Game 147 Recap-
The red hot Houston Astros got a complete game performance and 2 rbi from Roy Oswalt(15-9,3.54) to help them defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-0 Thursday night at Minute Maid Park in Texas. The win(14 of 15) allows the ‘Stros to pull within 3 games of the wild card leading Milwaukee Brewers. Their 36-16 post all star break mark is the best in the majors. The Pirates have lost6 in a row and 17 of 20.
Oswalt , who has not allowed a run in an Astros record 32 1/3 innings, used 90 pitches to get his 6th career shutout and 15th complete game. He did not walk a batter and struck out 4. The Houston ace battled a hip problem in July and has pitched into the 8th in 5 of his 6 outings.”I’m feeling better than I did at the beginning of the year,” Oswalt said. “Seems like the fastball is running a little more, with late life. I’m kind of feeding off it.” His skipper was appreciative post game,”He was magnificent, I mean, just awesome,” Houston manager Cecil Cooper said. “He just put it on cruise control. His fastball command was terrific.”
Pirates veteran LH Zach Duke(5-14,4.84) had bad luck and a bad inning in this start. Oswalt plated the 1st run on a squeeze play in the 3rd. Then came the 5th inning, where the Stros chased Duke and scored 5 runs. A throwing error allowed the floodgates to open, as CF Reggie Abercrombie, Oswalt and SS Miguel Tejada(double) had rbi hits. Veterans Darin Erstad and Mark Loretta plated runs on outs. Duke’s final line: 4 2/3 innings, 6 hits, 6 runs(2 earned) with 1 K. “He just really couldn’t stop the bleeding,” Russell said of Duke. “He had decent command. The one inning just really got him.”
Star of the Game-
Oswalt- One of the easier choices of the season, among the top pitchers in the game and hot right now
Pirates Notes-
Rookie Luis Cruz was at SS and had one of the 3 singles… Veteran utility men Doug Mientkiewicz (played 3rd) and Luis Rivas(2b) each had a single…3 relievers combined to pitch 3 1/3 innings of shutout ball
Next Game-
Friday,7:05
Start 3 game series vs St Louis Cardinals at PNC Park
Pirates LH Paul Maholm(8-8,3.74) vs Cardinals RH Joel Pineiro(6-5,4.92)
