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GAME LOG
HOUSTON (AP) -- The Houston hitters made Tony McKnight's second
major league start a bit easier than his first.
McKnight, boosted by some early support, got his first career
victory and Julio Lugo homered as the Astros beat the Florida
Marlins 9-5 Tuesday night before 27,408, the smallest crowd at
Enron Field since it opened in April.
"I was antsy and nervous, but we got some runs early and that
threw the nerves out the window," McKnight said.
McKnight (1-1), recalled from Triple-A New Orleans on Friday,
was backed by an early 8-0 lead. He gave up two runs -- one earned --
and five hits in five innings. It was his second major league
start.
"I was more nervous this start than the first one," McKnight
said. "I didn't think about the hitters, I just tried to make
pitches. I knew I had a good defense behind me."
McKnight's approach was simple.
"I didn't try to trick anyone, I just tried to get my fastball
over and mix in some changeups," he added.
"I thought he had a good fastball and changeup. Usually after a
while the other club will expect you to make some mistakes with the
fastball, but he didn't make many tonight," Dierker said.
Lugo was 3-for-5 with two runs scored.
Reid Cornelius (3-8) was tagged for eight runs and eight hits in
3 1/3 innings. He is 0-6 in 11 starts since July 2.
"I didn't have a good night. I got behind the hitters and left
the ball over the middle of the plate," Cornelius said. "They did
what they are supposed to do, hit the ball real hard."
Houston took a 3-0 lead in the first on Moises Alou's RBI single
and Richard Hidalgo's two-run single, and Lugo's solo homer made it
4-0 in the second.
The Astros added four runs in the fourth on RBI singles by Tim
Bogar and Lugo and a two-run triple by Billy Spiers.
"This was his poorest outing of the season. He just didn't have
it tonight," Marlins manager John Boles said of Cornelius.
Florida cut it to 8-2 in the fifth when Mark Kotsay hit an RBI
double and scored on a fielding error by first baseman Jeff
Bagwell.
"I thought he had a good fastball and changeup," Astros
manager Larry Dierker said of McKnight. "Usually after a while the
other club will expect you to make some mistakes with the fastball,
but he didn't make many tonight."
Bagwell had an RBI single in the sixth, but Mike Lowell hit a
two-run homer in the seventh and Kevin Millar homered in the
eighth.
Game notes
Houston C Tony Eusebio had surgery to repair a third degree
separation of his right shoulder. ... Bagwell scored his major
league-leading 127th run. ... Houston C Mitch Meluskey has thrown
out only 13 runners in 66 steal attempts this season ... Alex
Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games for
Florida ... Luis Castillo is 16 hits away from Florida's single
season hit record, 175, by Jeff Conine in 1996. ... Mike Lowell
extended his hitting streak to 16 games, a career high.
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Houston Clubhouse
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AUDIO/VIDEO
 Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker says he is concerned about Ken Ciminiti.
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Larry Dierker says Caminiti is dealing with his injuries.
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