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| Carlos Lee certainly knew what he was talking about when he boasted about the Astros' confidence when leading after the seventh inning. The Astros haven't lost a game in which they led in the eighth inning or later since June 13, when former reliever Dan Wheeler gave up three runs in the eighth against the A's. Since then, the Astros have won each and every time they've held that late-inning lead, and they've only become more efficient since dealing Wheeler to Tampa Bay and inserting Chad Qualls into the eighth-inning setup role. "The way Qualls and [Brad] Lidge have been pitching late in games, we feel that if we're leading in the seventh, we're going to win that game," Lee said on Tuesday. Lidge's return to form as the Astros' star closer has been well documented, but Qualls' superb performance of late has flown somewhat under the radar. Since the beginning of July, Qualls has made 17 appearances while throwing 18 1/3 innings, and he has allowed just one run in that time with 16 strikeouts and only three walks. "He's just throwing the ball better," manager Phil Garner said. "He's back in the groove. His sinker has more depth to it. He's got pretty good stuff." From May 25 until June 3, Qualls encountered a stretch during which he allowed five home runs in only seven innings, raising his ERA to 4.55. But since that point, Qualls has only surrendered two long balls and his ERA has dropped to 3.24. "When I was going through that little funk, I thought I was making some pretty good pitches," Qualls said. "It seemed like whenever I went out there, they hit home runs. So I was just trying to pitch my way through it, and I had to put it in the back of my mind and forget about it. And now, here we are." The Astros showed increased faith in Qualls when they dealt Wheeler for additional offensive help in the form of third baseman Ty Wigginton, and Qualls has rewarded them, pitching seven scoreless innings since the deal. Since the All-Star break, he and Lidge have teamed up to form one of the most potent late-inning combinations in the National League. "You have to have that mindset [that the game should be over] when you go out there," Qualls said. "If we have a lead into the eighth inning, we can shut them down and we will most likely win the game." Lamb vs. Scott: For the first time in nearly two weeks, Luke Scott started Friday in right field for a second straight game. Scott, who already wasn't playing against lefties, saw his playing time further reduced with the Wigginton deal. When Wigginton plays at third base, it leaves just two spots (first base and right field) for three players -- Lance Berkman, Mike Lamb and Scott. With Berkman assured of an everyday spot, that leaves Lamb and Scott in competition with each other. More often than not, it's been Lamb to win that battle. But Scott hit .280 with a .600 slugging percentage in July, and he's hitting .300 with a .500 on-base percentage and .700 slugging percentage in August. That coupled with his two-run triple in Wednesday's start against Carlos Zambrano makes the decision even more difficult for Garner. "The timing [of my swing] does get affected a bit when you don't see live pitching every day," Scott said. "I feel OK. I try to do the best I can to stay sharp and be ready. I take my job very seriously." Garner, however, brushed aside any talk that his decision to start Scott was based on playing the hot hand. While he declined to elaborate, Garner said Friday that his decision on whether to play Lamb or Scott had a lot to do with the type of pitcher they would be going up against. Scouting reports on Milwaukee starter Dave Bush label him as a two-pitch pitcher against lefties, and Scott was known in the Minor Leagues as being a fastball hitter. So it seems likely that Scott is the preferred option against fastball-heavy starters, whereas Lamb is the better bet against pitchers who rely more on offspeed pitches. Injury updates: Hunter Pence took a major step Friday in his recovery from a fractured wrist, taking live batting practice in the batting cage for the first time since the injury. Pence hit 10 balls off a tee, 10 via soft toss and 25 live pitches. Although he's still not setting a precise timetable for his return and isn't swinging with his usual force, he's progressively coming closer to doing so without reporting significant pain. "I'm just going to see if I can get back to hitting the ball with a little authority," Pence said. Likewise, starter Chris Sampson said he is feeling much better in his recovery from a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Assuming no setbacks, the team expects Sampson to be able to return to the rotation soon after his 15 required days on the disabled list are up next Saturday. Promotion: The Astros promoted prized catching prospect J.R. Towles from Double-A Corpus Christi to Triple-A Round Rock on Friday. Towles hit .324 with 11 home runs and a .425 on-base percentage in 61 games with the Hooks. His performance with the Express likely will dictate whether he's a possible September callup to the Astros. Towles was the only Astros Minor League hitter to participate in the 2007 Futures Game, held July 8 at San Francisco's AT&T Park. Baseball America rated him as the sixth-best prospect in the organization entering this season. Williams signs: The Astros agreed to terms Friday with outfielder Marques Williams, the team's 43rd-round selection in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. Williams played right field at Compton Community College, and he will join the Greenville Astros, Houston's Rookie League affiliate. Houston has agreed to terms with 34 of its 42 picks in this year's Draft. Coming up: The Astros and Brewers will square off in the second game of a crucial three-game set at Minute Maid Park at 6:05 p.m. CT on Saturday. Left-hander Wandy Rodriguez (7-10, 4.50 ERA) will take the mound against Milwaukee right-hander Jeff Suppan (8-9, 4.84 ERA). |