News
Tejada nears 200 hits with 20-game streak
Houston (74-87) at New York (69-92), 12:10 p.m. CT
By Brian McTaggart / MLB.com
10/03/09 7:00 PM EST
NEW YORK -- The Astros' final game of the regular season won't be without some drama. Houston shortstop Miguel Tejada enters Sunday needing two hits to reach 200 hits for the fourth time in his career, a feat which seemed unlikely a few weeks ago. But that was before Tejada went on a 20-game hitting streak, during which he has hit .416 and has had two four-hit games. "I'm feeling good," Tejada said "I haven't been thinking about 200, because I don't want to put too much pressure on myself. I don't really worry about it. Tomorrow is another game, and I want to try to be on base as much as I can and help the team win."Tejada, whose 86 RBIs are his most since 2006, had a career-high 214 hits that season with Baltimore. He also reached the 200-hit mark in '03 with Baltimore (203) and '02 with Oakland (204). The only Astros player to collect 200 hits in a season was Craig Biggio in 1998 (210).
If Tejada gets two hits on Sunday, he would be the fifth active player to reach 200 hits at least four times in a career, joining Ichiro Suzuki (nine), Derek Jeter (seven), Michael Young (five), Vladimir Guerrero (four) and Juan Pierre (four). Earlier this year, Tejada broke his own franchise record for hits in a season by an Astros shortstop. And his 20-game hitting streak is the longest by an Astros player since Willy Taveras hit a club-record 30 consecutive games in 2006. Pitching matchupHOU: RHP Wilton Lopez (0-1, 9.42 ERA)
In his first Major League start, on Tuesday against the Phillies, Lopez allowed six hits and five runs in 3 2/3 innings in a loss. He gave up a grand slam to Pedro Feliz in the fourth inning of a tied game. Lopez was recalled from Double-A Corpus Christi on Aug. 28 after going 4-5 with a 4.73 ERA, including 3-5 with a 3.91 ERA as a starter. RHP Nelson Figueroa (2-8, 4.70 ERA)
Figueroa's final assignment is the Mets' final game of the 2009 season. He has lost each of his five most recent starts, and the Mets have lost eight of his nine starts. His ERA in four select starts among those eight team losses is 2.77. He has shown flashes of effectiveness in September, holding his opponent to two runs in three of his five starts. Figueroa is winless in seven games, two of them starts, against the Astros in his career. Only five batters on their roster have faced him. Tidbits
The Astros are 8-30 in their past 38 road games. ... Jason Michaels is hitting .417 with eight walks in his past 20 pinch-hit appearances for a .650 on-base percentage. ... Catcher J.R. Towles has six hits in his past 16 at-bats. ... Geoff Blum is hitting .345 against left-handers this season. Tickets
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Brian McTaggart is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
