Here comes Tim 'Cy Young' Redding (4 innings, 1 hit 0 ER)

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Astros end Tribe's winning streak
Houston breaks out of tie in eighth inning

By Jim Molony / MLB.com

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Barry Wesson's solo homer broke an eighth-inning tie and Carlos Rivera went 2-for-2 with a home run as the Houston Astros ended Cleveland's five-game winning streak with a 7-3 victory Saturday at Chain of Lakes Park.
Wesson's homer off Paul Shuey (0-1) was his first extra-base hit of the spring and snapped a 3-3 tie.

Rivera's shot to right off Jake Westbrook gave Houston a 1-0 lead in the fifth and gave the first baseman a team-high seven RBIs. Rivera, who is hitting .583 (7-for-12), later added a single.

Brandon Duckworth (1-0) pitched 3 2/3 innings and allowed an unearned run on four hits to earn the victory. He walked one and struck out three. Duckworth, who has struck out eight in 6 2/3 innings this spring, has a 1.35 ERA.

Houston starter Tim Redding pitched four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out six.

Cleveland starter Kevin Millwood went three scoreless innings and gave up two hits. The right-hander walked two and struck out two.

 

Notes: Redding takes spring in stride

Hernandez looks strong in "B" game




WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Tim Redding doesn't put too much stock in Spring Training statistics, so he wasn't overly impressed with the six strikeouts and four scoreless innings he pitched against Cleveland on Saturday.

To Redding, who is competing for the fifth spot in the Houston rotation, it was just another part of the process of getting ready for the regular season.

"The game plan today was just to go out there and try to use all my pitches, get out of hitters' counts," Redding said. "[I was a] little disappointed in the two hit batters, especially since one was a 1-1 count and the other was 0-2. But that's what Spring Training is for."

Redding put up zeroes against a Cleveland team that had scored 84 runs in 11 previous games. He held one of the better lineups in baseball, with hitters like Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez, to a broken bat single. Spring Training or not, it was a noticeable effort.

"Obviously he was effective, he threw the ball a lot better in this outing than the last time we faced him," Cleveland outfielder Casey Blake said. "He had good command of his breaking ball and his fastball had good movement and he kept it down."

Redding's teammate, shortstop Adam Everett, said he thought Redding did a great job.

"That's the best I've seen him throw in a while," Everett said. "When you're competing for a job like he is, that's big for him to step up like he did today."

Manager Phil Garner also gave plaudits to Redding, who is out of options.

"He kept the fastball down in the zone a lot," Garner said. "When he missed he didn't miss [in a bad location]."

Of the 12 outs Redding recorded, six were by strikeout and four were by groundout. Four of the strikeouts were called.

"[Catcher] Brad [Ausmus] was giving me a great target, the umpire was a little generous on lefties," Redding said. "Everything was moving pretty good. A couple of two seamers I left up, they were just kind of diving away instead of sliding. The changeup was working well and once I got the feel for my curveball after the second inning I was able to throw a couple of curveballs for strikes."

Ausmus challenged Redding and the pitcher responded.

"Brad wasn't afraid to go back and call a pitch twice in a row," Redding said. "He's like, 'Make the adjustment, let's go, I need you to make this pitch.' That's where the confidence factor comes in, throwing to somebody who knows you and has confidence in you."


Hernandez shines: Left-hander Carlos Hernandez, who is attempting to nail down the fifth spot in the rotation, pitched four scoreless innings in an intrasquad "B" game at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee on Saturday morning.

Hernandez threw 48 total pitches, allowing just one hit. He struck out six and did not issue any walks as the Buffs beat the Colt .45s, 2-0.

"I thought he threw the ball very well today," Garner said. "He located his fastball well, changed his speeds."

Hernandez retired 11 consecutive batters before allowing a hit in the fourth inning to infielder Tommy Whiteman.

Hernandez was 9-4 with a 3.60 ERA in 23 starts at Triple-A New Orleans last season and 1-3 with a 6.43 ERA in nine starts with the Astros. He missed the entire 2003 season after undergoing surgery to repair a small tear of the labrum and another in the rotator cuff on his left shoulder on Feb. 4, 2003.

Right-hander Pete Munro also pitched four innings in the "B" game as the opposing starter for the Colt .45s. Munro gave up two runs on five hits, struck out three and hit one batter. He did not walk anyone and threw 43 pitches.

Munro gave up two runs on four hits in the third -- RBI singles by Eric Bruntlett and Trenidad Hubbard.

Familiar face: Randy Johnson pitches against the Astros on Sunday, offering a chance for Houston first baseman Jeff Bagwell to catch up with his old friend and former teammate.

"I've had the privilege of playing with two of the best pitchers of all time," Bagwell said, referring to Johnson and Roger Clemens. "There seems to be a lot of similarities and that's no coincidence. Both of them are obviously extremely talented, but both of them put a lot of hard work into it and it certainly shows."

Johnson was Bagwell's teammate in 1998 and Clemens joined the Astros last season.


Purpura hobbled:/b Astros general manager Tim Purpura will be on crutches for a while as he recuperates from knee surgery.

Purpura underwent surgery on Monday in Houston to repair cartilage in his right knee. He had injured the knee while exercising on a treadmill. It was the seventh surgery Purpura has had on the knee and he will be wearing a knee brace for three to four more weeks.

"I didn't want to have to do it now, but it had to be done," Purpura said.


Quotable: "He could have pitched. [But] you run the risk if he's got to cover first, you run the risk of him hurting it and then really truly setting himself back." -- Purpura on Andy Pettitte's sprained right ankle


Extra bases: Eric Bruntlett went 2-for-3 in the "B" game. Also appearing in the game were minor leaguers Todd Self at first base, Alex Eckelman at second base and Kyle Logan in left field. ... Astros director of media relations Jimmy Stanton, a former college first baseman/third baseman, showed he still has the defensive skills when he fielded a foul ball in the press box off the bat of Brandon Phillips during the third inning. Stanton gave the ball to a young fan and drew a round of applause from the crowd.


On deck: Johnson and the New York Yankees visit sold out Osceola County Stadium on Sunday for a 12:05 p.m. CT game against right-hander Dave Burba and the Astros. Also scheduled to pitch for the Astros are left-hander Mike Gallo, right-hander Chad Harville, left-hander Phil Norton and right-hander Travis Driskill.

It is the Yankees' only visit to Kissimmee this spring. Standing-room-only tickets will go on sale for $7 at 10 a.m. ET.


http://houston.astros.mlb.com/NASAp...id=965590&vkey=spt2005news&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou

 

Another way of looking at it is that if he continues to do well, he will be easier to move.

Methinks Astacio will get the 5th spot.

Is it only me? I am so baseball hungry that I find myself listening to almost every Spring Training games on ESPN790 as much as I can. I cannot wait for the season to start.

Lane is slugging 0.700 with 3 homers.

Taveras is batting 0.278 with about 16 at bats, 3 steals and non caught.

Burke is struggling though with I believe something like 0.133 BA.

Bring on the Cards.

 

What do we have here? Dave Burba pitching 4 scoreless 2 hit innings against Randy Johnson and the Yankees. The last thing we need now is Burba stealing the 5th spot away from Astacio (or at worst Hernandez)

Oh btw Nick I agree with your last take.