University Southern California Trojans
Prior Dominant as Cubs Beat Astros, 5-0
July 19, 2002 | Baseball
July 19, 2002
CHICAGO (AP) - Mark Prior scattered two hits and struck out eight, and Moises Alou homered against his old team as the Chicago Cubs beat the Houston Astros 5-0 Friday.
Alex Gonzalez drove in two runs and slumping Corey Patterson added an RBI for the Cubs, 6-2 since the All-Star break.
Nelson Cruz (1-5) struck out a career-high eight and allowed only two hits in 5 1-3 innings. But one of those hits was Alou's solo homer, and that was all the Cubs needed to back Prior (4-2).
Prior, the second pick in last summer's amateur draft, was overpowering in eight innings, the longest outing of his young major league career. He didn't allow any walks and has given up two earned runs or fewer in eight of his 11 starts.
The Astros' only real threat came in the first inning, and that wasn't even Prior's fault. With one out, second baseman Mark Bellhorn bobbled what should have been an easy grounder, and Craig Biggio reached on the error.
Biggio was out on Lance Berkman's fielder's choice, but Berkman took third on Jeff Bagwell's two-out single. Prior got out of the jam when Daryle Ward flied out.
The Astros had a runner in scoring position one other time, when Biggio doubled off the left-center wall with two outs in the sixth. But Prior struck out Berkman, and then retired his last six batters before Kyle Farnsworth finished it off.
And the Cubs didn't take any chances with Prior's first victory over Houston, tacking on three runs in the eighth after a fielding gaffe.
After Fred McGriff and Alou walked with one out, Patterson hit a grounder back to Tim Redding for what should have been a fielder's choice. But Redding's throw to second was a little low and shortstop Julio Lugo dropped the ball, loading the bases.
One out later, Gonzalez singled to left to score Alou and Patterson. Pinch-hitter Roosevelt Brown followed with a run-scoring double just inside the first-base line, giving the Cubs a 5-0 lead.
Cruz left Monday's game after two innings because of a muscle spasm in his neck. But his problem Friday appeared to be Alou.
Alou, who spent four years in Houston before signing with the Cubs last winter, got the first hit off of Cruz, a leadoff homer in the second. The ball sailed straight out to right field, getting just enough height to elude a leaping Richard Hidalgo and settle in the basket in front of the bleachers.
The Cubs added another run in the sixth. Patterson, in a 2-for-17 slump, hit an RBI single to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead.
