Astros

Good morning -- Roger Clemens - - Does your personal services contract with the Astros include an Andy Pettitte clause?

Miguel Tejada's four-year tenure with the Orioles, marked by All-Star play, trade demands and a lot more losses than he wanted, ended yesterday when the club dealt him to the Houston Astros for five players. The move was the strongest sign yet that president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail is seeking a sweeping rebuild after 10 straight losing seasons. In exchange, the Orioles received outfielder Luke Scott, pitching prospects Troy Patton, Matt Albers and Dennis Sarfate, and power-hitting third base prospect Michael Costanzo.

The end of the Miguel Tejada era in Baltimore is also expected to mark the beginning of Andy MacPhail's Orioles rebuilding project Two years after demanding a trade from the organization, Tejada was sent yesterday to the Houston Astros for five players - outfielder Luke Scott, third baseman Michael Costanzo and pitchers Matt Alberts, Troy Patton and Dennis Sarfate. The trade of the team's most accomplished player was MacPhail's boldest move since being hired as president of baseball operations in June.

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees have wanted Roger Clemens back for more than a year. Their desire for him to wear pinstripes again only increased as injuries ravaged their starting rotation early this season. The Yankees got their wish yesterday, with Clemens agreeing to a $28 million salary, prorated to when he joins the team. They even managed to keep Clemens' decision to return to the Bronx a secret for two days - until the seventh-inning stretch during the Yankees-Seattle Mariners game at Yankee Stadium, when public address announcer Bob Sheppard told the crowd to look to the owner's box and the center-field video screen for a special announcement.

Moves Baseball ASTROS -- Designated 3B Morgan Ensberg for assignment. Recalled P Mark McLemore from Triple-A Round Rock. CARDINALS -- Activated IF Scott Spiezio from 15-day DL. Optioned P Brian Falkenborg to Triple-A Memphis. DEVIL RAYS -- Recalled IF Ben Zobrist from Triple-A Durham. METS -- Designated P Jon Adkins for assignment. Recalled former Oriole IF David Newhan. Purchased contract of C Mike DiFelice from Triple-A New Orleans. Optioned P Mike Pelfrey to New Orleans. PIRATES -- Recalled P Jonah Bayliss from Triple-A Indianapolis.

Quote: "I remember Steve Carlton struck out 19 and lost. Obviously it's not easy to take. Shane was outstanding, he deserved a better fate."-- Astros manager Larry Dierker after Shane Reynolds struck out 14 Pirates and lostIt's a fact: The Reds failed to draw 30,000 fans for any of the three weekend games, even though first place was at stake.Who's hot: The Mets' Mike Piazza is 12-for-18 (.667) in his past four starts with three home runs and nine RBIs.Who's not: The Giants lost for the 21st time in 30 games.

Quote: "It wasn't exactly a conducive day to come out. What an ugly day." -- Marlins manager John Boles, after about 100 fans showed up for the start of the doubleheader, with southeastern Florida under a warning due to Tropical Storm HarveyIt's a fact: Of Mark McGwire's 516 career homers, 399 have come during the 1990s.Who's hot: The Braves are 24-7 against other top teams in the NL: the Nets, Astros, Reds and Diamondbacks.Who's not: The Expos' Jeremy Powell is 1-6 on the road this year.

The Houston Astros lost Moises Alou to a knee injury and lost out in the Roger Clemens derby, but general manager Jerry Hunsicker isn't ready to concede his club's position as the decided favorite in the National League Central."

The 1999 season is heading into its final month, and it's time for a startling prediction about the National League playoff picture.The Mets are out.That's right. The New York Mets, who entered Friday night's games with the second-best record in the league, are going to be watching the playoffs on television -- if they can stand to watch.The Atlanta Braves are going to hold on to win the East, in spite of some recent injury problems. The Arizona Diamondbacks already have the West locked up. And the Central will dispatch the Houston Astros and Cincinnati Reds to the postseason.

Astros: Houston completed a six-game road trip hitting .194 (39-for-201). It started the trip hitting .297 as a team and finished at .283. The Astros started the game leading the NL with 63 stolen bases and got three more last night, all in the fourth inning. Craig Biggio extended his hitting streak to 12 games.Brewers: Milwaukee batted around in the first inning, the third consecutive inning it had done so. It scored five runs in the eighth inning and seven in the ninth in Sunday's 13-4 comeback victory over Montreal.

Rose's 36 carry Bulls past Celts in OT nba Derrick Rose scored 36 points in his playoff debut and helped the Chicago Bulls do something not even Michael Jordan could: beat the Boston Celtics in the postseason. Rose had 11 assists to go with his career high in points, and Tyrus Thomas made a jumper from the corner with 51 seconds left in overtime to lead the visiting Bulls to a 105-103 victory over the defending NBA champions in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series. Rajon Rondo scored 29 points and added nine rebounds and seven assists for Boston, which was without Kevin Garnett and without much help from the rest of the Big Three.

Tejada receives year of probation baseball With an apology to Congress, baseball fans and the kids who looked up to him, All-Star shortstop Miguel Tejada received a sentence of one year of probation Thursday for misleading Congress about the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Tejada, a former Oriole, faced up to a year in prison, but U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Kay issued a sentence of probation, 100 hours of community service and a $5,000 fine. Kay waived drug testing often required of other convicts on probation and said he wouldn't restrict the Houston Astros player's travel.

The Houston Astros and catcher Ivan Rodriguez are closing in on a one-year, $1.5 million contract, a person familiar with the talks told the Associated Press yesterday. The deal would contain $1.5 million in performance bonuses based on games and plate appearances, the person said. Rodriguez, 37, a 13-time Gold Glove winner, hit .276 with seven homers and 35 RBIs in 115 games with the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees last season. Phillies: : World Series Most Valuable Player Cole Hamels left training camp in Clearwater, Fla., and flew to Philadelphia to have his left elbow examined by team physician Michael Ciccotti.

It was like a tale of two clubhouses at Camden Yards this week. On one side, you had the Houston Astros, losers of eight games in a row and 17 of 20. On the other side, you had the Orioles, winners of five of their past six. The Astros appear to be a team in complete disarray. The Orioles are in complete bliss - or denial, if you remain a cynic and an unbeliever. One of the reporters who covers the Astros referred to the atmosphere around them as "quite toxic." The players are openly questioning manager Cecil Cooper, who was new to the job at the major league level when he replaced Phil Garner on Aug. 27, 2007.

A recap of the Orioles' 7-5 win over the Astros last night: On the offensive The Orioles knocked around Astros starter Shawn Chacon for six earned runs in five innings. Chacon walked Kevin Millar with the bases loaded to put the Orioles on the board in the third inning. In the fourth, Ramon Hernandez and Alex Cintron connected for long home runs off Chacon as the Orioles built a lead they wouldn't relinquish. The Orioles totaled 11 hits and also got a home run from Aubrey Huff. A painful at-bat Facing former teammate Brian Burres in the third inning, Miguel Tejada lined a ball off his left knee.

No longer content to win a series, the Orioles were especially motivated last night by their desire to sweep an opponent. Two out of three isn't bad, but it isn't acceptable, either. Not to a team with growing standards. Ramon Hernandez and Alex Cintron homered in the fourth inning, starting the comeback process a little earlier than usual, Aubrey Huff connected in the seventh, and the Orioles moved three games above .500 for the first time in a month with a 7-5 victory over the Houston Astros before an announced 31,480 at Camden Yards.

A recap of the Orioles' 2-1 win over the Astros last night: Too late for Guthrie Jeremy Guthrie held the Astros to one run over eight innings, striking out eight, but he still didn't get the win. The Orioles trailed, 1-0, until Luke Scott led off the seventh inning with his 12th homer. They loaded the bases with one out but couldn't take the lead. The outcome was decided in the 10th, when Kevin Millar singled to center to score Melvin Mora, who singled with one out and took third base on Aubrey Huff's single.

Before Kevin Millar stepped into the batter's box and delivered the hit that sent the Orioles to another thrilling victory, manager Dave Trembley yelled from the dugout to get the first baseman's attention. "I said, `Do you know what the sign for the squeeze [play] is?'" Trembley said. "And he looked at me like, `What are you kidding?' " With men on first and third and one out in the 10th inning, Trembley had no intention of asking one of his best run producers to drop down a squeeze bunt.

The at-bat lasted nine pitches and ended with Melvin Mora standing on second base, pumping both fists and yelling. On a night when Miguel Tejada returned to Camden Yards, the Houston Astros got a firsthand look at the resilience the Orioles have showed all season. His team trailing by a run, Mora ripped a two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning off Astros closer Jose Valverde, the big hit in the Orioles' 6-5 victory before an announced 21,535 last night at Camden Yards. "I don't care who was there," said Mora, when asked whether it felt extra sweet to get the key hit in front of his former teammate, who was greeted with a mixture of cheers and boos.

A recap of the Orioles' 6-5 win over the Astros last night: Mora delivers Melvin Mora stood at the plate in the eighth inning with two runners on, two outs and the Astros leading, 5-4. He was facing Astros closer Jose Valverde, who was pumping 97 mph fastballs at the Orioles. Mora kept fouling them off, and the count remained full. With the remains of an announced 21,535 raising the noise level at Camden Yards, Mora drove another fastball, the ninth pitch of the at-bat, into the right-center-field gap to score Adam Jones and Brian Roberts for a 6-5 lead.