Ward homers into river as Astros blast Pirates
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Houston, we have splashdown. Daryle Ward hit the first homer to travel into the river beyond PNC Park’s right-field wall on the fly, a grand slam that was one of three Houston homers in a 10-2 rout of Pittsburgh on Saturday night.
Lance Berkman took over the major league lead with his 29th home run as he and Jeff Bagwell homered in succession off Kip Wells in a three-run fourth inning. Berkman has six homers in eight games and leads the majors with 81 RBIs, with at least one in 10 consecutive games.
The power display helped spot starter Nelson Cruz (1-4) pitch six shutout innings for his first victory as a starter since 1999 and only the third of his career, two against the Pirates.
Ward’s drive in the fifth inning easily cleared the right-field stands and splashed down several feet beyond the concrete wall alongside the Allegheny River, which runs parallel to the stands.
“I didn’t know it made it until the showed the replay. I thought it had bounced in,” Ward said. “It just felt great. I haven’t seen a ball come off my bat like that in a while. It was one of those things where you swing and you hear the crack of the bat … and it just takes off. It’s the best feeling in the world.”
A man in a pleasure boat parked beyond the wall dove into the water and retrieved the ball, which carried approximately 479 feet. A man phoned the Pirates – they’re not sure if it’s the same one who retrieved the ball – and offered to sell it.
“Maybe they haven’t seen my salary in the paper to know that I couldn’t,” Ward said. “The ball is not that important that I would give him some money for it. I would trade a bat or an autographed ball or something. To ask for money, it’s kind of crazy. It’s not like a 74th home run or anything.”
When PNC Park opened last year, the Pirates estimated that the shortest distance a homer could travel into the water on the fly was 456 feet.
“That’s the real Daryle Ward that everybody expects will hit 30 or 40 home runs,” Berkman said. “It was impressive but it didn’t surprise any of us because we’ve played with him and we know he’s capable of doing that.”
Roughing up Kip Wells (9-6) in his first start since he came within five outs of a no-hitter Monday against Milwaukee, the Astros won their fourth in five games and eighth in 11. They are 6-2 on a pre-All-Star road trip that winds up Sunday.
Wells missed becoming the first Pirates pitcher since Bob Walk in 1993 to win 10 games before the All-Star break, yielding eight runs, seven earned, in 4 1-3 innings in his fourth loss in five decisions.
“Those homers (in the third) might have affected him a little bit,” manager Lloyd McClendon said. “He couldn’t seem to get it back. He just didn’t have it.”
Cruz, starting only because the Astros are missing three injured starters, made 130 consecutive relief appearances before lasting 3 2-3 innings June 27 against Arizona. His two previous wins as a starter were with Detroit in 1999, including a 11-4 victory over Pittsburgh on June 8, 1999.
Cruz’s only other victory as a starter in 163 career appearances was on June 24, 1999, when he beat Kansas City 6-4 for the Tigers despite allowing 11 hits and four runs in six innings.
Wells was a tough-luck loser Monday despite giving up only two hits in eight innings, but was hit hard Saturday as all but three of the Astros’ eight hits off him went for extra bases.
After first baseman Kevin Young’s two-base throwing error led to Houston’s initial run in the first, Berkman and Bagwell homered in a span of three Wells pitches to make it 3-0 in the fourth. Bagwell’s homer was his 15th. Ward doubled and later scored on Geoff Blum’s sacrifice fly.
NOTES: After the game, the Pirates traded setup man Mike Fetters to Arizona for pitching prospect Duaner Sanchez.