Braves Leave Astros Cold

Here is how the Houston Astros haven’t been hitting:

Their team batting average is .200.

They have one extra-base hit. (A double by Brad Ausmus.)

Jeff Bagwell is 0 for 8, with five strikeouts.

Derek Bell is 0 for 9.

Craig Biggio is one for eight, beating out an infield roller.

“I don’t know if our first three hitters have been letting them get away with some mistakes,” Manager Larry Dierker said of Atlanta’s pitchers, “or whether they haven’t been making any.”

Three of the 13 Astro hits have been by Darryl Kile and Mike Hampton, their pitchers.

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You think that’s sad?

Atlanta is leading this series, 2-0, with a team average of .207.

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Much was made of Game 1’s crowd of 46,467, smallest for an Atlanta postseason game in the franchise’s history.

“These fans are not blase,” owner Ted Turner insisted.

Wednesday’s attendance was better, though no sellout.

But in two days, the entire Brave crowd did not do a tomahawk-chop chant once.

Even with the Turner Field organist repeatedly trying to start one.

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Winning Game 1 with only two hits was a neat trick by the Braves.

Turns out it was the first such victory for a National League team in the postseason since 1963, when the Dodgers won with two hits in the fourth and final game of the 1963 World Series.

In that one, the Dodgers edged the New York Yankees, 2-1. One of the two hits was Frank Howard’s solo home run.

The Oakland A’s won Game 4 of the 1974 American League championship series, 2-1, with only one hit--a double by Reggie Jackson.

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Series at a Glance

(Braves lead series 2-0)

* Game 1: Braves 2, Astros 1

* Game 2: Braves 13, Astros 3

* Game 3: Friday at Houston, 1 p.m.

* Game 4: Saturday at Houston, 10 a.m.*

* Game 5: Sunday at Houston, 10 a.m.*

* If necessary