REDDING STYMIES CUBS AS 'STROS SNAP 'L' STREAK
Perfect Game Lost in 8th; 22 Straight Retired
HOUSTON, May 24 (AP) - Tim Redding fired a two-hit complete game shutout,
striking out 10, as the Houston Astros snapped a seven-game losing streak with a
7-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs before a sellout crowd at Minute Maid
Park. Redding was overpowering, and took a perfect game two outs into the
eighth inning before surrendering a clean single to pinch hitter Ramon
Martinez. Lenny Harris followed the Martinez base hit with one of his own,
but Redding righted the ship and retired the final four Cubs he faced to wrap up
the shutout, registering Houston's first complete game of the year in the
process.
The loss was the eighth in 10 games for the Cubs.
Redding's Astros teammates took the pressure off immediately by scoring four
times in the first three innings of the game. Lance Berkman drove in the
first of four runs in the opening frame when his two-out single plated Brian
Hunter who had reached on an infield hit. In the second, Craig Biggio put
Houston on top 2-0 by doubling home Adam Everett. Berkman's base hit in
the third scored Jeff Bagwell and Jeff Kent to give the Astros a 4-0 lead.
Houston kept the pressure on with single runs in the fifth (Berkman's RBI
double), sixth (Everett tripled and scored on Redding's sacrifice fly) and
eighth (Brad Ausmus scored on another Redding sacrifice fly), but it all paled
in comparison to Redding's work on the mound.
A buzz began to run through the stands in the sixth inning, which Redding capped
by fanning Tom Goodwin for his sixth strikeout. In the seventh, the crowd
erupted when Hunter made a diving catch in right field to rob Corey Patterson of
a hit, ending the frame and preserving the perfect game.
Redding struck out Moises Alou to open the eighth and retired Hee Seop Choi on a
pop to second, but on the very first pitch to Martinez, who was pinch hitting
for reliever Todd Wellemeyer, yielded a base hit to center. The crowd of
41,132 gave Redding a prolonged standing ovation. After giving up a single
to Harris on a 2-2 pitch, the Astros right-hander came back to strike out Damian
Miller to end the inning. Redding easily retired Goodwin on a fly ball to
left and Mark Grudzielanek on another fly ball to Berkman before closing out the
game by fanning Alex Gonzalez for his 10th strikeout.
Redding is the first pitcher in the major leagues this year to throw a complete
game, allow two hits or less and strike out at least 10 batters.
5/24/2003, ChC03-Hou03, Minute Maid Park 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 2003 Cubs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 2003 Astros 1 1 2 0 1 1 0 1 x 7 10 0 7 0 Cubs AB R H BI AVG Astros AB R H BI AVG Grudzielanek 2b 4 0 0 0 .349 Biggio cf 4 0 1 1 .257 Gonzalez,AS ss 4 0 0 0 .280 Hunter rf 5 1 1 0 .200 Patterson,C cf 3 0 0 0 .308 Bagwell 1b 3 2 2 0 .265 Alou lf 3 0 0 0 .257 Kent 2b 3 1 0 0 .287 Choi 1b 3 0 0 0 .204 Berkman lf 4 0 3 4 .333 O'Leary rf 2 0 0 0 .116 Vizcaino,J 3b 3 0 0 0 .171 Wellemeyer p 0 0 0 0 .000 Cromer ph 1 0 0 0 .000 Martinez,R ph 1 0 1 0 .397 Blum 3b 0 0 0 0 .273 Norton,P p 0 0 0 0 .000 Ausmus c 4 1 1 0 .211 Harris,L 3b 3 0 1 0 .225 Everett,A ss 3 2 2 0 .191 Miller,D c 3 0 0 0 .225 Redding p 1 0 0 2 .261 Estes p 1 0 0 0 .400 31 7 10 7 Goodwin rf 2 0 0 0 .341 29 0 2 0 Cubs INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Estes L 4-2 4.1 7 5 5 3 3 99 54 5.20 Wellemeyer 2.2 1 1 1 0 3 41 26 5.14 Norton,P 1.0 2 1 1 1 0 15 10 2.45 8.0 10 7 7 4 6 155 90 Astros INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Redding W 5-2 9.0 2 0 0 0 10 111 76 2.22 9.0 2 0 0 0 10 111 76 ChC: Goodwin inserted at rf in the 5th Martinez,R batted for Wellemeyer in the 8th Hou: Cromer batted for Vizcaino,J in the 8th Blum inserted at 3b in the 9th 2B-Biggio(16), Berkman(6). 3B-Everett,A(2). RBI-Biggio(23), Berkman 4(37), Redding 2(6). K-Grudzielanek, Gonzalez,AS 2, Patterson,C, Alou 2, Choi, Miller,D 2, Goodwin, Bagwell, Kent 2, Berkman, Ausmus, Everett,A. BB-Biggio, Bagwell, Kent, Everett,A. SH-Redding. SF-Redding 2. WP-Estes 3. GWRBI: Berkman Temperature: 70, Wind: none. Attendance: 41,132 Game Time: 2:31