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| Andy Pettitte | Tom Gorzelanny |
| 16 - 9, 2.43 | 0 - 0, 0.00 |
I'll go out on a limb--perhaps against evidence--and guess that the Astros will show the character I believe they possess and play a good game in all three phases this evening.
After all, they've stunk before, and have always come back to regain the ground they'd relinquished. . . .
Pettitte attempts to notch his seventh consecutive victory tonight against a Pirate making his first career start. Tom Gorzelanny, a lefty who has featured the strikeout prominently in his arsenal, was rated number five in the organization by Baseball America before the season.
The 2003 draft pick spent most of the year at AA Altoona, and started the Eastern League All Star Game for the Southern Division side. Gorzelanny never allowed a home run to a left-handed hitter all year, and gave up only six overall in 120-odd innings.
Time for the Astros to put their struggles against first-time starters behind them. The idea is to bolster your wild card lead now, so that if the Cardinals, for example, sweep their two against us, the 'Stros'll still be in or near the driver's seat.