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Biggio gets 3,000th hit, Astros defeat Rockies in 11 innings

Jun 29, 2007 - 5:52 AM HOUSTON (Ticker) -- Troy Tulowitzki nearly spoiled a special night for Craig Biggio, but Carlos Lee made it all good later on.

Lee hit a walk-off grand slam in the 11th inning as the Houston Astros posted an 8-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.

The winning blast came on a night that saw Biggio surpass the mark of 3,000 career hits, becoming the 27th player in history to reach the milestone and just the second player to collect five hits while doing so.

"Honestly, I just feel that I played the game the same way the guys before me played," Biggio said. "They ran everything out, groundball, flyball. Guys like Frank Robinson who aren't on the list, too, they played the game the right way. That's why I'm honored with all these names I've been associated with."

The grand slam also came one-half inning after Tulowitzki had given Colorado a brief 5-4 lead with a solo shot off reliever Brian Moehler (1-2).

With two outs in the 11th, Biggio beat out a grounder to shortstop off closer Brian Fuentes (0-3) to go 5-for-6 on the night and give him 3,002 hits.

"It's a beautiful thing because that's the way he ran the first time he hit the ball," Astros manager Phil Garner said. "He's been doing it ever since. Not because it was a close game or he was smelling the hit, but it's because it's the way he's played every time."

The 20-year veteran joined Hall of famer George Brett as the only members of the 3,000-hit club to collect five hits in reaching the plateau.

After Hunter Pence doubled to center field to put runners on second and third, Fuentes hit Lance Berkman with a pitch. Lee then smashed his 15th homer over the left field wall for the victory.

"To battle like this and accomplish this, it makes it a lot more fun to win the game so (Biggio) can celebrate a lot better," Lee said.

It was Lee's third homer in four games and the Astros' fifth grand slam this season. Fuentes has blown three straight save opportunities on Colorado's current road trip and five overall this campaign.

"I'm just in a bad stretch right now," said Fuentes, who had never before blown as many as two consecutive save opportunities. "I know I can get the job done. It just hasn't happened right now."

Biggio, who entered needing three hits for 3,000, posted his second career five-hit game. The other came on April 3, 2001 vs. the Milwaukee Brewers.

Berkman and Mark Lamb each homered in a three-run eighth to knot the game at 4-4 after pinch hitter Ryan Spilborghs belted a two-run shot to highlight a three-run burst in the top half for the Rockies.

Biggio, who was saluted with a standing ovation prior to each at-bat, grounded out in the first against Aaron Cook before lining a single to center in the third and reaching on an infield hit in the fifth.

Third baseman Garrett Atkins had to go far behind the third base bag to field the ball and proceeded to make a high throw to first that eluded Todd Helton. The crowd cheered loudly when Biggio's 2,999th hit was announced.

Plate umpire Larry Poncino gave the sellout crowd of 42,537 extra time to get on its feet when he headed to the dugout to get special commemorative baseballs prior to Biggio's next at-bat.

After Cook fell behind 2-0, Biggio lined a single to right-center, scoring Brad Ausmus to tie the game at 1-1.

"A lot of things have happened here over the course of my 20-year career here, but tonight is the best," Biggio said.

"I was just looking to pitch him the way I always pitched him, with sinkers hard and in," Cook said. "I think he's looking for that pitch low and away. That last pitch was a 2-0, and I was trying to make a good pitch and it got up a little."

Biggio, who also singled in the ninth, was thrown out trying to stretch the milestone hit into a double.

"Biggio is a gamer," Cook said. "To see him reach 3,000, my hat goes off to him. I sort of wish it wouldn't have been off me. But to give up a hit like that, it's not something you are upset about."

His teammates and family joined him between first and second base, while the appreciative crowd thanked him for nearly 20 years of hard-nosed play. The loudest ovation came between innings, when recently retired Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell came out of the dugout to join in on the honoring of his long-time former teammate.

"The way the fans treated me, I've said it for a long time, I love these guys, the city, I've worked hard here," Biggio said. "And they appreciated that. Try to stay focused when you get a standing ovation every time you're out there. I'm very grateful and very thankful for a lot of things."

But the celebration did not last long. Reliever Trever Miller yielded a one-out double to Atkins in the bottom of the frame and, after Chad Qualls came on, Spilborghs belted his second pitch into the bullpen in right-center field.

Chris Iannetta added an RBI single later in the inning to make it 4-1. Iannetta also homered earlier in the contest.

However, Colorado's lead also was short-lived. In the bottom of the eighth, Berkman homered off reliever LaTroy Hawkins to make it 4-2 and, after Mark Loretta singled to center with two outs, Lamb sent a 1-0 pitch into the bullpen to tie the game.

The Astros then put runners on first and second, but Manny Corpas got Morgan Ensberg to bounce out.

Cook held the Astros to a run and seven hits in seven innings while striking out two and walking one, but he remained winless since May 26. It was the best effort by a Colorado starter on the road trip, as the rotation had gone 0-4 with a 10.05 ERA in its first six games away from home.

Colorado's seven-game slide is frustrating manager Clint Hurdle.

"Tell me how we move forward after what we've been through," Hurdle said. "They keep moving forward. We just have to find a way to finish. We showed some backbone tonight. We're just missing some areas to put games away."

Houston starter Roy Oswalt allowed one run and nine hits in seven gutsy innings. Oswalt, who has won just once in his last nine starts, struck out four and walked two.

The Astros' maligned bullpen has an National League-high 5.33 ERA and has more blown saves (14) this season than saves (13).