| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
HOUSTON (AP) -- Lima Time started slowly this season, but the
beat is picking up.
Jose Lima won his second consecutive decision after losing 13
straight, and Lance Berkman hit a three-run double Thursday night
to lead the Houston Astros to a 6-2 victory over the Cincinnati
Reds.
"I promised myself I am not going to lose any more games and
I'm 2-0 since I said that," Lima said. "It's no surprise to me.
I've gone through some tough times but I've never lost my
confidence."
|  | | After losing 13 straight, could the Astros' Jose Lima be embarking on a streak of a winning kind? |
Lima won 21 games last season and called the days he pitched
"Lima Time," complete with loud meringue music blaring before and
after the game.
"The music sounds better after the game than before," manager
Larry Dierker said. "Some of the guys were saying the music didn't
sound as good, but he pitched well and he pitched aggressive early.
That helped."
Cincinnati's Mike Bell struck out as a pinch-hitter in the
seventh inning, making his family the first to have three
generations play for one major league team. Grandfather Gus Bell
(1953-61) and father Buddy Bell (1985-88) previously played for the
Reds.
"It's something I'm extremely proud of," Mike Bell said. "I'm
proud of what my grandfather accomplished and I'm proud of what my
dad accomplished. I'm proud of what I've done too."
Mark Wohlers returned to the major leagues for the first time
since April 1999, making his Reds debut. He threw 14 pitches, 11
for strikes, in two hitless innings.
Wohlers, who had 33 saves for Atlanta in 1997 before
mysteriously losing his control the following year, was traded to
the Reds on April 16, 1999.
"I'm just trying to get back to where I want to be," Wohlers
said. "I really wasn't nervous. You go out and throw two scoreless
innings and any pitcher will say that's where you want to be."
The 30-year-old reliever walked none and struck out two.
Lima (3-13), who won his first start April 5 against Pittsburgh
and then didn't win again until July 9, didn't get a decision
Saturday in Houston's 11-6 loss to Detroit.
Against Cincinnati, Lima allowed two runs and eight hits in 6
2/3 innings, struck out four and walked one as Houston stopped a
three-game losing streak.
Lima escaped trouble after allowing leadoff doubles in the
second and third innings. The Reds broke up the shutout in the
fifth on Eddie Taubensee's RBI single.
"You have to be proud of this ball club," Lima said. "With
the season we're having, it says a lot how we've held up especially
the way guys like Jeff Bagwell, (Craig) Biggio and Moises Alou have
continued to play so hard."
Barry Larkin's RBI double in the seventh chased Lima. Marc
Valdes and Octavio Dotel finished with hitless relief.
Scott Williamson (3-7) allowed two runs -- one earned -- and two
hits in three innings but walked four.
"I was a little erratic," Williamson said. "It was a judgment
call taking me out. I guess they didn't want to take any chances so
I will respect their judgment."
Houston took a 2-0 lead on Bill Spiers' RBI single in the second
and Richard Hidalgo's run-scoring grounder in the third.
Berkman's double over the head of left fielder Dmitri Young made
it 5-0 in the fourth.
Hidalgo's solo homer in the fifth off Scott Winchester made it
6-1.
Game notes
Dante Bichette's second-inning double extended his hitting
streak to 14 games. Sean Casey singled in the sixth, stretching his
hitting streak to a career-high 13 games. ... The Astros have 18
home sellouts in their first season at Enron Field, including
Thursday's crowd of 42,554. The Astros have drawn 1.7 million
through 45 home games. ... Cincinnati manager Jack McKeon needs one
victory to tie Lou Piniella for 11th on the Reds career victories
list at 255.
| |
ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Cincinnati Clubhouse
Houston Clubhouse
Hometown split: Reds place Larkin on trading block
RECAPS
Detroit 5
NY Yankees 3
Minnesota 5
Chi. White Sox 1
Boston 11
Baltimore 7
Baltimore 9
Boston 4
(2nd game)
Oakland 5
Seattle 4
Kansas City 10
Cleveland 6
Toronto 6
Tampa Bay 5
Anaheim 6
Texas 1
Montreal 4
NY Mets 1
Pittsburgh 9
Milwaukee 2
Philadelphia 3
Chicago Cubs 2
Atlanta 5
Florida 3
Florida 6
Atlanta 1
(2nd game)
Arizona 3
St. Louis 2
San Francisco 7
San Diego 3
Houston 6
Cincinnati 2
Los Angeles 6
Colorado 3
|
