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GAME LOG
NEW YORK (AP) -- Wade Miller, Jeff Bagwell and the Houston Astros
made it a miserable night for Al Leiter and the New York Mets.
Miller pitched a five-hitter for his first complete game in the
majors, Bagwell hit his 40th homer and drove in three runs and the
Astros romped past the Mets 11-1 Tuesday.
|  | | Jeff Bagwell, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, reached the 40-homer mark once again for Houston. His 43 homers in 1997 are an Astros team record. |
Tony Eusebio's 24-game hitting streak came to an end, but most
everything else went right for the Astros.
"The most important thing is we won and everybody's happy,"
Eusebio said.
The Mets, who remained tied for first with Atlanta in the NL
East, got off to a great start when left fielder Darryl Hamilton
made a diving catch on Roger Cedeno's leadoff liner.
After that, it all fell apart.
"It was a rough night all around for everybody," catcher Mike
Piazza said.
Leiter (14-6) left after three innings because of a strained
muscle in his right buttocks. He was pulled as a precaution with
the Mets trailing 4-0, and the team did not think he would not miss
a start.
"I hurt it at the end of my warmups. I felt it pull and I was
just uncomfortable," Leiter said.
Mets right fielder Derek Bell banged his left knee into a wall
chasing a foul ball in the eighth, and limped off the field with
assistance. He was diagnosed with a bruise and listed as day to
day.
"It's not serious, I don't believe," manager Bobby Valentine
said.
Eusebio's hitting streak was the best in Astros history and tied
Arizona's Tony Womack for the longest in the NL this season. The
backup catcher went 0-for-4 with a walk -- he was the only Astros
starter without a hit -- in stopping a string that started July 9.
Eusebio was on deck when Moises Alou grounded into a double play
that ended the ninth.
"That's the way it goes sometimes," Eusebio said.
Bagwell hit a two-run single in a four-run third and added a
solo home run in the sixth to reach the 40-homer mark for the third
time in his career.
Bagwell has 34 RBI in August, setting an Astros record for most
in any month. He broke the mark of 31, which he had done three
times and Bell had done once for Houston.
"Personal things are not important," Bagwell said. "I look at
this year as disappointing."
Until recently, the three-time NL Central champions had the
worst record in the majors. Behind Miller, the Astros won for the
11th time in 15 games.
Miller, tagged for a team record-tying 12 runs by the Chicago
Cubs in 4 2/3 innings in his previous start, struck out seven and
walked one. The lone run against him came on Edgardo Alfonzo's
homer.
Miller (3-5) pitched his first complete game in 11 big league
starts and earned his first road win in the majors. He became the
first rookie to throw a complete game for the Astros since Donne
Wall on Aug. 30, 1996, at Pittsburgh.
All that, and Miller also singled home a run for his first RBI
in the majors.
"I know I didn't have my stuff and my best control the last
time out," he said. "I think I got over that hump tonight where I
was nervous going out there. Maybe I proved I could pitch up
here."
Manager Larry Dierker agreed.
"For me, this was a coming-of-age game for Wade Miller," he
said. "To go out there against a contender, against a team with
the best record in the league, on the road, it was outstanding. You
don't see that many complete games in baseball anymore."
Cedeno was ejected in the eighth for arguing a called strike by
plate umpire Brian O'Nora. Cedeno pointed his finger at O'Nora and
lightly touched him on the chest.
"It was no big thing," O'Nora said.
Bagwell and Cedeno each stole a base as the Astros ran freely,
swiping four in all.
Piazza had a tough day at the plate, too, in going 0-for-3. In
the fourth, he hit a grounder to third base and stayed in the
batter's box, sure he had fouled the ball off his left foot. After
the umpires conferred, Piazza was called out.
The next half-inning, Houston's Chris Truby was called out on
appeal for leaving third base early on a tag play. Truby, who drove
in two runs, and Tim Bogar each had three of the Astros' 16 hits.
Jerrod Riggan, promoted from Double-A Binghamton a day earlier,
made his major league debut and pitched two innings for the Mets.
The 26-year-old righty allowed two runs, both unearned.
Game notes
Bagwell hit a team-record 43 home runs in 1997 and 42 last
season. ... Slumping 3B Robin Ventura did not start for the Mets.
He spent part of the afternoon with Pat Mahomes across the street
from Shea Stadium, watching the U.S. Open tennis tournament.
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Boston 8
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Detroit 12
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Kansas City 7
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AUDIO/VIDEO
 Mike Piazza says the Mets need to execute.
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