| | HOUSTON -- So far in the NL playoffs, the Houston Astros' Killer B's have been the Killer Z's -- again.
Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio and Derek Bell have been the heart of
the Astros' offense most recent years in the regular season but they've
been unable to pull the team through the playoffs.
Their career postseason averages are vastly different from their regular season numbers. In the postseason, Biggio is hitting .125, followed by Bagwell at .121 and Bell at .069.
They've done nothing this time to change those minuscule numbers in the opening round of the playoffs, although the Astros managed a split of the first two games in Atlanta. Bagwell is 1-for-11,
Biggio 1-for-7 and Bell, who slumped late in the year, hasn't even played.
Bell is scheduled to start Game 3 at the Astrodome Friday, reuniting the Killer B's.
Astros manager Larry Dierker expects his key players to break out soon.
"I think the probability is that if they play in enough playoffs, they are going to have a great series, and one of them will be an MVP of a series at some point," Dierker said.
"Barry Bonds hasn't done well in the postseason and for me over the last decade he has been the best hitter in the league. So, you can only do what the pitcher will allow you to do."
Bagwell is a three-time All-Star and career .304 hitter. This season, he hit 42 homers and stole 30 bases, joining Bonds as the only two major leaguers to accomplish that feat twice.
Biggio is a career .292 hitter and only the sixth player in major-league history to have back-to-back seasons with at least 50 doubles.
Bell has averaged .281 in his career, though he slumped to .236 with only 12 homers during an injury plagued season.
Bell hasn't always taken kindly to being benched. This time, he's being a team player.
"I agree with everything they've done," he said. "I am the
player and they are the management. Derek Bell is ready to help
this team however they want. If they want me to be a cheerleader,
I'll cheer. If they want me to take one on the elbow just so we can
score a run, I'll do that."
Hitting coach Tom McCraw is sticking with the B's.
"Most of your playoff games are going to be close," McCraw said. "Forget about those fourth and fifth starters. In the playoffs you go against the cream of the crop. That's all this is.
We forget it and get ready for another war."
After beating the Braves 6-1 in the first game, the Astros
managed only one hit against Kevin Millwood on Wednesday. Now, they
have to face Tom Glavine, who hasn't lost to Houston in more than
eight years.
Of course, after Millwood's dominating performance, the Astros
seem relieved to face anybody else.
"Glavine has the ability to one-hit you, too," Bagwell said.
"At least with him, you know what you're getting. We haven't seen
Millwood as much as the rest of their pitchers. I should be an
expert on Glavine. I've seen enough of him."
Glavine went 0-8 in his first 10 career starts against the
Astros, but he's gone 8-0 with a 1.53 ERA in his last 10
regular-season appearances and beat them in Game 2 of the '97
division series. His last loss to Houston came on June 25, 1991.
"Kevin just pitched a great game and there was nothing we could
do about it," Bagwell said. "We just have to go out and get our
batting practice and not look back."
The Astros definitely don't want to look back.
They are 0-4 in their previous postseason appearances, losing
the last two years in the division series. The Braves swept Houston
in 1997, while an Astros club that won a franchise-record 102 games
fell short again last year, losing in four games to San Diego.
"None of us are going to dwell on that game Wednesday," Bill
Spiers insisted. "We just ran into a guy that didn't give us
anything to hit."
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ALSO SEE
Millwood's one-hitter evens series for Braves
Astros vs. Braves series page
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