| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
HOUSTON (AP) -- Chris Holt remembered what it was like to get hit
in the face with a line drive, and it might have made him a better
pitcher Monday night.
|  | | Chris Holt reacts as Pirates' Brian Giles hits a single up the middle, breaking up Holt's no-hitter, during the seventh inning Monday, in Houston. |
Holt didn't allow a hit for six innings and finished with a
five-hitter as the Houston Astros routed the Pittsburgh Pirates
16-2.
Holt pitched for the first time since Aug. 4, when Montreal's
Peter Bergeron hit a line drive off his cheek. Holt missed one
start because of a black eye and facial swelling.
"I was a little timid at first," said Holt, whose left eye is
still black and filled with blood in the lower right corner. "It
was good that I had a couple of hits back at me.
"It definitely made a difference for me pitching. Now I
definitely am anticipating them hitting it back at me more. I used
to fall off to the side more after I threw, and now I'm staying in
the middle more. I think that helped my pitching."
Holt, who had lost six of seven decisions since July 14, pitched
his third complete game of the season, striking out five and
walking four. He was helped by double plays in the second and third
innings after a hit batter and a walk.
"Holt did a great job," manager Larry Dierker said. "To be
able to go out there after what happened in his last start and
having 10 days off, was something you wouldn't think he'd be a
candidate to go all the way after all that. But he was still strong
in the ninth. You've got to give him a lot of credit for not being
sloppy after we got the big lead."
The Pirates were equally impressed with Holt, who has a 1.11 ERA
in seven career appearances against them.
"Holt had real good stuff," manager Gene Lamont said.
"Against us he always has good stuff it seems. And at times, it
seems against us he has shown he can be a powerful pitcher."
Brian Giles broke up the no-hit bid when he led off the seventh
with a ball that went off the glove of shortstop Tim Bogar behind
second. Second baseman Julio Lugo then picked up the ball and threw
to first, but it wasn't in time and Bogar hit his glove in disgust.
"It was unfortunate I didn't come up with the ball," Bogar
said. "I felt like climbing under second base. It wasn't an easy
play, but you have to make the great plays to keep a no-hitter
going. It was a makeable play."
Giles was glad he didn't make it.
"We just got whipped tonight," he said. "They jumped on us
early and Holt really turned it around from earlier at our place
(when the Pirates beat him 10-1). He really had his changeup going,
his sinker and he moved his fastball really good."
Moises Alou had two home runs for the second straight game as
Houston, which has scored 30 runs in its last two games, had 19
hits for the second straight day. Tony Eusebio and Bogar each went
4-for-5, both tying their career highs for hits.
Alou, who homered twice Sunday at Philadelphia, went 3-for-4 and
tied a career high with five RBI. He had his third multihomer game
of the season, the 16th of his career, raising his home-run total
to 22.
Jose Silva (7-7) lost his third straight decision, giving up
nine runs, nine hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings. Pittsburgh
has lost six of eight and 10 of 13.
"He had control over nothing," Lamont said. "It wasn't just
his curve. I would have liked to have had him go to at least the
fifth but that didn't happen. Our bullpen needed the break and
after a while it was clear they weren't going to get one tonight.
He was leaving everything up."
Pittsburgh got its runs in the ninth on Enrique Wilson's
sacrifice fly and Alex Ramirez's run-scoring single.
Houston took a 4-0 lead in the first on Lance Berkman's RBI
double, Alou's sacrifice fly and consecutive RBI singles by Richard
Hidalgo and Eusebio.
Eusebio hit a two-run double in a five-run third. After Silva
walked Billy Spiers with the bases loaded. Marc Wilkins relieved
and gave up a two-run double to Jeff Bagwell that made it 9-0.
Alou homered on an 0-2 pitch leading off the fourth, and Bogar's RBI
double increased the lead to 11-0. Alou hit a three-run homer in
the fifth, Daryle Ward led off the seventh with his second
pinch-homer of the season, and Bogar hit an RBI single for a 16-0
lead.
Game notes
Ramirez left after the second inning with a bruised left
hand. He went to a hospital for X-rays. ... Eusebio extended his
hitting streak to 17, his career best and the longest for the
Astros since Luis Gonzalez tied the team record at 23 in 1997. ...
Alou has had seven five-RBI games. This was his first since April
26, 1998 at Montreal.
| |
ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
Houston Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 7
Tampa Bay 3
Baltimore 8
Chi. White Sox 2
NY Yankees 7
Texas 3
Oakland 8
Cleveland 1
Detroit 15
Seattle 4
Florida 11
Los Angeles 2
Colorado 4
Montreal 3
San Francisco 11
NY Mets 1
Arizona 4
Philadelphia 3
Atlanta 9
San Diego 2
Chicago Cubs 7
St. Louis 3
Houston 16
Pittsburgh 2
Milwaukee 4
Cincinnati 3
|
