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  Monday, Aug. 14 8:05pm ET
Astros supply Holt with 16 runs
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

HOUSTON (AP) -- Chris Holt remembered what it was like to get hit in the face with a line drive, and it might have made him a better pitcher Monday night.

Chris Holt
Chris Holt reacts as Pirates' Brian Giles hits a single up the middle, breaking up Holt's no-hitter, during the seventh inning Monday, in Houston.

Holt didn't allow a hit for six innings and finished with a five-hitter as the Houston Astros routed the Pittsburgh Pirates 16-2.

Holt pitched for the first time since Aug. 4, when Montreal's Peter Bergeron hit a line drive off his cheek. Holt missed one start because of a black eye and facial swelling.

"I was a little timid at first," said Holt, whose left eye is still black and filled with blood in the lower right corner. "It was good that I had a couple of hits back at me.

"It definitely made a difference for me pitching. Now I definitely am anticipating them hitting it back at me more. I used to fall off to the side more after I threw, and now I'm staying in the middle more. I think that helped my pitching."

Holt, who had lost six of seven decisions since July 14, pitched his third complete game of the season, striking out five and walking four. He was helped by double plays in the second and third innings after a hit batter and a walk.

"Holt did a great job," manager Larry Dierker said. "To be able to go out there after what happened in his last start and having 10 days off, was something you wouldn't think he'd be a candidate to go all the way after all that. But he was still strong in the ninth. You've got to give him a lot of credit for not being sloppy after we got the big lead."

The Pirates were equally impressed with Holt, who has a 1.11 ERA in seven career appearances against them.

"Holt had real good stuff," manager Gene Lamont said. "Against us he always has good stuff it seems. And at times, it seems against us he has shown he can be a powerful pitcher."

Brian Giles broke up the no-hit bid when he led off the seventh with a ball that went off the glove of shortstop Tim Bogar behind second. Second baseman Julio Lugo then picked up the ball and threw to first, but it wasn't in time and Bogar hit his glove in disgust.

"It was unfortunate I didn't come up with the ball," Bogar said. "I felt like climbing under second base. It wasn't an easy play, but you have to make the great plays to keep a no-hitter going. It was a makeable play."

Giles was glad he didn't make it.

"We just got whipped tonight," he said. "They jumped on us early and Holt really turned it around from earlier at our place (when the Pirates beat him 10-1). He really had his changeup going, his sinker and he moved his fastball really good."

Moises Alou had two home runs for the second straight game as Houston, which has scored 30 runs in its last two games, had 19 hits for the second straight day. Tony Eusebio and Bogar each went 4-for-5, both tying their career highs for hits.

Alou, who homered twice Sunday at Philadelphia, went 3-for-4 and tied a career high with five RBI. He had his third multihomer game of the season, the 16th of his career, raising his home-run total to 22.

Jose Silva (7-7) lost his third straight decision, giving up nine runs, nine hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings. Pittsburgh has lost six of eight and 10 of 13.

"He had control over nothing," Lamont said. "It wasn't just his curve. I would have liked to have had him go to at least the fifth but that didn't happen. Our bullpen needed the break and after a while it was clear they weren't going to get one tonight. He was leaving everything up."

Pittsburgh got its runs in the ninth on Enrique Wilson's sacrifice fly and Alex Ramirez's run-scoring single.

Houston took a 4-0 lead in the first on Lance Berkman's RBI double, Alou's sacrifice fly and consecutive RBI singles by Richard Hidalgo and Eusebio.

Eusebio hit a two-run double in a five-run third. After Silva walked Billy Spiers with the bases loaded. Marc Wilkins relieved and gave up a two-run double to Jeff Bagwell that made it 9-0.

Alou homered on an 0-2 pitch leading off the fourth, and Bogar's RBI double increased the lead to 11-0. Alou hit a three-run homer in the fifth, Daryle Ward led off the seventh with his second pinch-homer of the season, and Bogar hit an RBI single for a 16-0 lead.

Game notes
Ramirez left after the second inning with a bruised left hand. He went to a hospital for X-rays. ... Eusebio extended his hitting streak to 17, his career best and the longest for the Astros since Luis Gonzalez tied the team record at 23 in 1997. ... Alou has had seven five-RBI games. This was his first since April 26, 1998 at Montreal.
 


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