Take 2 Roundup: Games of Sat, 3/29/08

[bernieh]

[size=24:185da128c1][b:185da128c1]ALL ABOARD THE RYAN EXPRESS[/b:185da128c1][/size:185da128c1]
[size=16:185da128c1]Fireballer's 1-hitter Keeps Astros Soaring Past Sinking Padres in West[/size:185da128c1]

<img src="http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/images/baseball/stratomatic/1986/story_photos/nolan_ryan_1_150x206.jpg" align="left" border="1" width="150" height="206" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Nolan Ryan took a no-hitter into the 7th inning on Saturday night, as the red-hot Astros [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=1678]rolled past the Pirates, 6-1[/url], gaining another game on the self-destructing Padres in the NL West race. The only hit Ryan surrendered was the homerun leading off the 7th by Jim Morrison, which broke up the no-hit bid.

Couple this win, the Astros' 5th in a row, with the Padres' [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=1673]6th straight defeat[/url], and you've got the makings of a real crisis in San Diego. The Padres, who had started out of the gates on a tear, had been playing with a moderate lead over the Astros all season, but one had to have the impression that Houston was going to eventually put it all together. It looks like it finally happened, but the Padres haven't been putting up much of a fight of late.

[b:185da128c1]Meanwhile, the NL East leader du jour[/b:185da128c1] is the Mets. Tomorrow we'll probably go with the Cardinals. As always, you have a choice of salad and please pay your bill at the register!

[i:185da128c1]photo: SN Archives[/i:185da128c1]