Tempers flare as Astros rally in 8th to beat Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) – Shane Reynolds gave up five homers and nearly touched off a fight by brushing back Brian Giles, but the Houston Astros rallied behind Henri Stanley’s two-run double in the eighth to beat Pittsburgh 8-7 Thursday. In the latest of a series of flareups across the majors this spring, Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon yelled at Gregg Zaun in the fifth after the Houston catcher stared angrily at reliever Duaner Sanchez for hitting him with a pitch.
Zaun, who doubled and homered in his first two at-bats, looked as if he might charge the mound, but instead glared at Sanchez before throwing his bat hard toward his own dugout.
That led Reynolds to throw behind Giles in the bottom of the inning, causing plate umpire Tim Welke to warn both dugouts. McClendon and Astros manager Jimy Williams both confronted Welke to complain, but the benches didn’t empty and the game was finished without incident.
Reynolds must not have been too angry at the Pirates; he later went to their clubhouse to ride an exercise bike, and he chatted briefly with Giles.
“This has nothing to do with Brian Giles whatsoever,” said Reynolds, who gave up five runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings. “That had to do with my catcher. What am I supposed to do?”
Giles didn’t complain, saying, “If he wanted to hit me with a pitch, he would hit me. He didn’t come close. You’ve got to stand up for your players.”
McClendon didn’t like the Astros’ response but said, “As far I’m concerned, it’s over with.”
Maybe not – the teams play again Wednesday in Kissimmee.
Neither starting pitcher had much success on a day a steady breeze blew several balls out of McKechnie Field, with Rob Mackowiak hitting two homers and Giles, Jack Wilson and Matt Stairs also homering for the Pirates. The five homers off Reynolds would have matched a Houston regular-season record.
Pirates starter Kip Wells gave up six runs and seven hits in four innings, with Zaun and Morgan Ensberg homering in succession in the fourth. Stanley’s decisive double in the eighth came off Matt Herges and was his third game-winning double this spring.
NOTES: Jeff Kent doubled twice for the Astros. … Mackowiak was a late replacement for Aramis Ramirez, who had tightness in a hamstring. … The Astros have scored for 16 runs in their last two games. … Mackowiak has six hits in his last 10 at-bats. … Stanley is in his first major league camp. He hit .314 at Double-A Round Rock last season.