April 3, 2007Pirates 3, Astros 2W: Johan Bayless | L: Dan Wheeler | S: Solomon Torres
BS: Wheeler
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AP storyAlyson Footer
After failing to win a game at Minute Maid Park in 2006, the Pirates mounted a late rally to earn their second straight victory in unfriendly territory after the Astros maligned bullpen failed to hold another late lead.
Staked with protecting a 2-1 lead, Dan Wheeler made a mess of the eight inning, allowing the tying and go ahead runs to score. The Astros went down meekly in the eighth and ninth.
Jason Jennings made his Astro debut and pitching six strong innings with seven punchouts. His only blemish was another solo home run by Xavier Nady on a low, inside fastball in the second inning. His counterpart for the Pirates, Ian Snell, baffled the Astros with his slider to the tune of 11 strikeouts in his six innings of work.
Luke Scott was a late scratch from the lineup with a hyperextended left elbow, Jason Lane filled in and slammed a Crawford box shot to tie the game in the fifth. Carlos Lee took his eye off the Crawfords long enough to drop a two-strike bloop into center to score the go ahead run in the sixth to set the stage for Wheelers fateful inning.
Woody Williams also makes his Astro debut tomorrow @ 7:05 looking to salvage a game of this series.
