BASEBALL Astros use 6 to no-hit Yanks

Roy Oswalt's injury put five relievers to work.
NEW YORK (AP) -- It took a record six pitchers to no-hit the New York Yankees, and that wasn't the only bizarre thing about the Houston Astros' big night in the Bronx.
Forced to scramble after ace Roy Oswalt was injured, five relievers finished off the first no-hitter against the Yankees in 45 years.
Completing the Astros' 8-0 victory Wednesday night were: Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner.
"First appearance for most of us in Yankee Stadium," Wagner said. "What better place could there be? This is like the history book."
It was the most pitchers ever to combine on a no-hitter in the majors -- the previous record was four, done twice.
Streak snapped
The Yankees had gone 6,980 games -- the longest streak in big league history -- without being no-hit, since Hoyt Wilhelm's 1-0 victory for Baltimore on Sept. 20, 1958.
The last time New York was held hitless at Yankee Stadium was on Aug. 25, 1952, by Detroit's Virgil Trucks.
With Yankees' fans standing and applauding, Wagner pumped his fist as he stepped on first base to end it. Many the Astros ran onto the field to give high-fives while the Yankees couldn't clear out of the dugout fast enough.
"This is one of the worst games I've ever been involved in," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "It was a total, inexcusable performance."
Low point for Torre
Torre called it the low point for the Yankees since he started managing the club in 1996.
"Tonight was an ugly, ugly performance," he said. "Once things started snowballing, I think we lost our composure."
Wagner, who kept the final ball, couldn't even hear the crowd as he wrapped up Houston's eighth win in nine games.
"My heart was about to pound out of my chest," he said.
The closest New York came to a hit was in the fifth inning against Saarloos, when Alfonso Soriano sent a fly ball into short left field. Lance Berkman, who hit a two-run run homer in the third inning, ran in, stuck out his glove and made a tumbling catch.
"It wasn't that close," Berkman said. "It probably looked more spectacular than it really was."
Third baseman Geoff Blum made a barehanded pickup on Juan Rivera in the third inning and threw him out at first.
"One guy usually goes out there and does it," Astros manager Jimy Williams said. "Maybe two, but not six."
Bullpen dominance
Many of the Astros hadn't even realized a no-hitter was in progress until the late innings -- Wagner said Jeff Kent didn't even know it at the end of the game. But out in the bullpen, Wagner knew it would come down to him.
"I'm sitting out there going, 'Oh my goodness,' " Wagner said. "Jimy doesn't even have to call."
Astros pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts, including four by Dotel in the eighth, which tied the major league record for an inning. Soriano reached when he struck out on a wild pitch.
Wagner struck out Jorge Posada and pinch-hitter Bubba Trammell to start the ninth.
Wagner then got Hideki Matsui to ground to first base with one pitch to complete the Astros' 10th no-hitter, the first since Darryl Kile against the New York Mets on Sept. 8, 1993.
And it came on the 65th anniversary of Johnny Vander Meer's first no-hitter. The only pitcher to throw consecutive no-hitters, he started that streak on June 11, 1938, for Cincinnati against the Boston Braves.