NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Astros Miss Chance, Thanks to Cardinals

The only game the Houston Astros care about now is tonight’s, because Friday night, their bid to overtake the Dodgers in the wild-card race was foiled.

The Astros, who began the game half a game behind the Dodgers, were shut out, 3-0, by the St. Louis Cardinals at Houston.

“At this point, it doesn’t matter about the mathematics if we lose, we’ve just got to win every game,” said starter Doug Drabek (10-9), who lost for the first time since Aug. 31. He gave up all three runs and seven hits in six innings.

Cardinal starter Allen Watson (7-8) gave up four hits through eight innings, retiring 13 of the first 14 batters. He did not allow a runner past second base. Tom Henke pitched a perfect ninth for his 34th save.

“Everybody we’ve been playing lately is still in the race,” St. Louis Manager Mike Jorgensen said. “Our guys are aware of that, and I think it gives us a lift.”

Ray Lankford hit his 24th homer, a two-run shot in the sixth inning that put the Cardinals ahead, 3-0.

Chicago 6, Pittsburgh 3--Kevin Foster shrugged off the cold at Wrigley Field, withstood one bad inning and pitched one of the strongest games in his two years with the Cubs.

Foster (11-11), who kept the team’s improbable chances alive in the wild-card race, gave up two hits over eight innings and retired the final 13 batters he faced before Randy Myers pitched the ninth inning for his 35th save.

The Cubs loaded the bases in each of the first four innings off John Ericks (3-9), who gave up seven walks and seven hits, threw a wild pitch and hit a batter. Still, the Pirates had a 3-2 lead entering the bottom of the fourth, when the Cubs scored four runs. Ericks had not pitched for 10 days because of a tender shoulder.

Atlanta 5, Montreal 1--Tom Glavine’s performance at Atlanta was the key to his 16th victory, but the Expos did their share to help the Braves out.

Montreal made four errors that led to three unearned runs, not exactly what the beleaguered Carlos Perez (10-8) had hoped for. Perez is 0-5 with three no-decisions since Aug. 6.

Glavine (16-6) gave up four hits over seven innings and contributed a squeeze bunt in the Braves’ three-run fourth inning. Glavine is 11-2 in 17 starts since June 26.

Cincinnati 3, Philadelphia 2--Bret Boone made up for a costly error with a two-run double in the ninth inning that put the Reds past the Phillies at Philadelphia.

Boone bobbled a catch in the fourth inning that led to the Phillies’ first run. But Boone, who began the game mired in a batting slump, went two for three with the game-winning double.

The Reds’ John Smiley had 11 strikeouts and Mike Williams 10, both career highs, but neither starter figured into the decision.

Florida 3, New York 0--After a rain delay in Miami, umpires called the game during the eighth inning. Pat Rapp (13-7) pitched his second consecutive shutout and tied a club record with his eighth consecutive victory.