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Astros face Rangers after Chacon incident

Jun 26, 2008 - 1:12 PM Texas (40-39) at Houston (36-42) 7:05 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON (Ticker) -- The Houston Astros appeared to be rounding into form after a season-high losing streak. Hopefully a violent altercation won't spoil the team's resurgence.

The Astros try to stay on course when they wrap up a three-game interleague series against the Texas Rangers on Thursday.

After enduring an eight-game slide, Houston rebounded by winning three of its next four games before falling to the Rangers, 3-2, on Wednesday.

Before the contest, righthander Shawn Chacon - who had recently been demoted to the bullpen after posting an 0-3 record and a 9.35 ERA in June - grabbed general manager Ed Wade by the throat and threw him to the ground.

While Chacon, 30, was eating in the lunch room after batting practice, manager Cecil Cooper asked the pitcher to join him and Wade in his office. After refusing Cooper's request, Wade sat down next to him to try to once again convince the righthander to join them.

The exchange became heated when Wade began to yell at the pitcher, saying that Chacon needed "to (expletive) look in the mirror."

It was then when the confrontation turned physical.

"So, at that point, I lost my cool and I grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground," Chacon told the Houston Chronicle. "I jumped on top of him because, at that point, I wanted to beat his (butt). Words were exchanged."

Chacon has been suspended indefinitely and won't be around for the series finale which pits Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez (2-3, 2.81 ERA) against Rangers ace Kevin Millwood (5-3, 4.61).