Backe Returns To Form, Astros Beat Cubs In Extra Innings

Astros pitcher Brandon Backe, in his second start of the season after Tommy John surgery, threw 97 pitches in his strongest outing since being injured last year. Showing a lot of the fire and self-criticism he's known for, Backe was not pleased with his showing, telling Astros.com:

I was lucky, fortunate enough to make good pitches in big situations when the game could have gotten out of hand," he said. "But for the most part I have to sit down and watch myself on video, try to fix what the problem was and hopefully come out the next time a lot better, get ahead of guys. I refuse to use the surgery as an excuse. I'm up here to do a good job.

Regardless of the slipups that Backe made last night, his health could be one of the lynchpins of the 2008 Astros season, which will probably otherwise rest on the shoulders of plenty of unproven rookies.

The highlight of the game, however, came long after Backe had exited. After trading runs in the early going, the game was tied at four runs apiece down the stretch. The teams remained deadlocked into extra innings, until Luke Scott drove in pinch runner Eric Bruntlett with a walk-off triple, the Astros' first hit since the sixth inning. Brad Lidge pitched the final two innings, earning the win while giving up only one hit.

Finally, Astros left fielder Carlos Lee provided some excitement in the eighth, saving an extra base hit and two runs by making a diving catch while running full speed. Before you point out that full speed for Lee is something like a floor waxer on the "3" setting, watch the video at the Astros.com link above, and enjoy El Caballo's defensive highlight of the season.