Final
Astros-Diamondbacks Preview
Jun 14, 2009 - 6:19 AM By DAN PIERINGER STATS WriterHouston (28-32) at Arizona (27-36), 4:10 p.m. EDT
The Houston Astros had their highest-scoring game in nearly a week thanks to some milestone hits from the heart of their lineup.
Perhaps more important, they kept their hopes of extending their series winning streak alive.
Miguel Tejada and Lance Berkman look to follow momentous performances by helping the Astros clinch their fifth consecutive series win as they close a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.
Houston (28-32) had split its previous four games coming into Saturday's contest, but had been held to a total of six runs in that stretch.
The Astros were able to break out of that funk in a 6-4 victory as they recorded their highest run total since a 6-4 win over Pittsburgh last Sunday.
Tejada tied Saturday's game at 1 with his 2,000th career hit in the sixth inning, becoming the 29th shortstop in major league history to reach that mark - a list that includes active players Omar Vizquel of Texas, Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees and Edgar Renteria of San Francisco.
"That's why I'm most happy - I got the hit to tie the game," said Tejada, the NL hits leader with 85, who had his wife, two children and a sister in attendance. "It's special because I got a chance to do it in front of my family."
One out later, Berkman drove a pitch into the right field seats to give the Astros a 3-1 lead. He became the seventh switch-hitter to hit 300 homers - a list topped by Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle, who hit 536.
"I take pride in it for sure because there's not a whole lot of switch-hitters that have gotten to that level," said Berkman, who leads the team with 12 homers this season. "It's not like 500 homers, but I'll certainly take it."
Berkman is 8 for 21 (.381) with two homers over his last six games, lifting his average to .255 - the highest it's been since he was batting .286 after his fourth game of the season.
The Diamondbacks (27-36) battled back by scoring three runs in the eighth inning, but the rally fell short as the club fell to 2-3 on its current homestand and 14-22 overall at Chase Field.
Arizona will try to improve that mark as they step into the box against Brian Moehler (2-4, 6.95 ERA).
The right-hander gave up five runs in three innings of a 7-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. He's 1-1 with a 5.82 ERA in three career games - two starts - against the Diamondbacks and has a career ERA of 8.10 in Phoenix.
Billy Buckner (2-2, 6.75) will take the mound for Arizona hoping to bounce back from his worst start of the season.
After going 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA in his first three games since being moved into the rotation, the right-hander was tagged for career highs of eight runs and 13 hits in a 9-4 loss to San Francisco on Tuesday.
Buckner, who has a 12.27 ERA in five games - two starts - at home this year, has never faced the Astros.
- NL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
HOUSTON 3 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 8 8 0
ARIZONA 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 0 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: HOU - BRIAN MOEHLER, JEFF FULCHINO (7TH), JOSE VALVERDE (9TH) AND
IVAN RODRIGUEZ
ARI - BILLY BUCKNER, BLAINE BOYER (6TH), JON RAUCH
(7TH), CLAY ZAVADA (8TH), CHAD
Jun 14 6:56 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND OUT BY MIGUEL TEJADA SCORED MICHAEL BOURN.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, NONE ON, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 8
ARIZONA 3 TOP, 7TH
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: H PENCE (.324, 1-FOR-2, BB, HR, RBI)
Astros 8, Diamondbacks 3 Top 7, 0 OutsJun 14 6:13 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY MICHAEL BOURN SCORED EDWIN MAYSONET.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, M BOURN ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 7
ARIZONA 3 TOP, 7TH
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: M TEJADA (.345, 2-FOR-3, RBI)
Astros 7, Diamondbacks 3 Top 7, 0 OutsJun 14 6:10 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JASON MICHAELS SCORED HUNTER PENCE.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J MICHAELS ON FIRST, L BERKMAN ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 6
ARIZONA 3 TOP, 6TH
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: M KATA (.267, 1-FOR-2)
Astros 6, Diamondbacks 3 Top 6, 0 OutsJun 14 5:47 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY IVAN RODRIGUEZ SCORED MIGUEL TEJADA.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, L BERKMAN ON FIRST, H PENCE ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 5
ARIZONA 3 TOP, 6TH
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: J MICHAELS (.176, 0-FOR-2)
Astros 5, Diamondbacks 3 Top 6, 0 OutsJun 14 5:42 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY MARK REYNOLDS (17) TO LEFT WITH 0 OUT IN
THE 4TH OFF BRIAN MOEHLER.
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 4, ARIZONA 3
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: C YOUNG (.191, 0-FOR-1)
Astros 4, Diamondbacks 3 Bot 4, 0 OutsJun 14 5:13 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY HUNTER PENCE (8) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT IN THE
3RD OFF BILLY BUCKNER.
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 4, ARIZONA 2
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: L BERKMAN (.259, 1-FOR-1, HR, 2 RBI)
Astros 4, Diamondbacks 2 Top 3, 0 OutsJun 14 4:54 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY STEPHEN DREW (4) TO RIGHT WITH 2 OUT IN
THE 1ST OFF BRIAN MOEHLER SCORED ERIC BYRNES.
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 3, ARIZONA 2
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: M REYNOLDS (.278, 16 HR, 44 RBI)
Astros 3, Diamondbacks 2 Bot 1, 0 OutsJun 14 4:30 PM - NL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
HOUSTON 3 3 2 0
ARIZONA 0 0 0 (BOT 1)
CURRENT PITCHERS: HOU - BRIAN MOEHLER
ARI - BILLY BUCKNER
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: F LOPEZ (.306, 4 HR, 11 RBI)
E BYRNES (.213, 4 HR, 22 RBI)
J UPTON (.310, 12 HR, 37 RBI)
Astros 3, Diamondbacks 0 Bot 1, 0 OutsJun 14 4:20 PM
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