The fact that the Astros haven’t recovered to sniff contention since their 0-8 start to the season hasn’t meant that they have given up all influence on the National League’s tight playoff races. In the span of two weeks, the Astros have swept two contenders, dealing devastating blows to the Phillies and Cardinals.

Last week, they took four of four in Philadelphia, costing the two-time defending NL champions a chance to close ground on the then-sputtering Braves in the NL East or to open up a lead in the wild-card race. Then this week, Houston took three straight from St. Louis, allowing just two runs and letting Cincinnati grab control of the NL Central.

The Astros say they’re still playing for themselves, and they’re proud of their ability to throw a wrench in the…

The St. Louis Cardinals tried to be optimistic Tuesday night after a second straight shutout left them with an 11-15 record in August and seven games behind first-place Cincinnati in the NL Central. "It's a good thing tomorrow starts a new month," Jon Jay said. "It's September, so hopefully we can get on a roll.

Across the nation, there are currently 30 MLB stadiums in use, ranging from Miami to Seattle. Of those 30, I've personally attended eight different stadiums, and easily among my favorites is Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Minute Maid vs. Astrodome But out of those eight stadiums, what is it that makes Minute Maid park one of my favorites? First off, let me compare Minute Maid to the predecessor to Minute Maid Park. From 1965-1999 the Astrodome served as the Astros stadium, and as a visitor to the Astrodome as well, I can definitely say that Minute Maid…

Pitching, hitting, running the bases — R.A. Dickey did it all for the New York Mets. The way their offense has sputtered this summer, he probably had to if he wanted a win. Dickey flustered the Houston Astros with knuckleballs and foiled them with his bat, leading the Mets to a 5-1 victory on a crystal-clear Sunday at Citi Field.

The Philadelphia Phillies probably wish they played in the National League West.

Brett Myers pitched at least six innings again, Carlos Lee homered off Johan Santana again and two of the few remaining veterans on the young Astros gave Houston a team first: a win at Citi Field. Lee also drove in a run in a two-run first inning, and that was all the Astros really needed to beat the New York Mets 4-1 Saturday night.

Houston Astros closer Matt Lindstrom still has a stiff back and his scheduled bullpen session has been delayed. Astros manager Brad Mills says Lindstrom was scheduled to throw Saturday before heading out on a rehab assignment. He will be evaluated daily to see if he's ready to throw. Mills said infielder Jeff Keppinger (left big toe) is expected to play a rehab game at Double-A Corpus Christi on…

As milestones go, home run No. 400 should make Albert Pujols' top five. He cherishes his one World Series ring the most. The three MVP awards mean a lot. For pure numbers, it is tough to beat his unprecedented nine consecutive seasons (soon to be 10) to start a career with a .300 batting average, 30 homers and 100 RBIs. There also are the 2003 batting title and the 2009 home run title, plus the four times he has led the NL in runs and three times he has led the NL in OPS.

The Houston Astros' wild 4-2 win over Philadelphia lasted 16 innings, over 5 hours, and saw Phillies pitcher Roy Oswalt play left field and ground into the final out Tuesday night. Oswalt became the first Phillies pitcher to play a position in the field in 39 years after Ryan Howard was ejected in the 14th inning.

So, what's the baseline? Brett Myers threw seven sharp innings against his former team, Carlos Lee hit a go-ahead two-run single in the eighth and the Houston Astros took advantage of a controversial call to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 on Monday night. The wild card-leading Phillies, who entered 2 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL East, lost for just the sixth time in their last 30 home…