Pet te will start Monday despite hurting

[Horry For 3!]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_yl...v=ap&type=lgns

HOUSTON (AP) -- Andy Pet te's sore right knee is feeling better and he will start Game 5 of the NL championship series for the Houston Astros on Monday night, with a change in his normal pregame routine.

Pet te said Saturday he won't run the bases during pregame batting practice, as he was doing before Game 1 in St. Louis when he was struck on the inside of the knee by a sharply hit ball.

``I guess I won't do it, because they'd probably have a nervous breakdown if I do it Monday,'' Pet te said. ``That's just what I've done for two years here on the days I've started.''

Astros general manager Tim Purpura said the knee was swollen to ``about the size of a grapefruit'' before Game 1. Pet te still pitched and the left-hander gave up five runs, all earned, in six innings of the Astros' 5-3 loss.

``The hardest thing for him, he has such a ritual, the way he prepares for a game,'' Purpura said. ``It got him out of sync.''

Purpura said Saturday that he was sure Pet te would start Game 5.

``I think you'd have to chain him down to keep him from starting,'' Purpura said.

``I'm going to be able to make that start no problem,'' Pet te said. ``There is no concern at all.''

Even though the swollen knee was on his landing leg, Pet te said the most difficult part was lifting the leg into position, not coming down on it. After treatment, Pet te went through a bullpen session Friday without any significant problems, and ran more Saturday.

``It's getting better every day as far as the soreness and all that,'' Pet te said.

Pet te missed the playoffs last season after elbow surgery. His 14 postseason victories trail only Atlanta's John Smoltz, who got his 15th by beating Houston in Game 2 of the NL division series -- after Pet te won the opener of that series.

[Sense]

I don't want pet e to pitch...

[Jimcs50]

Pet te will pitch great and win the game.....it is a lock.

[Sense]

He's not a lock at all....

[Horry For 3!]

I expect Pet te to pitch damn good. Pet te is a clutch pitcher, just like he was for the Yankees back in the 90s.

[T Park]

As a Cards fan tommarow more than likely will be the toughest game in the history of the team.

Pet e is clutch as , as is Carpenter.

Tommarow could be complete games on both sides and it a 1-1 game again.

Heres hoping Pet e is healthy, dude is class and grit all the way, I like AP.