Gorzelanny had no control. Yet he lasted 6 and gave up 2 runs. Brad Ausmus was the offense early. In the 2nd, couple walks set him up. He bounced a 2 hop dolphin to the left of the mound, Ensberg scored from 2nd. Then in the 4th, Scott advanced to 2nd on a groundout. Ausmus again bounced a dolphin to the right of the mound. Scott scored.
Clemens lasted a couple batters, but no outs, into the 7th. In the 6th he gave up a run. Luke Scott misplayed a liner into runners 2nd and 3rd. If he had layed back on the bounce it might not have ricocheted off his glove and maybe there?d have been runners 1st and 3rd with one out. The next batter flied to right and the run scored. Aubrey Huff does not have a right field arm.
Then, with 2 outs, runner on 3rd, Clemens got a bouncer to 3rd. A play which looked harmless, but the slow bouncer, combined with the tying run hustling to home, and Morgan Ensberg?s looping throw to first made the play closer than we would have liked.
As for that 7th, with runners 1st and 2nd, no outs, Clemens gave way to Qualls. Berkman pounced on Castillo?s attempted sac bunt and got the lead runner. With the bases loaded, Qualls got Randa to ground right over the bag at 3rd. Ensberg touched the base, loaded up his gimpy shoulder and humped the throw over to beat Randa.
The bottom of the 7th featured the perfect combination for the Astros. Mike Capps, JD called a ?control freak? for his penchant for throwing strikes, hung a slider to Ensberg. He blasted it into left, 3 runs scored and the Astros had their 5-1 cushion.
That came in handy because in the 9th, Lidge didn?t get interested until he had given up a run. After that, 3 ups, 3 down.
Pettitte gets the start against the Padres tomorrow at 7:05.
