Saturday, August 11, 2012

Cruz'in.

Astros 4, Pirates 3
D.Roberts vs Briles
An interesting line score showed Houston in banging out 17 hits, yet only scoring four runs. Table setters Terry Puhl 3-5 and Enos Cabell 4-5 set the pace for an offense that had baserunners on the base paths all day long. Starter Dave Roberts fanned seven and gave up three in 7 2/3 worth of work. Pirates starter Nelson Briles gave up four runs and 13 hits in four innings which led to an early exit. the Pirate bullpen did not yield a run the rest of the way but their offense could not capitalize on their pen's stinginess.

Astros 4, Pirates 3
J.Niekro vs Candelaria
For one of the first times all year the Pirate bullpen collapsed late in a game. Kent Tekulve gave up two runs in just one third of an ending in relief before being replaced by Jim Rooker but the damage had already been done. Down 3 to 2 and heading into the top of the ninth inning Houston needed one run to tie and 2 runs to take the lead. Hitting sensation Bob Watson led off the inning with a clean single between third and short. The "toy cannon" Jimmy Wynn worked out a walk to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Slugger Lee May was pinch hit for by Julio Gonzalez, who executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third with one out. Pinch-hitter Greg Gross was intentionally walk to load the bases. Jose Cruz promptly singled to left to knock into 2 runs and give the Astros 4-3 lead. Pittsburgh did not go down easy in the bottom of the ninth.  The Bucs had runners on first and second with only one out, but both Manny Sanguillen and Gene Clines failed to deliver game-winning hits.

Astros 3, Pirates 2 (11 inn)
Kison vs Richard
Pittsburgh broke up a scoreless pitchers duel with two runs in the top of the eighth. Omar Moreno bunted home Al Oliver for the first run of the game.  Dave Parker walked with the bases loaded to force home ta key insurance run.  Pittsburgh's normally reliable bullpen once again had themselves an uncharacteristic meltdown.  Reliever Dave Giusti served up two run homerun to José Cruz to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth and forced extra innings. In the bottom of the 11th Houston had runners on first and second with two outs. First baseman Lee May delivered the game-winning hit with a line single to center to score Jesus Alou.  Lost in the shuffle was a excellent seven innings of shut out ball that Bruce Kison threw for the Pirates and the 11 strikeouts that JR Richard had for Houston.  Ken Forsch walked away with the much deserved win after throwing 3 scoreless innings in relief.

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