BAGWELL'S WALK-OFF HR IN 17TH STRETCHES 'STROS 'W' STREAK TO 9
Houston Bullpen Fires 12 Innings of Shutout Ball
HOUSTON, Aug. 23 (AP) - Jeff Bagwell hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the
17th inning as the Houston Astros outlasted the Cincinnati Reds, 4-2, at Minute
Maid Park. The victory was the ninth in a row for the streaking Astros,
who have now won 17 of their last 20 contests and lead the National League's
Central Division by six games.
The Reds jumped on top with an unearned run in the second inning. Ruben
Mateo led off for Cincinnati and reached on shortstop Adam Everett's
error. Dernell Stenson's single through the box off Houston starter Tim
Redding advanced Mateo to second and the Reds led 1-0 when Juan Castro singled
to center. Redding retired the next three batters in order to avoid
further trouble.
Cincinnati added a run in the fourth when Mateo led off the frame with a home
run into the Crawford Boxes, just inside the left field foul pole. It was
Mateo's first homer of the year and gave the Reds a 2-0 advantage.
Reds starter Paul Wilson shut the Astros out through five innings, but Houston
finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth. Craig Biggio led off
with a single to left and Lance Berkman followed with a double to the
right-center field gap. The relay throw to the plate by Reds second
baseman D'Angelo Jimenez was not only late, it was wild, and the error allowed
Berkman to advance to third. But Cincinnati dodged a bullet when Bagwell
flied to left and Stenson cut down Berkman trying to score, for a double play.
Undaunted, the Astros drew even in the seventh. Morgan Ensberg singled to
left to lead off the inning and Richard Hidalgo looped a base hit to center,
putting runners on first and second with none out. Brad Ausmus followed
with a bloop single of his own, filling the bases. That ended Wilson's
day; he was replaced on the mound by Ryan Wagner. Everett then tied the
game when he lined to right, with Ensberg tagging and scoring on the play.
Wagner then struck out pinch hitter Orlando Merced and Biggio to end the inning.
The Reds came very close to breaking the tie in the top of the eighth.
Facing reliever Octavio Dotel, Ray Olmedo drew a lead-off walk and was replaced
by pinch runner Barry Larkin, who advanced to third one out later when Sean
Casey doubled into the right field corner. But Dotel struck out Mateo and
retired Stenson on a routine grounder to escape trouble.
The Astros appeared poised to win the game in the bottom of the ninth when,
facing Felix Heredia, Ensberg led off with a double and Hidalgo was
intentionally walked, putting runners on first and second with no outs.
But Ausmus popped up a bunt attempt and Heredia caught it for the first out of
the inning, Everett grounded to short with the runners advancing a base apiece
and Jason Lane rolled out to third to end the threat.
The Reds put the first two runners on base in the top of the 10th when Larkin
singled and Jimenez drew a walk off Ricky Stone, but Casey struck out and
Mateo's ground out moved the runners to second and third. Stenson was
given an intentional free pass and Stone struck out Castro to end the inning.
The Astros again appeared to have the game won in the bottom of the 10th.
Biggio started the inning with a single off Heredia and Berkman's base hit to
right chased him to third. The Reds replaced Heredia with Brian Reith as
part of a double switch that saw Jim Chamblee make his major league debut when
he was inserted at third base. Cincinnati brought the infield in.
Jeff Bagwell worked the count full and then rolled a grounder to the drawn-in
Chamblee who threw home to cut down Biggio, leaving runners at first and second
with one out. Jeff Kent popped to first and Ensberg flied to left and the
game moved to the 11th inning.
The next good scoring opportunity for either team came in the bottom of the 13th
when Ensberg and Hidalgo led off the frame with back-to-back singles, putting
runners on first and second. But Ausmus again failed to get a bunt down
and was retired for the first out and Everett followed by rolling into a 6-4-3
double play to end the inning.
The Reds put a runner in scoring position with two outs in the top of the 16th
but Reggie Taylor bounced back to the mound for the third out. In the
bottom of the inning, Everett tripled with two outs but Raul Chavez flied out to
extinguish the treat.
The Astros finally broke through in the 17th. Biggio led off by blooping a
double to right off reliever John Riedling. Berkman fanned, but Bagwell
again worked the count full and this time he delivered, driving a slider over
the left field wall for his 28th home run of the year.
The Houston bullpen was magnificent. Six relievers worked a total of 12
scoreless innings, striking out 14 batters. Danny Miceli tossed the final
three frames en route to earning the victory.
The 17-inning game ties for the second longest contest of the year in the major
leagues. The Anaheim Angels and Tampa Bay Devil Rays played a 19-inning
game on May 29 at Tropicana Field.
8/23/2003, Cin03-Hou03, Minute Maid Park 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 2003 Reds 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2003 Astros 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 13 14 15 16 17 R H E LOB DP 2003 Reds 0 0 0 0 0 2 13 1 14 3 2003 Astros 0 0 0 0 2 4 18 1 13 2 Reds AB R H BI AVG Astros AB R H BI AVG Taylor,R cf 8 0 1 0 .224 Biggio cf 8 2 3 0 .261 Olmedo ss 3 0 2 0 .277 Berkman lf 8 0 2 1 .288 Larkin pr 4 0 1 0 .254 Bagwell 1b 7 1 1 2 .285 Jimenez,D 2b 7 0 2 0 .250 Kent 2b 7 0 1 0 .302 Casey 1b 8 0 1 0 .292 Ensberg 3b 7 1 3 0 .311 Mateo,R rf 7 2 2 1 .183 Hidalgo rf 5 0 4 0 .318 Stenson lf 6 0 1 0 .174 Ausmus c 6 0 1 0 .251 Castro,J 3b 5 0 1 1 .261 Miceli p 1 0 0 0 .000 Reith p 0 0 0 0 .000 Everett,A ss 6 0 2 1 .247 Pena,W ph 1 0 0 0 .160 Redding p 1 0 0 0 .292 Reitsma p 0 0 0 0 .000 Vizcaino,J ph 1 0 1 0 .182 Miller,C ph 0 0 0 0 .333 White,Ri p 0 0 0 0 .000 LaRue c 7 0 0 0 .201 Merced ph 1 0 0 0 .263 Riedling p 0 0 0 0 .167 Dotel p 0 0 0 0 .000 Wilson,Pa p 2 0 0 0 .130 Wagner,B p 0 0 0 0 .000 Wagner,R p 0 0 0 0 .000 Lane ph 1 0 0 0 .000 Watson,Mar p 0 0 0 0 .000 Stone p 0 0 0 0 .000 Stinnett ph 1 0 1 0 .213 Blum ph 1 0 0 0 .268 Freel pr 0 0 0 0 .314 Gallo p 0 0 0 0 .000 Heredia p 0 0 0 0 .000 Chavez,R ph 2 0 0 0 .167 Chamblee 3b 2 0 1 0 .500 62 4 18 4 61 2 13 2 Reds INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Wilson,Pa 6.0 10 2 2 0 7 82 56 5.09 Wagner,R BS 3 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 15 11 2.45 Watson,Mar 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 6 3 0.00 Heredia 1.0 3 0 0 1 0 27 17 3.41 Reith 3.0 0 0 0 2 1 52 31 3.74 Reitsma 3.0 2 0 0 0 1 30 23 4.24 Riedling L 3-6 1.1 3 2 2 0 2 27 17 5.95 16.1 18 4 4 3 13 239 158 Astros INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Redding 5.0 6 2 1 0 3 68 47 3.39 White,Ri 2.0 0 0 0 0 4 33 21 6.20 Dotel 1.0 1 0 0 1 2 21 11 2.47 Wagner,B 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 12 8 1.55 Stone 2.0 1 0 0 2 2 35 18 5.22 Gallo 3.0 1 0 0 0 1 30 20 6.00 Miceli W 5-3 3.0 3 0 0 1 4 46 28 3.35 17.0 13 2 1 4 17 245 153 Cin: Larkin ran for Olmedo in the 8th Larkin moved to ss in the 8th Stinnett batted for Watson,Mar in the 9th Freel ran for Stinnett in the 9th Chamblee inserted at 3b in the 10th Pena,W batted for Reith in the 13th Miller,C batted for Reitsma in the 16th Miller,C moved to c in the 16th Hou: Vizcaino,J batted for Redding in the 5th Merced batted for White,Ri in the 7th Lane batted for Wagner,B in the 9th Blum batted for Stone in the 11th Chavez,R batted for Gallo in the 14th Chavez,R moved to c in the 15th E-Jimenez,D, Everett,A. 2B-Casey(19), Stinnett(14), Biggio(42), Berkman(23), Ensberg(11). 3B-Everett,A(3). HR-Mateo,R(1), Bagwell(28). RBI-Mateo,R(7), Castro,J(29), Berkman(81), Bagwell 2(75), Everett,A(40). SB-Jimenez,D(11). K-Taylor,R 2, Jimenez,D, Casey 3, Mateo,R 2, Stenson, Castro,J 3, LaRue 2, Wilson,Pa 2, Larkin, Biggio 2, Berkman 3, Bagwell, Kent, Ensberg, Ausmus, Everett,A, Merced, Blum, Miceli. BB-Olmedo, Jimenez,D, Stenson, Miller,C, Bagwell, Hidalgo 2. SH-Wilson,Pa. SF-Everett,A. HBP-Chamblee. HB-Stone. GWRBI: Bagwell Temperature: 93, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: out to left at 5 MPH. Attendance: 40,761 Game Time: 5:18