Thursday, July 29, 1999ASTROS 16, ROCKIES 8
Houston takes 3 1/2-game lead with 6th straight win
The Associated PressDENVER — Mike Hampton's hitting was even better than his pitching. Hampton went 3-for-4, including his third triple of the season, and Jeff Bagwell hit a grand slam Wednesday night as the Houston Astros beat the Colorado Rockies 16-8 for their sixth victory in a row.
Hampton (14-3) won his fifth straight start. The Rockies lost their sixth consecutive game.
“I love the hitting part of the game and love being out on the field being able to compete,” Hampton said. “And any piece of hitting I can do to help the team out, I am going to do it.”
Hampton joined teammate Jose Lima, Kent Bottenfield and Curt Schilling as the top winners in the NL. He gave up five runs and 13 hits in seven innings, and matched his career high for victories.
“Mike is a good hitter and a fast runner, too,” Houston manager Larry Dierker said. “At some point I feel badly for the other team, but we are at Coors Field.”
Daryle Ward hit his first major league home run and Russ Johnson also connected as the Astros had a season-high 21 hits. Derek Bell had four hits and drove in two runs, and Tim Bogar, Glen Barker and Tony Eusebio each added two RBIs.
The teams combined to score in the final 10 half-innings of the game.
Roberto Ramirez (1-3) lasted 3 2-3 innings, giving up five runs and six hits.
“We are not very good right now,” Colorado manager Jim Leyland said. “They battled all night, kept getting hits, every pitcher that went out there tried to get outs. We are just not good enough right now.”
Hampton's two-run, two-out triple keyed a five-run fourth inning. Bell, Eusebio and Bogar had RBI singles as the Astros took a 5-1 lead.
Barker's RBI double and Bogar's sacrifice fly off Curtis Leskanic in the fifth made it 7-1.
Barker and Bell added RBI singles in the Houston sixth. Bagwell hit his second career slam in the seventh, connecting off Mike Porzio for a 13-4 lead.
“We'll make you laugh and we'll make you cry, but this one hurts,” Dante Bichette said. “We're in last place and it really hurts.”
NOTES: Rain forced a 40-minute delay at the start. ... Bagwell tied Jimmy Wynn's club record with his 22nd road home run. ... Hampton became the first pitcher since Bob Forsch (1975) to hit three triples in a season and joined Doug Drabek as the only Houston pitcher to get three hits in a game. ... Rockies OF Larry Walker missed the game to attend a friend's funeral. ... Houston is 23-8 against left-handed starters. ... Since dropping four straight at home to Cincinnati on June 24-27, the Astros are 19-8.
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