Sunday, September 12, 1999
Astros 5, Cubs 3
HOUSTON — Maybe now fans will listen to Jose Lima's predictions.
Just as he forecast in spring training, Lima became the first 20-game winner in the National League as the Houston Astros won their season-high ninth straight Saturday, 5-3 over the Chicago Cubs.
“I told them 15 last year and I won 16. And I said 20 this year and I did it. What else can I do?” Lima said. “This is Lima time. I told you this would be Lima time, and it is.”
Lima (20-7) struck out the side in the first inning and retired 10 of the first 11 batters. He also prevented Sammy Sosa from hitting his 60th home run — last year, Sosa hit three homers off Lima, including No. 66.
The animated Lima was irritated when he was removed in the middle of the eighth inning. But by the game's end, he was dancing near the dugout to a crowd of 52,010, the Astros' largest of the season.
“I know people think bad when Jose Lima does his dance, but that is just Jose Lima, that's not going to change,” Lima said. “This (game ball) is for my mother and for the fans of the Astros. They stayed for the whole game.”
Sosa went 1-for-4 and remained at 59 home runs, one short of becoming the first player in major league history to hit at least 60 homers in a season twice.
“I never press,” Sosa said. “They're just pitching me great. Good pitching is going to beat good hitting. I don't want it (hitting 60th) to get to me. I just want to be relaxed and do my job. I'm going out there and keep hacking and looking for my pitch.
“It didn't happen today. I'll just wait until tomorrow.”
Billy Wagner pitched a perfect ninth for his 36th save.
“It doesn't get much better than that when you get to do it for a 20-game winner,” Wagner said. “He's stayed healthy and we just helped him out and he did what he said. It's great to say you're going to win 20 and go out and do it.”
After Mark Grace singled in the fourth, he advanced to third on right fielder Ryan Thompson's error and scored on Henry Rodriguez's grounder.
Lima then took control again until the eighth when singles by pinch-hitters Lance Johnson, Roosevelt Brown and Mickey Morandini loaded the bases. Grace then hit a sacrifice fly, cutting Houston's lead to 5-3.
That was it for Lima, who left the field angrily after being removed by manager Larry Dierker with Sosa coming to the plate. Lima allowed seven hits and struck out seven without walking a batter.
Jay Powell stuck out Sosa, walked Rodriguez and retired pinch-hitter Glenallen Hill to preserve Houston's lead.
Rodriguez hit a ground-rule double in the seventh and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jose Nieves.
Micah Bowie (1-6) pitched 4 2-3 innings, allowing six hits and five earned runs. He struck out five.
Carl Everett, whose two homers led Houston to a victory Friday night, was hit by a pitch from Bowie to start the second inning. After glaring at Bowie, Everett went to first, took second on Ken Caminiti's walk and scored on Tony Eusebio's single to left field.
The Astros got two more runs in the third inning on RBI singles by Gutierrez and Ken Caminiti for a 3-0 lead. Tony Eusebio hit his fourth homer in the fourth inning and Ryan Thompson had an RBI hit in the fifth for a 5-1 lead.
Notes: Wagner's next save will tie him with Doug Jones for the Astros club record of 36 saves. ... Eusebio's homer extended the Astros' club record for hitting at least one home run in a game to 13 straight games. ... The Astros are the only team in the major leagues with an unbeaten (72-0) record when leading after eight innings. ... Gary Gaetti needs to see action in seven more games to become the 40th player in major league history to appear in 2,500 games. ... Houston's club for consecutive victories is 10 accomplished five times, most recently in 1989.
Reds Stories
Reds page
