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06-03-2002, 09:41 AM
CHICAGO -- Matt Clement continues to get better.
Moises Alou and Mark Bellhorn each hit solo homers to back Clement and spark the Chicago Cubs to a 4-2 victory Sunday over the Houston Astros.
Clement (4-3) gave up two runs on five hits and walked two over 7 2/3 innings to win his third consecutive start. He struck out six, and has fanned 73 over 70 2/3 innings while walking 26 for the year.
The right-hander, acquired in a late spring trade from Florida, has won three in a row for the first time since June 29-July 9, 2000. In his last three games, he has a 1.52 ERA.
"He's gotten better and better if that's possible," Cubs manager Don Baylor said. "He was at his best today."
Clement departed with two out and two on in the Astros eighth. Antonio Alfonseca gave up an RBI single to Lance Berkman and then got Jeff Bagwell to fly out to second baseman Bobby Hill to end the inning.
Alfonseca picked up his ninth save in 10 opportunities, although not without some drama. He walked Daryle Ward to start the ninth and then hit Richard Hidalgo on the right knee.
The Cubs closer got Geoff Blum to ground into a key double play and induced a groundout by Brad Ausmus for the final out. Alfonseca has pitched at least 1 1/3 innings eight times this year.
Clement joked that he apologized to Hill for making him work so hard. Hill helped turn two of three double plays, including the one in the ninth, and either assisted on or made eight other put-outs.
"They played good defense when they had to," Astros manager Jimy Williams said.
"Matt's a great guy and you want to make great plays for a guy like that," Hill said. "He's out there battling and battling."
Clement didn't question Baylor's decision to pull him. He'd thrown 113 pitches and earlier this year, had struggled to get through the fifth and sixth innings.
"The only way you're really going to get to him is if he loses his control and you get a couple guys on base, maybe a couple hits," Astros catcher Brad Ausmus said of Clement. "His slider is excellent."
Actually, Clement credited his changeup Sunday, saying he may have used it more than ever. Whatever it was, it worked.
Alou, batting .197, led off the fourth with his home run off Shane Reynolds (3-5). The left fielder, hampered by nagging injuries, has hit one home run each month. He also connected April 28 and May 2.
Reynolds gave up three runs on five hits and three walks over four innings, striking out one. He dropped to 0-2 over his last four starts, giving up 12 earned runs over 20 1/3 innings.
"It came down to pitching all three games," Williams said.
The win was only the Cubs' third in their last eight games. The two Central Division foes are 3-3 in head-to-head games this year, and meet again June 10-12 in Houston. They will have faced each other nine times in a 19-game stretch.
The Cubs loaded the bases in the second after a single by Fred McGriff and walks to Alou and Bill Mueller. McGriff scored when Todd Hundley ground into a double play.
With runners at first and third and one out in the third, McGriff hit into a fielder's choice, forcing the runner at second and allowing a run to score to go ahead, 2-0.
After Alou's blast made it 3-0, Hidalgo doubled to lead off the Houston fifth and eventually scored on pinch-hitter Orlando Merced's one-out single.
Hidalgo finished the three-game series 8-for-12 with three homers and five RBIs.
Bellhorn, starting in place of shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who had seven strikeouts in his last seven at-bats, hit a 3-2 pitch from Nelson Cruz with one out in the fifth for his sixth homer.
Moises Alou and Mark Bellhorn each hit solo homers to back Clement and spark the Chicago Cubs to a 4-2 victory Sunday over the Houston Astros.
Clement (4-3) gave up two runs on five hits and walked two over 7 2/3 innings to win his third consecutive start. He struck out six, and has fanned 73 over 70 2/3 innings while walking 26 for the year.
The right-hander, acquired in a late spring trade from Florida, has won three in a row for the first time since June 29-July 9, 2000. In his last three games, he has a 1.52 ERA.
"He's gotten better and better if that's possible," Cubs manager Don Baylor said. "He was at his best today."
Clement departed with two out and two on in the Astros eighth. Antonio Alfonseca gave up an RBI single to Lance Berkman and then got Jeff Bagwell to fly out to second baseman Bobby Hill to end the inning.
Alfonseca picked up his ninth save in 10 opportunities, although not without some drama. He walked Daryle Ward to start the ninth and then hit Richard Hidalgo on the right knee.
The Cubs closer got Geoff Blum to ground into a key double play and induced a groundout by Brad Ausmus for the final out. Alfonseca has pitched at least 1 1/3 innings eight times this year.
Clement joked that he apologized to Hill for making him work so hard. Hill helped turn two of three double plays, including the one in the ninth, and either assisted on or made eight other put-outs.
"They played good defense when they had to," Astros manager Jimy Williams said.
"Matt's a great guy and you want to make great plays for a guy like that," Hill said. "He's out there battling and battling."
Clement didn't question Baylor's decision to pull him. He'd thrown 113 pitches and earlier this year, had struggled to get through the fifth and sixth innings.
"The only way you're really going to get to him is if he loses his control and you get a couple guys on base, maybe a couple hits," Astros catcher Brad Ausmus said of Clement. "His slider is excellent."
Actually, Clement credited his changeup Sunday, saying he may have used it more than ever. Whatever it was, it worked.
Alou, batting .197, led off the fourth with his home run off Shane Reynolds (3-5). The left fielder, hampered by nagging injuries, has hit one home run each month. He also connected April 28 and May 2.
Reynolds gave up three runs on five hits and three walks over four innings, striking out one. He dropped to 0-2 over his last four starts, giving up 12 earned runs over 20 1/3 innings.
"It came down to pitching all three games," Williams said.
The win was only the Cubs' third in their last eight games. The two Central Division foes are 3-3 in head-to-head games this year, and meet again June 10-12 in Houston. They will have faced each other nine times in a 19-game stretch.
The Cubs loaded the bases in the second after a single by Fred McGriff and walks to Alou and Bill Mueller. McGriff scored when Todd Hundley ground into a double play.
With runners at first and third and one out in the third, McGriff hit into a fielder's choice, forcing the runner at second and allowing a run to score to go ahead, 2-0.
After Alou's blast made it 3-0, Hidalgo doubled to lead off the Houston fifth and eventually scored on pinch-hitter Orlando Merced's one-out single.
Hidalgo finished the three-game series 8-for-12 with three homers and five RBIs.
Bellhorn, starting in place of shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who had seven strikeouts in his last seven at-bats, hit a 3-2 pitch from Nelson Cruz with one out in the fifth for his sixth homer.