Astros make a change

HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros made it clear they're making one final push for the postseason, firing manager Jimy Williams Wednesday and bringing in Phil Garner.

A season that began with World Series aspirations for the Astros has been slipping away, so general manager Gerry Hunsicker wanted an immediate and "dramatic" change.

"There's a cloud that hung over our team for so long," he said. "Time is of the essence. We can't waste too much time here."

Garner, a former Astros player, is taking over on an interim basis. The team will conduct another search at the end of the season.

"I'm excited. I'm a Houston boy, and I'm looking forward to it," Garner, a former manager with Detroit and Milwaukee, told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "We got some boys on the team that I think can do something really special. This is an opportunity that I've been waiting for."

Houston was 44-44 heading into the All-Star break, a remarkable disappointment for a team that was tops in the NL Central for the first month and a half of the season.