Pitching change backfires on Houston Astros - San Antonio Express

PITTSBURGH â€" Houston's Wandy Rodriguez wanted to finish the game. Manager Brad Mills felt he was capable but lifted him anyway.

That turned out to be a mistake.

Pittsburgh tied it in the ninth inning against closer Brett Myers and got the winning run in the 12th to beat the Astros 3-2 on Sunday.

Rodriguez allowed three hits over eight innings and retired the final 14 batters he faced. Despite conceding that “he still had plenty of pitches to go,” Mills replaced Rodriguez after throwing 94 pitches, citing the hot bats of upcoming hitters Jose Tabata and Andrew McCutchen.

“It was the right thing to do to get (Myers),” Mills said. “Weather-wise and mound-wise, it was tough.”

Pedro Alvarez drove in Tabata with a sacrifice fly to tie it in the ninth, and Clint Barmes scored on Josh Harrison's two-out single three innings later to hand the Astros their fifth loss in their past seven games.

“I didn't have any problems today,” said Rodriguez, who was in line for his fourth win in his last five outings. “I worked quickly, threw (first-pitch strikes), stayed ahead in the count. That's what I tried to do all game today.”

In the 12th, Mills lifted left-hander Wesley Wright with no one on and two outs. Barmes doubled to left, and Josh Harrison pulled a liner to left on the first pitch from Fernando Rodriguez (1-4). Barmes slid under the tag of Jason Castro, who received a high throw from Justin Maxwell.

Houston was denied its first series win on the road since June 17-19, 2011.