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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
HOUSTON (AP) – A day off and a little extra work in the batting
cage paid immediate dividends for Aramis Ramirez.
|  | | How did the Astros prevent Aramis Ramirez from hitting four home runs? They walked him on four pitches in his final at-bat. |
Ramirez homered three times in his first three at-bats Sunday,
leading the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Houston Astros 9-3.
Ramirez drove in a career-high six runs. He tied the team record
for home runs in a game, becoming the first Pittsburgh player to do
it since Darnell Coles against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 20, 1987.
A day earlier, Ramirez was given a game off to help him shake
out of a 2-for-15 slump. He used the time to work with hitting
coach Dave Clark.
"I wasn't feeling good like I am right now," Ramirez said.
"My stride was too long, so I worked at shortening it. Today was
the first game I went back to my old stance."
Manager Lloyd McClendon noticed the difference.
"He shortened his swing and it obviously helped," he said.
"He had been opening up his stride. Dave worked with him on that.
We need him to have a good year and this was a good way to break
out."
Joe Beimel (1-0), who went five innings to win in his major
league debut, was glad to see Ramirez's big day.
"He really had a tremendous day. When a team gives you that
kind of run support, it takes a load off you," Beimel said.
Ramirez, who had three home runs after five innings, only got to
the plate one more time in his bid to tie the major league mark for
homers in a game. He drew a four-pitch walk from Wayne Franklin in
the seventh, then was left on-deck when the Pirates were retired in
the ninth.
"With a runner on third, I knew they would not give me anything
to hit that time," Ramirez said. "That happens."
The Pirates won their second in a row at Enron Field after
losing their first eight.
Ramirez hit his first homer of the season, a two-run shot off
Scott Elarton (1-1) in the first.
Ramirez connected for a three-run homer in the third off Elarton
that made it 7-1. Ramirez topped off his day with a solo home run
in the fifth against reliever Nelson Cruz.
"I felt I made a good pitch to him in the first inning, but he
got enough of it to get it out," said Elarton, who lasted only
three innings, giving up seven runs on seven hits and a walk. "He
was swinging a hot bat. Maybe we should have attacked him a little
more outside of the zone.
"I tried to make an adjustment the second time I faced him, but
I made a bad pitch. It was a changeup that hung out over the
plate."
It was Ramirez's second multihomer game in the majors. He hit
two last July 28 against San Diego.
Brian Giles' double drove in John Vander Wal for the Pirates'
first run, and Ramirez homered for a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Jeff Bagwell broke out of a 2-for-20 slump in the bottom half
with his first home run of the year.
In the third, Vander Wal hit an RBI single. After Giles singled,
Ramirez homered.
Bagwell had an RBI single in the third. Julio Lugo homered for
the Astros in the seventh.
Pinch-hitter Abraham Nunez had an RBI single for the Pirates.
Game notes
Ramirez became the first player to hit three homers in a
game at Enron Field. ... Toronto's Carlos Delgado hit three home
runs at Tampa Bay last Wednesday. ... Since mid-July of last
season, the Astros have not lost a homestand. They are 6-0-1 since
then, including winning four of six in this homestand ... Ramirez
matched the club record of three homers accomplished 15 other times
... The Pirates' bullpen ended its string of 11 scoreless innings
when Lugo hit his homer. ... RHP Shane Reynolds pitched seven
scoreless innings in a rehab start for Triple-A New Orleans against
Colorado Springs.
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RECAPS
Boston 3
Tampa Bay 0
Cleveland 4
Baltimore 3
NY Yankees 16
Toronto 5
Detroit 5
Chi. White Sox 3
Kansas City 15
Minnesota 4
Texas 5
Seattle 4
Anaheim 6
Oakland 4
Florida 6
Atlanta 1
Montreal 5
NY Mets 2
Philadelphia 3
Chicago Cubs 1
Milwaukee 8
Cincinnati 4
Pittsburgh 9
Houston 3
San Diego 11
Colorado 3
St. Louis 9
Arizona 4
San Francisco 8
Los Angeles 3
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