BAGWELL, ZAUN DRIVE IN ALL 11 ASTROS RUNS
Cubs Fall for 9th Time in 10 Games
HOUSTON, July 27 (AP) - Jeff Bagwell and Gregg Zaun combined to drive in all of
the Astros' runs and Houston ran out to a big lead and then held on for an 11-8
victory over the slumping Chicago Cubs at Minute Maid Park. Entering the
game only one Houston player had driven in more than four runs in a game;
Richard Hidalgo plated six on June 15 in a 13-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox
at Fenway Park.
Bagwell had a huge game with the bat, going 5-for-5--marking the first time any
Astro had managed five hits in a single game this season--including his 20th
home run of the season and scored twice. Zaun had three hits, including a
double. Both players repeatedly came through with runners in scoring
position.
The Cubs held the lead early on, scoring single runs in the first and third
innings on Sammy Sosa's sacrifice fly and Mark Grudzielanek's solo home run
respectively. Chicago starter Shawn Estes held the Astros off the
scoreboard through four innings.
But the Astros erupted for five runs in the fifth inning, seizing the led for
good. Craig Biggio led off with a single through the box and Morgan
Ensberg walked. Bagwell then belted a three-run home run off the left
field foul pole to put the Astros ahead, 3-2. Jeff Kent and Hidalgo then
drew consecutive free passes from Estes who took a walk of his own, right out of
the game. He was replaced on the mound by Mike Remlinger who induced Lance
Berkman grounded to ground out to short, with both runners moving up a
base. Zaun followed by lining a single to center, scoring both runners for
a 5-2 Houston advantage.
The Astros matched their five-spot with another in the very next inning.
Pinch hitter Eric Bruntlett drew another walk from Estes and a passed ball
allowed him to move to second. Biggio drew a free a pass, as did Ensberg--the
eighth of the day issued by Cubs pitching--loading the bases. Remlinger
was lifted in favor of Antonio Alfonseca who gave up a single to Bagwell,
scoring both Bruntlett and Biggio. Left fielder Moises Alou's futile throw
to the plate was wild, allowing Ensberg and Bagwell to advance to second and
third. It was now 7-2. Kent flied to shallow center and Hidalgo
struck out. Berkman was intentionally walked, again loading the sacks, but
Zaun came through for a second time, clearing the bases with a double to
right-center, making it 10-2.
The Cubs wouldn't give up, scoring twice in the seventh on Damian Miller's
two-run home run. The Astros got a run back, making the score 11-4, when
Biggio led off the bottom of the seventh with a triple and scored one out later
on Bagwell's single to left. The Cubs made it 11-5 when Trenidad Hubbard
singled home Grudzielanek in the eighth.
Houston's six-run lead was intact heading to the top of the ninth and it nearly
came undone. Kirk Saarloos was on the mound and retired pinch hitter Hee
Seop Choi to open the inning. But Ramon Martinez singled and pinch hitter
Lenny Harris walked. Alex Gonzalez forced Harris at second for out number
two but Kenny Lofton doubled to right-center, scoring Martinez and sending
Gonzalez to third. Grudzielanek then grounded a single to left, scoring
Gonzalez to make it 11-6, with Lofton stopping at third. Brad Lidge
replaced Saarloos and promptly walked Hubbard to fill the bases. Alou
followed with a single to left, advancing each runner 90 feet. The score
was 11-7 and Aramis Ramirez strode to the plate representing the potential tying
run. He lifted a fly ball to deep right that Hidalgo caught at the edge of
the warning track to end the game.
The victory allowed the Astros to keep pace with the St. Louis Cardinals, who
beat Pittsburgh, 4-2. The Astros trail the Cardinals by 1 1/2 games in the
NL Central. The Cubs fell four games off the pace.
7/27/2003, ChC03-Hou03, Minute Maid Park 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 2003 Cubs 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 3 8 11 2 6 1 2003 Astros 0 0 0 0 5 5 1 0 x 11 15 0 11 0 Cubs AB R H BI AVG Astros AB R H BI AVG Lofton cf 4 2 1 1 .277 Biggio cf 5 3 2 0 .259 Grudzielanek 2b 5 2 4 2 .349 Saarloos p 0 0 0 0 .000 Sosa,S rf 2 0 0 1 .240 Lidge p 0 0 0 0 .000 Hubbard rf 1 0 1 1 .438 Ensberg 3b 2 2 1 0 .324 Alou lf 5 0 1 1 .259 Bagwell 1b 5 2 5 6 .283 Ramirez,A 3b 5 0 0 0 .267 Kent 2b 4 1 1 0 .304 Karros 1b 3 0 0 0 .240 Hidalgo rf 4 1 2 0 .304 Choi ph 1 0 0 0 .223 Berkman lf 4 1 0 0 .314 Martinez,R ss 4 2 3 0 .330 Zaun c 5 0 3 5 .208 Miller,D c 3 1 1 2 .239 Ausmus c 0 0 0 0 .248 Harris,L ph 0 0 0 0 .241 Everett,A ss 3 0 0 0 .246 Estes p 2 0 0 0 .412 Stone p 0 0 0 0 .000 Remlinger p 0 0 0 0 .000 Porter ph 1 0 1 0 .250 Alfonseca p 0 0 0 0 .000 Robertson,J p 2 0 0 0 .250 O'Leary ph 1 0 0 0 .132 Bruntlett ph 2 1 0 0 .216 Farnsworth p 0 0 0 0 .000 37 11 15 11 Guthrie p 0 0 0 0 .000 Gonzalez,AS ph 1 1 0 0 .267 37 8 11 8 Cubs INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Estes L 7-5 4.0 8 5 5 5 2 91 50 6.43 Remlinger 1.0 1 3 3 3 1 28 10 5.36 Alfonseca 1.0 2 2 2 1 1 24 15 4.97 Farnsworth 1.0 3 1 1 0 1 24 16 3.50 Guthrie 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 10 9 5.76 8.0 15 11 11 9 6 177 100 Astros INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Robertson,J W 6-7 6.0 3 2 2 1 4 81 53 5.78 Stone H 8 2.0 4 3 3 0 0 24 16 6.00 Saarloos 0.2 3 3 3 1 0 23 13 5.05 Lidge S 1 0.1 1 0 0 1 0 16 8 3.16 9.0 11 8 8 3 4 144 90 ChC: O'Leary batted for Alfonseca in the 7th Hubbard inserted at rf in the 7th Choi batted for Karros in the 9th Harris,L batted for Miller,D in the 9th Gonzalez,AS batted for Guthrie in the 9th Hou: Bruntlett batted for Robertson,J in the 6th Bruntlett moved to ss in the 7th Porter batted for Stone in the 8th Ausmus inserted at c in the 9th Porter moved to cf in the 9th E-Grudzielanek, Alou. 2B-Lofton(22), Grudzielanek(28), Ensberg(8), Zaun(7), Porter(1). 3B-Biggio(1). HR-Grudzielanek(4), Miller,D(6), Bagwell(20). RBI-Lofton(50), Grudzielanek 2(40), Sosa,S(56), Alou(64), Miller,D 2(21), Hubbard(4), Bagwell 6(56), Zaun 5(13). SB-Ensberg(5), Bagwell(6). K-Lofton, Karros, Martinez,R, Estes, Ensberg, Kent, Hidalgo, Everett,A 2, Bruntlett. BB-Lofton, Hubbard, Harris,L, Biggio, Ensberg 3, Kent, Hidalgo, Berkman, Everett,A, Bruntlett. SF-Sosa,S. PB-Miller,D. GWRBI: Bagwell Temperature: 86, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: out to right at 2 MPH. Attendance: 40,820 Game Time: 3:27