-A month ago, the Houston Astros looked finished. However, a funny thing happened as they started piling up wins even sweeping the Mets once and splitting a four-game series at Shea to take the season series. And we all know how well Jerry Manuel’s rejuvenated New York ballclub has played during the second half vaulting past the Phillies into first where they are up by three with the same 17 games left that they had a year ago when things unraveled. It ain’t happening because this team has too much character!

As for the Astros, as far back as Aug.26, they stood at .500 (66-66) trailing the Brewers by 11 for the wild card. Following last night’s 6-0 shutout of the Pirates in which red hot ace Roy Oswalt needed only 90 pitches to go the distance on a three-hitter, combined with a Milwaukee 6-3 loss to the Phillies, here they are only three back with still over two weeks to play.

Oddly enough, I recall messaging Chicago Cubs buddy John “JPG” Giagnorio about Houston as I noticed they were playing better. Of course, he laughed logically indicating there wasn’t enough time. However, baseball’s a funny game and sometimes, teams can come from nowhere getting hot at the right moment a la last year (Phillies, Rockies) and make a run. Of course, they need some help and given how the Brewers and Cubs have been playing, it’s no longer a laughing matter especially for the wild card leaders. At least Chicago still has a cushion to work with with their Magic No. down to 11.

The only good news for Milwaukee is that they won’t see Houston on their remaining schedule. Though three more against Philly and six versus the Cubs won’t be any picnic. It also means they better take care of business with the other half dozen they have versus the Reds and Pirates.

The Astros have won six in a row and 14 of 15 improving their record to 80-67. Due to the threat of Hurricane Ike, they’ll get the next couple of days off with the first two home games against the Cubs postponed. It’s just something Cecil Cooper’s club will have to deal with. Center fielder Reggie Abercrombie didn’t seem to mind after a multihit night with a pair of runs and an RBI:

“You can’t control the weather. You take these days off, let our bodies rest and come back strong.”

Somehow, they’re doing this without the services of slugger Carlos Lee (.314-28-100) who was lost just over a month ago due to a fractured left finger. MVP candidate Lance Berkman has been a constant force pacing the club with a .328 average along with 28 dingers and 100 knocked in. Along with those 28 homers are another 49 extra base hits including 45 two-baggers and four triples. Overall, that’s 77 extra base hits for the 32 year-old veteran first baseman. Hunter Pence has bounced back from a poor first half to slug 22 homers and drive in 75 lately hitting behind Berkman. Veteran shortstop Miguel Tejada isn’t what he used to be with the Orioles but has picked it up this month hitting .366 with a homer and eight RBI’s.

If they’re to keep it going, they’ll continue to need major contributions from that middle of the order along with Oswalt continuing to dominate. With his nine scoreless last night in recording his 15th win, he’s now up to 32 and a third straight without a run surpassing J.R. Richard’s 1980 team record of 31.

“I’m feeling better than I did at the beginning of the year,” the 31 year-old much overlooked horse noted after tossing his sixth career shutout (second this season). “Seems like the fastball is running a little more, with late life. I’m kind of feeding off it.”

Oswalt isn’t alone as veteran southpaw Randy Wolf has pitched well since coming over from San Diego posting a 4-1 record in nine starts with a 3.81 ERA. Wandy Rodriguez has also pitched adequately and Brandon Backe, who struggled much of the summer has been sharper since shutting down the Mets.

The Astros couldn’t make this run without a revamped pen that includes ex-Phillie middle reliever Geoff Geary along with Yankee failure LaTroy Hawkins who have helped provide reliable setup relief for closer Jose Valverde (42 saves). The Hawkins story is one which is befuddling and just explains how bad a year it’s been for the Bronx Bombers:

NYY 33 GP  1-1 5.71 ERA .275 BAA  41.0 IP 42 H 17 BB 23 K’s

Hou 16 GP 2-0  0.00 ERA .114 BAA  13.0 IP 5 H 3 BB 19 K’s

Comical. How do you explain it? Hawkins did have success helping the Rockies make the World Series last Fall. Perhaps he just is more comfortable pitching in the senior circuit.

Whatever the reason, he’s certainly helped the cause with his new team and has made them worth following much more than his old one which is apparently still in denial about missing the postseason for the first time in 14 years (though 1994 technically doesn’t count).

-Just heard during WFAN’s Chris Carlin’s sports report on Boomer and Carton:

“There’s still a lot to play for.”-Joe Girardi

Apparently, Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.

-Speaking of which. Do we really need Hank Steinbrennerwhiner’s daily assessment on the Yankees as to why they’ve failed?!?!?!?!?! Try looking in the mirror!

-It’s a pity that Derek Jeter passes Babe Ruth for second all-time on the Yankee hit list with his 2,521 only trailing the Iron Horse Lou Gehrig by 200 and it really doesn’t mean a whole lot. Especially to the 34 year-old shortstop who’s been here almost since the beginning of the team’s run of playoff excellence. He’s never cared about personal achievements and obviously hasn’t taken much joy out of his place in Yankee history because he knows no October is a epic failure in this town even if the roster wasn’t put together well injuries aside.

The former 1992 first round draft pick (sixth overall) who helped start it all also knocked in career RBI No.1,000 with a solo home run a few games ago in a road loss to Seattle. He’s never been considered a power hitter slugging 20-or-more three times with 2004 being the last. However, since that first season that he started with a home run in a win over Cleveland en route to the Rookie of the Year and the first of four world championships in 1996, he’s now reached double digits in homers all 13 full seasons. In 1995, he batted .250 (12-for-48, 0 HR, 7 RBI) as a late September call up in 15 games.

Even though Jeter’s power numbers will never be in the same ballpark as some of the greats to play his position, there he is still with 205 long balls along with 275 stolen bases to go with a respectable career average of .316 and the 1,000 knocked in. Somehow, in a down season, he’ll probably finish with just as many homers and more RBI’s than last year. Figure he’ll also find a way to finish .300 which would be a 10th time during his career.

-Anyone who doesn’t feel bad for Billy Wagner doesn’t have any compassion.

-It’s hard to argue with the performance of Carlos Delgado who’s had almost every big hit for the Mets carrying them since Manuel took over. But will it be enough to win MVP over say Berkman, Albert Pujols or even Manny Ramirez?

-When I’m informed that Delgado’s average isn’t that high with runners on base a la Alex Rodriguez, sometimes the stats lie. Any Met fan knows the deal here. Seventh inning on. There’s nobody else you want up at the plate with it all on the line. How many big home runs has the once thought “washed up” slugger hit that either tied games or put his team ahead? I only wish Yankee fans and myself could say the same thing about our third base slugger in 2008.

-Who’s more unclutch on the Phillies? Chase Utley or Pat “I Can’t Field” Burrell? Sadly, you know someone will overpay the latter committing too many years.

-When you see how the Rays responded against Jonathan Papelbon and the Red Sox with first place on the line, that’s when you realize just how special that group is. They might still be without Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford but somehow, they still afloat and deliver the big hits to take the final couple of games at Fenway and leave two and a half up. That’s real managing! Try telling Girardi and the Yankees who make excuses and mail it in while lesser talented teams like the Astros continue to fight without a 100 RBI guy and Kaz Matsui missing time. I wonder if Met fans ever thought that Matsui would become relevant on other NL teams.

-Tom Brady might be done for the season but somehow, you know Bill Belichick is going to find a way to rally his team keeping them in this thing because they still have a guy named Randy Moss and a decent enough ground game to alter their philosophy and simplify things for Matt Cassell.

-T-Ho says he got too big for former Eagle teammate Donovan McNabb but that’s where he’s mistaken. He got too big for everyone else because of his selfish ego and pride which is why he plays on Dallas. Here’s hoping McNabb tosses four TDs and Owens drops a couple in their primetime Monday night match-up in Big D.

-At least his teammate Tony Romo has it together. That story about him stopping to help a couple change a tire coming home from from a blowout of the Browns is a great read and shows what a class guy the Dallas QB is. Here’s our fave part:

“Look, we’re driving a 10-year old car that is sitting in a parking lot with a flat tire in the dead of night. He could tell by that we’re nothing special. But here’s a young man making millions of dollars, and he’s got all this fame and glory, and he does this? But if I ever had the opportunity, I’d also like to thank two other people. His mom and dad. They obviously raised him right. …”-Bill White who along with wife Sharon praised the star quarterback

That sorta unselfishness from a star athlete is something we don’t always see. We need more Tony Romos.