Caminiti Hits Astros Past Reds

Ken Caminiti said his 1,500th hit was a minor milestone, but it played a major role in the Houston Astros' win.

Caminiti's two-run single keyed a three-run eighth inning rally that gave the Houston Astros a 4-3 victory against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.

"It's just something that happens eventually. If you play long enough, you're going to get 1,500 hits," Caminiti said.

"We hope he's got at least 500 more left in him," said Houston manager Larry Dierker.

Craig Biggio and Derek Bell led off the eighth with consecutive singles off Danny Graves (1-3). After Jeff Bagwell walked to load the bases, Caminiti singled in two runs to tie it at 3. Houston took the lead when Richard Hidalgo grounded into a force play at second.

"Last night, I was lucky enough to get it done. Today, I didn't," said Graves, who pitched out of a bases-loaded situation for a save Friday night.

"They know I got them last night, today it was their turn. Sometimes, you're on cloud nine, sometimes you're eating dirt."

Caminiti wasn't the only one oblivious to his 1,500 hit. Nobody on the Astros' bench knew it; at least nobody asked that the ball be taken out of play as a souvenir.

A Houston PR person in the pressbox called down to the dugout, but by then Hidalgo had fouled off the ball to a fan behind home plate. The Reds' PR director retrieved it for Caminiti by trading a Barry Larkin autographed ball.

"This is one I'll keep for my kids," Caminiti said. "But it's no big milestone. I'm just playing baseball, having fun. It's been a very frustrating season."

Caminiti, who spent the past four seasons with San Diego, returned to Houston this season as a free agent and is hitting just .222.

Scott Elarton (2-0) pitched two innings for the win, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out two. Billy Wagner pitched the ninth for his fifth save.

Larkin was in a 2-for-29 slump when he hit a three-run homer off Mik Hampton to give Cincinnati a 3-0 lead in the third. Hampton allowed three runs in six innings on four hits, three walks and six strikeouts.

The Astros scored in the seventh when center fielder Mike Cameron misplayed Hidalgo's fly ball and was charged with a three-base error. Hidalgo scored on Chad Everett's infield single.

Reds starter Steve Avery allowed one unearned run, three hits and three walks in seven innings.

"Avery pitched a tremendous game," said Reds manager Jack McKeon. "We just couldn't hold them. We couldn't execute in certain situations, and it might've cost us the game."

"We didn't catch that ball in center field, we didn't get a couple of runners over, and you don't know what might have happened. We can't keep making those mistakes."

Notes: Sean Casey was 0-for-4, dropping his average to .417. It was the first time in his 15 games this season that Casey did not reach base safely, and only the second time he was held hitless. ... Reliever Stan Belinda, trying to come back from treatment for multiple sclerosis, was scheduled to start and pitch two innings for Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday. Belinda has been on the DL all season with a strained right shoulder. ... Bagwell had in infield single in the fourth. It's been his only hit since homering three times against the Cubs on Thursday.

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