Hoffman Gives Up Late Runs in Loss

HOUSTON 9, SAN DIEGO 6---------------

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- The Houston Astros used some late-inning magic to post their first win of the season. Lance Berkman capped a ninth-inning rally with a three-run homer to center field, lifting the Astros to a 9-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday.

Carlos Lee, Geoff Blum and Ty Wigginton also homered for Houston, which had scored just one run in its previous two games against San Diego. The 11 hits on Wednesday also surpassed the combined total of 10 from the first two contests. "The bats woke up tonight," Houston manager Cecil Cooper said. "We had some big, big hits and the big boys turned it up at the end. I thought we had some great swings tonight. You expect our guys to hit, and they did that tonight."

The Astros appeared headed to their third straight loss in the ninth inning as they trailed, 6-5, with two outs and none on. But against closer Trevor Hoffman (0-1), Jose Cruz Jr. walked and Michael Bourn singled to right field, putting runners on first and second. Hunter Pence then lined an RBI single to right to tie the game, and Berkman followed with a deep shot to straightaway center field on a 3-1 pitch. "For some reason, I was seeing the ball better tonight," said Berkman, who went 3-for-5 and scored three runs. "You never want to put yourself in a position with (Hoffman) on the mound and two outs because he usually closes the door. Anytime you can get a mentality that you're never out of the game and you always have a chance to win, I think that gives us confidence."

San Diego manager Bud Black thought Houston's hitters made Hoffman pay for missing location. "He got some balls in some spots where (Houston) was able to put the bat on the ball," Black said. "(Berkman) is an All-Star, and he does those types of things. Cruz had a great at-bat and didn't bite on a couple of close pitches. "Pence hit the ball hard off the glove of (first baseman) Adrian Gonzalez. It's a game of inches."

Houston had trailed, 5-4, in the eighth inning when Miguel Tejada tied the game with a sacrifice fly. But Brian Giles put the Padres back in front with a sacrifice fly of his own off Jose Valverde in the bottom of the eighth. Valverde (1-0) worked two innings, giving up three hits and one run while striking out two in his first appearance with the Astros. The righthander led the major leagues with 47 saves last season for Arizona.

The Astros scored an unearned run in the first inning, and Blum and Wigginton led off the second with back-to-back home runs off Padres starter Greg Maddux, giving Houston an early 3-0 lead. "It is a big ballpark and tough place to play," Cooper said. "The ball was really jumping, though. It was a great win for (us) to finally get off the snide." After San Diego scored twice in the bottom of the second, Gonzalez put the Padres on top, 4-3, in the third with a two-run homer to right-center field. Lee opened the sixth with a home run that tied the game at 4-4, but the Padres regained the lead in the bottom half when Giles lined an RBI single to left field.

Maddux went six innings for the Padres, giving up four runs - three earned - and six hits with three strikeouts. The 41-year-old surrendered three solo home runs. Giles went 3-for-4 with three RBI and Michael Barrett added two hits and scored three runs to pace the Padres, who pounded out 15 hits. "We got contributions from everyone," Black said. "There's a lot of good things going with our offense right now."