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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
HOUSTON (AP) -- The number of homers at Enron Field no longer
surprise the Houston Astros.
Houston hit six homers for the second time in four days to take
over the National League home run lead, outlasting the Pittsburgh
Pirates 11-10 Wednesday night.
|  | | Moises Alou's two-run home run in the fifth inning was his fifth homer in four games for Houston. |
The Astros have an NL record 18 home runs in the last four
games. Their six on Wednesday gave them 188, three more than the
St. Louis Cardinals this season.
"I think we have more home run hitters in our lineup than St.
Louis does," said Lance Berkman, who hit his 17th in the second
inning. "Especially now that (Mark) McGwire is out of their
lineup. But we have a lot of them and it's a lot of fun to play on
this team. It's fun to watch the other guys hit."
Houston has seven players with double-digit homers, six of them
with 15 or more. While the team has already topped the old club
record, set in 1998, for home runs in a season by 20, Jeff Bagwell
isn't overly impressed.
"I don't think this is the best power-hitting team we've had,"
Bagwell said. "The best was in 1998. We were pretty good in 1994
too.
"We have the makings of a great offensive team here. But the
lineup's never the same. Sometimes we have Daryle Ward in there,
sometimes Lance and sometimes Mitch (Meluskey). It's hard to say
what team we have.
"And the park (new Enron Field) obviously has something to do
with it. This isn't the Astrodome."
The Pirates agree.
"You have to pitch inside to right handers here," manager Gene
Lamont said. "If you don't, they'll lean out and pull the ball
into those left-field seats. It's so tempting. I think it's easier
here than in Fenway.
"It's much different when you come to Houston now. The
Astrodome was just the opposite of this park."
The Pirates used a home run to help them come back in the ninth,
nearly completing a nine-run rally.
"This is one of those parks where nobody is ever out of it,"
Pat Meares said. "It's 315 down the left field line. If you just
hit a good fly ball, it's out."
The Astros were worried when closer Octavio Dotel, who got the
final two outs for his seventh save in nine chances, couldn't seem
to stop the Pirates, who scored eight runs the final two innings
and had the tying run at second when the game ended.
"I started getting pretty nervous," manager Larry Dierker
said. "I was concerned about Dotel. He had thrown 30 pitches
yesterday and he didn't seem to have quite as much on his
fastball."
Scott Elarton (13-4) won his fourth straight decision and the
ninth in his last 10. Elarton allowed five runs and eight hits in 7
1-3 innings to improve to 7-1 at Enron Field.
Chris Truby hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning to break
a 2-2 tie. It was the rookie third baseman's seventh home run of
the year, six coming in his last 10 games.
Houston swept the three-game series and has won four straight,
scoring 46 runs in that span. The Astros are 18-16 since the
All-Star break.
Dan Serafini (1-2) lasted 4 1-3 innings, giving up seven runs on
six hits, four of them home runs.
It was the Pirates' fourth straight loss and eighth in 10 games.
Berkman's two-out home run to right opened the scoring in the
second inning. His 17th home run of the year was only his second
against a left hander.
In the third, Brian Giles hit his 28th home run with Jason
Kendall on to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead.
Bagwell hit his 35th home run in the fourth inning to tie it
2-2. Truby then hit his three-run homer to make it 5-2.
In the fifth inning, Tim Bogar hit his third home run, driving
in Julio Lugo for a 7-2 lead. Alou followed with his 23rd home run,
off Bronson Arrojo, making it 9-2.
Lugo added a two-run homer in the sixth, his fourth home run
this season.
Pinch-hitter Alex Ramirez hit a three-run homer off Dotel in the
ninth to end the scoring.
Game notes
The Astros activated rookie catcher Mitch Meluskey from the 15-day disabled list after the game. Meluskey had been sidelined since July 31 with right biceps tendinitis. To make room for him, the Astros optioned catcher Raul Chavez to Triple-A New Orleans. Houston's Brian Powell developed a stiff right shoulder
since his last start and will miss his scheduled start Saturday.
Chris Holt will move up from Sunday to take that start. ... Bagwell
extended his hitting streak to 15 games with his homer...
Serafini's win over the Giants on August 5 is one of only two
victories for Pirates starters this month. ... The last time
Pittsburgh allowed six home runs was April 17, 1974, at the Chicago
Cubs. The home runs Wednesday were two short of the club-record
eight allowed against Milwaukee on Aug. 30, 1953.
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Baseball Scoreboard
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
Houston Clubhouse
RECAPS
Toronto 8
Anaheim 6
Boston 4
Tampa Bay 3
Texas 5
NY Yankees 0
Chi. White Sox 7
Baltimore 3
Kansas City 9
Minnesota 3
Detroit 12
Seattle 8
Oakland 7
Cleveland 6
Arizona 5
Philadelphia 1
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San Diego 1
St. Louis 5
Chicago Cubs 1
Los Angeles 10
Florida 4
San Francisco 4
Montreal 1
Colorado 7
NY Mets 5
Houston 11
Pittsburgh 10
Milwaukee 5
Cincinnati 1
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