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09/08/10 10:05:00
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09/08 22:02 CDT Myers helps Astros beat Cubs 4-0
Myers helps Astros beat Cubs 4-0
CHICAGO (AP) -- Brett Myers struck out eight in seven crisp innings, Hunter
Pence homered and the Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs 4-0 on Wednesday
night.
Myers (11-7) allowed three hits and walked one, improving to 10-3 with a 2.21
ERA in 17 career games against the Cubs. The right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.76
ERA in his last six starts overall.
Myers has lasted at least six innings in all 29 of his starts - the longest
streak in team history and longest in the majors since Curt Schilling's run of
35 straight for Arizona in 2002.
Surging Houston, which won for the 13th time in 17 games, took all five series
against the Cubs this season.
Randy Wells (6-13) allowed four runs and nine hits in six innings for Chicago.
Myers retired the first 14 batters he faced. He got some help from his defense
when second baseman Jeff Keppinger made a backhanded stop and a leaping throw
to get Starlin Castro in the fourth inning.
Geovany Soto walked with two outs in the fifth for Chicago's first baserunner
and Alfonso Soriano followed with a single. But Myers got Darwin Barney to
ground out to end the threat.
Myers also worked out of a jam in the seventh, retiring two straight after the
Cubs put runners on the corners with one out. He is 3-0 with a 1.21 ERA in four
starts against Chicago this year.
Fernando Abad, Matt Lindstrom, Tim Byrdak and Wilton Lopez combined to finish
the five-hitter, Houston's ninth shutout of the season. Abad and Byrdak each
got one out, and Lindstrom and Lopez retired two batters apiece.
The Cubs finished a nine-game homestand with a 5-4 record and lost back-to-back
games under Mike Quade for the first time. Quade took over when manager Lou
Piniella retired on Aug. 23.
The Cubs were shut out for the 10th time this season.
Humberto Quintero hit an RBI single in the second and Pence connected in the
third for his 23rd homer. Chris Johnson added an RBI single in the fifth and
Keppinger drove in a run with a groundout in the sixth.
After being benched the previous two games by Quade, Castro committed an error
on Carlos Lee's grounder to shortstop in the first inning. Quade sat Castro for
his poor defensive play and not knowing how many outs there were during the
seventh inning of Chicago's 18-5 loss to the Mets on Sunday.
NOTES: The Cubs are 26-41 against divisional opponents.
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