Pasadena opened the game with 4 straight Ks.
In the 3rd the Larry Wayne stranded runners 1st and 2nd. Then in the bottom half, Lamb stranded runners 1st and 2nd.
The Braves got a run in the 4th when Francoeur homered on a 2-2 cutter that didn?t get in. Pettitte walked the next batter and got out of the inning on a 5-4-3 dp.
Berkman answered in the bottom of the inning with a homerun that landed behind the Pump. On the next pitch, John Thomson, who needs a rain handler installed in the bill of his cap, flips a change too close to Ensberg?s head who flops to the ground. He singles, but Thomson gets out of the inning in a 5-4-3 dp.
Pettitte strikes out the first two batters in the 5th on 3-2 counts. And has Giles down 3-2. But he singles, then Renteria singles, then Larry Wayne drops a single in front of Taveras and a run scores. 2-1 Braves.
They continue to press Pettitte in the 6th, bases loaded, no outs. The catcher Pratt Ks looking on a 3-2 count; Pettitte?s 7th K of the game. With a 1-0 count on Thomson, the Astros pitch out, nothing doing. Then Sweaty loops a liner to right, Berkman charges, and heaves a one hopper to the plate. Ausmus, set up right on the baseline, takes a step back to get the hop. Bobbles it against his mask, takes the collision from Francoeur, lands on his butt and holds up the ball for the ump to see he had it. Helluva play by Ausmus, nice throw from Berkman, and a big double play for Pettitte who has had trouble ending innings.
Big defensive play got everybody excited. Taveras led off the 6th with a sharp single. Lamb flashes a single past the 1b. Berkman whallops a fat 78 mph curve on a 2-2 count to right. 4-2 Astros.
The Braves bring in Reitsma, he walks Ensberg and Wilson, Ausmus sac bunts them a base forward. But Everett pops to short left. Garner takes out Pettitte for Palmeiro. Reitsma jerks 2 fastballs high and away, then a strike on the corner away. Palmeiro marks the spot, Reitsma comes right back to it and Opie calmly lines right up the middle for a 2 RBI single. 6-2 Astros.
Qualls comes in for the 7th, a single by Renteria, then Larry Wayne flips an outside fastball into the Crawfishes, and Palmeiro?s single is looking big. 6-4.
Lamb gets a run back with a homerun down the 1b line. The sight of the Braves has reminded the Astros that they can be a good team. 7-4.
In the 8th, Wheeler Ks the side with his ridiculous slider. It?s was so scary that Adam LaRoche decided to walk out of the box and rung himself up on what he thought was a called strike 3. But the homeplate, ump thinking it was a ball, called him back to be puzzled by one more, and the final, strike 3.
Lidge gets his 16th save inducing 3 grounders.
Tomorrow we?re back with the kids, Nieve against Jorge Sosa at 7:05.
