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Houston at Philadelphia

Scoreboard
Houston «20412100010121
Philadelphia000340000771
Astros 10, Phillies 7
 

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PHILADELPHIA -- Adam Everett loves hitting in the Houston Astros' lineup.

Everett had a career-high three hits and two stolen bases, and Lance Berkman and Geoff Blum homered as Houston avoided a three-game sweep Sunday with a 10-7 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Astros, who have won eight of 10, got 12 hits, including two apiece by Berkman, Blum and Craig Biggio. Berkman and Everett each drove in two runs.

"This is a great offensive team. The lineup is filled with All-Stars, everyone except me," said Everett, who is batting .333 since being recalled from Triple-A New Orleans on May 2 to replace former shortstop Julio Lugo.

Even without slugger Jeff Bagwell in the lineup, Houston scored in double-digits for the third time in the last six games. The offensive outburst came less than 24 hours after Philadelphia's Randy Wolf threw a five-hit shutout against the Astros.

"That was big for us to come back and hit like we did," Everett said.

Houston manager Jimy Williams has been impressed by Everett since his promotion.

"He has stepped in and played very well for us on both sides of the lines," Williams said.

Jim Thome hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning, and Pat Burrell followed with a solo shot for the Phillies.

Pete Munro (2-1), who took over for starter Kirk Saarloos in the fifth, retired all three batters he faced to earn the win. Billy Wagner struck out two in a perfect ninth for his eighth save in nine opportunities.

After the Houston bullpen threw 7 2-3 shutout innings Saturday, five relievers did not allow a run in the final 4 2-3 innings Sunday, retiring 14 of 16 batters.

"It was a long game and the bullpen did another great job," Williams said.

Nate Bland worked 1 1-3 hitless innings, retiring the middle of the Philadelphia order after he allowed a baserunner on his own fielding error in the seventh.

"Those were four big outs at that time of the game," Williams said.

Brad Lidge got two outs and Octavio Dotel pitched a perfect eighth before Wagner closed it out.

"Name any guy in that bullpen and they have done the job of getting the ball to Octavio and me," Wagner said.

And opposing teams know what happens then.

"It's usually lights out," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said.

Berkman, hitless in the first two games of the series, hit an RBI double in the first inning and a solo homer in the sixth.

The Astros broke it open in the third with four runs on just one hit. Vicente Padilla (3-5) issued three walks to load the bases but had a chance to escape without damage when he got Gregg Zaun to bounce into a potential inning-ending double play.

Second baseman Tomas Perez, starting for Placido Polanco, threw the ball past shortstop Jimmy Rollins into left field for an error, allowing Orlando Merced and Berkman to score. Everett followed with a two-run single to make it 6-0.

Padilla pitched three innings, giving up five hits and six runs - four earned - en route to his fourth straight loss. He walked three and didn't record a strikeout.

Bowa was clearly unhappy with Padilla.

"You've got to make adjustments in this game, if you don't you don't stay around long," he said. "I don't think he's pitching with very much confidence right now."

Padilla appears to be listening.

"I'm not throwing the ball the way I'm capable of, he's right," Padilla said. "I've lost a little bit of confidence and maybe the hitters are making adjustments."

Blum homered off reliever Eric Junge in the fifth, and Houston extended the lead to 9-3 in the sixth on Saarloos' two-strike suicide squeeze bunt and Biggio's RBI single.

Saarloos retired nine of his first 10 batters before running into trouble in the fourth and fifth.

The Phillies chased Saarloos in the fifth when Thome and Burrell hit back-to-back home runs. Thome's three-run shot was his fourth homer in five games and eighth of the season. Burrell's homer was his sixth and pulled the Phillies to 9-7.

Berkman gave Houston the momentum back with his fifth homer of the season off Carlos Silva.

Notes: Bagwell, 0-for-7 on the current road trip, didn't start. He had played in each of the Astros' first 36 games. Jeff Kent and Richard Hidalgo are the only Astros to play in all 37 games. ... Thome and Burrell hit back-to-back homers for the first time this season. ... Houston's bullpen has 12 wins - tying Atlanta for most in the majors. ... The Astros played their final regular-season game at Veterans Stadium, finishing with an 82-98 record.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2003, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
 
 
 
Craig Biggio, CF512102 .260
Geoff Blum, 3B612100 .298
Orlando Merced, 1B421010 .313
Jeff Kent, 2B401100 .312
Lance Berkman, LF322220 .250
Richard Hidalgo, RF320020 .304
Gregg Zaun, C411101 .303
    Nate Bland, P000000 .000
    Bradley Lidge, P000000 .000
   a- Jose Vizcaino, PH100000 .175
    Octavio Dotel, P000000 .000
    Billy Wagner, P000000 .000
Adam Everett, SS513201 .333
Kirk Saarloos, P100100 .000
    Peter Munro, P000000 .000
    Brad Ausmus, C100010 .212
Totals371012964 
a-grounded out for Lidge in the 8th
Batting
2B - Craig Biggio (8, Padilla), Jeff Kent (14, Adams), Lance Berkman (5, Padilla), Adam Everett (4, Adams)
HR - Geoff Blum (3, Junge), Lance Berkman (5, Silva)
SF - Jeff Kent (3)
SH - Kirk Saarloos 2 (2)
RBI - Craig Biggio (19), Geoff Blum (15), Jeff Kent (25), Lance Berkman 2 (18), Gregg Zaun (6), Adam Everett 2 (5), Kirk Saarloos (1)
2-OUT RBI - Craig Biggio (3), Lance Berkman (6)
SB - Adam Everett 2 (3, 2nd base off Padilla/Pratt, 2nd base off Silva/Pratt)
Team LOB - 10
Fielding
E - Nate Bland (1, bobbled ball)
Kirk Saarloos 4.1777232 15.63
Peter Munro (W,2-1) 1000000 4.32
Nate Bland (H,2) 1.1000010 0.00
Bradley Lidge (H,4) 0.1000100 1.69
Octavio Dotel (H,5) 1000020 1.74
Billy Wagner (S,8) 1000020 2.14
HBP - Pratt (by Kirk Saarloos)
WP - Bradley Lidge (1)
Pitches-Strikes - Kirk Saarloos 80-50, Peter Munro 12-5, Nate Bland 16-11, Bradley Lidge 8-2, Octavio Dotel 15-8, Billy Wagner 11-9
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Kirk Saarloos 7-3, Peter Munro 1-2, Nate Bland 1-3, Billy Wagner 1-0
Batters Faced - Kirk Saarloos 23, Peter Munro 3, Nate Bland 5, Bradley Lidge 2, Octavio Dotel 3, Billy Wagner 3
Jimmy Rollins, SS500001 .281
Tomas Perez, 2B522000 .308
Bobby Abreu, RF421012 .266
Jim Thome, 1B321312 .257
Pat Burrell, LF312211 .218
David Bell, 3B400100 .200
Todd Pratt, C300000 .308
Marlon Byrd, CF401101 .173
Vicente Padilla, P000000 .000
   a- Jason Michaels, PH100000 .250
    Eric Junge, P000000 .000
   b- Tyler Houston, PH100000 .314
    Carlos Silva, P000000 .000
   c- Ricky Ledee, PH100000 .247
    Terry Adams, P000000 .000
   d- Placido Polanco, PH100001 .292
    Turk Wendell, P000000 .000
Totals3577738 
a-flied out for Padilla in the 3rd
b-grounded out for Junge in the 4th
c-flied out for Silva in the 6th
d-struck out for Adams in the 8th
Batting
2B - Marlon Byrd (4, Saarloos)
HR - Jim Thome (8, Saarloos), Pat Burrell (6, Saarloos)
RBI - Jim Thome 3 (30), Pat Burrell 2 (17), David Bell (14), Marlon Byrd (5)
Team LOB - 5
Fielding
E - Tomas Perez (2, wild throw)
Vicente Padilla (L,3-5) 3564300 4.47
Eric Junge 1111001 3.52
Carlos Silva 2433111 3.33
Terry Adams 2200110 3.94
Turk Wendell 1000120 0.00
IBB - Berkman by Terry Adams
HBP - Biggio (by Vicente Padilla)
Pitches-Strikes - Vicente Padilla 66-40, Eric Junge 13-8, Carlos Silva 41-28, Terry Adams 37-25, Turk Wendell 22-15
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Vicente Padilla 2-8, Eric Junge 2-1, Carlos Silva 3-2, Terry Adams 2-3
Batters Faced - Vicente Padilla 19, Eric Junge 4, Carlos Silva 11, Terry Adams 9, Turk Wendell 4
Attendance - 29054
Game Time - 3:02
Temperature - 71
Umpires - Home - Sam Holbrook, First Base - Paul Schrieber, Second Base - Angel A. Hernandez, Third Base - Randy Marsh
Other Games
Det 9 Final
TB 2
Balt 5 Final
KC 8
Cle 10 Final
Tex 17
CHW 2 Final
Sea 7
NYY 2 Final
Oak 5
Tor 4 Final
Ana 2
Bos 8 Final
Min 9
LA 4 Final
Mon 3
SF 3 Final
Atl 7
SD 2 Final
NYM 3
Mil 5 Final
Cin 7
Ariz 2 Final
Pitt 1
Colo 2 Final
Fla 7
StL 0 PPD
CHC 0