse selection to succeed as a starter in the majors.
"He doesn't throw it a whole lot in games, but at least he's trying something he can work on going into next year," Bennett said.
Bogusevic is being used out of the bullpen for now, but the Astros are banking on him being a top-line starter in the near future.
The Astros aren't sure where Bogusevic will begin next season, but want to make sure he gets some rest.
"We're going to have him rest and do the offseason workout program like all of the other guys," Bennett said.
Two starters lost Class AAA Round Rock lost two of its starting pitchers entering the final week of the season when righthander Fernando Nieve and lefthander Carlos Hernandez went down.
Nieve underwent an emergency appendectomy Saturday night and will be out for the remainder of the season. Hernandez pulled a quadriceps muscle rounding third base during Sunday night's game and is lost for the season.
Hernandez had pitched three scoreless innings when he reached on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the third. He was trying to score from first on a hit by Charles Gipson , but he had to be helped off the field after crossing home plate.
Express manager Jackie Moore said Roberto Giron will replace Nieve in the starting rotation.
Zobrist tabbed Salem shortstop Ben Zobrist was chosen to represent the United States at the IBAF World Cup, Sept. 2-17 in the Netherlands.
The team of minor leaguers will be led by Davey Johnson , who managed the New York Mets to the 1986 World Series title.
Zobrist, who played his final game for the Avalanche on Monday, hit .333 with two homers and 13 RBIs in 42 games since getting called up from Lexington at the end of June.
Hirsh honored Jason Hirsh , the 6-8 righthander at Class AA Corpus Christi, was named Texas League Pitcher of the Year last week. Hirsh leads the league with 153 strikeouts and is third with a 3.11 ERA.
Hirsh, the Astros' top pick in the 2003 draft, went 8-2 in the second half of the season after failing to win a game from May 4 until June 26.
Around the horn Round Rock righthander Brandon Duckworth gave up one unearned run and five hits and struck out seven over 6 2/3 innings in Wednesday's 7-1 win over Nashville. ... Round Rock first baseman Carlos Rivera was 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI in Wednesday's 7-1 win over Nashville.

Source: http://www.chron.com/

Astros hope Scott can boost the offense

The Astros recalled hot-hitting outfielder Luke Scott from Class AAA Round Rock on Monday after waiving relief pitcher Chad Harville.
Scott, 27, the Astros' opening-day left fielder following a hot spring, struggled with big-league pitching in April and joined Round Rock on May 3, where he hit .286 for the Express with a Pacific Coast League-leading 31 home runs, along with 87 RBIs and 25 doubles.
"That hopefully will be an offensive boost for us," general manager Tim Purpura said. "(Scott) has played very well. He leads the league in home runs. He's really been steady. Hopefully, we'll get some offense out of him. (His role) to be determined. I'm sure he'll get some starts."
Trying to make the jump to the majors straight from Class AA didn't go well for Scott. After playing in 14 games and hitting only .154 (6-for-39) with one RBI, he was demoted to Round Rock.
Harville, 0-2 with a 4.46 ERA in 37 games, was claimed by the Boston Red Sox.
"We put him through waivers with the intent to outright (him to the minors)," Purpura said of Harville. "We have 12 pitchers right now. Having to set the playoff roster by Wednesday night, we decided he wasn't going to be on the playoff roster. It's not totally unexpected (that Harville was claimed), but we would have liked to keep him. He was very professional. He understood."
The Astros have 38 players on the 40-man roster and 11 pitchers on the 25-man roster, leaving two slots to be filled soon. Class AAA Round Rock catcher Raul Chavez, who was taken off the roster last month, likely will be added to the 40-man roster soon.

Source: http://www.chron.com/

Schedule gives edge to Astros

The Astros don't need a stats geek to pinpoint their recent problems: a poor offense, a bad offense, a lousy offense.
Any which way the numbers are crunched, the Astros' offense is struggling. That much was evident when they were limited to 15 runs while losing four of six games on the recent six-game trip against the sub-.500 San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Six of those runs were scored when they won the first game of the trip, before the Astros lost four of the next five while managing nine runs total.
"We obviously need to get our offense going again," manager Phil Garner said. "And beyond that, who knows how many wins you need (to win the wild card)? The thing that's critical for me is we need to be back to where it looks like we're going to score runs, where you just know you're going to score runs."
As bad as the offense has been, the Astros have what, on paper, looks like the most favorable schedule among the teams within 2 1/2 games of the National League wild-card lead.
The other four wild-card contenders play in the tough NL East, where they finish the season playing most of their series against each other.
Favorable schedule Of the five wild-card contenders, only the Astros play more than one of their final 10 series against teams that aren't division leaders or among the top five wild-card contenders.
"I've long said the schedule is the most favorable," Garner said. "It's the best schedule for all things considered.
"Things like travel, we play teams we're going to compete against, and we finish at home (with a four-game series against the Cubs).

"There's a whole lot of things that are favorable. We shouldn't have any complaints of where we end up. Hey, it's right here for us. We have to be able to take advantage of it."
The Astros have one series each against the teams ahead of them in the wild-card race: the Phillies and Marlins. The Astros are 1 1/2 games behind the wild card-leading Phillies, the team they visit for three games next week.
Tough road for Marlins The Marlins, who carried the wild card to the World Series title in 2003, visit the Astros for a four-game series Sept. 12-15. Florida plays its remaining 10 series against division leaders or wild-card contenders.
Pedro Martinez's surging Mets play nine of their 10 remaining series against wild-card contenders or division leaders. But if they are within striking distance on the final weekend, they close with four games against the lowly Colorado Rockies.
Conversely, only four of the Astros' last 10 series are against wild-card contenders or division leaders. Six of their final 10 series are against the Reds, Cubs, Brewers and Pirates, and two are with the Cardinals, who visit Minute Maid Park for three games this weekend.
If last year was any indication, the Astros might catch a break when they play a two-game set at St. Louis Sept. 27-28. With a huge lead in the division, the Cardinals likely will start resting their starters in the final week of the season in preparation for the postseason.
Now it's up to Astros hitters to pick it up.
"It is imperative that we score runs," Morgan Ensberg said. "If we score five or more runs a game, we'll be in the playoffs. ... We have a World Series-caliber pitching staff, and we need to score for them.
"Hitting is just something that goes in cycles. You have to believe that you're not going to stay in a rut for an extended period of time. Eventually, you need to turn it around. What needs to happen is we need to score runs. It just needs to be a collective effort."
If hitting goes in cycles, most of the Astros have been on a bad run since the All-Star break.
Only two hot hitters Center fielder Willy Taveras and right fielder Jason Lane are the only starters hitting over .300 since the break, Taveras at .302 and Lane at .325.
The rest of the lineup hasn't been as effective, although Lance Berkman has hit a respectable .292 with seven home runs and 22 RBIs since the break.
Over that span Craig Biggio is hitting .232, Ensberg .265, Adam Everett .243, Brad Ausmus .277 and Chris Burke .252.
"We have to be more consistent offensively," general manager Tim Purpura said. "There's absolutely no doubt about it. We have to produce at the top, middle and bottom of the order. We haven't been able to do that. We have to be able to hit in crucial situations and drive in runs in those situations.
"We have pitched well, unbelievable in some ways. Now we have to get the offensive production going so we can get hot again."
During last week's road trip, Ensberg hit .085. Biggio and Lane each hit .182, Burke .235 and Taveras .250. Berkman, at .360, Everett (.333) and Ausmus (.350) swung the bats well.
California downer As a team, the Astros hit .231 with a .276 on-base percentage and a .327 slugging percentage during their West Coast swing.
"We just don't hit," Garner said. "It's unbelievable. We're having a tough time right now. Teams go through this. Every team I've had goes through it. We should have had our run of bad hitting.
"We have to break out. We have to score some runs. Our pitchers have been giving us good enough games. We have to buckle down."
Purpura has been busy on the phone with other general managers in hopes of acquiring a veteran hitter, but he isn't optimistic.
"It's less and less possible to add offense," he said. "We've obviously been trying to do that for some time. You don't know at the end what might shake out. Somebody might be available that wasn't available. That's why you go through your lists and talk to various clubs to see if their situations have changed."

Source: http://www.chron.com/

Whitey's wise words still apply to playoffs

Back in the 1980s, when the Cardinals won the pennant about every other year, their manager, Whitey Herzog, said the playoffs should more closely resemble the regular season.

His point was that you have to use your entire 25-man roster to get to the playoffs but need only your top 20 players in postseason. There is no reason to rest a player because there are a lot of off days in October. You don't have to use your fifth starter for the same reason.
Sometimes you can get by using only your first three starters.
The same is true in the bullpen. It isn't often necessary to use more than three relievers.
I agree with Herzog, in theory. There should be fewer off days to require managers to use the whole team as they do in the regular season.
But I am glad the postseason includes more off days because the Astros will need them if they make it. With Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and Roy Oswalt, the Astros have the best 1-2-3 punch in the league. They also have one of the best bullpens to use in the seventh inning on with Chad Qualls, Dan Wheeler and Brad Lidge.
Hitters need time, too Several of the hitters could use the time off. Craig Biggio would benefit. At his age, every break helps. Lance Berkman could rest his aching knee, and Brad Ausmus could catch all the games.
This Astros team doesn't have as much depth as other playoff contenders. But the nucleus of the pitching staff might be better. The nucleus of the lineup is not as strong as it has been in recent years. But as it showed in June and July, it's capable of good run production from time to time. In a way, the Astros are like the 1998 Padres.
The Padres had the worst record among the division leaders that year, mostly because they didn't have depth. The Astros lost to them in the first round that year. In the League Championship Series, the Padres mustered enough offense to beat the Braves, too.
They really weren't the best team in the National League that year, and they eventually lost to the Yankees in the World Series. If not for the off days in the postseason, they might not have made it that far.
In 1998, the Braves had the best regular-season record, and the Astros were second. The Astros were the best team in the league in August and September.
With 29 more games to play, the 2005 Astros are in position to make the playoffs again. They will have to hit better to make it, and they can hit better.
What troubles me is the cycle. Like most teams, the Astros hit for a while and then go cold. I don't know if they can sustain the hitting long enough to make the playoffs and keep hitting well enough to win in October. It is unlikely but still possible.
I believe their pitching is strong enough to beat the best offensive teams, but they can't do it if they don't hit.
Cards provide good test This weekend, when the Cardinals come calling, the Astros will have a chance to measure themselves against the best. That series won't win or lose the wild card, but it will give the team a feel for what it has to do to reach its goal.
While it is obvious they can't match up with the Cardinals' 25-man roster, the Astros might be almost as good going 20 against 20.
The Astros captivated the city last September. They went into the playoffs with a better hitting team than this year's, but they didn't have Andy Pettitte. Can having him make up for the loss of Carlos Beltran and Jeff Kent? For a whole season, probably not, but for a short season, maybe.
This September should be exciting, whether the Astros win the wild card or not. But there is only one way that it will be satisfying.

Source: http://www.chron.com/

Ensberg gives Astros charge

Big hits have been few and far between for Phil Garner's club lately, so it hasn't been difficult to pick out the Astros' crucial hits in games in August.
That question was much tougher to answer Tuesday night, when the Astros broke through with a five-run rally in the fifth inning to beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-2 at Minute Maid Park.
Morgan Ensberg ripped the longest shot, a three-run homer that capped the Astros' scoring and turned a 1-0 deficit into a 5-1 lead.
Before Ensberg took the plate, Adam Everett, Humberto Quintero, Mike Lamb and Willy Taveras had already given the Astros the lead, and Craig Biggio kept the rally going to set up Ensberg before a crowd of 29,971.
The four-run lead was more than enough for the Astros, who used five relievers after lefthander Wandy Rodriguez was lifted for pinch hitter Lamb in the bottom of the fifth.
"Those five runs were great for our confidence," said Rodriguez (9-6), who got the win after holding the Reds to four hits and one run with one walk and four strikeouts over five innings. "With a 5-1 lead, you go out there with more confidence. I had a lot confidence in our relievers because the bullpen's been doing a great job."
By winning the first game of a three-game series, the Astros moved within a half-game of NL wild card co-leaders Philadelphia and Florida.
Rodriguez cruised through the first four innings before getting in trouble when Sean Casey led off the fifth with a double to center and scored on Adam Dunn's single through the right side.
After Jason La Rue walked, Rodriguez got the first out by inducing Edwin Encarnacion's pop up to second. Reds starter Ramon Ortiz followed with a poor sacrifice bunt attempt in front of the plate. Quintero fielded the bunt and threw to third to get Dunn on the fielder's choice. Felipe Lopez flied out to end the inning.
The Astros countered right away. Everett led off the bottom of the fifth with a single to center. Unable to lay down a sacrifice bunt, Quintero was cleared to swing away with two strikes. He singled up the middle, putting runners at the corners.
"Actually, I think the biggest at-bat of that whole inning was Quintero's," Everett said. "He got the single up the middle, and we went first-to-third there. Now, we got first and third and nobody out. We got pressure on them. That was a big spot in the game to come up with that hit up the middle with two strikes."
Garner sent Lamb to hit for Rodriguez, and Lamb tied the score with a single to right. Quintero moved to third on Lamb's hit, and Taveras gave the Astros a 2-1 lead with a sacrifice fly.
Biggio kept the rally going with a single, and Ensberg followed with a three-run shot, ripping Ortiz's 1-0 offering into the first row of the Crawford Boxes.
Ensberg, who had gone a season-long 40 at-bats without a home run, snapped an 0-for-11 slump with his three-run homer. He also broke a streak of 11 games without driving in a run.
"The good point is that we got the tying run, and then we go right ahead with the next one," Garner said. "Willy gets us the line drive that gets the run in. We've struggled so much at doing that, getting the runner in from third with less than two outs.
"So that felt good when he did that, obviously. I think that took a little bit of pressure off everybody. It made Morgan feel a little better. Of course, it might have led to the three-run homer. Who knows?"

The Astros have scored at least five runs in an inning seven times this year, but they hadn't scored five runs in an inning since they scored six in the fifth Aug. 15 against the Cubs.
In fact, the Astros were held to a total of five runs over their previous three games, losing two of three against the Dodgers. They hadn't scored at least five runs in a game since beating the Padres 6-2 on Aug. 22.
Moreover, they had scored at least five runs in only four of their previous 15 games.
Brad Lidge took over in the ninth in a non-save situation and retired Ken Griffey, Jr., before loading the bases on two walks and a hit for pinch hitter Javier Valentin, who cut the Astros' lead to 5-2 with an RBI groundout. Lidge struck out Encarnacion to end it.
"We took advantage," Garner said. "When we started getting guys on base we had nice hitting. Of course, the three-run homer always helps out."

Source: http://www.chron.com/

Here he comes, Mr. NL Wild Card

In lieu of no Miss America this year, we turn to a more macho beauty pageant. Who's he-man enough to become Mr. Wild Card in the National League, since September is coming and you could cover the challengers with a cocktail napkin?
It's the hottest race out there. Five teams separated, at the close of business Monday, by two and a half games. All with serious flaws they are hoping can be hidden.
Philadelphia leads the crowd, on pace to win 87 games. Hmmm. Since 1998, no wild card in either league has won fewer than 91. Nine teams won 90 or more, and found out that wasn't good enough. This season it will be. Easily.
So, here they come down the runway.
Introducing Mr. Washington. A charming Cinderella story, with its discount payroll and unsettled ownership issue. Honk if you want to buy the Nationals. The team formerly known as the Expos has decent pitching and 19 of its last 31 games are at home.
But ... the Nationals couldn't hit their way out of a shower curtain. They have scored fewer runs than anybody in baseball — even the Royals, who lost 19 straight. Someone send these guys some cork. Last weekend against the Cardinals would have been a good time to make a statement. The Washington offense produced six singles in two games.
Next is Mr. Houston. The pitching is lovely, led by the fountain-of-youth fastball of Roger Clemens, who is only seven years shy of AARP eligibility. The Astros have allowed fewer runs than anyone else in the major leagues, and isn't pitching the core of winning? The schedule provides a late and possibly decisive treat, too. Eleven of the last 13 games are against — heh heh — the Cubs and Pirates.
But ... Houston's games might as well be called Zero Hour. The Astros have been shut out 16 times this season, eight with Clemens pitching. Will they waste their soft schedule the way they have wasted a lot of Clemens starts, one weak pop-up at a time?
Now Mr. Florida. Notice how attractive the Marlins look while standing on the mound. They have thrown 15 shutouts and 13 complete games, as opponents keep falling for the fish bait — hook, line and especially sinkers.
But ... there appears to have been some sort of rolling power blackout. Through Monday, the Marlins had seven home runs in their last 24 games. And the schedule is brutal. Florida's last 30 games are all against teams with winning records, including both Atlanta and St. Louis.
Here's Mr. New York. The Mets are the understated candidate. They've been loitering on the edge of the race all summer, never that noticeable but never far away. They steal more bases than anyone in the league and Pedro Martinez is a steady hand to have for important games in September.
But ... the bullpen has been known to leak. Mike Piazza is hurt. Carlos Beltran has never been the booster rocket he was supposed to be. The Mets have been lousy on the road, and they face a hazardous 10-game trip starting next week that winds through Florida, Atlanta and St. Louis. The Mets may end up being exactly what they look like — too good to totally disappear, not good enough to make a genuine charge.
Finally, Mr. Philadelphia. The Phillies lead the league in on-base percentage and are tied with the Braves for the fewest errors in the majors. Not unimportant statistics.
But ...the starting pitching is a constant worry, and they have 17 games left on the road.
No contestant, then, comes without baggage. But the prize can be enormous. The last three wild card winners have gone on to World Series titles.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/

Bagwell's stint in CC delayed

Hooks fans wanting to see Jeff Bagwell had their wait pushed back one more day.
The Houston Astros first baseman was supposed to begin a rehab assignment in Corpus Christi on Tuesday, but opted to delay it until tonight.

Bagwell is slated to be in the Hooks' lineup as the designated hitter when Corpus Christi begins a five-game series against the San Antonio Missions tonight at Whataburger Field.
The apparent reason for the delay was the cortisone shot Bagwell received in his right shoulder on Monday. He has been out since having surgery on that shoulder in June.
"Normally, during the season, I'd get the shot, take a day off and go play," Bagwell told mlb.com. "But with what I'm trying to do (come back as a pinch-hitter in September), I don't see any reason to push myself. I want to get as much out of this as I can."
Bagwell is now expected to serve as the Hooks' designated hitter from today through Friday. Astros teammate Brandon Backe will join him in Corpus Christi on Friday, when Backe is slated to make the second of two rehab starts for the Hooks.
Bagwell will be stepping into the cauldron of a three-team pennant race with five games to go in the Texas League season.
"He's a true professional and he'll get here and blend in with the rest of the boys," said Hooks manager Dave Clark, a former teammate of Bagwell's. "He's a gamer, man and these kids will see that and it'll give them something to strive for."

Source: http://www.caller.com/

Scott comes back, fits right in

The last time Luke Scott was this relaxed in an Astros uniform, the backdrop was palm trees and mouse ears in Florida.
Scott hit .368 with seven homers and 20 RBIs this spring training, winning the job in left field on opening day. Less than one month later, Scott was back in the minors.
He hit .154 (6-for-39) with no homers and one RBI to start the regular season.
He was swinging at horrible pitches and letting the good pitches go by.
"I can't tell you how nervous I was and how excited I was at the same time," Scott said Tuesday. "I tried to do too much, especially when we started struggling as a team. It all started to snowball."
The snowball turned into an avalanche. Scott was 0-for-20 before he was sent to Class AAA Round Rock on May 3. Even there, he struggled. As late as mid-June, he was hitting in the .230s with 11 home runs.
"At first, I was still really nervous," Scott said. "I was like, 'I want to get back. I want to get back. I got to do this and do it right now.'
"Then — I'll never forget the date, it was on July 12 — we were in Iowa and I had a spiritual moment, and I started to relax. Even if I didn't get any hits, it was like, 'OK, that's your will for me today. So be it.' I felt that something good was on the way."
Indeed it was. With his anxiety eased, Scott sizzled. When he was recalled Monday, he was hitting .286 and leading the Pacific Coast League with 31 homers in 103 games.
Scott went right into the lineup, starting Tuesday night and hitting sixth against the Cincinnati Reds. Scott's first contribution was on defense. He went into the corner in left field in the first inning and made a strong throw to nail Ken Griffey Jr. at second base.
Then, in Scott's first at-bat, he singled to right. Scott was 2-for-4 in the Astros' 5-2 win and hit the ball hard all four times.
"That's the way he hit the ball in spring training," said Astros manager Phil Garner. "If he can come in and give us a little bit of energy in that regard, I think it will help. He could give us a big lift."
Garner said that Scott likely would see plenty of playing time, especially against righthanded pitchers. Scott is one of nine Astros to hit in the No. 6 spot in the lineup this season, and Garner is looking forward to seeing if Scott can produce.
"There's no question they (opposing pitchers) have been pitching around Morgan (Ensberg) and Lance (Berkman)," Garner said. "Jason has his (19) home runs and 65 RBIs, but nobody is afraid of him yet."
"They pitched the other guys carefully and go after Jason. But if you've got a No. 6 guy who can bust it, too, the odds are one of those guys is going to get you."
For Scott, a second chance at doing some good in the majors comes during a playoff race.
"This is extremely fun," said Scott. "Every pitch and every at-bat is going to matter. I'm looking forward to it."

Source: http://www.chron.com/

Castro homer leads Mets to big win over Phillies

Ramon Castro's eighth inning three-run homer capped a 6-4 victory for the New York Mets over the Philadelphia Phillies at Shea Stadium on Tuesday, creating a logjam in the National League wild card race.

With the victory, the Mets and Houston Astros sit just a half game back of the Phillies and Florida Marlins in the tightly-packed race for a postseason berth.
Carlos Beltran contributed a solo home run and pair of RBIs for New York, while Victor Diaz and Jose Reyes each had a pair of hits and scored a run as the Mets won for the sixth time in eight games.
The Mets spotted the Phillies a 3-0 first inning lead on Pat Burrell's two-run blast and a solo shot from Kenny Lofton then spent the rest of the contest chipping away at the lead.
Carlos Beltran began the rally with a solo home run in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to 3-1, only to watch the Phillies restore their three-run cushion in the top of the second on Jimmy Rollins RBI single.
A run-scoring single from Beltran in the fifth and another from Castro in the seventh, trimmed the Phillies lead to 4-3.
Castro then capped the rally in the eighth, taking a 1-0 offering from Ugueth Urbina and paking it in the left field bleachers to push the Mets in front 6-4.
Juan Padilla (1-0) took credit for the win with one inning of scoreless relief while Braden Looper came on in the ninth to get the final three outs and his 28th save of the season.
Urbina (3-2) was tagged with the loss, surrendering three runs on two hits in the eighth inning.
In Miami, Miguel Cabrera belted a three-run homer and Carlos Delgado stroked a key eighth-inning two-run triple to lead the Florida Marlins past the St Louis Cardinals 7-6.
Trailing 5-4 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Marlins rallied to score three runs, Delgado lining a triple to right center that scored Cabrera and Luis Castillo.
Juan Encarnacion that added insurance run on a sacrifice fly to deep right to put the Marlins ahead to stay 7-5.
"It's exciting, this is great," Delgado said. "We're making a push and it is exciting.
"I was just trying to make contact. We had the tying run on third base, but I was just trying to make contact."
Guillermo Mota (2-2) pitched two innings of relief to earn the win while Matt Morris (14-6) took the loss after allowing six runs on nine hits over seven-plus innings of work.
Mark Grudzielanek had a three run homer for NL Central division leading Cardinals while John Mabry smacked a ninth inning solo shot to close out the scoring.
In Atlanta, Jose Guillen had a solo home run and Jason Bergman tossed two innings of scoreless relief to claim his first major league win as the Washington Nationals eased past the Braves 3-2 to stay 1 games back of the Phillies and Marlins in the wild card chase.
In Houston, Morgan Ensberg cracked three-run homer to key a five-run fifth inning, powering the Astros past Cincinnati Reds 5-2.
In Chicago, Nomar Garciaparra belted a solo homerun and Henry Blanco had three RBIs as the Cubs tamed the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-3 to collect just their second win in six games.
In Milwaukee, Paul Maholm pitched eight shutout innings to earn the win on his major league debut as the Pittsburgh Pirates blanked the Brewers 6-0.
In San Francisco, Ray Durham drove in the tying run then scored the game winner as the Giants nipped the Colorado Rockies 4-3.
In San Diego, Brian Giles had a three-run homer and Joe Ranada added a solo shot, lifting the Padres to a 5-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks

Source: http://www.boston.com/

Mavs Movin’ On

Many graduated student-athletes have moved to bigger endeavors after life as Mavericks.After four years as a setter on the volleyball team, Heather Dunn has transitioned well into the assistant coach position. Dunn, called the “back-up setter” by head coach Diane Seymour, works opposite starting setter Emily Nedderman in practice and gives positive reinforcement.“[The coaching staff] knows so many things,” Dunn said. “I still feel like a student-athlete, but I’m learning so many things.”Dunn ranks third on the career assists list with 5,483 and was named second-team All-Southland Conference three consecutive seasons, 2002-04.Former middle blocker Caley Smith returned to Houston after leaving the volleyball program. Smith, who started all 127 matches in her four-year career, ranked among the program’s top 10 in kills, attempts and digs. Jordan Krantz, a former golf standout, is pursuing a professional career after years of playing as an amateur. He is currently trying to find sponsors to fund his effort and competed in the Bay Mills Open, a Canadian professional event, last week. Krantz was named Male Student-Athlete of the Year by the UTA alumni and conference Golfer of the Year twice.Donna Capps, women’s basketball head coach, said former forward Rola Ogunoye will have many choices when she decides where to play professionally overseas. Ogunoye, who was invited to try out for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks last spring, has also entertained phone calls from the Houston Comets.Ogunoye finished second on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,639 points and third in blocks (117) and rebounding (828). She was also the first player to lead the team in scoring all four years. Mavs teammates Tamesha Graves, Tabitha Wesley and Krystal Buchanan, are continuing their education as fifth-year seniors at the university.Many former track athletes are also continuing their education here on campus due to fifth-year scholarships. Sprinters Glen Taylor and Brittany Williams, along with jumper James Mannering, are still pursuing degrees. Head coach John Sauerhage said part-time jobs, heavy course loads and eligibility concerns make it tough for athletes to graduate in four years.“But we’re committed to seeing them walk across stage,” he said.Former hurdler Paul Whitty and former long distance runner Lisa Haglund both work for the Athletics Department. Whitty is a graduate assistant coach, and Haglund assists the athletics director and the department’s academic adviser.In June, former baseball pitchers Jake Baxter and Grant Varnell were taken in the 25th round of the Major League Baseball draft. Outfielder Nathan Warrick was selected by the Houston Astros in the 34th round. The trio brings the total number of players drafted under head coach Jeff Curtis to 10.

Source: http://www.theshorthorn.com/

Kid Clemens joins ValleyCats tonight

TROY -- After much speculation about whether or not he would play in Troy during his climb up the minor league ladder, Roger Clemens' son Koby will indeed join the ValleyCats for their remaining nine games of the regular season. The younger Clemens, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound third baseman, will start for the ValleyCats against the Oneonta Tigers tonight at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.

Koby Clemens, the oldest of four sons of the Houston Astros' pitching ace, was called up from the Astros' rookie league affiliate, Greeneville (Tenn.) of the Appalachian League, after his first professional season to finish the New York-Penn League season with the ValleyCats.
His presence raises the possibility that the future Hall of Famer himself may make an appearance or two at Bruno Stadium this season.
"It's pretty exciting," said Tri-City manager Gregg Langbehn before his team's game against Oneonta on Tuesday night. "When I was told last night, I was personally excited to have him here for the last nine games. And it would be pretty special for his father to come."
The younger Clemens, who received a signing bonus of approximately $300,000, made the transition from high school baseball to his professional season look easy. In 32 games, he batted .306 with four home runs and a .491 slugging percentage, while playing primarily at third base. His first blast was a grand slam estimated to have gone 515 feet to reach the top of the clubhouse in Pulaski, Va.
"Our minor league hitting coordinator, Sean Berry, said he's made a good transition from high school to pro ball," said Langbehn, who hasn't seen Clemens play and relied on Houston reports for his information.
The 18-year-old was set to follow in his father's footsteps at the University of Texas until the Astros drafted him in the eighth round of this June's amateur draft. He was drafted out of Memorial High School in Houston, where he batted .523 (56-107) with 10 home runs in his senior season.
"I really don't know what to expect from him," Langbehn said. "But he's just another one of the guys. He'll be expected to come to the park and play like everyone else."
Roger Clemens is allowed to travel away from Houston between starts as a part of his contract. He has seen about a dozen of Koby's games this season.
Tri-City pitcher Anthony Pluta is excited about the possible chance to meet the legend.
"It's cool Roger might come up here because I feel I'm a similar type of pitcher, and I may have the opportunity to pick his brain," Pluta said.
The news of Koby Clemens' arrival follows on the heels of three Tri-City promotions. Wladimir Sutil, German Melendez and Luke Barganier were called up to Lexington of the South Atlantic League after their game against Lowell on Monday night.
Sutil, a NYP All-Star, batted .329 (76-for-231), stole a team-leading 13 bases, and played flawless defense at shortstop and second base this season for the ValleyCats. Melendez wrapped up his first season on the mound after converting from catcher, posting a 7-0 record and 2.86 ERA in 28 1/3 innings with Tri-City. Barganier, who played the majority of this season with Lexington, rejoins the Legends after 37 at-bats with Tri-City.
"We're real happy for Sutil because he obviously had a great year," Langbehn said. "The biggest reason he's moving up is that Lexington needed a shortstop.
"Melendez has earned that promotion, too," he added. "He's made a great transition from catcher to pitcher."

Source: http://timesunion.com/

Ready to play

Hector Gimenez was sure he wasn't going to play Tuesday night.
After all, it wasn't his night to catch and some guy named Bagwell was supposed to be the Hooks' designated hitter, so Gimenez took care of some painful business and had a tooth pulled.
In the end, it was Midland that really felt the pain.
Gimenez drove in all of his team's runs and three Corpus Christi pitchers combined for a shutout as the Hooks blanked the RockHounds 4-0 at Whataburger Field.
The victory, combined with Frisco's win over San Antonio, once again created a three-way tie for first place in the Texas League's West Division among the Hooks, RockHounds and Missions.
That will set up five nights of scoreboard-watching in one of the tightest pennant races in recent Texas League history. Corpus Christi will host San Antonio tonight in the opener of a five-game series to end the regular season. Meanwhile, Midland heads to Frisco for a quintet of games.
The Hooks are trying to complete a worst-to-first turnaround after finishing last in the league during the first half.
"We know what we've got ahead of us, that's for sure," Hooks manager Dave Clark said. "Those guys from San Antonio are going to come in here and try to take it from us. We've got to be ready. I like the way the boys are playing right now. They're on a mission and going about it the right way."
Houston Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell was expected to start at DH for the Hooks, but he pushed the start of his injury rehab assignment back until today. That put Gimenez in the DH spot and he made the most of his opportunity, with a three-run homer in the fourth inning and a RBI single in the eighth.
"That's fate right there for you," said ace Jason Hirsh, who went six innings to pick up his team-high 13th win. "It just goes to show you that anything can happen in this game. If Bagwell was here, it could be a completely different ballgame and we could still be playing right now."
Gimenez broke a scoreless stalemate in the fourth inning by slamming his homer over the left-center field fence to electrify the home crowd.

"From the beginning, Midland has been throwing me a lot of change-ups when they got behind in the count," Gimenez said. "When (Drew Dickinson) threw that first fastball for a ball, I was looking for that changeup. He hung it right in the middle and I put a good swing on it."
Not too shabby for a guy who probably wouldn't have been in the lineup had Bagwell been on hand.
"That's why I pulled my tooth out," Gimenez said. "Because I thought Bagwell was going to come in and play and I thought I wasn't going to play today. When I came here and saw the starting lineup, I said 'Well, I'll do the best I can do.' That's what I did."
"Man, I don't want to even have to think about (Gimenez sitting out)," Clark said. "I told him now he's going to get two of those teeth pulled (today). He picked a good time to have a big night."
Hirsh, meanwhile, won for the seventh time after his team lost the previous night. The Texas League's pitcher of the year threw on one day's rest after a truncated one-inning start because of rain.
"He just seems to have a knack for those things," Clark said. "This kid's got something special."
Tim McClaskey - making his first relief appearance since last year's playoffs - and Chris Sampson pitched the final three innings to set up a dramatic finish to the Hooks' inaugural season.
"It's about life and death, that's what I have to call it," Gimenez said. "It's the last series of the season and we really want to make the playoffs."
How They Scored
HOOKS 4TH
Riggs grounded out to third. Phillips singled to left. Saccomanno singled to left. Gimenez homered to left-center; Phillips, Saccomanno and Gimenez scored. Norris singled to left. Fagan struck out. Robinson grounded out to pitcher. HOOKS, 3-0
HOOKS 8TH
Saccomanno doubled to right. Gimenez singled to left, Saccomanno scored. Norris singled to right, Gimenez to third. Fagan struck out. Robinson struck out. M. Rodriguez flied out to center. HOOKS, 4-0
HOOKS NOTEBOOK
SEE YA, C.J.
Roster moves in the majors and Class AAA trickled down to the Hooks on Tuesday, as outfielder Charlton Jimerson was promoted to Round Rock.
Jimerson will fill the spot created when outfielder Luke Scott was promoted to Houston. After a slow start during the first half, Jimerson was a key cog in the Hooks' second-half resurgence, hitting .283 with 13 home runs, 32 runs batted in and 17 stolen bases.
He finished his second Class AA season with a .259 average, team-high 16 homers, 44 RBI and 27 steals. Jimerson departed Tuesday afternoon for Albuquerque, N.M, where the Express is playing a series against the Isotopes.
Hooks manager Dave Clark said John Fagan would take over Jimerson's spot in right field, with Carlos Rodriguez seeing time there as well.
"Does it hurt us? Of course it does," Clark said. "I've said it before and we've seen it - (Jimerson) can carry a ballclub for a while. He makes a lot of things happen when he gets on base.
"You're always happy to see a kid get promoted. This is another challenge for him and he'll go up there and play well."
Hooks left fielder Mike Rodriguez is a close friend of Jimerson's. The two were teammates for four years at the University of Miami and then three of their first four pro seasons.
"I'm very happy for him," Rodriguez said. "This is the first time one of us has been moved during a season, but that's the nature of the game when it comes down to this time of year."
MORE MOVEMENT?
After Jimerson's call-up, Astros director of player development Ricky Bennett said the organization didn't plan to make many more changes to the Hooks' roster with the team in the throes of a pennant race.
"We're going to try to keep it intact as much as possible," Bennett said. "We have a couple of things on the table where we're trying to make some decisions. We're going to try to do the best we can to keep that team intact."
When asked if Jason Hirsh, the Hooks' ace and Texas League Pitcher of the Year, would be moved up, Bennett said, ""At this point, no."
Hirsh was thought to be a candidate for Round Rock after the Express lost pitchers Fernando Nieve and Carlos Hernandez to injuries. But Bennett said Round Rock was carrying 13 pitchers before the injuries and had some flexibility with its arms.
trophies tonight
The San Antonio Spurs' 1999, 2003 and 2005 NBA championship trophies will be on display at tonight's Hooks game. Fans can have their pictures taken with the trophy from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. inside the right-field entrance at Whataburger Field.
SAN ANTONIO ROTATION SET
Clark said he has tentatively set his pitching rotation for the season-ending series against San Antonio that begins tonight.
Left-hander Philip Barzilla will start tonight's opener, followed by righty Peter Bauer on Thursday. Rehabbing Astros starter Brandon Backe is tentatively slated to start Friday, but may get pushed back to Saturday. Righty Tim McClaskey will go on the day Backe doesn't, with Hirsh slated to pitch Sunday's regular-season finale.

Source: http://www.caller.com/

Houston end of road for Reds' streak

When Morgan Ensberg lofted one to left, Adam Dunn got himself in position to make a throw.
"I thought the guy at second might tag up," Dunn said.
There was no tag up because the ball ended up in the Crawford Boxes above left field for a three-run home run - the decisive blow in the Houston Astros' 5-2 victory over the Reds before a crowd of 29,971 at Minute Maid Park Tuesday night.
"That's a tough way to give up three runs," Dunn said.
"It's a flyball," Ramon Ortiz said. "Here, it's a home run."
Bad things happen when the Reds come to Houston. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak and reminded the Reds that there's winning on the road and there's winning at Houston.
The Reds had won 14 of 16 away from Great American Ball Park coming in. But they are 1-6 at Minute Maid this season and 5-19 over the last three years.
And, oh yeah, they face Andy Pettitte and Roy Oswalt in the final two games of the series here.
This is a big series for the Astros, who are tied with the Mets, a half-game behind the Marlins and Phillies, in the National League wild-card race.
This one got away fast.
"I was pitching good," said Ortiz, who fell to 8-10. "But I (didn't) make good pitches in the fifth."
The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the fifth - only to have the Astros score five runs in the bottom of the inning.
Five runs in about five minutes.
"One bad inning, five runs," Ortiz said. "That's baseball. It's crazy."
Rough starts have been a rarity recently for the Reds.
The Reds came into Tuesday on a 21-game run in which their starters were 13-4 with a 2.69 ERA.
Ortiz looked as though he'd keep the streak going. Through four innings, he had allowed only two singles.
The Reds weren't having much better luck with left-hander Wandy Rodriguez. They had two hits through four innings.
But Sean Casey led off the fifth with a double. Dunn nearly made it 2-0. He missed a home run by a foot or two when a ball he hit hooked just foul. But Dunn did get Casey in with a single.
The Reds appeared to be in business when Jason LaRue followed with a walk.
But Edwin Encarnacion popped out on the first pitch.
"He's a young guy," Narron said. "He's overanxious. I don't mind him swinging at the first pitch. I wish he had gotten a ball he could drive."
Ortiz bunted into a fielder's choice. And Felipe Lopez popped out on the first pitch he saw to end the inning.
The Astros weren't down for long. Adam Everett led off the fifth with a single. After failing in two bunt attempts, Humberto Quintero singled through Ortiz's legs.
"That was the key at-bat of the game," Narron said. "(Quintero) couldn't get the bunt down, and Ortiz couldn't put him away."
The Astros sent up Mike Lamb to pinch hit for Rodriguez, a curious move given how he was pitching.
But Lamb delivered an RBI single. Willy Taveras got a run home with a sacrifice fly.
Craig Biggio singled. Then came Ensberg's homer. And it was 5-1.
The Reds did not threaten again until the ninth. Jacob Cruz, pinch hitting for Wily Mo Peña, singled off closer Brad Lidge with one out.
Casey and Dunn then walked to load the bases.
Javier Valentin was sent up to pinch hit for LaRue. He grounded out, scoring Cruz, to make it 5-2.
Encarnacion struck out to end it.

Source: http://news.enquirer.com/