vs. Mets at Port St. Lucie 12:05 CDT WIN

Palmeiro doubles to left on a ball that perhaps a better LF would've gotten to (Alou is in left for the Mets)

Wild pitch gets him to 3rd, and the wild pitch actually hit the home plate umpire in the hand, so he's in pain

Loretta strikes out

Lamb hits the ball as hard as he can, but apparently the winds blow it back in but it's still deep enough to sac OP home on the play. Lamb does some sorta figure-skating type pissed off jumpkick as he rounds 1st because he thought he had his home run

Bottom 5

Two flyouts and a groundout to first. Nieve is dealing.

Chris Burke with a solid single over the SS. He's 2 for 3 on the day.

Bruntlett slaps a 1-1 pitch through the hole between Wright and Reyes for his first hit of the day. Men on 1st and 2nd, 1 out.

Munson hits a 2-2 pitch to left and Burke scampers home, Bruntlett to 2nd. Munson having himself an excellent spring, hitting .371, .450 OBP with 6 rbi before that AB.

Nieve bunts Bruntlett and Munson over, two outs.

OP strikes out looking on a debatable inside pitch. Astros up 5-3

Just as I write that last line, Bruntlett makes an excellent play at SS to throw out a Mets minor leaguer who can fly down the line. Two outs.

Nieve strikes out Shawn Green up and away with a fastball. Still looking pretty good for Fernando today.

Danny Klassen pinch-hitting for Loretta but playing 3B, promptly singles up the middle.

Mike Lamb, having a perfect day at 2 for 2 with a sac fly, also singles up the middle.

Wade Robinson (who?) grounds to 1st. Lamb forced out at 2nd. Runners on the corners, 1 out, Lane pinch-hitting for Luuuuke.

Lane pops to 2B, two outs. Swung at a bad slider and couldn't get the runner in from 3rd, poor form Jason. Burke up.

Robinson steals 2nd.

Burke walks in a good at-bat. Bruntlett up.

Sosa walks in a run. Bruntlett and Burke are having done the exact same thing in their last two at-bats.

Munson bloops one to center to score Robinson and Burke. Bruntlett to 3rd. 8-3 good guys.

Passed ball as Nieve bats, Bruntlett scores, Munson to 2nd. 9-3.

Nieve with a base hit to left field, Munson challenges Alou's arm and wins as Alou's throw home was up the line. Astros 10, Mets 3. Willie Randolph is going to his bullpen.

Brandon Nall, a RH sidearmer, in to pitch. OP at the plate.

OPs grounds up the middle, and the inning goes on.

Klassen smacks one down the RF line, Nieve scores from 2nd and OP gets to 3rd as Lastings Milledge makes an ill-advised throw to try to beat out OP. No such luck, young man.

Lamb up, he grounds out. Inning finally over. All six runs we scored that inning occurred with 2 outs. Astros up, 11-3.

Wright pops to Bruntlett, 2 outs.

Defelice pops to LF.

Albers warming up. Apparently the fact that Nieve has a perfect four innings doesn't change Gar's game plan in spring. If Nieve needed to prove any more that he deserves the 5th spot in the rotation, I think he clinched it today. Brian Moehler fans, you must be crushed. Rest of sane Astros universe, have a cigar. I think we have our starting rotation.

My old clunky Dell just had a seizure of sorts, so I'm signing off to go watch basketball.