Astros escape Pittsburgh with a win after holding off Pirates

Baseball Betting Lines

07/09/2008 - Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Geoff Blum hit a three-run home run, and the Houston Astros recovered from giving up a four-run lead to notch a 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates and avoid a three-game sweep at PNC Park.

Kaz Matsui, in his first game back after being placed on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring, doubled twice and knocked in a run for the Astros, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Ty Wigginton and Michael Bourn each went 2-for-5 and scored a run.

Brian Moehler (5-4) allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings to pick up the win, while Jose Valverde notched his 23rd save.

Nate McLouth doubled three times and scored twice for the Pirates, who had won two straight. Adam LaRoche, Jason Bay, Ryan Doumit and Freddy Sanchez each knocked in a run.

Sean Burnett (0-1) allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings to take the loss in relief of John Van Benschoten, who was tagged for four runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 frames, walking six and striking out six.

The Astros opened up a 4-0 lead in the first, but the Pirates rallied to tie the game heading into the seventh.

Bourn led off with a single against Burnett, and after Brad Ausmus bunted him to second, Tyler Yates got the call from the bullpen. Pinch-hitter Mark Loretta then reached on a fielder's choice when Bourn beat out Doumit's throw to third, and Hunter Pence grounded out to plate Bourn with the go-ahead run. Matsui followed with an RBI double to right-center that gave Houston a two-run gap.

Chris Sampson worked a pair of scoreless innings before Valverde shut the door in the ninth.

After retiring the first two batters of the game, Van Benschoten put himself in trouble by plunking Lance Berkman and walking Carlos Lee before Blum golfed a low fastball into the seats in right for his sixth homer of the year. Wigginton and Bourn followed with singles to put runners at the corners, and Ausmus dumped a single in front of McLouth in center for a 4-0 lead.

Xavier Nady smashed a triple to right-center to lead off the second, then scored on LaRoche's groundout.

The Pirates continued to chip away in the third, as McLouth doubled, then scored on Doumit's single before Bay drove in Doumit with a double to left.

The Astros had runners at second and third with nobody out in the fifth after doubles by Jack Wilson and McLouth, and while Wilson was retired trying to score on a wild pitch, McLouth came in with the tying run on Sanchez's sacrifice fly.

Game Notes

The Astros won despite leaving 14 men on base and going 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position...To make room for Matsui, the Astros optioned pitcher Chad Reineke to Triple-A Round Rock...The Astros are off on Thursday and open a three-game set in Washington on Friday...Pittsburgh hosts the Yankees in a rescheduled game on Thursday before starting a weekend series with the Cardinals.

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