By WAYNE PHILLIPS

Sports Editor

There isn't anything wrong with the Astros that a few timely hits wouldn't fix.

The punchless Astros lost their fourth straight game Tuesday night, with the Johnson City Cardinals breaking the game open with a four-run rally in the seventh and going on to a 6-0 shutout victory.

The third and final game of the "11-E Series" with the Cardinals is tonight at Pioneer Park at 7 p.m. After winning two-of-three in their season opening series last week at Kingsport, the promising start fizzled on this home stand as the Astros are now 1-4 at Pioneer Park. They hit the road for a three-game set at Danville Thursday, then are back home on Sunday night.

Jordan Lyles, a first round draft choice by Houston, got his first home start for the Astros Tuesday and didn't disappoint, although he was tagged with the pitching loss after giving up an unearned run in the top of the third inning. Lyle was impressive, facing 11 batters and striking out seven of them in his three innings of work. The 17-year-old was reportedly on a 40-pitch limit.

Lyles struck out the side in the second inning, but Edgar Lara reached on a soft single to right to start the third. He went to second on a groundout. With two away, Brett Lilley hit a grounder to short that resulted in two errors by Ricardo Bonfante. He was charged with booting the grounder, and when he picked it up and saw he had no time to get the runner at first, he fired toward third to attempt to get Lara who had rounded the bag. But the throw was wild and went to the wall, and Lara scored the go-ahead run.

Greeneville's lack of clutch hitting was never more evident than in the first inning when they lost a golden opportunity to score. Devon Torrence started the game by reaching on a walk, went to second on a balk, then trotted to third on a wild pitch. Jay Austin, the speedy second round draft pick out of Atlanta, went down on a strikeout, the first of four "Ks" in the game for him, but Frank Almonte dribbled a ball toward third and beat it out for an infield single. Torrence had to hold up at third.

Then bad base-running halted the threat. Almonte was caught off first base by pitcher Matt North and was being stared down by the first baseman, Curt Smith, who also kept a watchful eye on Torrence at third. Smith finally decided to go to third, and he caught Torrence off the bag for the out.

David Dinelli replaced Lyles on the mound in the fourth. He allowed some base runners, but kept the Cardinals at bay over the next three innings to keep the score at 1-0.

Johnson City starter North, who got the mound win, was replaced by 5 ft. 7 in. Jon Bravo in the sixth and again Greeneville threatened, but just couldn't come up with a long ball or a clutch hit. Torrence walked to start the inning and with two outs, Kody Hinze lined a base hit to center. The center fielder bobbled the ball and Torrence went to third. But Bravo got the third out on a strikeout.

Dinelli got into trouble in the seventh as Johnson City broke the game open. The Cards loaded the bases with nobody out without the benefit of a hit. Lara walked, Matt Rigoli was hit by a pitch, and Travis Mitchell laid down a bunt that Dinelli fielded but tried unsuccessfully to go to third to get the lead runner and all hands were safe.

Dinelli was able to bear down and get the next two batters out on a pop to the infield and a strikeout, but Nico Vasquez came through with a double that cleaned off the bases. Vasquez then scored on a base hit by Joseph Hage, his third safe blow of the night.

Johnson City's final run came on a solo home run by Curt Smith in the top of the eighth against reliever Brian Wabick.

The Astros had one more chance to score in the bottom of the eighth on a lead-off hit by Jose Altuve and a two-out single by Almonte. But runners were left stranded at first and third when the third out was registered on Hinze's fly ball to center.

*The Astros are the only Appalachian League team without a home run to date.

*Tonight is "Family Value Night" at the ball park with two-for-one admission prices. It's also Knoxville Zoo night.