Error Cost Phillies Sweep

Ricky Bottalico fielded the ball cleanly and made the right decision to try for the lead runner. After that, his plan went awry.

With the score tied 6-6, Moises Alou and Lance Berkman both walked off Bottalico (1-2) with no outs in the ninth.

Chris Truby attempted to bunt the runners over, and Bottalico fielded the ball and threw to third in a bid to erase Barker, who was pinch-running for Alou.

The throw was wild, and third baseman Scott Rolen was unable to stop it from going down the left-field line as Barker scored, giving the Houston Astros a 7-6 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

"Bottalico made a really good play getting to the ball," Astros manager Larry Dierker said. "Fortunately for us, he threw it wild, because he did everything else right."

Truby thought Barker`s reputation for speed helped Houston`s cause.

"I think with Barker running, (Bottalico) might have rushed the throw because Barker`s so fast," Truby said. "I thought I had bunted it too close to him, but it worked out."

Bottalico admitted Barker`s speed bothered him.

"I got to the ball in good shape, but I didn`t make the throw," Bottalico said. "I didn`t square up and I hurried it. It was do or die because I`ve got to get that guy. I had a shot to get him at third."

Bottalico pitched a strong eighth, allowing only Craig Biggio`s infield single.

"It was like two different worlds for me," Bottalico said. "In the eighth inning, I felt great. In the ninth, I didn`t have very good stuff. The first guy, I kept throwing the ball down and the second guy I was up and away."

Manager Larry Bowa had no complaint with Bottalico`s decision to throw to third.

"Ricky made a good play to get to it, and that just happens," Bowa said. "The guy at second is a good runner. He made the right play because a good throw gets him out. It`s easy to second guess after he threw it away."

Billy Wagner (2-1) was one out away from his seventh save in seven chances, but Pat Burrell`s double off Alou`s glove in right field drove in Mike Lieberthal from first, tying the game.

Charlie Hayes` sacrifice fly in the seventh gave the Astros a 6-5 lead.

Hayes, subbing at third base for Truby, drove in his first run of the year. Hayes, just 2-for-14 for the season, brought in Richard Hidalgo with a fly ball to right field.

Houston starter Wade Miller lasted six innings and gave up five runs, three of them earned, on nine hits. Phillies starter Bruce Chen went five innings and allowed five runs on seven hits.

Rolen`s base-loaded single drove in two runs in the third inning, giving Philadelphia a 2-0 lead.

Jeff Bagwell`s three-run homer, his 10th homer of the year, put Houston in front in the bottom of the inning, but Marlon Anderson`s RBI single in the fourth tied the game at 3.

Philadelphia scored twice in the fifth on Bobby Abreu`s solo homer and a sacrifice fly by Anderson.

Berkman`s eighth homer scored Alou ahead of him to tie it 5-5 in the sixth.

Notes:
Berkman`s home run was his first right-handed this season ... Astros ss Julio Lugo`s stolen base in the third inning gave him a team-high four ... Burrell leads all National League outfielders with five assists ... The Phillies (20-13) have not been in first place this late in the season since 1995, when they were 24-9 after 33 games.

(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News (AP)