Bill Hall

Houston Astros lefthander Andy Pettitte, on the disabled list since April 10 with a strained left elbow, is scheduled to be activated and make only his second start in the National League this afternoon at Pittsburgh. Pettitte allowed 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings in his only start April 6 against San Francisco and injured his elbow on a checked swing. Noteworthy Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood was suspended for five games and Chicago manager Dusty Baker for one game for confronting umpires during their recent series against Cincinnati.

Houston manager Phil Garner said the reality that Hurricane Rita was barreling toward Texas should not distract his Astros as they try to hold on to their NL wild-card spot. "I think the guys are prepared, and for the most part, their families are secure," Garner said. "We've done what we can do. Now we have to have fun playing the game. " The game turned out to be anything but fun for the Astros, who lost to the host Chicago Cubs, 5-4. Glendon Rusch (8-8) got the win, and Derrek Lee went 3-for-3 to increase his league-leading average to .341.

Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Bill Hall just happened to look toward second base before Todd Jones threw fastballs in the eighth inning yesterday at Miller Park. He just happened to look toward third base before Jones threw breaking balls. "I don't put up with that," Jones said after the Phillies enjoyed a 9-6 victory over the Brewers in 10 innings. "If you want to beat me, that's one thing. But if you're going to give signs and I find out, you're going to pay for it. " Jones said Hall stole signs from second base and relayed them to Brewers hitters Russell Branyan, Ben Grieve and Chris Magruder.

Federal agents tried to pressure former Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jason Grimsley into wearing a listening device in an effort to collect incriminating evidence against San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds, the Arizona Republic reported. "It was a specific effort to target Bonds," attorney Edward F. Novak told the newspaper for yesterday's editions. "We were told that Jason's cooperation was necessary to their case. " Novak said agents asked whether Grimsley knew any of Bonds' teammates who could reveal anything about the Giants' slugger.

During the first two games of the National League division series, the Milwaukee Brewers were as antsy and overanxious with their offensive approach as toddlers dragged to the opera. Swinging early and often, they made things easy on Phillies pitchers, allowing starters Cole Hamels and Brett Myers to pitch deep into the games due to low pitch counts and easy outs, resulting in a pair of defeats at Citizens Bank Park. On Friday, during the off-day workout at Miller Park, the wild-card winners vowed to start exhibiting some uncharacteristic patience vs. Jamie Moyer in Game 3, realizing that it may be their only chance of extending the series another day. Last night, they lived up to their promise, resulting in an exhale-inducing, 4-1 victory that forced a Game 4 this afternoon.

Mike Piazza tied Carlton Fisk's major league record of 351 home runs as a catcher last night as the visiting New York Mets defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 9-5. Piazza hit a one-out solo homer in the sixth on the first pitch from Hideo Nomo. The line drive to left-center gave the Mets a 4-3 lead. Piazza, who hit his first 177 homers with the Dodgers, had gone 16 consecutive games without one since homering twice on April 7 at Atlanta. "I think it's just a tribute to being consistent and being healthy, working hard and taking care of myself," Piazza said before the game.

Barry Bonds beat the Milwaukee Brewers not with a mighty swing - although he had plenty of opportunities, for a change - but with his arm. The San Francisco slugger, who will have to wait at least another day to join the 700-homer club, flashed the kind of play that made him an eight-time Gold Glove winner early in his career, helping the visiting Giants beat the Brewers, 3-2, last night. Bonds went 0-for-2 and drew two walks, one of them intentional and the other on a nine-pitch at-bat.

Dave Bush was under a bit of stress when he and his teammates on the Milwaukee Brewers arrived in Philadelphia early this week for a three-game series against the Phillies. It can be a little maddening for a professional athlete when he returns to his hometown. You try to see as many friends and family members as possible in a limited period of time. There are ticket requests. "It can be stressful," Bush said. "It's a little hectic sometimes. " Bush managed. On Monday, he went back to where he grew up in Devon and visited with his parents, Tom and Rita.

Neither pitcher had lost since June, and their teams were hot, as well. Atlanta veteran Russ Ortiz was outpitched by rookie Oliver Perez, but Chipper Jones homered for the game's only run as the visiting Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1-0, last night. Ortiz shut out Pittsburgh for seven innings to win his sixth in a row. The Braves have won 21 of 28 and the Pirates have won 21 of 29. Ortiz (12-6) gained his 100th major league victory, despite allowing at least one baserunner in every inning.

The Phillies and the Brewers did a little time-traveling today. The two teams jumped in the Wayback Machine, dialed up the middle of September, and played a fifth game of the previous series between them. A lot has happened in the interim. The Brewers fired their manager after that four-game sweep at Citizens Bank Park, then went on a wild tear - winning, hold onto your hats, seven of 12 games - and outlasted the flailing Mets for the National League wild card. Along the way, the Brewers decided they were healed.

Dave Bush was under a bit of stress when he and his teammates on the Milwaukee Brewers arrived in Philadelphia early this week for a three-game series against the Phillies. It can be a little maddening for a professional athlete when he returns to his hometown. You try to see as many friends and family members as possible in a limited period of time. There are ticket requests. "It can be stressful," Bush said. "It's a little hectic sometimes. " Bush managed. On Monday, he went back to where he grew up in Devon and visited with his parents, Tom and Rita.

During the first two games of the National League division series, the Milwaukee Brewers were as antsy and overanxious with their offensive approach as toddlers dragged to the opera. Swinging early and often, they made things easy on Phillies pitchers, allowing starters Cole Hamels and Brett Myers to pitch deep into the games due to low pitch counts and easy outs, resulting in a pair of defeats at Citizens Bank Park. On Friday, during the off-day workout at Miller Park, the wild-card winners vowed to start exhibiting some uncharacteristic patience vs. Jamie Moyer in Game 3, realizing that it may be their only chance of extending the series another day. Last night, they lived up to their promise, resulting in an exhale-inducing, 4-1 victory that forced a Game 4 this afternoon.

It was an adventure, and not an excellent one, for Phillies starter Jamie Moyer in the first two innings against the Brewers in Game 3. The lefthander, who relies on pinpoint location of his pitches - whether they are on the plate or purposely off it - struggled to hit his spots, and did not receive any early breaks from home-plate umpire Brian Runge. Moyer, who trailed by 2-0 after one inning, threw first-pitch strikes to just two of the first 11 hitters in the first two innings.

Throw the ball, hit the ball, catch the ball. They are the ABCs of baseball. The Phillies are up by a game in their National League division series because the Milwaukee Brewers failed to execute in those three basic areas yesterday. The Brewers, 3-1 losers to the Phils, couldn't hit Cole Hamels. Not a whole lot could have been done about that. When a pitcher of Hamels' caliber is on, he always will have an advantage. But the throwing and catching? With the wind blowing and light rain falling, the Brewers came up small in those areas, and it cost them the game.

Here's a look at the finer points of yesterday's 3-1 Phillies victory. In two regular-season starts against the Milwaukee Brewers, Cole Hamels allowed 14 hits and seven runs in 13 1/3 innings. Yesterday, in Game 1 of the division series, Hamels held the Brewers scoreless on two hits over eight innings. He struck out nine. Word out of the Brewers' clubhouse was that Hamels' signature change-up was better than ever, and that he had a good fastball. But three pitches are better than two and one key to Hamels' success was the use of his curveball.

Cole Hamels faced an extraordinary responsibility yesterday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies had not won a postseason game since Oct. 21, 1993, and had memories of the Colorado Rockies sweeping them in the National League division series last October, which ruined their improbable and hard-fought run to their first NL East championship since '93. They knew they needed to win Game 1 of this series against the Milwaukee Brewers or...

The Phillies and the Brewers did a little time-traveling today. The two teams jumped in the Wayback Machine, dialed up the middle of September, and played a fifth game of the previous series between them. A lot has happened in the interim. The Brewers fired their manager after that four-game sweep at Citizens Bank Park, then went on a wild tear - winning, hold onto your hats, seven of 12 games - and outlasted the flailing Mets for the National League wild card. Along the way, the Brewers decided they were healed.

Throw the ball, hit the ball, catch the ball. They are the ABCs of baseball. The Phillies are up by a game in their National League division series because the Milwaukee Brewers failed to execute in these three basic areas today. The Brewers, 3-1 losers to the Phils, couldn't hit Cole Hamels. Not a whole lot could have been done about that. When a pitcher of Hamels' caliber is on, he always will have an advantage. But the throwing and catching? With the wind blowing and light rain falling, the Brewers came up small in those areas, and it cost them the game.

More than an hour after he had one-handedly - in more ways than one - hoisted Milwaukee to its first playoff appearance in 26 years yesterday, CC Sabathia stood atop the mound again, this time at the apex of a bouncing band of drunk, damp and delirious Brewers. The 6-foot-7 pitcher's place at this celebratory summit, long after the elated remnants of 45,299 Miller Park fans had joyfully watched the latest Mets' collapse on the center-field scoreboard, was well-earned. Pitching on three days' rest for a third straight start, Sabathia overpowered the Cubs in a crucial 3-1, Game 162 victory that had heads swiveling between the field and the scoreboard.

Ben Sheets dominated for five innings last night before a tight pitching arm forced him from the game, and visiting Milwaukee held on for a 5-2 victory over slumping Cincinnati. Sheets (3-0) allowed only a pair of singles, looking very comfortable in a hitter-friendly ballpark where he has never lost. The hard-throwing righthander is having one of the best Aprils of his career, allowing only three earned runs in four games. But Sheets felt tightness in his right biceps and left for a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning with the Brewers ahead, 5-0. "It's just sore," Sheets said, acknowledging he was a little worried.