NATIONAL LEAGUE Wagner wastes Pirates

The Houston Astros' closer was clocked at 101 mph in gaining his 25th save.
HOUSTON (AP) -- Billy Wagner thinks someone might be tinkering with Minute Maid Park's radar gun.
The Houston closer was clocked at 101 mph as he struck out Reggie Sanders to start a perfect ninth inning Sunday in the Astros' 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
"I don't know about that meter," Wagner said. "I think the thing is turned up when I come in. It doesn't feel like I'm throwing that hard. I know a few hitters certainly have managed to time it this year."
Not on Sunday. Wagner retired the side on just eight pitches for his 25th save, the most he's ever had at the All-Star break. His single-season high is 39, in 1999 and 2001.
Team effort
Starter Tim Redding (6-8) scattered five hits in winning his second straight start.
Redding left after a leadoff single by Randall Simon in the seventh, and the bullpen took it from there.
Brad Lidge pitched a scoreless seventh, and Octavio Dotel gave up a two-run homer to Aramis Ramirez in the eighth.
Once Wagner took the mound in the ninth, with Houston up 5-2, Redding figured the win was secure.
"He sure makes it easier for starters like me," Redding said. "You just know that 99.9 percent of the time you have a chance of winning when he comes in behind you."
Josh Fogg (5-4) didn't give the Pirates much of a chance, giving up three runs on five hits and two walks in two innings.
"I didn't do a very good job," Fogg said. "That's just what it boils down to. I didn't stay out there very long and I didn't get very many people out."
Missing his target
Fogg ran into control problems in the first. With two outs, he walked Jeff Bagwell and Lance Berkman, then hit Richard Hidalgo and Morgan Ensberg to force in the first run.
"I felt fine in the bullpen and I felt fine when I went out there," Fogg said.
"I just walked a few people in the first, hit a couple of guys and got myself into some trouble."
The Astros made it 2-0 on Craig Biggio's RBI single in the second, and Berkman hit his 17th homer leading off the third.
Bagwell and Geoff Blum also had RBI singles for the Astros, 25-6 against the Pirates at Minute Maid Park.
"That doesn't tick me off," Pittsburgh manager Lloyd McClendon said. "They've pretty much had our number here. What else can you say? They've pitched better, hit better, executed better and they've gotten the wins. It's that simple."
The ballpark becomes even tougher on visitors once Wagner comes in.
The All-Star enters to the pulsing beats of Metallica's "Enter Sandman," and the scoreboard shows doctored highlights of him throwing fireballs.
Then Wagner starts pitching and shows why -- regardless of how fast his pitches actually travel -- he's one of the best relievers in the game.
"He gets that meter going and he gets the fans going too," Williams said.
"He's worth the price of admission alone. I'd certainly pay just to see him pitch."
Notes
Pittsburgh's Jason Kendall extended his career-high hitting streak to 18 games.
Blum's hitting streak reached 15 games.
Bagwell needs one home run to tie Dale Murphy for 34th on the career list with 398.