Oswalt dominant as Astros top Padres <h3>HOUSTON 3, SAN DIEGO 1</h3>HOUSTON (Ticker) -- Roy Oswalt continued his dominance over theSan Diego Padres as the Houston Astros used a three-run firstinning en route to a 3-1 victory on Saturday afternoon at MinuteMaid Park. Carlos Lee had two hits, including a two-run homer in the firstinning, for the Astros, who have won 14 of their last 20 gamesat home. Oswalt (10-6), who missed his last start because of a strainedchest muscle, allowed just one unearned run and three hits inseven innings. He struck out a season-high 10 and walked one. He said felt his chest during warmups but got going after theadrenaline took over. "It was big to get out of that jam in the first inning," Oswaltsaid. "I was maybe a little nervous in the first, but maybeafter I was out there and got a few outs, I got more and morecomfortable as the game went on. "I actually kind of loosened up quite a bit as the game went on,and I was able to get my curveball to (drop in) there." The hard-throwing righthander was removed after the seventh witha high pitch count, forcing manager Phil Garner to call onreliever Chad Qualls to hurl the eighth and set up closer BradLidge for his sixth save in the ninth. Oswalt now is 7-2 against the Padres in his career and has wonthree straight against them since yielding seven runs in a 7-4loss in Houston on July 17, 2004. "Roy got into a pretty good groove today and he went to hiscurveball, which he has not used a lot this year," Houstonmanager Phil Garner said. "Today, his curveball, he found itand did a nice job with it. It still helps that you have a 94miles-per-hour fastball that you can locate pretty well too." Luke Scott added three hits in three at-bats for the Astros, whonow have won two of three in this four-game set. They alsohave a chance to win five of seven on their current homestandagainst the Los Angeles Dodgers and Padres - the top two teamsin the National League West. San Diego starter Greg Maddux (7-8) allowed just the threefirst-inning runs and five hits while walking two in sixinnings. He recovered nicely, allowing just two hits after theopening frame and was lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventhinning. "Maddux did a good job pitching today," Scott said. "He movedthe ball around, changed speeds. Tip your hat, he pitched agood ballgame. He made one mistake to Carlos, and he got a holdof it pretty good. Roy also pitched a good ballgame, and itwas a good win for us. "(Maddux) gave up three runs in the first inning, and afterthat, he was lights out. Roy was just a little bit bettertoday." The crafty Maddux has pitched well in each of his last threestarts after allowing 15 runs in his first three starts in July.Despite the turnaround, he still is looking for his first winsince June 27 at San Francisco. "It's part of the game," Maddux said. "You can center it andline out, you can hit it off the fists and bloop it in. I neverworry about that. I just try to make sure I'm out there everyfifth day and try to be mentally prepared and ready and do whatI can to locate and change speeds. I do what I can to just dowhat I think I can do to have the best chance at success." The Astros missed a chance to add some insurance in the fourthinning when Scott led off the inning with his second double ofthe game but was stranded. He moved to third on Jason Lane's ground out, but Brad Ausmusand Oswalt failed to plate Scott, who is hitting .357 since theAll-Star break. The Padres got an unearned run in the first inning when AdrianGonzalez singled home Brian Giles. But Houston countered with three runs in the bottom half of theinning when Lance Berkman singled home Eric Bruntlett and thenscored on a towering home run by Lee. For Lee, it was his 22nd homer of the year and fourth in hislast five games, all at home. "The at-bat he'll want to have back was the walk to Bruntlett,"said Padres manager Bud Black about Maddux. "That is notMaddux's mantra, to walk a guy early in the game, on fourpitches. The next two hitters are All-Star caliber hitters.Berkman just hit a ground ball. The pitch to Lee was a highchangeup. We saw Lee do that two nights ago. Something softout over the plate, he's very capable of pulling the ball." San Diego did not get another runner to second base until thesixth inning. Oswalt walked Milton Bradley to start the inningand then struck out Gonzalez before Michael Barrett got Bradleyinto scoring position with a ground out. Oswalt got out of the small jam by inducing another groundout byrookie Kevin Kouzmanoff. Gonzalez had two hits and an RBI for the Padres, who have lostthree of their last four.
