Sep 7, 2008 - 8:07 PM
0 shoutsBy Brady Delander PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
DENVER (Ticker) -- Pinch hitter David Newhan belted a go-ahead RBI triple in the eighth inning to propel the Astros to a 7-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Darin Erstad connected on an RBI single against Rockies reliever Taylor Buchholz (6-5) and came around to score on Newhan's decisive hit to take a 6-5 lead. Jose Castillo added a run-scoring single in the ninth after Hunter Pence reached on an infield single and stole second.
"You just want to put it in play. You don't want to strikeout," Erstad said. "That's how we've been playing pretty much all year. Everybody has to contribute and you have to find ways to win. It's not necessarily the prettiest looking thing, but bottom line - it's a win."
Mark Loretta collected three hits with a double and RBI for the Astros (76-67), who are six games behind the Milwaukee Brewers (82-61) in the National League wild card race.
"Everybody contributed all the way around," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "I went down the stinking lineup and everyone contributed. That's what it takes to get it done."
Doug Brocail (7-5) recorded the win in his 600th career appearance and Jose Valverde struck out the side in the ninth to pick up his NL-best 40th save of the season.
"I've been blessed that I've been able to play this long, especially with all the surgeries," Brocail said. "But it's just another number."
Houston jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning thanks to an RBI single by Loretta and two sacrifice flies from Lance Berkman and Castillo, respectively.
Matt Holliday trimmed the deficit in bottom half of the third, ripping a two-run double down the left field line to drive home Jorge De La Rosa and Clint Barmes.
Houston stretched its lead in the top of the sixth on another sacrifice. A single to shallow right by Brad Ausmus moved Reggie Abercrombie to third and Geoff Blum hit a deep fly ball to left to score Abercrombie and put the Astros up, 4-2.
In the bottom of the inning, Chris Iannetta drew a walk after Garrett Atkins reached on an infield single to set up Brad Hawpe's three-run homer against reliever Chris Sampson, which gave Colorado its only lead of the game.
"I think you understand the urgency," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "We can't get caught up in the moment or with things that aren't in your control, whether it be an at-bat, a play, an inning pitched. We were able to do some things on offense today, but it was not our best offensive series but any means."
Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez left the game after one inning with a strain to his left oblique muscle and is listed as day-to-day. He recorded three strikeouts in his lone frame.
From the Bleachers
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HOUSTON: 7
COLORADO: 5
Final
Sep 7 6:14 PM -
NL
AT COLORADO - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JOSE CASTILLO SCORED HUNTER PENCE.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J CASTILLO ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 7
COLORADO 5 TOP, 9TH
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: R ABERCROMBIE (.270, 1-FOR-3, SAC)
Sep 7 6:02 PM -
NL
AT COLORADO - SCORING UPDATE
TRIPLE BY DAVID NEWHAN SCORED DARIN ERSTAD.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, D NEWHAN ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 6
COLORADO 5 TOP, 8TH
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: M BOURN (.222, 0-FOR-3, BB)
Sep 7 5:35 PM -
NL
AT COLORADO - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY DARIN ERSTAD SCORED JOSE CASTILLO.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, D ERSTAD ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 5
COLORADO 5 TOP, 8TH
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: D BROCAIL (.000, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
Sep 7 5:33 PM -
NL
AT COLORADO - SCORING UPDATE
THREE-RUN HOME RUN BY BRAD HAWPE (23) TO RIGHT WITH 0 OUT
IN THE 6TH OFF CHRIS SAMPSON SCORED GARRETT ATKINS AND CHRIS
IANNETTA.
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 4, COLORADO 5
DUE UP FOR COLORADO: T TULOWITZKI (.242, 0-FOR-2)
Sep 7 4:59 PM -
NL
AT COLORADO - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY GEOFF BLUM SCORED REGGIE ABERCROMBIE.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, B AUSMUS ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 4
COLORADO 2 TOP, 6TH
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: M BOURN (.223, 0-FOR-2, BB)
Sep 7 4:53 PM -
NL
AT COLORADO - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY MATT HOLLIDAY SCORED JORGE DE LA ROSA AND CLINT
BARMES.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, M HOLLIDAY ON SECOND, R SPILBORGHS ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 3
COLORADO 2 BOTTOM, 3RD
DUE UP FOR COLORADO: G ATKINS (.288, 0-FOR-1)
Sep 7 4:13 PM -
NL
AT COLORADO - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY JOSE CASTILLO SCORED MIGUEL TEJADA.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, H PENCE ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 3
COLORADO 0 TOP, 3RD
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: R ABERCROMBIE (.257, 0-FOR-1)
Sep 7 3:58 PM -
NL
AT COLORADO - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY LANCE BERKMAN SCORED MARK LORETTA.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, M TEJADA ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 2
COLORADO 0 TOP, 3RD
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: H PENCE (.271, 0-FOR-1)
Sep 7 3:51 PM -
NL
AT COLORADO - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY MARK LORETTA SCORED MICHAEL BOURN.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, M LORETTA ON FIRST, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 1
COLORADO 0 TOP, 3RD
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: M TEJADA (.282, 0-FOR-1)
Sep 7 3:48 PM
