Wednesday, September 11, 2002
Astros 11, Rockies 4
The Associated Press
HOUSTON — Wade Miller says his friendly competition with teammate Roy Oswalt is keeping him sharp.
“I can't let him outdo me,” Miller said. “I've got to stay ahead of him because I know he'll be pitching in a couple of days.
Miller (13-3) won his career high 10th straight decision Tuesday night to help the Houston Astros beat the Colorado Rockies 11-4.
Miller allowed two runs and nine hits in seven innings. His streak is just ahead of the pace of Oswalt, who has won nine in a row.
“It's a friendly competition between us,” Miller said. “It's a lot of fun. It's nice watching him go out there, and then getting my chance to match him a few days later. We're enjoying it right now, and we just hope we can finish up the season with the streaks intact.”
Miller is 10-0 with a 2.11 ERA in 13 starts since a June 26 loss to Atlanta and 12-1 since returning from a pinched nerve in his neck, which put him on the disabled list from April 13 to May 29.
The Rockies were impressed with Miller, who struck out 10 and walked one.
“He throws 96 (mph) and keeps the ball down and powders the strike zone,” interim manager Toby Harrah said. “He's got that cutter and he doesn't throw too many balls straight and not too many over the plate.”
Juan Pierre went 4-for-5, including 3-for-4 against Miller, but considered himself lucky.
“He's a workhorse,” Pierre said. “He comes at you and runs that fastball up there and he's got a good breaking ball. He has a slider that disappears. I was fortunate that he left some pitches over the plate and I was able to get some good swings.”
Lance Berkman hit his career-high 40th home run and had five RBIs as the Astros won their fourth straight.
Berkman had a two-run double off Denny Neagle (8-10) in the sixth and a three-run homer off Mark Corey in the eighth. Berkman's 118 RBIs lead the National League.
Jeff Bagwell followed with another home run, the eighth time this year the Astros hit consecutive homers.
Jose Vizcaino went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs for the Astros, who remained 5 1/2 games behind NL Central-leading St. Louis. Houston outhit the Rockies 14-12.
Neagle (8-10) allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings, his ERA rising to 4.91.
Houston took a 3-1 lead in the fourth on two-out, run-scoring singles by Vizcaino, Jason Lane and Brad Ausmus.
Jay Payton had an RBI single in the fifth, but Vizcaino hit a two-out double over Payton's head in the bottom half for a 5-2 lead.
Terry Shumpert homered in the ninth.
Notes: Rockies manager Clint Hurdle sat out the game to serve his one-game suspension, assessed after he was thrown out of the game Aug. 25 against the Mets. ... Lane ran into a railing down the right-field line chasing a ball that was just out of play in the third inning. The game was stopped briefly, and he stayed in the game. ... Payton's single made him 14-for-20 (.700) with runners in scoring position and less than two outs. ... Larry Walker left after the third inning with soreness in his left shoulder. He is day to day. ... Mark Loretta left after the sixth inning with a sore left hamstring.
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Astros 11, Rockies 4 
