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 HOUSTON (AP) - Brad Ausmus singled to right-center with one out in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Houston Astros a 3-2 victory over the New York Mets on Thursday night and — much to the delight of their fans — ruining Carlos Beltran's return to Minute Maid Park.
Orlando Palmeiro began the winning rally with a single off Roberto Hernandez (5-4), then moved to second on a sacrifice by Adam Everett. Ausmus, who drove in the Astros' previous run on a safety squeeze bunt, solidly smacked the first pitch he saw high over the second baseman's head, leaving Beltran to jog after it, knowing the game was lost.
Dan Wheeler (1-2) pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings for the win — Houston's fifth straight and 11th in 12 games. The victory also moved the Astros into a tie with Washington (55-47) for the lead in the NL wild card race.
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