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GAME LOG
HOUSTON (AP) -- The Atlanta Braves aren't used to being in a
pennant race or in a losing stretch late in the season.
|  | | Moises Alou helped keep Atlanta cool, rounding the bases after his solo shot in the second inning of Houston's 3-2 victory Friday. |
Moises Alou homered and drove in two runs as Jose Lima pitched
the Houston Astros past slumping Atlanta 3-2 Friday night, as the
Braves remained behind the New York Mets in the NL East.
"We're beyond frustrated, we were frustrated two weeks ago,"
third baseman Chipper Jones said. "This is bordering on insanity.
We've been slumping for so long."
The Braves lost for the sixth time in seven games against a team
that is going nowhere in the playoffs this season.
"We've had bad slumps before, but it seems like this is one
that's never going to end," Jones said. You just come out and play
every day and hope that today is the day it ends and eventually,
maybe it will be."
The Braves, who have won eight straight division titles, trail
the Mets by a half-game in the NL East.
"We want to win this division, we don't want to go into the
playoffs as the wild card," outfielder Reggie Sanders said. "I
don't see us as panicking. The stats show that we haven't produced
with runners in scoring position but we've still got 27 games left.
We've got time to turn it around."
Astros catcher Tony Eusebio separated his right shoulder when he
toppled over a railing into the Houston dugout chasing a foul ball
by Javy Lopez in the eighth.
Eusebio fell while a couple of teammates stood nearby, watching
to see if the ball would be caught. Eusebio was unable to make the
play, and left the game after a brief delay.
"He made a helluva effort, unfortunately the guys sitting there
didn't come over and catch him," first baseman Jeff Bagwell said.
"You've got to help the guy when he comes over like that. This
makes the win a little tougher to take."
Alou hit his 26th homer of the season in the second inning. The
Astros took a 3-2 lead in the fourth on an RBI single by Alou and a
sacrifice fly by Chris Truby off John Burkett (8-6).
"I'm glad we're playing the way we are," Alou said. "We're
just trying to show our fans that we're going to be for real next
year and also show the front off the players they can count on.
This team's got a lot of character."
The Astros have won 12 of their last 17 games.
After Truby's sacrifice fly, Lima singled to load the bases with
two outs. Roger Cedeno took a called third strike to end the
inning.
Lima (6-15) pitched six innings and gave up six hits and two
earned runs. He walked two, both in the first inning, and struck
out two.
Lima walked Rafael Furcal to start the game. Furcal stole a base
and later scored on a single by B.J. Surhoff.
Octavio Dotel pitched the ninth for his 11th save in 13 chances.
Sanders hit his seventh homer in the Braves second. Lima leads
the majors in home runs allowed with 40.
Burkett hasn't won a game since July 29, when he beat the Astros
13-5. He is 0-2 in six starts since that victory.
"It seems bad right now but I've seen a lot worse than this,"
Burkett said. "You're talking to a guy who hasn't been with the
Braves his whole career. This is still a great team and I think we
will prove it again. It will turn around."
Game notes
The Braves have scored 106 runs in Burkett's 18 starts this
season. ... Furcal stole his 30th base, adding to his Atlanta
rookie record. ... Lima also tops the NL in giving up 128 runs and
217 hits. ... Eusebio had a 24-game hitting streak, tied for the
longest in the NL, end on Tuesday night.
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