Recap: Houston vs. Atlanta
Sports Network | September 27, 2008
Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Josh Anderson hit two home runs as the Atlanta Braves downed the Houston Astros, 11-5, in the second of three games from Minute Maid Park.
Jeff Francoeur went 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored while Brandon Jones added three RBI for the Braves, who have won three of their last four. James Parr started on the mound, but lasted just 4 1/3 innings as he gave up five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits with a pair of walks. Vladimir Nunez (1-2) got his first win since 2004 for throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Hunter Pence hit a solo home run while Humberto Quintero went 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Astros, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Brandon Backe (9-14) was shelled for eight runs on eight hits in just 1 1/3 innings of work, which was his shortest outing of the season.
Atlanta scored early and often as the team plated nine runners over the first two innings.
In the first, Anderson started the game with a home run that hit off the right field foul pole. With runners on second and third and two outs later in the inning, Jones hit a two-run double.
In the second, James Parr singled with one out and Anderson followed with a home run to right. After loading the bases, Backe was chased from the mound and Jack Cassel took the hill.
Francoeur greeted Cassel with a bases-clearing double and he then scored when Jones followed with a single for a 9-0 lead.
Pence hit a one-out solo homer in the second to get Houston on the board and Lance Berkman's RBI single in the third made it a 9-2 game.
The Astros continued to chip away at their deficit in the fourth on an RBI double from Mark Saccomanno that scored Quintero.
Houston got two more runs in the fifth. Michael Bourn led off with a double and scored when Miguel Tejada followed with a ground-rule double. After Berkman grounded out, Geoff Blum singled to plate Tejada and make it a 9-5 game.
Brent Lillibridge's two-run triple in the ninth for Atlanta accounted for the final score.
It was Anderson's first multi-home run game of his career...Backe is 3-5 over his last 11 starts. He is 2-2 in six games, including four starts, against the Braves...Atlanta has won three of the five games against Houston this season...Berkman's RBI single in the third was has 1,449th hit in his career, which moved him into fifth place in Astros history...Tejada's RBI was the 1,100th of his career...All nine starters for the Braves got a hit in the game.
