Astros close to drawing wild card

They need a victory today or a San Francisco Giants defeat.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros are one win from completing an amazing late-season playoff push.
Roy Oswalt became the NL's first 20-game winner, and Jeff Kent and Craig Biggio each homered twice, giving the Astros the NL wild-card lead with a 9-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday.
The Astros moved a game ahead of the San Francisco Giants, who lost 7-3 to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Chicago Cubs were eliminated from the postseason race after losing their fifth straight, 8-6 to Atlanta.
With a victory in the regular-season finale today or a Giants loss, Houston will clinch the NL's final playoff spot -- an improbable thought almost a month ago when it was four games below .500 and seven games behind the Cubs.
Roger Clemens was set to take the mound against the Rockies on only three days' rest.
If the Astros lose and the Giants win today, the teams would play Monday afternoon in San Francisco. The winner would get the wild card.
Morgan Ensberg and Eric Bruntlett hit solo shots to help the Astros set a season high with six homers, extending their franchise-record home winning streak to 17 games.
COLORADOHOUSTON
abrhbiabrhbi
Barmes 2b3100Biggio lf4223
Clayton ss4021Sprger p0000
Helton 1b4000CBeltrn cf5010
Castilla 3b4121Bgwell 1b4100
Burnitz cf4000Brkmn rf3110
Hawpe rf4000JKent 2b3223
TGreen c4020Ensbrg 3b3112
Piedra lf3111RChavz c4010
Estes p1000Brntlett ss3221
Tracy ph1000Oswalt p3000
Brnero p0000Wheelr p0000
MaSwy ph1000Lamb ph1000
Hrkala p0000Lane lf0000
Totals33373Totals339109
Colorado010000020--3
Houston11212011x--9
E--Clayton (9), Hawpe (1). DP--Colorado 2, Houston 1. LOB--Colorado 4, Houston 6. 2B--Clayton (36), TGreene (14). HR--Castilla (35), Piedra (3), Biggio 2 (24), JKent 2 (27), Ensberg (10), Bruntlett (4). SB--Bruntlett (4). SF--Biggio.
IPHRERBBSO
Colorado
Estes L,15-8475532
Bernero333312
Harikkala101111
Houston
Oswalt W,20-10751106
Wheeler122212
Springer100001
Umpires--Home, Gary Cederstrom; First, Jim Reynolds; Second, Andy Fletcher; Third, Tim Welke. T--2:19. A--43,279.
Marlins 4, Phillies 3
PHILADELPHIA -- Mike Lowell and Miguel Cabrera each homered to lead the Marlins to a win over Philadelphia, hours after the Phillies fired manager Larry Bowa.
Bowa led the Phillies to consecutive winning seasons for the first time in 21 years, but they failed to reach the playoffs for the 11th straight season after coming in as favorites to win the NL East.
The Phillies clinched their third winning season in four years under Bowa, but his fiery personality and win-at-all-cost mentality clashed with a few of the laid-back players. Before Bowa took over in 2001, the Phillies had losing records 13 of the previous 14 seasons.
Bench coach Gary Varsho managed the team Saturday and will be on the bench for today's finale.
Josh Beckett (9-9) gave up an RBI single to Tomas Perez in the second and a solo homer to Jason Michaels in the sixth to finish at .500 on the season and in his career (26-26).
Beckett, the World Series MVP last season, scattered seven hits and struck out five in eight innings. With a 4-2 lead in the seventh, Beckett put runners on second and third with one out, but retired Chase Utley and Michaels on fly balls.
FLORIDAPHILA
abrhbiabrhbi
Pierre cf3220Utley 2b5000
LCstillo 2b4000Mchels cf4121
Cbrera lf4112BAbreu rf3010
Lowell 3b4112Thome 1b4010
Easley 1b4000DaBell 3b4000
L Duca c4000Burrell lf3120
Aguila rf3000Byrd pr0100
AGnzlz ss3000Lbrthal c3000
Beckett p3010ToPerz ss3021
Benitez p0000Milton p2000
Glnville ph0000
TJones p0000
Howard ph1011
Totals32454Totals32393
Florida200002000--4
Philadelphia010001001--3
DP--Florida 2. LOB--Florida 2, Philadelphia 7. 2B--Pierre (22), Michaels (12), Howard (5). 3B--ToPerez (2). HR--Cabrera (33), Lowell (27), Michaels (10). S--Glanville.
IPHRERBBSO
Florida
Beckett W,9-9872225
Benitez S,47121111
Philadelphia
Milton L,14-6734415
TJones220001
HBP--by Beckett (Lieberthal). Umpires--Home, Wally Bell; First, Laz Diaz; Second, Bill Welke; Third, John Hirschbeck. T--2:20. A--36,279.
Expos 6, Mets 3
NEW YORK -- Brad Wilkerson hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the ninth inning, lifting Montreal in the Expos' next-to-last game before moving to Washington.
Wilkerson, who also had two doubles, connected against reliever Braden Looper (2-5) after an error by Kaz Matsui -- making his second start at second base -- and a walk to pinch-hitter Ryan Church.
Juan Rivera and Valentino Pascucci also homered for the Expos, who have won the first two games of the series against the Mets. The team is relocating following the season after 36 years in Montreal.
MONTREALNEW YORK
abrhbiabrhbi
Wlkrsn 1b5233Reyes ss5000
Izturis ss5010Matsui 2b5120
TBtsta 3b5000Wright 3b4010
JRivra cf4111Piazza c3010
Sledge lf4021Valent lf3110
Pscuci rf3111Wllams lf1001
EChvez cf1000Cmeron cf4111
Schndr c4000Diaz rf4021
Harris 2b4110Zeile 1b4000
LHrndz p2000Leiter p2000
Ayala p0000Brazell ph1000
Eschen p0000Frtnato p0000
CCrdro p0000Looper p0000
Church ph0100WDgdo ph1010
Mjwski p0000
Totals37696Totals37393
Montreal100002003--6
New York000010110--3
E--Izturis (8), Matsui (24). LOB--Montreal 7, New York 8. 2B--Wilkerson 2 (39), Harris (3), Matsui (32), Wright (17), Valent (15), Diaz (3). HR--Wilkerson (32), JRivera (12), Pascucci (2), Cameron (30). SB--Izturis (4).
IPHRERBBSO
Montreal
LHernandez762207
Ayala1-321110
Eischen000000
CCordero W,7-3 2-300001
Majewski S,1110000
New York
Leiter773326
Fortunato100000
Looper L,2-5123210
Eischen pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. Umpires--Home, Mike Everitt; First, Angel Hernandez; Second, Mark Wegner; Third, Larry Young. T--3:03. A--30,147.
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