Pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro's single drove in the tiebreaking run as the Houston Astros scored three times in the ninth inning and held on to beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 Saturday night and preserve their playoff hopes.
Andy Pettitte, moved up one day in the rotation, allowed only four hits in seven innings. He left with a 2-1 lead, but Adam LaRoche hit reliever Trever Miller's first pitch in the eighth inning for a game-tying home run to right field.
The Astros answered quickly in the ninth with help from the two errors by the Braves.
Brad Ausmus' sharp grounder off Braves closer Bob Wickman (0-2) bounced past second baseman Marcus Giles for the first error. Pinch-hitter Chris Burke followed with an infield single to third base, and Ausmus advanced to third on Chipper Jones' throw to first.
Palmeiro's single to right drove in Ausmus for a 3-2 lead. Palmeiro was forced out at second on Mike Lamb's fielder's choice grounder. Lance Berkman followed with a grounder to Edgar Renteria, whose throw to second base sailed into right field as Burke scored from third and Lamb scored from first. All three runs in the inning were unearned.
Miller (2-3) gave up one run in one inning. Dan Wheeler gave up RBI singles to Brian McCann and Daryle Ward before striking out LaRoche for his ninth save in 12 chances.
Berkman and Aubrey Huff homered for Houston, which faces another must-win game Sunday. However, the Astros also need a loss by St. Louis to preserve their playoff hopes.
After the Cardinals beat Milwaukee 3-2 earlier Saturday, Houston had to beat Atlanta to avoid being eliminated from the NL Central Division race. Houston is 1{ games behind St. Louis.
If Houston wins and St. Louis loses Sunday, the Cardinals would be forced to play a makeup game against San Francisco Monday. A St. Louis loss in that game would force a one-game playoff between the Astros and Cardinals for the division title.
Following Friday night's game, manager Phil Garner said he would start rookie Chris Sampson on Saturday. Garner changed his mind before Saturday's batting practice.
Though he was pitching on only three days' rest, Pettitte looked strong as he gave up only one run and struck out seven batters.
Pettitte opened with four perfect innings until Andruw Jones' leadoff single in the fifth. Pettitte was assisted by the free-swinging Braves batters. He threw only six pitches in the first inning and only 79 pitches through seven innings.
Braves starter Lance Cormier gave up a long homer to Berkman in the first inning. The Atlanta bullpen was up after Cormier loaded the bases on singles by Luke Scott and Huff and a walk to Craig Biggio, but Adam Everett's fly ball to right ended the inning.
Berkman's 45th homer landed near an outfield restaurant sign that shows the distance from home plate to be 452 feet.
Huff's 12th homer to centre in the sixth inning gave Houston a 2-0 lead.
LaRoche walked to lead off the sixth, moved to third on a single to right by Willy Aybar and scored when Marcus Giles pushed a sacrifice bunt toward first base, cutting the lead to 2-1.
Despite the rough first inning, Cormier lasted 5 1-3 innings, giving up eight hits and two runs.
Notes: Braves 3B Chipper Jones did not start as his left oblique injury keeps him out against left-handers. ... Craig Biggio was caught stealing in the sixth inning for only the second time in five attempts this season. ... Berkman's 135 RBIs matches Jeff Bagwell's team record set in 1997. Berkman's 45 homers are the second-highest total in team history, trailing Bagwell's 47 in 2000. ... Berkman dropped a pop foul hit by pinch-hitter Chipper Jones in the eighth inning for an error.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
