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Maddux helps Padres avert sweep

Aug 19, 2007 - 11:58 PM By Tim Powers PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) - Greg Maddux threw a gem and the San Diego Padres' offense came to life in time to avoid a sweep as they defeated the Houston Astros, 5-3, on Sunday.

Maddux (9-9) picked up his second straight victory and 342nd of his career, moving him into a tie with Tim Keefe for ninth place on the all-time list.

The 41-year-old veteran allowed one run on two hits over six innings and recovered from a first-inning home run by Lance Berkman to retire 16 of the next 17 batters he faced.

While also contributing offensively with a pair of singles - his first multi-hit effort in two years - Maddux showed trademark efficiency on the mound, allowing just two baserunners while throwing 73 pitches - 51 for strikes.

"I got a couple of pitches up, but for the most part I kept them down and good things happened," Maddux said. "The balls that they hit were right at somebody. Then the bullpen came in and pitched pretty clean."

The future Hall of Famer did not issue a walk for the second consecutive outing, and struck out three batters.

"How many times have we seen that?" Berkman said of Maddux's performance. "The guy still knows how to pitch. He's special."

"Greg has been pitching well the last number of starts, so I think this was just indicative of what he has been doing lately," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Here again, in Greg fashion, a lot of strikes and moving the ball in and out. I thought he choked off a lot of right-handed hitters as well as he has all year."

Justin Hampson surrendered a run in the seventh before Heath Bell pitched a scoreless eighth. Trevor Hoffman allowed a run in the ninth and worked out of a two-on, two-out jam to convert his 31st save in 34 opportunities.

After scoring just three runs in the first two games of the series, San Diego put together two rallies to salvage a 3-3 homestand.

Adrian Gonzalez's leadoff single in the fourth sparked a two-run rally against Houston starter Matt Albers. Gonzalez padded the advantage with a solo shot as part of a three-run sixth that gave San Diego a 5-1 edge.

"I was happy to be able to get things going with that first run," Gonzalez said. "It was good to take the lead for Maddux with the way he was pitching. We needed to go out there and win today so it was big for us."

Albers (3-6) lasted 5 2/3 innings while yielding five runs on eight hits. The 24-year-old righthander, who made his major league debut at Petco Park and lost that one as well, recorded three strikeouts and walked three batters.

"I made a bad pitch to Gonzalez (in the sixth) and then I got two quick outs, but I didn't slow the game down enough," Albers said. "I got behind a couple of batters and couldn't finish off the inning. I just couldn't quite get out of it."

Juan Gutierrez pitched a 1-2-3 eighth for Houston in his major league debut.

Berkman had a pair of hits and scored both runs for the Astros, who had won five of seven.

"We put ourselves in a position to have a nice stretch here, but we let it fizzle," Astros manager Phil Garner said. "We either need to pitch a shutout or we need to score some more runs."