June 7, 2006
BY CHRIS DUNCAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON-- While Roger Clemens gets ready to return, the Houston Astros have
found someone else to give their pitching rotation a boost.
Chris Sampson tossed seven innings of three-hit ball in his first major
league start Wednesday, leading the Houston Astros over the Chicago Cubs 1-0.
"I always expect myself to go out there and compete, succeed and work
hard for my teammates," said Sampson, a native of nearby Pasadena, Texas.
"I kept that same approach, just like I do every other start, in the minor
leagues."
Sampson set down the first 11 batters he faced, 10 on groundouts. He walked
Michael Barrett with two outs in the fourth, but got Todd Walker to fly out.
Dan Wheeler worked a hitless eighth and Brad Lidge pitched a perfect ninth
for his 15th save.
Clemens is due to make his return start at Minute Maid Park on June 22, but
manager Phil Garner likes what he's seen lately from his staff without the
Rocket. On Tuesday night, three pitchers combined to scatter seven hits in a 4-1
victory.
"One of our biggest problems is we've not been able to establish that
flow in a game," Garner said. "The last couple nights, that's more the
flow we like to see."
Sampson was called up from Triple-A Round Rock on June 2 and made his major
league debut later that day, allowing six hits and three runs in 5 1-3 innings
of relief against the Cincinnati Reds.
With Roy Oswalt nursing a sore back, manager Phil Garner decided to start
Sampson, who was 7-1 with a 2.79 ERA in 10 starts this season with Round Rock.
Sampson (1-0) said he had about 100 friends and family in the stands
Wednesday and he put on a show, outdueling Cubs rookie starter Sean Marshall
(3-4).
Of the 21 batters Sampson retired, 16 grounded out. He didn't have any
strikeouts, but assisted on six putouts.
"He was very much in control, very composed," catcher Brad Ausmus
said. "He seems to be the type of guy who enjoys the energy of being on the
mound."
Ausmus, batting .321 since April 13, led off the third with a long homer off
that bounced off the brick facade in left field, his first. Outside of that
mistake, Marshall was just as sharp as Sampson, striking out Morgan Ensberg and
Preston Wilson to end the fourth.
John Mabry reached on an infield single in the fifth for the Cubs' first hit.
Jason Lane led off the bottom half with a deep fly that sailed just outside
the left-field foul pole. Umpire Jim Reynolds called it a home run at first and
a cannon blast echoed through Minute Maid Park as Cubs manager Dusty Baker
jogged out to protest. Umpires Tim Welke and Kerwin Danley conferred with
Reynolds and the ball was ruled foul.
Lane eventually walked, but Marshall struck out Ausmus and Adam Everett
rolled into a double play.
"He was keeping us in the game, doing his job," Baker said of
Marshall. "If you pitch like that every time, you're going to win a lot of
ballgames."
Craig Biggio and Lance Berkman reached on sharp grounders in the sixth that
Aramis Ramirez misplayed--both were ruled hits--but Marshall got Ensberg to fly
out to end the threat.
Marshall has tossed at least seven innings in three starts this season and is
tied with Pittsburgh's Paul Maholm for most starts by an NL rookie (12).
"Great effort by him," Baker said. "You just don't think
you're going to lose a game 1-0."
Barrett led off the seventh with a single to center, the first ball a Cub hit
to the outfield since the fourth. With two outs, Mabry lined a single to right,
but Matt Murton flew out to Lane and Sampson smacked his glove with
satisfaction.
"He did a real nice job," Ausmus said. "He didn't seem to be
overmatched mentally or physically."
Marshall allowed four hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked
three and got a quick pep talk from Cubs ace Greg Maddux after the game.
"The guys who bounce back from losses the best, stay around the
longest," Marshall said Maddux told him. "It's unfortunate to get a
loss in a game like this, but that's just baseball."
Notes: The Astros took two of three from the Cubs, Houston's first
series win since May 19-21. ... CF Chris Burke left the game in the third inning
when he re-separated his left shoulder whiffing on a pitch. Willy Taveras
replaced Burke, who had started 11 of the last 13 games. Burke hurt his shoulder
the first time when he crashed into the wall at Coors Field on May 6. He was
placed on the disabled list and missed 13 games. After the game, Garner said
Burke was day to day. ... The Cubs have won the season series with the Astros
the past three years.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
