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Friday, Aug. 25 7:05pm ET
Holt holds Expos to single run | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
MONTREAL (AP) -- Without his strongest stuff, Chris Holt knew he could count on his shortstop. Holt pitched 7 1-3 strong innings and Richard Hidalgo went 3-for-5 with a two-run single to lead the Houston Astros to a 3-1 win over the struggling Montreal Expos on Friday night. Astros catcher Tony Eusebio went 2-for-4, singling in the second to extend his career-best hitting streak to 21 games. Holt (6-12) allowed one run and seven hits to win his second straight decision. He struck out four and walked none. "I didn't have my best game tonight," Holt said. "I had a good sinker and got a lot of groundballs." Holt credited shortstop Tim Bogar's defense as a key factor in the win, Houston's ninth in its last 11 games. "It helps me out when Bogie knows me out there," Holt said. "He plays up the middle and we decided that we'll give up the chopper between short and third to get it up the middle, because with a lot of lefties, they did hit it up the middle. Bogie made good plays and the defense played well." Octavio Dotel pitched the ninth and got Vladimir Guerrero -- pinch hitting for his first appearance in four games -- to fly out for his 10th save. Montreal has lost four straight overall and nine straight at Olympic Stadium. The Expos have won just twice in their last 15 games and have lost 24 of 30. Expos manager Felipe Alou dismissed a report on the CNN/SI Web site that he said he might be fired at the end of the season. "They can say anything they want," Alou said. "There's only one person that can fire me, and it's not CNN -- It's not Mr. (Ted) Turner. It might be someone else." The report was particularly upsetting to Alou's son, Moises, who was hitless in three at-bats for Houston. "That would be stupid," Moises Alou said. "It tells you how bad this game is. There's no loyalty. My dad saved that franchise for the last eight years. You talk about the team leaving next year. That probably would have happened five years ago. In this game, people don't appreciate what you do." Felipe Lira (3-4) allowed five hits and three runs (two earned) over five innings in his second start since joining the Expos' rotation. Lira walked Roger Cedeno to lead off the third. Julio Lugo hit a grounder to third baseman Geoff Blum, whose throw was dropped by second baseman Jose Vidro for an error. Jeff Bagwell singled to load the bases and Hidalgo followed with a two-run single to put Houston ahead 2-0. Bagwell, who advanced to third on Hidalgo's single, scored the Astros third run of the inning on Alou's sacrifice fly. Montreal got three straight singles in the fifth, including Michael Barrett's RBI single, to draw to within two at 3-1. Game notesAstros INF Tripp Cromer left the team for personal reasons which were not divulged by the team. Cromer, 32, was 1-for-8 in nine games since he was called up to take the place of the injured Craig Biggio on Aug. 2. Cromer was placed on the 15-day disabled list and RHP Rusty Meacham's contract was purchased from New Orleans. ... The Astros have won their last four series. ... The Expos went 0-7 on their last homestand and have lost and have lost 13 of 14 at Olympic Stadium. ... Guerrero, who didn't start for the fourth straight game with a strained left shoulder, will start on Saturday. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Houston Clubhouse Montreal Clubhouse RECAPS Baltimore 4 Tampa Bay 3
Los Angeles 3
Houston 3
San Francisco 16
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