wrigley phantom
04-27-2007, 02:51 PM
13 runners stranded one day after 18 were left on base in 16-inning loss
PITTSBURGH — Rummaging through his locker to make sure he had all his belongings for the flight home Thursday afternoon, Astros slugger Carlos Lee was having a hard time grasping why the Astros can't beat the Pittsburgh Pirates.
"These three games were terrible," Lee said moments after the Pirates polished off their second three-game sweep of the Astros this season with a 5-3 victory at PNC Park.
Less than 12 hours after they stranded 18 runners in a 4-3, 16-inning loss Wednesday night, the Astros stranded 13 more runners and again failed miserably in clutch situations.
They were 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
"We didn't get the big hit," said Lee, who went 0-for-4 with a sacrifice fly and left six runners on base. "Seems like that's been happening the last three days. Seems like it's late before we get it going. There's nothing we can do about it now but go home and try to turn it round."
The Astros have lost six in a row for the first time since last May and will send ace Roy Oswalt to the mound tonight against the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a six-game homestand.
"You gotta believe we're going to get out of it," manager Phil Garner said. "You win five ballgames in a row and you turn around and lose six in a row. That's not a good formula. We need to stop the bleeding."
The Pirates, who went 3-13 against the Astros last year, are 6-0 this year. And once again, the Astros made another average Pittsburgh pitcher look better than he is.
This time it was Tony Armas Jr., who came into the game with an 0-2 record and an 18.90 ERA. Armas held the Astros to six hits and one run in five innings and escaped several jams.
"Never should have happened," Garner said. "Another day with a lot of people left on base. We're still having trouble coming up with the big hit. We started off in the first inning and it looked like it was going to be a big day for us. We just didn't get it going, obviously."
Too little, too late
The Astros scored two runs in the ninth inning for the second game in a row, but the Pirates had scored three times in the eighth to take a 5-1 lead. The big blow was a two-run single by Ryan Doumit off Chad Qualls.
The Astros loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against closer Salomon Torres, who blew the save Wednesday. Lee hit a sacrifice fly to right and John Grabow entered and gave up an RBI single to Mike Lamb to make it 5-3.
Grabow walked pinch-hitter Morgan Ensberg to load the bases and put the tying run at second base for Adam Everett, who grounded into a game-ending fielder's choice.
"I'd like to be able to be more consistent with the wins, but you have two options," said second baseman Mark Loretta, who went 4-for-4 with a walk. "You keep grinding or you quit, and we're not going to quit."
Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez (0-3) carried a 1-0 lead into sixth inning before giving up a two-run, bases-loaded single to Jason Bay. The Astros committed two errors in the inning to help the Pirates along.
Wasting Wandy's gem
Rodriguez had his best game of the season, allowing five hits and three runs while striking out a career-high-tying seven in seven innings.
"Wandy pitched such a great game, and it's a tough one to waste," Loretta said." "We're in a little bit of a funk driving in runs. Those things kind of come in streaks. This has been a tough road trip with all the cities and everything else, but we just need to regroup."
The Astros left at least one runner on base in every inning, but squandered a great to chance in the sixth. Lamb (3-for-5) led off with a single and Luke Scott and Everett walked to load the bases.
But reliever Jonah Bayliss (2-1) got Brad Ausmus to pop out and Rodriguez to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. Garner said letting Rodriguez hit for himself with the bases loaded wasn't a tough decision.
"Not considering we had used everybody out of the bullpen for a bunch of innings the previous night, and as well as he was pitching I wanted to let him go," Garner said. "He had a good, determined at-bat."
PITTSBURGH — Rummaging through his locker to make sure he had all his belongings for the flight home Thursday afternoon, Astros slugger Carlos Lee was having a hard time grasping why the Astros can't beat the Pittsburgh Pirates.
"These three games were terrible," Lee said moments after the Pirates polished off their second three-game sweep of the Astros this season with a 5-3 victory at PNC Park.
Less than 12 hours after they stranded 18 runners in a 4-3, 16-inning loss Wednesday night, the Astros stranded 13 more runners and again failed miserably in clutch situations.
They were 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
"We didn't get the big hit," said Lee, who went 0-for-4 with a sacrifice fly and left six runners on base. "Seems like that's been happening the last three days. Seems like it's late before we get it going. There's nothing we can do about it now but go home and try to turn it round."
The Astros have lost six in a row for the first time since last May and will send ace Roy Oswalt to the mound tonight against the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a six-game homestand.
"You gotta believe we're going to get out of it," manager Phil Garner said. "You win five ballgames in a row and you turn around and lose six in a row. That's not a good formula. We need to stop the bleeding."
The Pirates, who went 3-13 against the Astros last year, are 6-0 this year. And once again, the Astros made another average Pittsburgh pitcher look better than he is.
This time it was Tony Armas Jr., who came into the game with an 0-2 record and an 18.90 ERA. Armas held the Astros to six hits and one run in five innings and escaped several jams.
"Never should have happened," Garner said. "Another day with a lot of people left on base. We're still having trouble coming up with the big hit. We started off in the first inning and it looked like it was going to be a big day for us. We just didn't get it going, obviously."
Too little, too late
The Astros scored two runs in the ninth inning for the second game in a row, but the Pirates had scored three times in the eighth to take a 5-1 lead. The big blow was a two-run single by Ryan Doumit off Chad Qualls.
The Astros loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against closer Salomon Torres, who blew the save Wednesday. Lee hit a sacrifice fly to right and John Grabow entered and gave up an RBI single to Mike Lamb to make it 5-3.
Grabow walked pinch-hitter Morgan Ensberg to load the bases and put the tying run at second base for Adam Everett, who grounded into a game-ending fielder's choice.
"I'd like to be able to be more consistent with the wins, but you have two options," said second baseman Mark Loretta, who went 4-for-4 with a walk. "You keep grinding or you quit, and we're not going to quit."
Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez (0-3) carried a 1-0 lead into sixth inning before giving up a two-run, bases-loaded single to Jason Bay. The Astros committed two errors in the inning to help the Pirates along.
Wasting Wandy's gem
Rodriguez had his best game of the season, allowing five hits and three runs while striking out a career-high-tying seven in seven innings.
"Wandy pitched such a great game, and it's a tough one to waste," Loretta said." "We're in a little bit of a funk driving in runs. Those things kind of come in streaks. This has been a tough road trip with all the cities and everything else, but we just need to regroup."
The Astros left at least one runner on base in every inning, but squandered a great to chance in the sixth. Lamb (3-for-5) led off with a single and Luke Scott and Everett walked to load the bases.
But reliever Jonah Bayliss (2-1) got Brad Ausmus to pop out and Rodriguez to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. Garner said letting Rodriguez hit for himself with the bases loaded wasn't a tough decision.
"Not considering we had used everybody out of the bullpen for a bunch of innings the previous night, and as well as he was pitching I wanted to let him go," Garner said. "He had a good, determined at-bat."