Extended Box

HOUSTON (2) VS CHICAGO CUBS (4) - FINAL

HOUSTON                ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
W Taveras cf            4  0  2  0   0  0   0  .258
T Self rf               2  1  0  0   1  0   1  .333
C Biggio 2b             4  1  2  0   0  1   1  .299
 E Bruntlett 2b         0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .100
L Berkman lf            4  0  1  0   0  1   4  .179
 B Lidge p              0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
M Lamb 1b               4  0  0  1   0  0   0  .202
M Ensberg 3b            4  0  0  1   0  2   2  .292
A Everett ss            4  0  1  0   0  2   2  .221
B Ausmus c              3  0  0  0   0  0   0  .247
R Clemens p             2  0  0  0   0  1   0  .300
 D Wheeler p            0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
 a-J Vizcaino ph        1  0  0  0   0  1   1  .255
 C Qualls p             0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
 O Palmeiro lf          0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .354

Totals                 32  2  6  2   1  8  11

a-struck out looking for D Wheeler in the 7th.

BATTING: 2B - C Biggio (15, S Mitre); A Everett (13, S Mitre); W Taveras (5, W
Ohman). S - T Self. RBI - M Lamb (18), M Ensberg (22). Runners left in scoring
position, 2 out - A Everett 2, J Vizcaino 1, L Berkman 1, T Self 1. GIDP - L
Berkman. Team LOB - 5.

BASERUNNING: SB - M Ensberg (4, 2nd base off S Mitre/M Barrett), W Taveras
(15, 2nd base off S Mitre/M Barrett).


CHICAGO CUBS           ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
J Hairston Jr cf        3  1  0  0   1  1   0  .270
 R Dempster p           0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .077
N Perez ss              4  1  1  0   0  0   2  .278
D Lee 1b                3  1  0  0   1  3   1  .344
J Burnitz rf            4  0  1  2   0  0   1  .284
A Ramirez 3b            4  0  0  0   0  2   1  .232
M Barrett c             3  0  1  0   0  0   0  .273
J Dubois lf             3  1  1  0   0  2   1  .261
 C Patterson cf         0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .272
E Wilson 2b             2  0  0  0   1  0   2  .000
S Mitre p               2  0  0  0   0  0   1  .000
 W Ohman p              0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
 M Wuertz p             0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
 a-T Hollandsworth ph-
                     lf  1  0  1  1   0  0   0  .210

Totals                 29  4  5  3   3  8   9

a-singled to center for M Wuertz in the 8th.

BATTING: 2B - J Dubois (6, C Qualls). RBI - T Hollandsworth (9), J Burnitz 2
(26). 2-out RBI - J Burnitz 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - J
Burnitz 1, A Ramirez 1. Team LOB - 4.

BASERUNNING: SB - N Perez (4, 2nd base off R Clemens/B Ausmus).

FIELDING: DP: 1 (N Perez-E Wilson-D Lee).


----------------------------------------------------
    HOUSTON         - 000 200 000   --   2
    CHICAGO CUBS    - 000 000 04x   --   4
----------------------------------------------------

HOUSTON                      ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
R Clemens                     5       2   0   0   1   6   0   1.19
D Wheeler (H, 3)              1       0   0   0   0   2   0   1.47
C Qualls (H, 4)               1 1/3   2   2   2   0   0   0   5.24
B Lidge (L, 1-2; B, 2)          2/3   1   2   2   2   0   0   3.79

CHICAGO CUBS                 ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
S Mitre                       7       5   2   2   1   5   0   2.57
W Ohman                         1/3   1   0   0   0   0   0   1.29
M Wuertz (W, 3-2)               2/3   0   0   0   0   2   0   4.57
R Dempster (S, 4)             1       0   0   0   0   1   0   5.09

WP - B Lidge 2. Pitches-strikes: R Clemens 68-47; D Wheeler 11-7; C Qualls
12-9; B Lidge 26-14; S Mitre 108-70; W Ohman 8-5; M Wuertz 8-6; R Dempster
14-9. Ground balls-fly balls: R Clemens 5-4; D Wheeler 0-1; C Qualls 3-1; B
Lidge 1-1; S Mitre 13-3; W Ohman 1-0; M Wuertz 0-0; R Dempster 2-0. Batters
faced: R Clemens 18; D Wheeler 3; C Qualls 6; B Lidge 5; S Mitre 27; W Ohman 2;
M Wuertz 2; R Dempster 3.

UMPIRES:

T--2:33. Att--38,805.
Weather: 53 degrees, clear. Wind: 10 mph, in from
center.
 

How They Scored

HOUSTON 4TH:   T Self walked.  C Biggio doubled to deep left, T Self to
third.  L Berkman grounded out to first.  M Lamb grounded into fielder's choice
to first, T Self scored, C Biggio to third.  M Ensberg grounded into fielder's
choice to pitcher, C Biggio scored, M Lamb out at second.  M Ensberg stole
second. A Everett struck out looking. (2 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors)  HOUSTON 2,
CHICAGO CUBS 0.

CHICAGO CUBS 8TH:   E Bruntlett at second base. J Dubois doubled to deep
right.  E Wilson flied out to left.  T Hollandsworth hit for M Wuertz.
T Hollandsworth singled to center, J Dubois scored.  B Lidge relieved C Qualls.
O Palmeiro in left field. T Hollandsworth to second on wild pitch by B Lidge.
J Hairston Jr walked.  N Perez grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop,
T Hollandsworth out at third, J Hairston Jr to second.  D Lee walked, J Hairston
Jr to third, N Perez to second.  J Burnitz singled to right, J Hairston Jr and
N Perez scored, D Lee to third.  D Lee scored, J Burnitz to second on wild
pitch by B Lidge. A Ramirez flied out to right. (4 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors)
HOUSTON 2, CHICAGO CUBS 4.

Game Story

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- If only Roger Clemens had not gotten
injured.

The Chicago Cubs rallied for four runs in the eighth inning to
spoil an injury-shortened gem by Clemens and extend the Houston
Astros' slide to seven games with a 4-2 triumph.

Entering with an unblemished mark away from home this season,
Clemens stretched his scoreless road innings streak to 26 with
five in this one.  But the righthander, who allowed two hits and
a walk while striking out six, did not return for the sixth due
to tightness in his right groin.

"I had a little problem in the third and we didn't have time to
wrap it because the innings were going by too fast," Clemens
said.  "I continued to push it and by the fifth inning, location
became the most important thing.  We just tried to be as
efficient as possible."

Clemens, who lowered his ERA to 1.19, believes his next
scheduled start at Milwaukee on Sunday is in doubt.

"I'll know more tomorrow, but I know enough about my body that I
didn't tear it," he said.  "I think it's more than just a mild
strain, but I'll deal with it the best I can.  I probably could
have finished the game if it was my elbow or shoulder, but my
legs ... If I would have gotten a ball up in there over 90
(miles per hour), I probably would have torn it."

With Houston holding a 2-0 lead, Dan Wheeler worked a perfect
sixth and Chad Qualls retired the side in order in the seventh
before running into trouble an inning later.

Rookie Jason Dubois led off with a double and, after Enrique
Wilson flied out, pinch hitter Todd Hollandsworth delivered an
RBI single to halve Chicago's deficit.  Taking no chances,
Astros manager Phil Garner called upon closer Brad Lidge, who
immediately uncorked a wild pitch to put the tying run in
scoring position.

Lidge (1-2) walked Jerry Hairston Jr., but Neifi Perez grounded
into a forceout that eliminated the lead runner.  Derrek Lee
kept alive the inning by drawing an eight-pitch walk and Jeromy
Burnitz followed with a single to right field, scoring two for a
3-2 lead.

"The Astros have a great staff, from starters to relievers,"
Burnitz said.  "That guy (Lidge) is lights out, usually.  We
battled and got it done."

"It's more than I just missed a spot on a fastball," said Lidge,
who blew his second save in 10 opportunities.  "(Burnitz) did a
good job and got the hit they needed.  That's baseball."

Another wild pitch plated Lee for a two-run bulge, and newly
appointed closer Ryan Dempster set down the Astros in the ninth
for his fourth save.

"The adrenaline is still the same," said Dempster, who began the
season in the Cubs' rotation.  "Maybe the more I do it, the
more I learn how to pace or prepare (myself).  Who is coming up
for them dictates a little bit of the pattern."

Michael Wuertz (3-2) benefited from the rally after striking out
the only two batters he faced in the eighth.

Mike Lamb and Morgan Ensberg drove in runs on consecutive
forceouts in the fourth inning for Houston, which has dropped
seven straight on the road and fell to 2-21 away from Minute
Maid Park.

"It's in our heads now," Astros manager Phil Garner said of his
team's road struggles.  "We've got to find a way to get it out
of there."

Recalled from Class AAA Iowa earlier in the day, starter Sergio
Mitre pitched well for the Cubs, allowing two runs, five hits
and a walk in seven innings while striking out five.