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Thursday, Sep. 28 7:05pm ET
Two-run rally in 9th lifts Pittsburgh | |||||
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RECAP
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GAME LOG
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- At least Jose Lima avoided one mark of futility. Lima allowed just one home run and finished his season with 48, two short of Bert Blyleven's major-league record, but the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Houston Astros 3-2 Thursday night. Lima gave up only one hit in eight innings, and fittingly, it was a home run. That extended his National League record to 48 and left him two behind Blyleven's 1986 total with Minnesota. Lima said in recent weeks that he welcomed the record. That might not have been entirely true, but it didn't seem to bother him much, either. "People talk about Lima giving up all the home runs," he said. "You know what? Last year I won 21 games and I gave up 30 home runs. I'm going to bust my butt to win 20 games again next year and I give up 50 home runs, who cares?" "I didn't break the (major league) record, but I have the National League record. So what? At least I'm in the book for something -- and it's not for stealing or drugs." Lima was glad to finish a disappointing season on a strong note. "I felt like the old Jose Lima," he said. "I could move my fastball, change speeds." Houston manager Larry Dierker said Brian Giles' homer actually came on a pretty good pitch. "It was a fastball at the knees," Dierker said. "Sometimes you wonder how they hit them." Said Lima, "I tip my hat to him. He's a great hitter. He has 35 home runs. He hit 39 last year." The Pirates won the game with two runs in the ninth off Octavio Dotel (3-7). Mike Benjamin drew a one-out walk and moved to second on Giles' groundout. After John Vander Wal walked, pinch-hitter Jason Kendall singled to tie the game 2-2. Wayne Franklin relieved and surrendered Warren Morris' game-winning single. "Kendall's hit was a check swing, which wasn't Dotel's fault," Dierker said. "His problem was walking Benjamin." The Astros took a 2-1 lead in the ninth. Lance Berkman opened the inning with a double off Jose Silva (11-9) and went to third on a flyball. After an intentional walk and Daryle Ward's strikeout, Bill Spiers singled to left. Lima retired the first 11 batters before Giles hit his first pitch over the center-field wall for his 35th home run. The Astros tied it 1-1 on a sacrifice fly to shortstop in the fifth. Chris Truby and Raul Chavez opened the inning with singles and advanced on Lima's bunt. Spiers popped a ball to short left field, and when shortstop Pat Meares caught it while running backward, Truby ran home. Meares flipped the ball to left fielder Giles, but Truby beat the throw easily. "A popup and a bleeder," Silva said of the two RBI. "It would have been tough to lose that way." The Pirates' other two baserunners came in the seventh. Lima walked Giles, and Vander Wal reached on right fielder Moises Alou's fielding error. Lima struck out Emil Brown and got Morris to ground out and end the inning. Game notesThe Astros finished the road portion of their schedule with a 33-48 record. They're home to the Brewers for their last three games. ... Houston OF Richard Hidalgo singled in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. ... Giles' RBI was his 123rd. The last Pittsburgh player with more was Willie Stargell, who had 125 in 1971. The club record is 131, set by Paul Waner in 1927. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Houston Clubhouse Pittsburgh Clubhouse RECAPS Anaheim 6 Oakland 3
Pittsburgh 3
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