--RHP Roy Oswalt was praised by manager Cecil Cooper for volunteering Sunday afternoon to pitch out of the bullpen a day after the ace he had been limited to one inning because of a long rain delay. The Astros had used five relievers Saturday to pick up the final eight innings after Oswalt was pulled. Cooper used another six relievers Sunday, when Tim Byrdak and Chris Sampson were unavailable.
--C Humberto Quintero, who hopes to come off the disabled list when eligible May 10, played catch from about 120 feet in the biggest test he's given his strained right shoulder since he was injured April 24. "I feel better," he said. --3B Jeff Keppinger, who bats right-handed and usually starts against left-handers, started Sunday against Braves LHP Jo-Jo Reyes. He went 0-for-1 with two walks. Manager Cecil Cooper said he likely would start Keppinger at third again Monday against Washington LHP Scott Olsen.
Cooper also said he would try to start OF Jason Michaels on Monday.
--1B Lance Berkman picked up a hit that originally was ruled an error. A day after Chipper Jones was tagged for an error in the top of the seventh inning on Berkman's grounder, the official scorer removed the error Sunday against Jones and credited Berkman with an infield single to third. Berkman had only one hit over his final 23 at-bats in April, but with the scoring change, he was officially 3-for-10, .300, after his first two games in May.
BY THE NUMBERS: 9 -- Assists for Astros outfielders, tops in the major leagues through May 3. Houston had four from LF Carlos Lee, three from RF Hunter Pence and two from Bourn.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "There's no formula and there's nothing you can do. All you can do is show up and work on the things that you feel like you're doing wrong and watch video, take extra batting practice. Then you show up and you just try to battle and do something positive every day to try to help the team win." -- 1B Lance Berkman, on his attempts to shake a slump.
