BRADENTON, Fla. -- Brandon Backe is hoping one wrong step won't cost him a spot in the Houston Astros' rotation.
Backe threw two scoreless innings Sunday before leaving Houston's 11-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates with a strained side muscle.
Backe, trying to win a spot in Houston's rotation, was injured when his front foot slipped on the mound as he threw his last pitch of the first inning.
"Just a freak accident," he said. "My landing foot slipped and my ribs pushed together. It gave me a good jolt. I knew something had happened. The second inning, I felt it the whole time and couldn't really let the ball go."
Backe sustained the same injury in 2005, while he was warming up in the bullpen. It took about a month to heal. Astros left-hander Wandy Rodriguez also had a similar injury earlier in camp and is still at least a week away from being able to pitch in a game.
Backe is battling for a starting job and cannot afford to be out too long. The 30-year-old right-hander was 9-14 with a 6.05 ERA in 31 starts for the Astros last year.
"I don't need any setbacks now," Backe said. "Missing time will only hurt my situation. I just hope this isn't as bad as it was in '05."
Backe allowed two hits, walked one and struck out one. He gave up three hits and four runs over two innings in his previous outing against Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
"I felt good today," Backe said. "That's why it's pretty aggravating to have this happen."
Freddy Sanchez, Craig Monroe and Garrett Jones each hit long drives for the Pirates.
Sanchez's solo shot off Clay Hensley in the third inning cleared a row of palm trees behind the left-field wall and landed on the roof of the Bradenton Boys & Girls Club building.
"Aw, the wind was blowing out," Sanchez said, grinning. "We're still early in the spring, and you're just trying to see the ball and have good at-bats. That's the main thing right now."
Monroe hit a two-run shot over the scoreboard in left-center in the fourth, and Jones had a 400-foot two-run homer in the fifth.
Notes
Pirates OF Brandon Moss' injured right thumb will be examined Monday in Pittsburgh by Dr. Mark Baratz, the Pirates' hand specialist. The initial diagnosis was a contusion. Moss was injured Saturday when a ball bounced off his thumb, pushing it backward. ... Yordany Ramirez started in left field for the Astros after missing a few days with a sore hamstring. ... Pirates OFs Jose Tabata (shoulder), Eric Hinske (rib cage) and Steve Pearce (calf) are not expected back until Thursday or Friday, at the earliest. ... With a shortage of outfielders, the Pirates on Sunday brought in Miles Durham, 26, from their minor league camp.
