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Ramirez homer lifts Rangers over Astros; Chacon attacks GM

Baseball Betting Lines

06/26/2008 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Max Ramirez collected the first two hits of his major league career -- including a go-ahead two-run home run -- as the Texas Rangers edged the Houston Astros, 3-2, in the second of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.

Ian Kinsler went 2-for-4 with a triple and run scored for the Rangers, winners in three of their last four. Frank Catalanotto also had a pair of hits and scored a run, while Ramon Vazquez knocked in the other Texas run.

Luis Mendoza (1-2) tossed three scoreless innings to earn the win in relief of Scott Feldman, who allowed two runs on six hits in four innings and was lifted after 99 pitches. C.J. Wilson survived a rocky ninth for his 16th save.

The Rangers were without star slugger Josh Hamilton, who got the night off with left knee inflammation.

Michael Bourn's two-run blast provided the scoring for the Astros, who had a two-game win streak snapped and fell for the 10th time in 13 games. Roy Oswalt (6-8) tossed seven strong innings -- allowing three runs on seven hits -- but dropped the decision.

The loss capped a turbulent day for the Astros franchise. Earlier Wednesday, the club suspended pitcher Shawn Chacon indefinitely after a physical confrontation with general manager Ed Wade.

"We have suspended Shawn Chacon, pending final resolution of whatever ruling we end up making," Wade said. However, Wade would not comment further on the nature of the incident.

"I'm not getting into any details," he said.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Chacon, who was recently demoted to the bullpen, exploded in the clubhouse before the game and had to be pulled away from Wade by several teammates.

"I sat down to eat and Ed Wade came to me and very sternly said, 'you need to come with me to the office,'" Chacon said to the Chronicle. "I said 'for what?' I said 'I dont want to go to the office with you and (Astros manager Cecil) Cooper.' And I said 'You can tell me whatever you got to tell me right here.' Hes like, 'oh, you want me to tell you right here?' And I said, 'yeah.' Im not yelling. Im calm."

According to Chacon, the confronatation turned physical soon afterward.

"He started yelling and cussing," Chacon said to the Chronicle. "I'm sitting there and I said to him very calmly, 'Ed, you need to stop yelling at me.' Then I stood up and said 'you better stop yelling at me.' I stood up. He continued and was basically yelling and stuff and was like, 'You need to (expletive) look in the mirror.' So at that point I lost my cool and I grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground. I jumped on top of him because at that point I wanted to beat his (butt). Words were exchanged."

According the Chronicle, reserve outfielder Reggie Abercrombie stepped in to pull Chacon away.

"Nobody in here is thrilled that it happened," said Astros first baseman Lance Berkman. "But, you know, this is a sport of high emotion and sometimes things happen that organizations wish wouldn't. And that's why there's vehicles like suspending a player to deal with those situations."

The incident overshadowed a disappointing performance from the Astros, who had rebounded from their eight-game losing streak with wins in three of their last four games.

Down 2-1, Ramirez's two-out homer for turned the tide for the Rangers in the fourth. Catalanotto singled, and Ramirez followed with a mammoth blast to left-center for a 3-2 Texas lead.

Mendoza held the Astros in check until the eighth, when Carlos Lee slashed a one-out double to left off Eddie Guardado. Hunter Pence hit a liner to first that Catalanotto snagged with a diving stab, then tossed to second to double off pinch-runner Abercrombie and end the inning.

Wigginton greeted Wilson with a double to right-center to open the bottom of the ninth. Wilson retired the next two batters, but walked Bourn to put the winning run on base, and the Astros loaded the bases when Vazquez couldn't handle Mark Loretta's grounder to third. Unfortunately, the Astros couldn't convert as Loretta was forced out on Miguel Tejada's grounder to short.

Texas picked up a quick run on Oswalt in the first, as Kinsler led off the game with a triple, then trotted home on Vazquez's sacrifice fly.

But, the Astros countered with a two-out burst in the home second. Oswalt singled, and Bourn followed with his fourth homer of the year, a blast to right.

Game Notes

Ramirez preceded his homer with his first big league hit, a single in the second inning...The Astros were a dismal 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 men on base...Houston sends Wandy Rodriguez (2-3) to the hill in Thursday's rubber match against Kevin Millwood (5-3).