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The Leading Logic In Sports Handicapping |
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HOUSTON (Ticker) -- Wandy Rodriguez befuddled the Chicago Cubs
for 6 2/3 innings and the Houston Astros' bullpen finished off
the Chicago Cubs for a 4-1 victory Saturday night at Minute Maid
Park.
Chris Sampson, Doug Brocail and Jose Valverde pitched 2 1/3
innings of hitless relief to give Houston its second straight
win over the National League Central Division leaders. Valverde
recorded his 25th save.
Rodriguez (5-3) allowed one run and nine hits while striking out
seven without a walk.
"In years past, he would lose it for an inning and the game
would get away from him," Houston manager Cecil Cooper said of
Rodriguez. "You don't see that anymore. Everytime he got in a
little bit of trouble (tonight), he made some pitches. His
breaking ball was really good."
"I'm learning more every year," said Rodriguez, in his fourth
season with the Astros, through an interpreter. "I'm
concentrating more on the pitches with people on base. It's
more about concentration and location. The location was good
and the breaking pitch was great tonight."
Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano (10-4) broke up the shutout himself
with an opposite-field home run with two outs in the seventh,
cutting Chicago's deficit to 3-1. Ryan Theriot followed with a
single, his third hit of the game, to knock out Rodriguez.
For Zambrano, who entered the game hitting .352, it was his
second home run of the season and the 14th of his career, the
most in franchise history for a Cubs' pitcher. It also was his
fourth career homer at Minute Maid Park.
"I feel good for that," Zambrano said of his homer. "It doesn't
matter if you lose the game."
Sampson replaced Rodriguez and struck out pinch hitter Daryle
Ward to end the top of the seventh.
The Astros scored in the second inning on a walk to Carlos Lee,
a single by Miguel Tejada that advanced Lee to third and a RBI
groundout by Hunter Pence.
Tejada, who started the season hot at the plate and slumped in
June, is 5-for-8 since the break.
"The pitchers figured out how to get me out," Tejada said of his
slump. "I had a great time at the All-Star Game and that got me
going. We played one of the best teams in baseball (in the
Cubs)."
Tejada, always known for his offense, has played shortstop
better than some anticipated, displaying excellent range and a
strong arm.
"The National League teams didn't get to see me play much
(before this year)," he said. "People know how good a shortstop
I am now."
Lee, who leads the majors in hitting in July, drove in Houston's
second run, scoring Rodriguez who had opened the third with a
single. Tejada followed with another single to make it 3-0.
"Thank God I got a base hit and scored," Rodriguez said.
Houston made it 4-1 in the seventh when pinch hitter David
Newhan led off with a triple and scored on Darin Erstad's
groundout.
The Astros' bullpen did not allow a hit for the second game in a
row, with Geoff Geary pitching 2 1/3 innings of perfect relief
in Friday's 2-1 victory.
"Everybody feels great," Valverde said of the bullpen. "We
don't think too much about what happened the first half (of the
season). The bullpen is enjoying what they're doing. I didn't
throw for six or seven days (because of the All-Star break).
Not just for me, it was good for everybody."
Zambrano (10-4) had won his last two starts, allowing just one
run in 14 innings. He pitched 6 1/3 innings Saturday, allowing
six hits and four runs.
"I feel good, but I was behind in the count a lot," Zambrano
said. "I still made some decent pitches, especially to Tejada,
and he went after it."
Cubs manager Lou
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