The 12-game winning streak against the Reds came to a screeching halt Saturday afternoon as the Astros managed only 5 hits on the day, a mere 3 against suddenly effective Eric Milton in 7 innings. What a difference a week makes.
The game started with the fire alarm going off in the Great American Ballpark, possibly their mousse flavored “chili” burning. Shortly after silencing the alarm, the Boo Birds came down on Junnah for not running out a routine grounder to first.
Astros starter Andy Pettitte was cruising until the fourth, allowing a walk to Junnah and a single to Sean Casey , before Joe Randa hit a warning track fly to Astros left fielder Chris Burke who threw the ball to relay man Adam Everett then to first to double up the brain dead Casey at first. Now with two outs, Pettitte walked Austin Kearns and allowed a run scoring single to goofy named Wily Mo Pena and a two-run single just past the outstretched Biggio in shallow right field to Rich Aurilia for all of the Reds runs.
Much maligned Brad Ausmus snapped an 0-19 streak with a double to right center in the 5th, scoring Burke who had singled for the Astros first and only run against Milton. Mike Lamb singled home Jeff Bagwell in the 9th, but the Astros left the tying run on base as Jose Vizcaino grounded out against Reds closer Danny Graves to end it .
Biggio had his 9-game hit streak snapped. Another outfield collision, this time Taveras and Burke, allowed Pena to reach on a ‘double’ in the 6th.