Recap: Houston vs. NY Mets
Sports Network | August 20, 2010
Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Carlos Lee's titantic three-run home run proved to be the difference, as Houston edged New York, 3-2, to split a four- game set at Minute Maid Park.
Lee's round-tripper made a loser of Pat Misch (0-2), who surrendered just four hits and the three runs in six-plus frames. Jeff Francoeur and Chris Carter drove in the lone runs for the Mets, who have dropped four of six.
"Offensively, we have not been able to come up with any solutions at this point," said Mets manager Jerry Manuel.
Bud Norris (6-7) picked up the victory, allowing just two runs on two hits with four strikeouts and two walks over seven frames. Hunter Pence had two hits and scored a run for the Astros, who have won four of six.
Miffed by Misch through the first six frames, the Astros used two well-placed hits and one big swing of the bat to change the game's complexion. Angel Sanchez and Pence each singled before Lee crushed a first-pitch floating slider off the facade deep over the left-field hall wall for a 3-2 edge.
"It was a slider. He was trying to get it in on my hands and he left it out over the plate," Lee said of the pitch he launched over the left-field wall.
The Astros bullpen kept the Mets at bay and Brandon Lyon worked a flawless ninth for his fifth save of the season.
The Mets scored both of their runs in the fourth with the aid of just one hit. Angel Pagan walked and David Wright was plunked by a pitch before Ike Davis moved both runners up one base on a grounder to short. Francoeur's grounder to short plated Pagan and Carter's single to deep short allowed Wright to scamper across the plate for the two-run lead.
Pence is 14-for-31 in his last eight games, including nine runs scored and five doubles. He has reached safely in his last 24 games...The attendance tonight of 26,271 pushed the all-time attendance at Minute Maid Park to over 30 million...The Mets dropped to 24-39 away from Citi Field...Norris improved to 4-0 over his last five starts.
