The Astros broke out the whooppin’ stick for game two of the three game series at Minute Maid Park, slaming six home runs on the way to a 14-1 thrashing over the cellar dwelling Pirates of Pittsburgh.
Aubrey Huff led the barrage with three hits and six RBI’s, including a pair of homers and a bases clearing double. Roy Oswalt added his first career homer and pitched six solid innings for his ninth win of the season.
The Astros jumped in front in the first as Craig Biggio homered for the second straight game – and his fifth dinger in six games – to take a 1-0 lead. His drive on a high inside pitch from Pirates starter Shawn Chacon was well back in the Crawfords as his season total increased to 16. After a Lance Berkman walk, Huff drove a high outside pitch deep into the Crawfords for a opposite field shot that increased the lead to 3-0.
In the second, Adam Everett doubled and with one out, Oswalt tomahawked another high inside pitch into the front rows of the Crawfords for a 5-0 lead. After returning to the dugout, he received the silent treatment from his teammates.
“They straight-faced me. It was pretty good,” Oswalt said. “I knew what was going on. It was pretty nice.” Roy also gave a quick tip of the cap curtain call. “It was pretty exciting, it felt like winning the first game in the big leagues. Pretty much the same thing. I always wanted to get at least one.”
Later in the second, the Astros loaded the bases on walks before Luke Scott drove in the 6th run with a sharp single. That was the end of Chacon. Victor Santos walked in a run before finally retiring the side with the Astros up 7-0.
They didn’t stop there. After lead off infield singles by Willy Taveras and Biggio and a walk to Berkman to start the 3rd inning, Huff drove a ball to the warning track in right center to clear the bases and increase the lead to 10-0.
After a scoreless 4th, the 5th brought Huff to the plate again. With 2 outs, he crushed a ball into the upper tank in right. Scott followed on the next pitch with an almost identical shot. 12-0 Astros.
The 6th inning brought more runs. Brad Ausmus had an infield single before pinch-hitter Jason Lane smashed a ball off the limestone above the Crawford Boxes. 14-1 Astros.
The Pirates had scratched out a run against Oswalt in the 6th. He completed 6 full innings allowing four hits and a walk with six punchouts. The Bullpen took over and with the huge lead gave an inning each to Russ Springer , Dave Borkowski , and Fernando Nieve. They combined for 7 strikeouts and no hits in the final three innings to nail the coffin shut.
The Astros look to continue the onslaught Thursday evening at 7:05, Roger Clemens vs. rookie lefty Tom Gorzelanny.