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HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astros were trying to stay upbeat after their latest extra-inning loss dropped them to 0-11 in such games this season.

The young team hopes the experience of playing in games like this will help them in the future.

Danny Espinosa hit a two-run homer early, and his RBI single in the 12th inning lifted the Washington Nationals to a 3-2 win over the Astros on Tuesday night.

"We have to just build off these games," Houston's Brett Wallace said. "We're not winning them, but there is a lot to learn. ... We just have keeping building off of that, and eventually those balls will fall."

Michael Morse was 0 for 4 when he doubled to start the 12th inning and extend his career-high hitting streak to 16 games. He was replaced by pinch-runner Cesar Izturis, who was making his first appearance for Washington after being claimed off waivers from Milwaukee on Monday.

Roger Bernadina advanced Izturis to third with a sacrifice bunt. Espinosa's sharp grounder off Mickey Storey (0-1) skipped past the pitcher for a hit that brought Izturis home and gave the Nationals their second straight extra-inning win over Houston.

Washington beat the Astros 5-4 in 11 innings on Monday.

For the Astros, owners of baseball's worst record, it was another difficult game in a season full of them.

"I stayed on the field with the guys to tell them how much I appreciate all that they have gone through the last couple of nights," Houston manager Brad Mills said. "It's been tough."

Houston's Steve Pearce singled off Tyler Clippard in the 12th before Carlos Corporan drew a two-out walk. Bernadina, the center fielder, crashed into the wall while making a diving catch on a ball hit by Wallace to secure the win.

"I put the ball in the gap, and I thought I might split it, but he made a great play," Wallace said. "He is a good center fielder, and that is what they do. It's unfortunate, but we just have to keep going."

Washington pinch-hitter Chad Tracy doubled with two outs in the 10th for the only hit by either team in the first two extra innings.

Drew Storen (1-0) retired the last two hitters in the 11th for the win, and Clippard earned his 23rd save.

Pearce drew a two-out walk in the ninth before Ryan Mattheus intentionally walked pinch-hitter Scott Moore, but pinch-hitter Brian Bogusevic grounded out to send the game to the 10th.

Ben Francisco gave Houston an early lead with a two-run homer off Ross Detwiler to the Crawford Boxes in left field in the first inning. The lead was short-lived as Espinosa tied it at 2-all with his two-run shot to right field off Jordan Lyles in the second.

Both pitchers quickly got back on track.

Detwiler set down the next 10 Astros he faced, with Houston's next hit not coming until back-to-back singles by Pearce and Matt Downs with two outs in the fourth inning.

Detwiler retired Brandon Barnes, who was making his major league debut on Tuesday, and allowed just one baserunner — a walk in the sixth — after that. He was replaced by Michael Gonzalez for the eighth inning.

Detwiler allowed three hits and two runs with two strikeouts in seven innings.

Jose Altuve got Houston's first hit since the fourth inning with a two-out single in the eighth. He stole second base, but the Astros came away empty when Michael Gonzalez retired Marwin Gonzalez.

Lyles was equally effective, retiring the next nine batters he faced after the homer. Jesus Flores broke the streak with a double with two outs in the fifth.

Lyles walked a batter in the sixth and seventh innings, but didn't give up another hit until he was chased by a single by pinch-hitter Jayson Werth to start the eighth.

Wesley Wright replaced Lyles and struck out two, before Fernando Rodriguez threw 1 1-3 perfect innings.

Lyles yielded three hits and two runs with six strikeouts in seven-plus innings.

Washington manager Davey Johnson believes the Astros have reason to be optimistic after seeing Lyles pitch a night after rookie Dallas Keuchel faced his team.

"They're having a rough year, but they've got some good, young players," Johnson said. "I like those last two pitchers I've seen, so the future is probably pretty good over there. They held down a pretty good hitting club. They're wearing me out."

NOTES: Werth, who left Monday night's game with sore legs, was held out of the lineup on Tuesday, but he pinch-hit in the eighth inning. Werth was reinstated last Thursday after missing almost three months with a broken left wrist. ... Houston placed CF Jordan Schafer on the 15-day disabled list with an injured left shoulder on Tuesday. The Astros aren't sure how long the injury will keep him out. "I really have no timetable," Schafer said. "Whenever I feel healthy, whenever I get better, then I'll get back in there." Houston purchased the contract of Barnes to take Schafer's spot on the roster.

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston starter Armando Galarraga wasn't happy that he gave up a home run to opposing pitcher Gio Gonzalez on Wednesday night.

He was even less pleased about walking six batters in just five-plus innings.

Gonzalez pitched a nine-inning complete game and hit a home run — both career firsts — to lead the Washington Nationals to a 4-3 victory over the Astros.

Galarraga (0-2) yielded six hits and three runs to remain winless in three starts this season since being promoted from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

"I need to make an adjustment," he said. "I need to make a big adjustment. I threw the ball bad. I need to be honest with myself. Six walks after seven walks. There's not an excuse for that. I have to make an adjustment and work on my mechanics."

Nationals manager Davey Johnson was hoping Gonzalez (14-6) could go deep into this game after his bullpen had been taxed with games of 11 and 12 innings to start this series.

He got just what he wanted from Gonzalez, whose other complete game was an eight-inning outing when he was with Oakland in a 4-1 loss at the White Sox on Aug. 1, 2010.

Things got dicey in the ninth when he allowed three hits and a run and had the tying run on third before striking out Matt Downs to end the game.

"We got the opportunity, but he came through even with his pitch count getting high," Houston manager Brad Mills said of Gonzalez, who threw 117 pitches.

He allowed nine hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

Gonzalez broke a 1-1 tie with his two-run, two-out, first-pitch homer into the Crawford Boxes in left field in the second inning. Galarraga plunked Kurt Suzuki to set up the shot.

"Any time you hit a guy with two outs and then the pitcher hits a home run that winds up beating you, that's a tough pill to swallow," Mills said.

Houston cut the lead to 3-2 in the fourth inning, but Washington added an insurance run on an error in the seventh.

Brandon Barnes got his first career hit on a single with one out in the ninth. Barnes scored from second on a single by Ben Francisco with two outs to get Houston within 4-3.

Jose Altuve singled after that before Gonzalez got Downs to wrap up his big night.

Galarraga got off to a tough start, walking the first two batters he faced. Ryan Zimmerman followed with a single, but Steve Lombardozzi couldn't beat the throw and was out at home.

Washington took a 1-0 lead when Bryce Harper scored on a balk. The play first looked to be a sacrifice fly by Adam LaRoche, but replays showed that home plate umpire Angel Hernandez called the balk before Galarraga threw the pitch that La Roche hit.

Altuve hit a leadoff double for Houston and scored on a single by Justin Maxwell to tie it at 1-all.

With Washington up 3-2 after Gonzalez's homer, J.D. Martinez singled with one out in the fourth, took second on a balk and advanced to third on a wild pitch. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Carlos Corporan to get Houston within 3-2.

The Nationals were 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.

A big opportunity came in the sixth when Jayson Werth walked to start the inning before Danny Espinosa singled. Suzuki drew a walk to load the bases and chase Galarraga, who was replaced by Xavier Cedeno. Gonzalez grounded into a forceout. Cedeno then retired Lombardozzi and struck out Harper.

Harper was unhappy with a couple of the calls during the at-bat. First he headed toward first base on a 3-1 count that was called a strike and later yelled: "No way" when he struck out looking.

Zimmerman doubled in the seventh and advanced to third on a wild pitch. He scored and Werth reached on an error by third baseman Downs when he bounced the throw to first base.

NOTES: Nationals LF Michael Morse singled in the fourth inning to extend his career-long hitting streak to 17 games. ... Johnson said before the game that Werth, who was held out of Tuesday's lineup with soreness in his legs, was better on Wednesday, but "not good enough to play center field." ... These teams wrap up the four-game series on Thursday when Washington right-hander Jordan Zimmermann opposes Lucas Harrell.

HOUSTON (AP) — The luck of the throwback jerseys finally ran out for the Houston Astros.

After back-to-back wins donning uniforms that paid homage to better days in the 1990s, it was back to the ugly present for the Astros, whose sloppy defense and continued lack of clutch hitting on Sunday sunk them in a 5-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Right-hander Jordan Lyles (2-9) picked up his fifth loss in seven starts despite another solid outing to remain winless since June 26 at San Diego.

"I though Jordan threw the ball real well," Astros manager Brad Mills said. "He's put some starts back-to-back-to-back that have been real good. We're seeing that improvement."

Marwin Gonzalez drove in two runs and scored another, but his fielding error in the fifth inning proved costly for the Astros, who lost for the 35th time in 41 games.

Tyler Greene, who was recently acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals, finished 2 for 5 with a double, and Chris Snyder had two hits and scored a run for Houston, at 38-78 the worst team in baseball.

The Astros had the tying run at second base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth after a throwing error to first and wild pitch by Kameron Loe, but the Milwaukee reliever got Gonzalez to ground out on a full count to end the game.

Whatever magic the uniforms had brought was gone.

The Astros first used their 1994-99 uniforms for Friday's series opener against Milwaukee as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the franchise.

A 4-3, last at-bat win to halt a five-game skid prompted the team — at the players' request — to don the uniforms Saturday, and, after another last at-bat win, this one 6-5 in 10 innings, again on Sunday.

The Astros won three divisional titles (1997-1999) and posted winning records in five of the six seasons wearing the blue-and-gold star uniforms beginning in 1995.

Still, the Astros embarked on a three-game road trip against the Cubs having claimed their first series since winning two of three against San Diego June 26-28.

"This is a positive change, winning two of three," Gonzalez said. "We hope it's an awakening for the team and that we continue to see positive results."

Corey Hart hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, and Yovani Gallardo beat the Astros for the 10th straight time as the Brewers broke an 11-game road skid.

Milwaukee won on the road for the first time since July 8 at Houston in its last game before the All-Star break. The Brewers had been swept at the Reds, Phillies and Cardinals since then.

Lyles allowed eight hits and four runs — two earned — in seven innings for his fifth straight loss.

"I know his record is not the best in the world," Mills said. "That's not indicative of the progress he's made and how he's throwing the ball. That's a shame.

Lyles was not stressing about his record and seemed encouraged by his latest outing.

"I just go out there every five days and try to get my team a chance to win," Lyles said. "If I get the win or someone in the bullpen gets the win, that's fine with me. The last couple of starts have been better than the res ... we're headed in the right direction."

Gallardo (11-8) held the Astros to three runs while striking out eight in 7 2-3 innings for the win, which tied the most for a pitcher against a team since Roy Halladay beat Montreal/Washington 10 straight times from 2004-11, according to information provided to the Brewers by the Elias Sports Bureau.

He allowed the Astros an early lead but quickly fell into a rhythm, and the Brewers' bats took care of the rest.

Back-to-back doubles by Green and Gonzalez in the first inning gave the Astros a 1-0 lead that would not last long.

Carlos Gomez, Jean Segura and Gallardo each singled off Lyles with two outs to tie it at 1 in the second.

The Brewers got Lyles again in the fifth. Segura singled to start the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gallardo.

Norichika Aoki reached on a throwing error by Gonzalez at shortstop and stole second, and Segura beat the throw home on a grounder by Rickie Weeks for a 2-1 lead. Ryan Braun added an RBI grounder.

"I know (Gonzalez) feels terrible, but we've talked many times about giving teams extra outs," Mills said. "That's exactly what we did that inning, and that's what hurt us."

Martin Maldonado's RBI double off reliever Mickey Storey in the eighth inning put Milwaukee up 5-2.

Scott Moore's run-scoring single with two outs in the eighth inning chased Gallardo and put the Astros within two.

NOTES: Houston C Jason Castro, on the disabled list with a right knee injury, went 3 for 3 and played nine innings behind the plate in a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday night and will be activated on Monday. The Astros optioned C Carlos Corporan after the game to make room for Castro on the roster. ... Milwaukee RHP Shaun Marcum, on the 60-day DL with tightness in his right elbow, is scheduled to make his second rehabilitation start on Wednesday for Class-A Wisconsin. ... Armando Galarraga opposes Chicago's Jeff Samardzija when the Astros open a three-game series with the Cubs on Monday. ... Milwaukee's Mike Fiers takes on Colorado LHP Jeff Francis as the Brewers travel to take on the Rockies.

CHICAGO (AP) — As Brandon Barnes rounded the bases to celebrate his first big league homer, the Wrigley Field faithful threw the souvenir back onto the field.

Only this time, a second ball came flying back with it.

"We got the right one," Barnes confirmed with a grin.

Barnes' shot was all the Houston Astros managed Monday night as Jeff Samardzija matched a career high with 11 strikeouts in seven innings and the Chicago Cubs won 7-1.

The Astros have lost 25 of their last 27 road games.

"After (Samardzija) got that lead, it seemed like he really started throwing the ball well," Astros manager Brad Mills said. "There was a lot of movement. He was throwing (his slider and cutter) for what looked like strikes, and they were breaking out of the zone."

Samardzija (8-10) allowed one run and four hits. He also fanned 11 at Atlanta on July 2.

"It's my first year starting so I really want to show the staff that I can pitch late in the year and still pitch late in the games late in the year," Samardzija said. "It's a big proving year for me."

Darwin Barney and Alfonso Soriano hit two-run homers and Anthony Rizzo had four hits for the Cubs, who won for just the second time in 13 games..

The crowd of 31,452 was the smallest of the season at Wrigley Field.

Barnes had a pinch-hit shot in the sixth for the Astros, who have the worst record in the majors. Called up from the minors on Aug. 7, Barnes homered in his fourth big league game.

"Amazing. Not many words I can say. It was really cool," Barnes said. "I wasn't 100 percent sure it was going out. Once I saw it was out, I was pretty excited."

Armando Galarraga (0-3) was tagged for five runs and seven hits.

"Two home runs cost me the game," Galarraga said. "Believe it or not, it was a better start than the last couple. I threw more strikes, threw everything I wanted to. I just missed those two."

Samardzija came into the game with the second-lowest run support in the majors at 3.19. Chicago had scored two or fewer runs for him in 11 of his last 12 outings.

Starlin Castro led off the Cubs second with a single and two outs later, Barney hit his sixth homer.

In the third, Rizzo singled home Josh Vitters to give Samardzija a three-run cushion.

After Rizzo singled in the fifth, Soriano hit his 21st home run.

Welington Castillo had an RBI infield single in the seventh and Vitters drove in Barney with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

NOTES: Lucas Harrell, Tuesday's scheduled starter for Houston, will try for his 10th win of the season. He ranks first among NL rookies in innings pitched. ... Cubs starter Chris Volstad will try to win his first game since July 10, 2011, on Tuesday. He has not won in 22 starts. ... Astros C Jason Castro was back in the lineup after missing nearly a month with a right knee contusion. He was 1 for 4 and struck out three times.

CHICAGO (AP) — Chris Volstad is not thinking about his winless skid. He's just trying to make better pitches.

Volstad gave up a three-run homer to Brett Wallace and remained winless in 23 starts, the Chicago Cubs' 10-1 loss to the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

"The past is in the past, so the only thing I'm concerned with is my next game," Volstad said.

Fernando Martinez also hit a three-run homer, backing Lucas Harrell's eight strong innings for Houston.

Harrell (10-8) scattered six hits and struck out six, helping the Astros win for only the third time in their last 28 road games. Harrell has allowed two runs or fewer in all seven of his starts since the All-Star break.

"Harrell came right after us," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "Looked like he threw probably 90 percent fastballs. We didn't capitalize on his aggressiveness at all."

Volstad (0-9) lasted just five innings, allowing eight hits and four runs in his latest bid for his first big league win since July 10, 2011. He is approaching the major league record of 28 held by Cliff Curtis, Matt Keough and Jo-Jo Reyes.

"There was nothing real crisp going on," Sveum said. "The command, getting the ball up. The off-speed stuff, that's what was getting hit hard."

In Volstad's first two outings since being recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Aug. 1, he allowed just five runs in 13 innings. He wasn't as sharp on Tuesday, but still sees some positives.

"I had a really good changeup," Volstad said. "Sinker had some good action on that. Fastball was down for the most part. Probably one or two that were elevated a little bit. I would say as far as consistency, that's getting better."

Volstad fell to 0-14 with a 5.51 ERA during his winless skid, which has been dotted with quality outings here and there.

Scott Moore added a solo shot and double twice for a career-high three extra-base hits. Jose Altuve doubled twice and had three of Houston's 13 hits.

Darwin Barney drove in the Cub's run with a fielder's choice in the seventh.

The Cubs have lost 12 of 14 and matched their season high by falling 25 games under .500, their worst record since finishing the 2006 season 30 games below break-even.

Harrell retired the first eight Cubs before Volstad singled with two outs in the third, his first hit of the season. Harrell induced two double plays and nearly got a third when Barney just beat Tyler Greene's relay in the seventh, allowing Starlin Castro to score.

Harrell got plenty of support in Houston's biggest offensive outburst since scoring 11 runs in Chicago on June 10 against the White Sox. Houston had scored just 11 runs combined in its last six losses on the road.

"Isn't that nice?" Astros manager Brad Mills said. "Besides swinging the bat, we made some defensive plays. Lucas comes out and gives us just an absolutely quality start, and gives us that opportunity."

Wallace's homer to dead center in third gave Harrell an early cushion.

Houston's five-run sixth was aided by Castro's error on a likely double-play ball, his 18th miscue of the season. He tied Pittsburgh third baseman Pedro Alvarez for the most errors in the majors.

Moore doubled in Altuve in the first to open the scoring and kick off his best night as a big leaguer. Moore, who broke into the majors with the Cubs in 2006, doubled and scored in the sixth and hit a solo homer to right in the seventh.

Volstad will get another shot at breaking his funk in five days, when Sveum hopes he will see more of what he showed in his two previous starts.

"After a couple of good outings, even the outing in Triple-A, it was kind of based around one pitch," Sveum said. "I think he'll tell you his stuff wasn't what it was the last couple of outings."

NOTES: Mills said RHP Francisco Cordero (sprained ligament in toe) likely won't return until Sept. 1. ... The Cubs announced that Albert Almora, their top pick in June's draft, had been promoted from rookie league Mesa, Ariz., to Class-A Boise. Almora, 18, hit .347 with one homer, 13 RBIs and five steals in 18 games for Mesa. ... Sveum said RHP Matt Garza had not been ruled out for the season, but was still more than a week away from resuming throwing. Garza was placed on the disabled list on July 28 because of stress reaction in his right elbow.

CHICAGO (AP) — Houston Astros right-hander Bud Norris left Wednesday's game against the Chicago Cubs after being hit in the foot by a line drive in the fourth inning.

Following David DeJesus' second homer of the game, Josh Vitters hit a liner up the middle that deflected off Norris' left foot toward the third base bag.

Norris took two warm-up pitches before shaking his head toward the team trainer. He was replaced by Chuckie Fick. Norris was diagnosed with a left foot contusion.

He gave up six runs on eight hits over 3 1-3 innings and left trailing 6-1. He has now gone 13 consecutive starts without a win.

CHICAGO (AP) — It's been a struggle all season for Bud Norris to get in the win column.

Now he's struggling to just stay on the field.

Norris was battered for three home runs before getting hit with a line drive and exiting early on Wednesday, and the Houston Astros lost to the Chicago Cubs 7-2.

David DeJesus hit two home runs and Justin Germano breezed through six innings to help Chicago win the three-game series.

Norris (5-10) allowed six runs on eight hits over 3 1-3 innings and hasn't won since May 21.

Following DeJesus' second homer, Josh Vitters hit a liner up the middle that deflected off Norris' foot toward the third base bag. After two warm-up pitches, Norris bent over, shook his head toward the team trainer and exited the game. He was diagnosed with a left foot contusion.

"It really squared up my foot pretty good," Norris said. "I knew with my landing foot it wasn't going to be pretty. I'm glad I came out because I didn't want to hurt it any worse than it was."

Astros manager Brad Mills said Norris will be re-evaluated Friday.

Norris' winless streak extended to 13 starts.

"I just felt like I was inconsistent and that all the mistakes I made got punished," he said. "It's just frustrating because you're trying to make good pitches."

The Astros, owners of the worst record in baseball, have dropped 26 of their last 29 road games and are 12-48 away from home this season.

A Houston offense that scored 10 runs the day before was stymied by Germano (2-2), who was removed after giving up a single and a walk in the sixth. James Russell entered in relief and loaded the bases, but escaped the jam giving up just one run.

Germano was charged with two runs on five hits over 6 1-3 innings. He walked one and struck out six, including the side in the fourth.

"He was throwing every pitch that he wanted for strikes," Jose Altuve said. "He was dominating the whole game long."

Altuve had three singles for Houston, but Marwin Gonzalez followed by hitting into a double play all three times.

Scott Moore homered leading off the second for Houston for his second homer in as many days. He had three extra-base hits Tuesday.

Starlin Castro also homered among his three hits for Chicago, which won for just the third time in 15 games. The Cubs avoided falling to a season-worst 26 games under .500.

DeJesus' third-inning homer was his first in 54 career games at Wrigley Field. And he didn't waste any time notching his second career Wrigley homer, blasting the first pitch of his next at-bat out to center field.

"After the first at-bat, I felt confident that I saw all of (Norris') pitches," DeJesus said. "I just wanted to be aggressive on him, I knew he'd pump a lot of first-pitch heaters right down the middle."

He tied a career best with four hits and drove in three runs, reaching base five times. Astros reliever Chuckie Fick was booed in the sixth for intentionally walking DeJesus with runners on second and third.

Castro hit a two-run shot in the third, his 12th of the season.

Chicago's Brett Jackson tied the game at 1 with a two-out triple in the second inning. The low liner skipped past center fielder Brandon Barnes and Castro trotted home from third.

It was Jackson's first career RBI. He also doubled in the sixth. The 24-year-old has struggled since being called up from Triple-A Iowa on Aug. 5. He was just 4 for 28 with 16 strikeouts before the triple.

Notes: The Cubs fired vice president of player personnel Oneri Fleita. Fleita had been with the organization since 1995. . Astros RHP Francisco Cordero flew to Miami to complete his U.S. Citizenship. Cordero has been on the 15-day disabled list since Aug. 3 with a sprained toe ligament. He was acquired from Toronto on July 20. . After an off-day Thursday, Travis Wood (4-8, 4.52 ERA) pitches the series opener for the Cubs in Cincinnati against the Reds' Bronson Arroyo (8-7, 3.95). . Dallas Keuchel (1-4, 5.29) will start for Houston at home on Friday against Arizona's Wade Miley (12-8, 3.02).

SUGAR LAND, Texas (AP) — Hours after Roger Clemens agreed to join the Sugar Land Skeeters, he was back on the field playing in an over-50 softball league.

And the ultra-competitive Clemens, now a half-century old, was quick to point out just how well he did against that group of geezers.

"I hit two homers, by the way," he said.

Things will be a bit tougher on Saturday when he is scheduled to start for the independent Atlantic League team at home against Bridgeport. The right-hander agreed to play for the team on Monday and was introduced on Tuesday.

Whether this all leads to Clemens pitching in the major leagues — the seven-time Cy Young Award winner played that down, conceding he's nowhere near big league pitching shape.

"I'm 50 years old. We're just going to go out and have fun with this and make it fun for the fans," said Clemens, who has a touch of gray stubble on his chin but still sports a shock of blond highlights in his hair.

Clemens didn't understand all the rules of his old-man softball league at first. When he hit his first home run and dashed to first base, his teammates told him to stop. He thought it was because home runs weren't allowed. It turned out that the over-50 set doesn't see the need to run all of the bases on a homer.

"I really play in that league for the exercise and the fun," he said.

He laughed off questions about playing professionally at an age when he qualifies for an AARP card.

"I hope nothing breaks and I hope I don't pull anything," a still fit-looking Clemens said.

Some believe his return to the minor leagues is the first step to another comeback in the major leagues, where he last pitched for the New York Yankees in 2007 at age 45. Clemens is set to appear on the Hall of Fame ballot going to voters late this year. If he plays in a major league game this year, his Hall consideration would be pushed back five years.

He isn't sure how he'll be perceived by voters when his name appears on the ballot.

"Sure, the Hall of Fame is great, I've told people that. But it's not going to change my life either way," he said. "But if there's something there that somebody feels like they have a grudge or want to hold something against you, I can't control that one bit."

Clemens said thinking about a big league comeback is premature.

He dismissed the theory that the minor league appearance was a step on the path to a big league return.

"I've been to the major leagues and back a couple of times," he said. "I've retired and unretired, so I wouldn't consider thinking that far ahead. I'm just going to try to get through Saturday. I think I can compete a little bit."

A return at his age wouldn't be all that outlandish, considering that Jamie Moyer returned from elbow ligament replacement surgery to start for the Colorado Rockies this season. Clemens chuckled when asked about Moyer.

"People are trying to ingrain that in my mind that 50 is now the new 40," he said. "But I'm not buying it because I'm still having to pack myself in a lot of ice."

He says he talks to new Houston Astros owner Jim Crane often but that he has not talked about pitching for the Astros and that he doesn't see that happening.

He isn't committing to playing more than one game for the Skeeters, who play in a Houston suburb, saying he wants to see how Saturday goes first.

Clemens was accused by former personal trainer Brian McNamee in the Mitchell Report on drugs in baseball of using steroids and HGH, allegations Clemens denied before Congress. The Justice Department began an investigation concerning whether Clemens had lied under oath, and in 2010 a grand jury indicted him on two counts of perjury, three counts of making false statements and one count of obstructing Congress.

He was acquitted of all the charges on June 19 after a 10-week trial and has largely stayed out of the public spotlight until now.

He's glad to be talking about baseball again instead of that difficult chapter in his life.

"Everybody has their own opinion and they dwell on that so much," he said. "In between all of that, handling that business up there and doing what was right for me and my family and taking that head on, I was still doing the work that I've always done. So it wasn't gloomy or depressing."

Clemens had two great seasons with the Astros after he turned 40, going 18-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 2004 to win his record seventh Cy Young Award. He was 13-8 with a career-low 1.87 ERA in 2005.

Tal Smith, a longtime former Astros executive who is now a special advisor to the Skeeters, is one person who wouldn't be surprised if Clemens made a comeback in the majors.

"Knowing Roger and how competitive he is and what great shape he is in, and the fact that Jamie Moyer pitched close to 50 and Nolan Ryan pitched well into his late 40s, if anybody can do it, Roger Clemens can do it," he said.

Clemens earned about $160 million and won 354 games in a 24-year career with the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees and Astros. His 4,672 strikeouts are third-most and he was named to 11 All-Star games.

Now he will see what he has left for the Skeeters that have a roster which includes former major league pitchers Tim Redding and Scott Kazmir and Jason Lane, a teammate of Clemens' on Houston's 2005 World Series team.

Smith believes this is a great opportunity for Clemens and he thinks it could change some opinions as a possible Hall of Fame vote approaches.

"I hope this helps," Smith said. "I think voters should remember that he's been acquitted of all charged and that he never tested positive. I hope this story dies down in future years."

Clemens and Skeeters manager Gary Gaetti have been talking about this since April. But he received another push toward the field early this summer when he visited Dr. James Andrews in Florida for a checkup.

"He said: 'The MRI looked great. Your shoulder looks like you're 30. You should go pitch — just kidding,'" Clemens said Andrews told him.

It was then that he started thinking he could actually play for the Skeeters. After throwing for the team on Monday, where his fastball was clocked at 87, the multimillionaire got himself a new gig.

"We're going to have fun with this and see if I can get through a few innings without Gary having to go to the bullpen, and we'll see where it goes from there," Clemens said.

Smith takes issue with those who think this is simply a media stunt. He said that the Skeeters regularly sell out Saturday night games and that there were only 500 tickets available for this Saturday's game before Clemens was signed.

"I can understand why he's doing it," Smith said. "He loves baseball. He love the competition. Baseball has been his life and there's no reason he shouldn't try to continue it. If he's successful it just adds to his legend, and if he's not, it was fun."

Well, he's back.

Just when we thought we were rid of the Rocket, he turns up again. In the Atlantic League, of all places.

At age 50.

Roger Clemens just won't go away; he's just fast enough to escape our repeated swats, a survivor above all else. Age didn't stop him from repeatedly retiring and coming back over and over again, a Brett Favre in pinstripes.

Ugly allegations of doping and infidelity failed to slow Clemens down. He even spanked the feds, walking out of the courtroom a free man after being acquitted on all charges that he lied to Congress when he denied ever using performance-enhancing substances.

It was the biggest win of his career.

It should've been enough.

But, no.

On Saturday night, Clemens will start for an independent minor league team in suburban Houston known as the Sugar Land Skeeters, almost five years after he last pitched in the big leagues and with a date on his birth certificate that qualifies him to be a full member of AARP. If this was anyone else, we'd dismiss it as nothing more than a ludicrous stunt. But this is the Rocket, a man whose competitive fire — fueled with a healthy dose of narcissism — leads us to believe anything is possible.

"If I get through Saturday," he said, "we'll see where we go from there."

We hope it leads to going away.

There's nothing feel-good about this comeback story. We've seen it so many times, it's coming across like another tired sequel in the "Twilight Saga." Nine long years ago, Clemens first announced his retirement while pitching for the New York Yankees. He was toasted at stadiums around baseball, soaked up all the cheers, even received a standing ovation from the opponent when he left the field for what everyone thought was the final time in the World Series.

Turns out, he was just getting warmed up.

Clemens came out of retirement a few months later, but his motives seemed genuine. He had a chance to pitch in his adopted hometown of Houston, alongside close friend Andy Pettitte. We cheered.

Then, the following year, Clemens put off retirement again and asked for a whopping $22 million in arbitration. Hmmm. After one of the best seasons of his career, he finally seemed ready to put away his cleats. Uhh, no. Another comeback, this time for a prorated season with the Astros and another hefty paycheck. But wait, there's more.

Showing he had absolutely no scruples, Clemens turned up in the owner's box at Yankee Stadium and signed on for one more partial season in New York.

All along the way, he played the diva role better than Mariah Carey, demanding and getting all sorts of special perks. When his supposed team went on the road, he got to stay at home if it wasn't his turn to pitch. Other players grumbled, realizing Clemens was all in, but only for himself.

We may have marveled at his age-defying skills, but he always seemed like the last guy you'd want to invite over for dinner — surly and detached. A fraud who once complained about having to carry his own bags. An egomaniac whose kids all have names beginning with the letter K, as in strikeout.

What happened over the last five years forever doused the Rocket's sizzle for many of us.

He had a starring role in the Mitchell Report, the investigation of steroid use in baseball. He went before Congress to vehemently deny ever being involved in that sort of chicanery, though it sure seemed to explain how he was just as overpowering — if not more so — in his 40s as he had been in his 20s. Unrelated, there were also allegations of a long-term affair with troubled country singer Mindy McCready that began when she was in her teens, further sullying a player who always portrayed himself as a family man.

In fairness to Clemens, marital infidelity is hardly unique and he never tested positive for performance enhancers. His main accuser was about as credible as Pee Wee Herman starring in "The Sopranos," which is surely why the jury delivered its verdict — not guilty, on all counts. That's also why, in keeping with the American tradition of jurisprudence, we must refrain from lumping Clemens in with all the other admitted dopers from one of baseball's darkest eras. (And, just in case you were wondering, the Atlantic League has the same drug-testing procedures and penalties as the affiliated minor leagues, according to Joe Klein, the executive director.)

That said, we have no desire to see Clemens don another big league uniform, which is surely what this is all about. He tries to downplay this latest comeback as nothing more than a one-off, a chance to bring a little cheer to his Houston-area fans, but we're not fooled. There will surely be big league scouts in the stands Saturday night, eager to see if the Rocket has anything left in that right arm. Even if it's just enough to pitch an inning or two at a time, there would likely be a contending team with contract in hand, ready to feed his ego and sign him up for a playoff run.

"If you're going to go and play, the one thing on his mind is trying to get back to the major leagues," said Tony DeFrancesco, interim manager of the Houston Astros.

Clemens repeatedly shrugged off that sort of talk.

"I'm nowhere near where I need to be to compete the way I want," he insisted. "We just want to have some fun."

Cynically, we wonder if Clemens has other motives for going back to the mound. He's eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot this winter, but there are surely plenty of voters unwilling to put a check beside his name, innocent verdict or not. If he's turned down once, it might be easier to keep voting him down, as is the case with Mark McGwire.

But, if Clemens makes it back to the big leagues, the five-year window for Cooperstown eligibility starts over. Maybe some of the hard feelings will have softened by 2017 or 2018, especially if Clemens has tacked on one more comeback, the most improbable one of all, to his resume.

It's all too much to take.

Please, Roger, go away.

This time for good.

Paul Newberry is a national writer for The Associated Press. Write to him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A large contingent of family and friends waited outside the visitor's clubhouse for Lucas Harrell. After getting knocked around, the Houston Astros rookie pitcher wasn't all that anxious to see everyone.

Harrell allowed hits to six of the first seven batters in a four-run first inning that was plenty of cushion for Adam Wainwright, who threw a five-hitter and matched his career high with 12 strikeouts in the St. Louis Cardinals' 7-0 victory on Tuesday night.

"I feel like I let a lot of people down," Harrell said after giving up six runs in five innings. "That's definitely not my best and I can't wait to come back here and have a better outing.

"Frustrating, disappointing — all those things come into play," he said.

Harrell (10-9) is from Springfield, Mo., where he led Ozark Mo. High School to the 2004 Missouri state championship,  and spent two days there before his start, visiting family and friends at home. His mother drove him to St. Louis on Tuesday afternoon, arriving about 4 1-2 hours before the first pitch.

"He looked like he was a little fired up," interim manager Tony DeFrancesco said. "I know he had a big group out there and you always want to impress the people you love.

"Unfortunately, he was a little too anxious early," DeFrancesco added.

Skip Schumaker and Yadier Molina had two RBIs apiece for the Cardinals, who capitalized on a pair of walks to open a two-run third. Molina had three hits and Jon Jay had three hits and an RBI.

Harrell said second baseman Jose Altuve was shaded toward the bag on the Schumaker at-bat, and couldn't quite stop a grounder into right that Harrell had thought might have been a double-play ball.

"They got a lot of weak contact," Harrell said. "I felt like they hit two balls hard all game. It was just kind of a tough one."

Wainwright threw his second shutout and third complete game of the season. Two of the complete games have come during a string of six consecutive victories at home with a 1.42 ERA. He pitched a five-hitter on Aug. 4, a 6-1 victory over the Brewers.

Wainwright is 12-1 with a 1.58 ERA for his career against Houston. The Astros got two-out hits in the ninth from Justin Maxwell and Jason Castro in a bid to spoil the shutout before Wainwright fanned Ben Francisco on his 105th pitch.

The Astros have been outscored 15-1 in two games under DeFrancesco, who held a team meeting prior to the game in an effort to lift the stripped-down franchise out of the doldrums. Houston is just 7-41 since June 28.

"It's kind of like you get beat down and the big guy keeps hitting you," DeFrancesco said before the game. "To bounce back in this game is difficult when you have young players that have limited time in the major leagues.

"The media, the lights, the crowd — that stuff as a coach in the minor leagues you really can't teach that until you get into this place and feel it for the first time," he added.

Tyler Greene, a former Cardinals first-round pick dealt to Houston earlier this year for a player to be named, struck out twice and grounded out in his first game in St. Louis as a visitor.

Harrell (10-9) had allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last seven starts, but balked home the first run and got a visit from pitching coach Doug Brocail after facing just five hitters. The right-hander retired just five of the first 15 batters before settling down, allowing a walk and sacrifice fly the last 10 hitters.

"My last two innings I got back to really making good pitches and keeping the ball down and getting outs," Harrell said. "That's what I can take away from this one."

The day after their 6-3, 19-inning loss to the Pirates — the longest game in the majors this season — manager Mike Matheny led a delegation to help rebuild tornado-ravaged Joplin, Mo., and other Cardinals played charity golf.

Jay doubled to start the bottom of the first, and with one out St. Louis got five straight singles from Matt Holliday, Allen Craig, David Freese, Molina and Schumaker. Craig and Freese walked to start the third, Molina followed with an RBI single and Rafael Furcal added a sacrifice fly.

The Astros were shut out for the 12th time.

NOTES: Bud Norris (5-10, 5.23) is 7-3 for his career against the Cardinals heading into Wednesday night's start against Kyle Lohse (12-2, 2.61). ... Carlos Beltran, 4 for 23 on the homestand and bothered by a right hand injury, missed his second start in three games but is not expected to be out long. ... The Cardinals are 56-14 when scoring more than three runs. ... Craig had a single to extend his hitting streak to 10 games and also walked three times. ... Craig is 10 for 23 (.435) against Houston this season and 21-48 for his career with five homers and 17 RBIs.