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Erstad sacrifice fly lifts Astros over Mets

Aug 3, 2008 - 4:17 AM By Gene Duffey PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

HOUSTON (Ticker) -- Darin Erstad's sacrifice fly plated the winning-run in the bottom of the 10th inning, as the Houston Astros rallied for a 5-4 victory over the New York Mets on Saturday.

Erstad hit a line drive to left field on a 3-2 offering from Pedro Feliciano with the bases loaded and one out. New York left fielder Fernando Tatis, who was playing shallow, made a diving catch of Erstad's drive, but had no chance to throw out Lance Berkman at home.

"He's got great movement on all his pitches," Erstad said of Feliciano. "I'm just trying to get a pitch to hit and hit it hard. Lance did a great job scoring."

"I'm going with one out," said Berkman, adding that Tatis making a diving catch was not a factor in his decision to try to score. "With two outs you need a hit or walk (to score). Tonight was one of the better wins we've had against a very tough closer (Billy Wagner).

Houston closer Jose Valverde (5-3) pitched the top of the 10th to earn the win.

Berkman led off the 10th by drawing a walk from Aaron Heilman (1-6), and Carlos Lee singled. Feliciano relieved Heilman and struck out Michael Bourn before intentionally walking Hunter Pence to face the lefthanded-hitting Erstad. Erstad then sliced the 3-2 offering to left field, and Heilman was dealt his second straight loss. He allowed a pinch-hit, grand slam to Mark Loretta in Friday's 7-3 loss.

The Astros scored two runs in the ninth off the former Astro Wagner to tie the game, which cost Johan Santana his 10th win. Santana, who has been repeatedly victimized by the Mets' inconsistent bullpen, allowed one run and three hits in 6 1/3 innings.

"It's just another outing," Santana said. "I was battling, doing my job and trying to give the team a chance to win. We took the lead and I was just protecting the lead, hoping everything winds up the way everybody wants. Unfortunately, that didn't happen."

It didn't happen because pinch-hitter Geoff Blum, a teammate of Wagner's with the Astros from 2002-2003, singled in the two runs to tie it. It was Wagner's seventh blown save in 34 attempts.

"I didn't locate very well," Wagner said.

Blum's single caused a wacky three-way collision at the plate as Pence ran up the back of Loretta, who did not get a good read on the hit and was headed back to third base.

"I was caught in no-man's land," Loretta said. After the ball fell, he took off and smashed into backup catcher Ramon Castro, who dropped the throw that beat Loretta to the plate. Pence scored seconds later.

"It was a rare situation and that's where we happened to be," Pence said. "I was trying to find a way to score, trying to find a way to touch the plate."

"I felt like a fullback going in there," Loretta said. "The ball actually beat us. I hit my thigh on the catcher and (Pence) ran up my back. It was like a car wreck."

Castro left the game with a sprained right ankle.

"I got the ball," he said. "When the guy hit me, I went back until I twisted my ankle and dropped the ball. I saw the first guy and then I was on the ground. I didn't see it. I touched the first guy, but when I went back, I twisted my ankle. I know they were close. I was just trying to get one out first."

New York had given Santana an early cushion, as Damion Easley hit a two-run homer off Roy Oswalt in the second. The Mets scored another pair in the third on an RBI double by former Astro Carlos Beltran and a sacrifice fly by Carlos Delgado to make it 4-0.

Oswalt departed after six innings, giving up six hits and four runs, striking out seven and walking three.

Meanwhile, Santana was perfect through three innings. Former Met Kazuo Matsui led off the fourth for Houston with a triple and scored on Lee's single. Matsui also homered in the eighth off reliever Scott Schoeneweis to cut the lead to 4-2.

Santana departed in the seventh after he walked Pence, hit Erstad and got Brad Ausmus to fly out. Duaner Sanchez came out of the bullpen to end the inning with a double play. Rookie left fielder Dan Murphy, playing his first game in the majors, made a leaping catch on pinch-hitter Ty Wigginton, then threw to second to double off Pence.