Sosa Caught Looking In Cubs Loss

It's not what the record opening day crowd of 51,668 expected to see Carl Everett and Richard Hidalgo hitting more home runs than Sammy Sosa.

Sosa went 0-for-4 and struck out three times in his 1999 debut, and Houston started its final season at the Astrodome by beating the Chicago Cubs 4-2 Tuesday night.

"Let's hope we can get him (Sosa) out of town before he shows us the other side of his game," Astros manager Larry Dierker said.

Everett and Hidalgo hit consecutive homers in the fourth inning, and Shane Reynolds (1-0) made the lead the stand up with relief help from Scott Elarton and Billy Wagner.

"I'm not Superman, I've got six months to go," Sosa said. "We have 161 to go. I'm going to have games like this. I just had a bad day. Reynolds is a tough pitcher."

Sosa hit his 66th and final home run last year in the Astrodome on Sept. 25. Mark McGwire then outhomered Sosa 5-0 during the rest of the season to win the homer race with 70. McGwire is off to a 1-0 lead this season.

"I'm not competing with anyone," Sosa said. "I play every day the same way. Some days I get hits, some days I don't and today was one of the days that I didn't."

Sosa didn't come close to a homer this time. He took a called third strike to end the first inning and was called out for running inside the first-base line after hitting a dribbler to Reynolds in the fourth.

Reynolds got Sosa to chase an outside pitch for a third strike in the sixth. Elarton fanned Sosa in the eighth.

"Hey, it's just one game," Cubs manager Jim Riggleman said. "I still like my chances with him up there no matter what he does. I don't care if he goes 0-for-4, you still send him up there the next day and feel fine about it."

Reynolds pitched six innings, gave up two runs and struck out seven.

Elarton, considered for the stating rotation before spring training, struck out three and allowed one hit in two innings in two innings. Wagner struck out two in the ninth for a save.

The Cubs opened their season in Houston for the first time since April 10, 1962, at Colt Stadium. The Astros won 11-2 in the first major league game played in Texas.

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, threw out the first ball Tuesday night. He was among a group of 23 Mercury program astronauts who participated in the opening of the Astrodome on April 12, 1965.

Next season, the Astros move to the $265 million Ballpark at Union Station with natural grass and a retractable roof.

With the Astros trailing 2-1 in the fourth, Everett and Hidalgo homered in a span of three pitches from Steve Trachsel (0-1). Everett hit the first pitch over the right-field fence and Hidalgo hit a 1-0 pitch over the left-field fence.

"I know what I am able to do if I'm able to play," Everett said. "Coming here from the Mets (last season) was very pleasing for me because I didn't want to be there."

Hidalgo is getting a chance to play because left fielder Moises Alou is out for most of the season following knee surgery.

"I feel bad about what happened because he's one of my best friends," Hidalgo said. "But I'm excited to play every day. That's all I've ever wanted was to play everyday. I felt confident and relaxed."

Mark Grace hit a leadoff homer in the Cubs second. Reynolds' RBI single tied it in the third.

Mickey Morandini doubled to start the Cubs fourth and Henry Rodriguez drove him home with a single for a 2-1 lead.

Notes: Seventy current astronauts attended the game. ... The Astros already have sold more than 14,000 season tickets, surpassing the franchise record 11,243 they sold in 1998. ... ... Jose Lima, who gave up Sosa's 66th home run, starts Thursday in the series finale. Sosa homered four times against the Astros last year, three off Lima.

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