Recap: Chicago Cubs vs. Houston
Sports Network | September 01, 2008
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Roy Oswalt took a shutout into the ninth inning, and Hunter Pence finished with two hits and batted in a run as Houston blanked the Cubs, 3-0, in the first of three games with Chicago. Oswalt (13-9) gave up just four hits and struck out three in 8 1/3 innings, and won for the fifth time in his past six starts. Miguel Tejada finished 2-for-4 with a triple, while Lance Berkman had two hits and two walks for the Astros, who have won six straight games. Jason Marquis (9-8) took the loss despite giving up just two runs on five hits and three walks in six innings. He also struck out eight for the Cubs, who remained 4 1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee atop the NL Central, after the Brewers lost to the Mets on Monday. Chicago had four hits, all of them singles, and lost its third in a row for the first time since mid-July. Oswalt was sharp from the outset, as he didn't allow a baserunner until Geovany Soto led off the third with a single. A fielder's choice ground out left Ryan Theriot on first, and Marquis sacrificed the runner to second. But Oswalt got Alfonso Soriano to pop out and end the inning. Tejada led off the top of the fourth with a triple, and Berkman followed with a walk. Geoff Blum's sacrifice fly brought in Tejada, and Berkman raced to second on the throw, then stole third. Pence's single plated another run for a 2-0 Houston edge. Oswalt set Chicago down in order in the fourth and fifth, then worked around a leadoff single by Theriot in the sixth, and was perfect again in the seventh. The Astros added one more run in the top of the eighth after Tejada and Berkman led off with back-to-back base hits. That left runners on the corners, and Jeff Samardzija's wild pitch allowed Tejada to score. Oswalt threw a 1-2-3 eighth before getting one out in the ninth. However, singles from Daryle Ward and Soriano prompted Oswalt's departure, and Jose Valverde entered to a tense situation, with the tying run at the plate. But Valverde got Kosuke Fukudome to ground into a fielder's choice, and defensive indifference left two runners in scoring position for Derrek Lee. However, Lee flied out on a somewhat deep fly ball to right field to end the game. Game Notes Valverde picked up his 38th save of the season...Chicago fell to 51-22 at home...Houston opened a six-game road trip...The Astros lead the season series, 7-6. Game Notes Valverde picked up his 38th save of the season...Chicago fell to 51-22 at home...Houston opened a six-game road trip...The Astros lead the season series, 7-6.
New FanShot
