HOUSTON -- With their bullpen worn thin, the Astros brought in Norichika Aoki, an outfielder, to pitch.
Aoki lofted mid-70-mph pitches toward the power-happy Yankees in the ninth inning, but, at that point, it didn't much matter. Aoki, a left fielder who hadn't pitched since high school, finished his first professional pitching outing well after Houston's expended bullpen torched any chance the Astros had in a 13-4 loss in Friday's series opener at Minute Maid Park.
"I had to with the way our bullpen has been having to be used," Houston manager A.