Saturday, July 24, 1999
Astros get two wins for price of one
BY MICHAEL A. LUTZ
AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON — A grand slam won the first game and another slam won the second.
More than five weeks later, Larry Dierker and the Houston Astros finally finished their suspended game against the San Diego Padres, winning 4-3 Friday night behind the grand slam Derek Bell hit June 13.
Mike Mieske's third career slam then broke a eighth-inning tie as Houston rallied past former-Astro Donne Wall 7-4 in the second game. Mike Hampton (13-3) pitched his third complete game of the season, allowing eight hits.
“I wasn't here when Derek hit his,” said Mieske, obtained June 20 from Seattle. “So that makes it kind of neat that we won both games on grand slam homers.”
Dierker caused the suspended game when he collapsed in the dugout from a seizure. The Astros manager had brain surgery two days later to repair abnormal blood vessels and returned last week after the All-Star break.
“I had this one logged as a win, although I knew anything could happen,” he said after the opener. “I've been counting this win for about a month now.'
Billy Wagner pitched the ninth for his 24th save despite allowing solo homers to Phil Nevin and Ruben Rivera.
Shane Reynolds (11-7) got the victory without throwing a pitch Friday and Heath Murray got the loss without being present.
Reynolds allowed six hits in eight innings and struck out six when the game began last month.
“If anything more had happened, I might have had another seizure and Shane might have had one with me,” Dierker said. “Billy went out at the beginning instead of the end. That's something he's not used to.”
Murray (0-2), who allowed the grand slam, was scheduled to start for Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday.
Dierker was glad to get the suspended game over with.
“I don't say there is a sense of closure. That's too romantic,” Dierker said. “But there is a finality to it. This doesn't give a different sense of accomplishment. It's just a game we were supposed to win and we won it.”
Trevor Hoffman was facing Jeff Bagwell, the first hitter of the inning on June 13, when Dierker collapsed with a 1-0 count and started shaking violently in the Astros' dugout.
In the regularly scheduled game, Mieske's second homer of the season came off Wall (6-2) after Craig Biggio singled, Jeff Bagwell was intentionally walked and Richard Hidalgo reached on third baseman George Arias' fielding error. It was the third slam for the Astros this season.
“I am comfortable in those situations,” Mieske said. “I might have an advantage over a younger guy. When you are young these situations can be tough. You learn to control your emotions. That's the difference at this level of play.”
Wall wasn't pleased with his performance.
“I just made some terrible pitches,” he said. “I started out that way with the first pitch and it was like that the whole inning. I didn't make a quality pitch.”
San Diego starter Brian Boehringer allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings.
Quilvio Veres got three straight hits and scored on a double steal that gave the Padres a 3-2 lead in the sixth, Paul Bako's homer tied it in the seventh.
NOTES: The Padres' 20 one-run victories lead the NL. They've won nine of their last 11 one-run decisions. ... The Astros have the only pitching staff in the majors with three 10-game winners in Jose Lima (13-5), Hampton and Shane Reynolds (11-7). ... Nevin's homer was his 12th of the year and Rivera's was his 17th.
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