Pirates complete sweep of Astros with 5-3 win

Jason Bay's two-run single in the sixth inning was the difference.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Phil Garner won a World Series playing for Pittsburgh and managed in the All-Star game there last summer. Right now, the Houston manager probably isn't excited about returning to the city where he has enjoyed some of his best moments in baseball.
Jason Bay's two-run single in the sixth inning off Wandy Rodriguez gave the Pirates a 5-3 victory Thursday over Houston and their second three-game sweep of the Astros this season.
Stranded too many runners
Barely 12 hours after the Astros left 18 runners on base during a 4-3, 16-inning loss to the Pirates, they stranded 13 and played sloppily in the field with two errors during Pittsburgh's go-ahead sixth inning against Rodriguez (0-3). The Astros have lost six in a row, including a 3-0 defeat Tuesday in which they were limited to three singles, and went 3-6 during a four-city road trip.
"It's good to be going home," said Garner, whose team begins a six-game homestand Friday. "We just lost our offense. We had some good games but we also had some games we didn't appear to focused on."
Houston pushed across two runs in the ninth but John Grabow bailed out closer Salomon Torres by getting Adam Everett to ground into a forceout at second with the bases loaded to end the game. It was Grabow's first save since 2004.
The Pirates are 6-0 against the Astros this season after going 3-13 last season and have swept successive series for the first time since 1979 -- when Garner was the third baseman on Pittsburgh's World Series-winning team. The Pirates also swept a season-opening series in Houston from April 2-4.
"It was good to get the sweep, that's for sure," said manager Jim Tracy, whose Pirates are 10-10 after being 5-15 a year ago. "There has been some dramatic improvement, and I know there's more to come. I know we're a better offensive team than we've shown so far."
Quick game for change
For a change, the two teams had a relatively normal game with no long rain delays or extra innings. Their four most recent meetings in PNC Park before Thursday included games lasting 16 and 15 innings and a 31/2-hour rain delay before an afternoon game in September. They also played an 18-inning game at PNC in May.
The Astros even lost a pitcher to injury when he wasn't pitching. Rick White went on the disabled list with a strained muscle in his left side that occurred while he was warming up Wednesday.
With both teams' bullpens depleted by Wednesday night's long game, Rodriguez gave the Houston staff a lift by limiting the Pirates to five hits over seven-plus innings, but took the loss despite being in trouble only once.
"Wandy pitched such a great game, it's a tough one to waste," Mark Loretta said. "We're a little funk right now driving in runs, Those things come in streaks, and hopefully we'll get home and get some confidence. It was a tough road trip with all the cities."
Winning rally
Jose Castillo, who entered the game during a double switch in the top of the sixth, singled and Chris Duffy drew one of two walks by Rodriguez. With one out, Freddy Sanchez reached as third baseman Mike Lamb -- possibly distracted by Castillo running toward third -- misplayed his grounder. Bay's opposite-field single scored Castillo and Duffy, with Sanchez moving to third on the play when right fielder Luke Scott mishandled the ball.
Jonah Bayliss (2-1) got the victory by pitching two scoreless but adventuresome innings, working out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the sixth by getting Rodriguez to ground into a double play. Garner might have hit for Rodriguez if his bullpen had been rested.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.