Astros shoot past Pirates
HOUSTON — Roy Oswalt moved into second place on Houston's career strikeouts list, but he was thinking more about his embarrassing error after the Astros' 4-3 victory over Pittsburgh Friday night.
Carlos Lee had a two-run double and Jeff Keppinger and Pedro Feliz drove in runs for the Astros, who've won six of eight after an 0-8 start.
Oswalt (2-2) allowed four hits, struck out four and didn't give up a run until his last inning, the seventh. That inning started with Ryan Church's slow bunt that rolled between Oswalt's legs, the Houston ace's first error in 121 starts dating to May 2006.
"My 4-year-old could've caught that ball, that's the bad part about it," Oswalt said. "Just took my eye off of it, kind of came up and was thinking it was an automatic out, instead of fielding the ball and throwing to first."
Oswalt dominated the punchless Pirates' offense to that point, allowing only two hits. The mistake knocked him off his game, though, and he gave up homers to Garrett Jones and Jeff Clement in the inning.
"I kind of let my guard down and got to thinking about the error," Oswalt said. "I started heaving the ball up there, I don't what I was thinking. Just kind of lost my mind there for a second."
Oswalt regrouped and struck out Delwyn Young, moving past J.R. Richard on the Astros' list (1,494). Nolan Ryan is the franchise leader with 1,866.
Brandon Lyon pitched a perfect eighth and Matt Lindstrom shut out Pittsburgh in the ninth to earn his fifth save in five chances this season.
Left-hander Paul Maholm (1-2) gave up four runs on six hits in seven innings, losing for the first time in his last five starts at Minute Maid Park.
But the Pirates seemed upbeat about their effort after a franchise-worst 20-0 loss to Milwaukee on Thursday.
"We battled, and the guys came out ready to play," Maholm said. "The guys knew what they had to do."
Maholm didn't allow a hit until Oswalt's one-out single in the third inning. One out later, Keppinger ripped a grounder that went through Young's legs at third base for a double and a 1-0 lead.
Oswalt retired nine in a row after Jones' leadoff single in the second. Ryan Doumit led off the fifth with a single, but Oswalt set down the next three hitters, striking out Maholm to end the inning.
