Taveras’ hit streak keeps rolling

Willy Taveras ran his hitting streak to 30 games during another excellent all-around game, helping the Astros rough up the Pittsburgh Pirates 13-1 Sunday for their third consecutive victory.

Taveras singled to start the game and extended the longest hitting streak in team history.

Taveras began each of the final three games of the series with hits during the second longest hitting streak in the N.L. this season to Chase Utley’s 35-game run for the Phillies.

“It kind of blows me away a little bit, but nothing is easy,” Taveras said. “The way the team is winning some ballgames, I’m real happy about that.”

Taveras reached base on hits or walks 10 times in the series and stole four bases. He is 45 of 129 (.349) during his hitting streak, getting hits in his first at-bat 14 times.

“The pressure’s off then, so I hope I can get it every time in the first at-bat,” he said.

“I’m not thinking that much about it, it’s hard to get a hit in every game that you play. But now I’m into it, I want to get a hit.”

Guillen stands by Contreras

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen quickly squelched any intrigue over the baseball equivalent of a quarterback controversy by insisting Brandon McCarthy would not replace Jose Contreras in the rotation.

“If we would replace somebody, it would not be in August or September,” Guillen said. “We would do it earlier.”

McCarthy, the young gun who started 10 times last season, came prepared for the obvious questions after he threw 5 1/3 innings of one-hit relief Saturday night against Minnesota.

McCarthy’s appearance was his longest of the season. Guillen insists it won’t happen. But more than a month remains, and the playoff-contending Sox cannot afford more outings like Conteras’ last three, in which he has yielded 19 runs and 27 hits in 14 1/3 innings.

“I’m not going to push a guy in the garbage can because he has three bad outings,” said Guillen. “Jose was the best pitcher in baseball for three months. He had three bad outings. Does he know about it? Yes.

“I’m going to continue to put those guys out there. It’s up to them to grab the bull by the horn and do what they’re supposed do.”

Manny missing from lineup

All-Star Manny Ramirez was out of Boston’s starting lineup for the third time in four games as the Red Sox closed out a series against the Seattle Mariners.

Ramirez played in Saturday night’s 4-3 loss to the Mariners and was 0 for 3. The outfielder told manager Terry Francona his right knee was sore Sunday morning.

“I don’t think it’s a setback,” Francona said before the game.

“I think it was bothering him during the game. “We were hoping a couple of days off would be enough.”

Ramirez started in left field on Saturday after missing the previous two games. He was originally planning to return in Oakland on Monday, but felt well enough to try and play in the Mariners’ series.

He had an MRI exam in Anaheim earlier this week that showed no structural damage. He started on Wednesday night against the Angels, but left after three innings.

“When he played he didn’t feel good, so where it stands now, I don’t know,” Francona said.