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Astros overcome perfect game bid, down Reds

Sep 28, 2007 - 3:23 AM CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- A game that started out perfectly for the Cincinnati Reds was ultimately decided because of the imperfections at the end.

Ty Wigginton scored the go-ahead run in the ninth inning on Carlos Lee's RBI single during a wild sequence, leading the Houston Astros to a 4-3 victory over the Reds Thursday night.

Leading, 2-0, Cincinnati starter Matt Belisle was perfect through six innings, but things started to unravel in the seventh.

Houston rookie Josh Anderson ended the righthander's bid to become the 18th pitcher in major league history to throw a perfect game and first since Arizona's Randy Johnson accomplished the feat in 2004 by leading off the inning with a single.

"He kept us off balance," Anderson said. "He wasn't walking anybody. I just wanted to stay aggressive and get a fastball I could hit."

"It was just a great flow," said Belisle, whose inconsistency led to a trip to the minors from August 11-August 25. "Rossie (catcher David Ross) and I got it going early. They were swinging and I was getting ahead early. It was a great feeling. I knew what was going on but I didn't care. I just wanted to shut them down and win the game."

Belisle left after seven innings, allowing two runs and three hits. He was lifted for a pinch-hitter Brandon Phillips after throwing just 80 pitches.

"When you get the opportunity to score some runs, you have to take it," Cincinnati interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "His stuff is there. He just has to pitch like that more consistently. There is no reason he can't be successful."

Gary Majewski (0-4), the fourth pitcher of the contest for the Reds, came on in the ninth and retired Chris Burke before surrendering a double to Wigginton. Lee took the righthander's next pitch and grounded it past shortstop Pedro Lopez into left field.

Lee set a new career high with his 117th RBI, eclipsing the high water mark he set last season.

"It feels good to go out there and have the satisfaction (that) you did your job," Lee said. "We wanted to be celebrating the playoffs right now, but things don't always work out. Regardless of the situation, you have to go out and do your job. You have to have pride."

Joey Votto, playing just his fourth career game in left field, played the ball and fired a throw well over the head of Ross, which allowed Wigginton to score easily, giving the Astros a 3-2 lead.

Lee's alert base running on Votto's throw set up what proved to be the winning run.

"You knew there would be a play at the plate, so you want to get to scoring position for the next guy," Lee said. "I read the throw was going to be over the catcher, so I kept going."

Majewski, who was backing up Ross on the play, caught the ball on the fly and unleashed another errant throw over the head of second baseman Jeff Keppinger into center field, allowing Lee to take third on the two-base error. Three batters later, Eric Bruntlett plated Lee with a run-scoring single to double the Houston bulge to 4-2.

Reliever Dave Borkowski (5-3) pitched the eighth in relief of starter Wandy Rodriguez to get the win before yielding in the ninth to closer Brad Lidge, who worked around consecutive walks to open the frame to nail down his 18th save in 26 chances.

Edwin Encarnacion continued his stellar post-All-Star break run with a two-run homer in the first for the Reds, who have dropped five straight. Since the "Midsummer Classic", the 24-year-old is hitting .315 (75-for-238) with 10 home runs and 40 RBI.

The Reds have lost five straight and Houston recorded its first sweep in Cincinnati since August 30-September 1, 2004. It was the first road sweep since Houston interim manager Cecil Cooper took over for Phil Garner.