If one leaves aside for a moment an awful ninth inning on defense Sunday for Houston--four runs allowed and three errors--the Astros' 15-8 pounding of Pittsburgh at Bradenton wasn't half bad. The offense was solid from every spot in the order for most of the game, driving out nineteen hits, and it was by far good enough to support an uneven debut by Roger Clemens in an Astro uniform and decent pitching from nearly everybody else. Houston cracked two three-run homers in the game--by Jason Lane and Jason Alfaro--and made life miserable for seven Pittsburgh pitchers in raising its ST record to 2-1.

As I mentioned yesterday, Roger Clemens is historically a slow starter in Spring Training. He eases his way into pitching rhythm and conditioning, focusing in early games more on the smoothness of his mechanics than on getting people out. The Astros gave him a first-inning 1-0 lead on a Jose Vizcaino double to RF, a sacrifice by Orlando Palmiero, and a sacrifice flt from # 3 hitter Lance Berkman, but the Pirates got that run right back in the bottom half and one more, as the Rocket felt his way on the hill. Abraham Nunez singled to LF, but Clemens picked him off. To be fair to Clemens in assessing his first game, it's entirely possible that, had Morgan Ensberg been playing 3B today rather than Jason Alfaro, the error Alfaro made on a ball hit by Jason Kendall would have been played cleanly and the inning would have been stopped dead. Alfaro's error, however, opened the door, and Raul Mondesi followed with a double to RF. A later pitch to Carlos Rivera was one that Raul Chavez couldn't handle, and what was ruled, I believe, a passed ball, tied the score. Rivera then gave Pittsburgh the lead with a single to CF. Clemens went on to give up a couple of meaningless hits in the second before calling it a day without taking a hack (or even a bunt attempt) at the plate. Two runs on five hits is not a good line statistically, but this afternoon it was better than it looked.

In the meantime, if it were the Pirates' intention to stretch out Kip Wells in his second spring game, the Astros stretched him out, all right. . .on a rack. Houston tortured him in the third for five runs on five hits, with singles from Chavez and rookie Hector Giminez, a sac fly to CF by Vizcaino to tie the score, a base hit by Palmiero, a big, full-count RBI single to CF by Jeff Kent, and a crushing three-run homer to LF by Jason Lane. Look for a moment, if you will, at the men who did the damage in this inning, and you'll see one of the reasons why I'm pretty dadgum excited about this club's offensive potential. Yes, it's only the third game of the spring, but Chavez and Palmiero and Lane are all three going to play significant roles off the Astros' bench in 2004. There's not a whole lot Gerry Hunsicker could've done in the winter or can do here in March (barring an irresistible offer) to revamp Houston's starting eight, but he did tweak the bench, adding Palmiero and perhaps John Valentin, too. Jason Lane, boys and girls, is as ready as he's ever going be. As long as Richard Hidalgo remains an Astro, Lane won't start, but I like the options of Lane and Palmiero off the bench this year far, far more than I did Orlando Merced and Geoff Blum last year. If--to speak a terrifiying thought--Lane should get traded before March is up--the deal would have to be, as I say, utterly irresistible. Otherwise, I just like this bench--in whatever fashion it shakes out--a lot better than what the Astros have had the last two seasons.

Jeriome Robertson has been named as one of those who could be traded before the month is out. That remains to be seen. Houston might be patient with him and keep him around as rotation insurance, but if the club is going to trade him, they might want to do it quick. Robertson had a really rough third inning, giving up three hits and two homers, as the Pirates banged their way back into the game, 6-4. Robertson, who had a terrific spring in 2003 in fighting Tim Redding for a rotation spot, could very well have a great stint his next time out, but it wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that the re-assignment to the bullpen and the trade rumors have gotten into his head a little. A pitcher tries to keep those anxieties and doubts at bay, but that's not easy to do. Today wasn't good for Robertson at all.

Houston kept the offense churning, though, scoring two runs in the fourth against lefty Dave Williams, and ripping Williams and his replacement, John Grabow, for six runs on six hits in the fifth. Three hits and a wild pitch did the trick in the fourth; then, the Astros blew the game open at the start of the fifth. Lane doubled, John Valentin (playing 1B today) walked, and Alfaro launched a missle to LF to make it 11-4. Grabow then relieved Williams, but he was no mystery to the offense, either. Hits by Chavez, Bruntlett, and Palmiero loaded the bases. An inexplicably-goofy decision by Grabow to disdain a home-to-1B double play on a comebacker gave Houston another run, and a Ryan Thompson hit to CF plated two more.

Houston's final run scored in the eighth off Joe Beimel, when the Astros put together a walk and two solid hits, the second of which was a ringing shot to CF by C John Buck, reminiscent of some bullets I saw him hit against Memphis last season before he got hurt. Buck can hit, friends. There may not be a spot for him on the roster this year, but he'll be in the bigs in 2005, and I wouldn't rule out a call-up during this season, either. While Buck was, for the most part, finishing the Astros' offense, the pitching of Brad Lidge, Ricky Stone, Tony Fiore, Ezekiel Astacio, and Chad Qualls throttled the Pirates, each man doing an inning of good work. Lidge gave up a walk in the fourth; Stone, a walk and a hit in the fifth; Fiore, two hits in the sixth; but, in the latter instance, the Astros helped out with a 5-4-3 double play. Astacio showed very well in a scoreless seventh, ending the frame with a strikeout, and Qualls, still a top pitching prospect himself for the Astros, did fine in a scoreless eighth despite hitting a batter.

Matters fell apart for Mike Gallo and the defense in the ninth. Two hits--a single and a homer by Carlos Rivera off a hanging curve made the score 15-6. The Pirates kept the rally going when Bruntlett, playing his best position, SS, was handcuffed by a grounder and Gallo gave up a following single. A 6-4 force netted an out, but the ball to 1B to complete the DP was overthrown, allowing another run. In the very next sequence, Willy Tavaras misplayed Chris Truby's hit to CF for the third error in minutes. The Pirates had run # 8 and hit # 12, and Jimy Williams finished the game with Miguel Saladin, who got Brandon Chavez to ground to Phil Hiatt at 1B.

Sloppy at the start and sloppy at the end, the Astros were nevertheless good again most of the way today in most phases of the game. The most encouraging sign to me was the steadiness of the offense up and down the order. Houston's attack was too often all or nothing in 2004--great one game, mysteriously silent the next. If the new bench, however, is as productive as I think it can be in its dual roles as pinch-hitters and occasional starters, then this year's attack, although it might be less explosive because a few regulars play fewer games, might be steadier over the long haul. The explosions of a Berkman or a Bagwell or a Kent are lovely to see and we will see them often, to be sure in 2004, but divisions are won by steadiness of an attack and of a defense night in and night out. Houston has a ways to go this March to settle things down in the field, but if the present 25-man roster stays in place, this is going to be a club on offense that will be hard to handle no matter whose names Jimy Williams writes on the lineup card.

Monday's game has Wade Miller--to me, the key man in the rotation this year--facing the Tigers back in Kissimmee. Astroday will be late and possibly short tomorrow evening, but it will be here for you.