Monday, September 06, 1999
Astros 6, Expos 2
MONTREAL — The Houston Astros are getting serious about laying claim to a third straight division title.
Craig Biggio singled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning to send the Astros to a 6-2 win over the Montreal Expos on Sunday and a three-game sweep.
Houston has won four of five games to remain 21/2 games ahead of Cincinnati in the NL Central.
“You're in the time of year where all you're really concerned about is just playing one game at a time,” Biggio said. “You just go out and try to do the best you can. That's basically what it is, it's just a one-game season each day.”
Scott Elarton (8-4) gave up two unearned runs and seven hits in six innings for his third win in 11 starts since joining the Astros starting rotation on July 3.
Despite the sweep, Elarton wasn't about to dismiss the Expos as pushovers.
“We've been watching the scoreboard because they've been playing Cincinnati and they've been playing a lot of real good teams really well,” Elarton said. “We knew coming in it would be a challenge and hopefully we can build on this and get some momentum going.”
With the game tied at 2, Ricky Gutierrez singled off reliever Anthony Telford (4-3) and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Biggio, who had been in a 1-for-15 slump, followed with a single to left to put the Astros ahead 3-2.
“It's a part of baseball,” Biggio said. “You're going to have good weeks, bad weeks, in-between weeks, that's just part of the way the game goes. When you're going to get 700 at-bats in a season, you're going to have your toll of ups and downs.”
Stan Javier singled and Jeff Bagwell walked to load the bases. Telford struck out Daryle Ward — who hit his fifth homer off Expos starter Jeremy Powell in the fourth — and then walked Derek Bell to force in Houston's second run of the inning.
Ryan Thompson added a two-run single in the ninth to make it 6-2.
Trailing 2-1 in the sixth, the Astros scored an unearned run to tie the game. With one out, Bagwell smashed a single past third baseman Mike Mordecai and, one out later, Derek Bell walked.
Bill Spiers followed with a chopper off the plate for an infield single and Bagwell came home to score the tying run when first baseman Brad Fullmer's mishandled the ball for an error.
“There was a play or two that didn't offer any support and, of course, Bagwell and Biggio got some big hits for them,” Expos manager Felipe Alou said. “They got enough to win the game.”
Houston blew a chance to add to their lead in the fifth when Gutierrez was caught in a rundown while trying to come home from third on the tail end of an attempted double steal.
Vladimir Guerrero raised his team-leading RBI total to 104 with a two-run single with two outs in the bottom half to put Montreal ahead 2-1.
Powell allowed two runs — one earned — and six hits in six innings. He also went 2-for-2 at the plate.
“I just kept the team in the game,” Powell said. “That's what I'm there to do.”
Notes: Houston 3B Ken Caminiti was rested after twisting his right ankle Saturday. Caminiti, who pinch hit and grounded out in the seventh, is expected to return to the lineup Monday in Philadelphia. ... Houston's Shane Reynolds is not expected to miss his next start after leaving Saturday game with a sore left knee. ... Guerrero caught Ward's fly to right in the sixth after the towering drive struck the Olympic Stadium roof. ... Montreal's Jose Vidro, who hit his team-leading 42nd double in the first, left the game following the fourth inning after he was struck on the right elbow by pitch in the third. ... The female spectator who was struck by Matt Mieske's bat during Saturday game suffered a fractured skull. The woman, whose injuries are not life threatening, is being held in intensive care for 72 hours.
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