Recap: Houston vs. Arizona
Sports Network | August 16, 2008
Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Miguel Montero hit a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, and added a double as the Arizona Diamondbacks clobbered the Houston Astros, 11-5, in the middle installment of a three-game set at Minute Maid Park.
Chris Young added a grand slam, the first time in club history that the team has two slams in one game, while Adam Dunn went 2-for-2 with three walks, an RBI and two runs scored for the Diamondbacks, who have won five of their last six.
Yusmeiro Petit (2-3) got the win as he gave up just two runs on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts in seven innings of work for Arizona, which currently holds a half-game lead over Los Angeles for first place in the NL West. The Dodgers are currently taking on Milwaukee.
Ty Wigginton hit a pair of doubles and a triple, scored twice and drove in a run while Brandon Backe (7-12) gave up all 11 runs on nine hits with five walks in 5 2/3 innings of work for the Astros, who have dropped two straight on the heels of a season-high eight-game winning streak.
The Diamondbacks got on top in the first inning. Stephen Drew led off with a walk and Young followed with a single. Two batters later, Adam Dunn singled to bring home Drew for a 1-0 lead. Mark Reynolds then walked to load the bases, but Chad Tracy got the second out of the inning on a popup to second. Montero, though, followed with a slam over the right field wall for a 5-0 lead.
The Astros got a run back in the home half of the inning as Darin Erstad led off with a double and Lance Berkman later brought him home with a single.
Montero hit his second home run of the game to begin the fourth to give Arizona a 6-1 lead, and in the fifth, Reynolds extended that lead by one more run with an RBI single.
Arizona got its second grand slam of the game in the sixth as Young belted a full-count fastball into the left field stands for an 11-1 advantage.
Wigginton led off the seventh with a double, moved to third on Hunter Pence's fly out and crossed the plate as Humberto Quintero grounded out to make it an 11-2 game.
Houston attempted to rally in the ninth, but it fell short. Geoff Blum led off with a single, the 800th hit of his career, and Wigginton nailed a triple off the center field wall. Pence followed with a double to score Wigginton and moved to third on Quintero's fly out. J.R. House then grounded out to score Pence, but Erstad struck out to end the game.
Former Houston legend Craig Biggio will have his No. 7 jersey retired by the team in Sunday's series finale...It was the second career two-run HR game for Montero...It was the fourth time Houston gave up two slams in one game...Before the game, Houston placed infielder Kazuo Matsui on the 15-day disabled list with an irritated disc, retroactive to August 13 and purchased the contract of catcher/infielder House from Triple-A Round Rock...Arizona has taken four of five against Houston this season...Petit had dropped his previous two starts...It was Montero's and Young's first career grand slams...Wigginton has a 13-game hit streak.
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