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  Monday, Jul. 31 7:05pm ET
Lima still on target with 'win' promise
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

MIAMI (AP) -- Jose Lima took quite a vow.

"I made a promise to myself -- I'm not going to lose another ballgame this year," he said after winning his third straight decision and leading the Houston Astros over the Florida Marlins 4-2 Monday night.

Jose Lima
Lima

Lima (4-13), who leads the major leagues with 32 homers allowed, hasn't lost in five starts. He helped himself by doubling in the seventh and scoring on Craig Biggio's sacrifice fly.

"In 1998, I promised I'd win 15 games, and I won 16," he said. "In '99, I promised I'd win 20 and I won 21. With 12 or 13 more starts, and with the help of the Lord, I'll win 10 or 11 games."

Lima left with one out in the seventh. He allowed two runs and eight hits, walked two and struck out three.

"He was as good as he had to be," Astros manager Larry Dierker said. "Last year, when he was on a roll, I might have left him in there. But this year, he's not on a roll, so I figured I'd get him out of there and let someone else worry about it."

Marc Valdes and Octavio Dotel (third save) combined for the final 2 2/3 scoreless innings as the Astros stopped a three-game losing streak. Dotel got his third save.

Biggio drove in three runs, also homering in the third and singling home a run in the ninth. His two hits raised his average to just .270.

"I look up at the scoreboard and see Biggio hitting .266, and I think there's something wrong with the board," Marlins manager John Boles said.

Houston center fielder Richard Hidalgo made two big plays in the fourth. He threw out Mike Lowell at the plate for the second out, then made an inning-ending running catch of Ramon Castro's deep fly to center with runners on second and third.

"I was surprised Lowell went (home), because I play in close," Hidalgo said.

"It's just a mistake," Boles said. "Things happen. (Third-base coach) Fredi (Gonzalez) has been near perfect all year."

Florida closed to 3-2 in the seventh when Castro's sacrifice fly scored Andy Fox, who tripled. Castro was the last batter Lima faced.

Marlins starter A.J. Burnett (1-2) left after walking Lance Berkman and Moises Alou starting the sixth. After Ricky Bones relieved, Hildalgo moved up the runners with a slow grounder and Tony Eusebio followed with an RBI groundout.

Burnett, coming off a poor outing in which he lasted just four innings at Atlanta, gave up two runs and four hits. He walked four in five-plus innings.

Biggio hit his eighth homer in the third, tying it at 1.

Wilson's RBI single in the first gave Florida a 1-0 lead. Mark Kotsay reached on a forceout, stole second and scored on Wilson's hit.

Game notes
Only 8,044 fans attended the game. ... OF Henry Rodriguez, acquired from the Chicago Cubs, is expected to join the Marlins in time for Wednesday night's game against Houston. ... Astros RHP Shane Reynolds was been scratched from his scheduled start Thursday at Florida. Reynolds, who left Friday night's 5-2 loss at Atlanta after the first inning because of tightness in his lower back, returned to Houston on Sunday to be examined by team physician Dr. Bill Ryan.
 


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