• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Oswalt dominant as Astros top Padres

Jul 29, 2007 - 12:43 AM HOUSTON (Ticker) -- Roy Oswalt continued his dominance over the San Diego Padres as the Houston Astros used a three-run first inning en route to a 3-1 victory on Saturday afternoon at Minute Maid Park.

Carlos Lee had two hits, including a two-run homer in the first inning, for the Astros, who have won 14 of their last 20 games at home.

Oswalt (10-6), who missed his last start because of a strained chest muscle, allowed just one unearned run and three hits in seven innings. He struck out a season-high 10 and walked one.

He said felt his chest during warmups but got going after the adrenaline took over.

"It was big to get out of that jam in the first inning," Oswalt said. "I was maybe a little nervous in the first, but maybe after I was out there and got a few outs, I got more and more comfortable as the game went on.

"I actually kind of loosened up quite a bit as the game went on, and I was able to get my curveball to (drop in) there."

The hard-throwing righthander was removed after the seventh with a high pitch count, forcing manager Phil Garner to call on reliever Chad Qualls to hurl the eighth and set up closer Brad Lidge for his sixth save in the ninth.

Oswalt now is 7-2 against the Padres in his career and has won three straight against them since yielding seven runs in a 7-4 loss in Houston on July 17, 2004.

"Roy got into a pretty good groove today and he went to his curveball, which he has not used a lot this year," Houston manager Phil Garner said. "Today, his curveball, he found it and did a nice job with it. It still helps that you have a 94 miles-per-hour fastball that you can locate pretty well too."

Luke Scott added three hits in three at-bats for the Astros, who now have won two of three in this four-game set. They also have a chance to win five of seven on their current homestand against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Padres - the top two teams in the National League West.

San Diego starter Greg Maddux (7-8) allowed just the three first-inning runs and five hits while walking two in six innings. He recovered nicely, allowing just two hits after the opening frame and was lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning.

"Maddux did a good job pitching today," Scott said. "He moved the ball around, changed speeds. Tip your hat, he pitched a good ballgame. He made one mistake to Carlos, and he got a hold of it pretty good. Roy also pitched a good ballgame, and it was a good win for us.

"(Maddux) gave up three runs in the first inning, and after that, he was lights out. Roy was just a little bit better today."

The crafty Maddux has pitched well in each of his last three starts after allowing 15 runs in his first three starts in July. Despite the turnaround, he still is looking for his first win since June 27 at San Francisco.

"It's part of the game," Maddux said. "You can center it and line out, you can hit it off the fists and bloop it in. I never worry about that. I just try to make sure I'm out there every fifth day and try to be mentally prepared and ready and do what I can to locate and change speeds. I do what I can to just do what I think I can do to have the best chance at success."

The Astros missed a chance to add some insurance in the fourth inning when Scott led off the inning with his second double of the game but was stranded.

He moved to third on Jason Lane's ground out, but Brad Ausmus and Oswalt failed to plate Scott, who is hitting .357 since the All-Star break.

The Padres got an unearned run in the first inning when Adrian Gonzalez singled home Brian Giles.

But Houston countered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning when Lance Berkman singled home Eric Bruntlett and then scored on a towering home run by Lee.

For Lee, it was his 22nd homer of the year and fourth in his last five games, all at home.

"The at-bat he'll want to have back was the walk to Bruntlett," said Padres manager Bud Black about Maddux. "That is not Maddux's mantra, to walk a guy early in the game, on four pitches. The next two hitters are All-Star caliber hitters. Berkman just hit a ground ball. The pitch to Lee was a high changeup. We saw Lee do that two nights ago. Something soft out over the plate, he's very capable of pulling the ball."

San Diego did not get another runner to second base until the sixth inning. Oswalt walked Milton Bradley to start the inning and then struck out Gonzalez before Michael Barrett got Bradley into scoring position with a ground out.

Oswalt got out of the small jam by inducing another groundout by rookie Kevin Kouzmanoff.

Gonzalez had two hits and an RBI for the Padres, who have lost three of their last four.