The Associated Press

Milwaukee – The Houston Astros led by seven runs entering the bottom of the ninth, and nobody at County Stadium raised an eyebrow when reliever Doug Henry walked Milwaukee’s Jeromy Burnitz to open the inning.

Tuesday, May 23, 2000

Milwaukee – The Houston Astros led by seven runs entering the bottom of the ninth, and nobody at County Stadium raised an eyebrow when reliever Doug Henry walked Milwaukee’s Jeromy Burnitz to open the inning. Eight batters and five improbable runs later, Burnitz was up again. This time, he had everybody’s attention – and he didn’t disappoint.

Burnitz’s two-run single off closer Billy Wagner tied the game and capped one of the biggest comebacks in baseball history for the Brewers, who won it 10-9 in the 10th inning on Jose Hernandez’s solo homer.

For an encore, Burnitz hit a three-run homer in the second game of the doubleheader Monday, won 6-1 by Milwaukee. It was an extraordinary day for the Brewers, who made the biggest ninth-inning comeback in team history in front of one of the smallest crowds in County Stadium history.

”You’re not expecting to win that game, absolutely not,” said Burnitz, who was 4-for-7 with five RBIs for the day. ”But you’ve got to keep plugging and see if something crazy happens.”

It was the biggest ninth-inning comeback in the majors since May 10, 1994, when Atlanta recovered from a seven-run deficit against Philadelphia before winning in 15 innings. It also was the seventh time in major league history a team blew a lead of seven or more runs in the ninth inning and lost the game.

In the second game, the Brewers rode the momentum, while the Astros looked blown away. Jason Bere pitched eight strong innings as Milwaukee trounced the reeling Astros, losers of seven straight.

”Usually, doubleheaders are tiresome, but we finished up the first game with such an emotional lift that we wanted to keep playing,” Milwaukee manager Davey Lopes said. ”Some guys were ready to play three, that’s how good the morale was.”

It was Milwaukee’s first doubleheader sweep since July 29, 1997, when the Brewers were still in the AL.

In other NL games, Los Angeles got past Cincinnati 1-0 in 14 innings and San Diego held off New York 1-0.

In the second game, Burnitz and Charlie Hayes hit back-to-back homers off Kip Gross (0-1) in the third inning.

three days. ”On the home run, I just saw a good pitch and hit it. … All the hard work was in the comeback.”

It was the largest lead lost by Houston since July 15, 1994, and the Brewers’ biggest comeback in any inning since September 1998.

”As soon as they tied the game, you could just feel the letdown,” Astros manager Larry Dierker said. ”I was not optimistic at that point. … It’s the worst I’ve seen in 35 years. It was terrible.”

Both teams originally were scheduled for a day off Monday, but since Houston doesn’t return to Milwaukee this year, the Astros made a 24-hour stopover on their way home from Montreal, where they were swept in a three-game series.

At 15-28, Houston has slumped to the NL’s worst record. The mood was grim in the Astros clubhouse as they packed to head home.

Padres 1, Mets 0

Ruben Rivera singled in the only run in the eighth inning and Matt Clement pitched San Diego past visiting New York. The Mets had their four-game winning streak stopped.

Clement allowed three hits in eight innings. Mets starter Glendon Rusch threw seven scoreless innings.

New York loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against Trevor Hoffman. But Jay Payton popped up on a 3-1 pitch, and pinch-hitter Mark Johnson flied out to end it.