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Saturday, July 3, 1999

Astros gain measure of revenge with victory over streaking Reds

Associated Press

CINCINNATI - Carl Everett had four hits, including an inside-the-park homer and a two-run double, as the Houston Astros ended Cincinnati's 10-game winning streak with a 7-5 victory Friday night.
   Jeff Bagwell hit his 26th homer as Houston, stung by Cincinnati's four-game sweep at the Astrodome last weekend, pulled back into a first-place tie with the Reds in the NL Central.
   The Astros blew a pair of two-run leads before rallying for only their second victory in eight games against Cincinnati. Everett's two-out, two-run double off Stan Belinda (0-1) in the eighth snapped a 5-all tie.
   Jay Powell (4-1) got the win in relief of Jose Lima, who failed to hold a pair of two-run leads. Lima, trying to become the NL's second 12-game winner, has two losses and a pair of no-decisions in his last four starts.
   Billy Wagner pitched the ninth for his 19th save in 20 chances.
   The Reds' unprecedented surge - 10 consecutive wins against first-place teams - ran out of momentum two victories shy of the team record. No other team in the modern era has won 10 straight against division leaders.
   The sweep in Houston left the Astros stewing and rekindled interest in the Reds, who sold 11,000 tickets Friday and drew 35,591 for the game. The Reds made two comebacks but never led.
   Sean Casey hit a two-run homer on his 25th birthday, breaking an 0-for-9 skid that was his longest of the season, and Mike Cameron had a solo shot off Lima. Michael Tucker's two-run, two-out triple tied it 5-5 in the seventh and ended Lima's outing.
   Bagwell got Houston's offense rolling with a two-run homer in the first off Steve Parris, his 19th on the road this season. It was Bagwell's 126th road homer, matching Jimmy Wynn for the Houston record.
   Bagwell has four homers in his last seven games.
   Everett rounded the bases for his 10th homer in the seventh inning, when his liner deflected off Cameron's arm in center and rolled to the wall.
   The Astros went ahead to stay in the eighth against Belinda, making his second appearance since coming off the disabled list with biceps tendinitis. Craig Biggio had an infield single and Bagwell, who is 1-for-13 career off the right-hander, was intentionally walked to bring up Everett, who was 2-for-2 career with a homer off Belinda.
   Everett doubled to right-center for a 7-5 lead and was thrown out trying for a triple. It was the seventh four-hit game of Everett's career and his third this season.
   Notes: The Astros agreed to terms with second-round draft pick Jay Perez, a catcher from Seymour High School in Connecticut. ... Third baseman Ken Caminiti, on the disabled list with a sore right calf, had a precautionary MRI that found nothing more severe than a strained muscle. ... The Astros are 15-18 against the NL Central, matching their loss total for last season, when they went 38-18 against division opponents. ... Forty-eight of the Astros' 81 homers have come on the road. ... Parris matched his season high by giving up nine hits in five innings. ... Barry Larkin singled twice to extend his hitting streak to 12 games (30-for-48). He's 6-for-8 career off Lima.

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