GAME 67 - June 12: Back to Being Official LOSERS

Milwaukee 9, Houston 6

Quote of the Day: "It's too early to worry until it's not, and then it's too late. Worry is not something that ever comes into the mind of a ballplayer about the team.We play 162 games. You play them, and if you stink, you stink. If you're good, you're good." (Berkman, being philosophical)

The Astros continued their downward slide, losing their fifth consecutive series, and finally becoming official losers, as the loss put their record below .500.

It was another game characterized by the Big Inning - for the other guys. As in the previous game, a trio of home runs kicked off the run spree: Three in the second inning put the Astros behind early, and they never recovered. This time it was Moehler who was beat up, as the whole starting rotation has been infected with this bug.

This was an afternoon game, which I kept an eye on through one of the online pitch-by-pitch programs. As the outcome got worse over the afternoon, my fantasy of going home, pouring a nice glass of wine, and watching the video of the ball game diminished. Believe it or not, there is a limit to my enthusiasm for watching baseball games, and the current skid - now in its third week - is not much fun to view. So I did not watch this game, after work, not even the high points.

Yeah, there were high points - the Astros did, after all, score six runs, three on homers. None by Berkman, who went 0 for 5. Two of the three came from players who normally watch the game from the bench - Erstad (who started in right field) and Loretta (pinch hitting). Perhaps as their luck is spiraling out of control, Cooper should consider giving these guys a little more playing time. Erstad went 3 for 5; Matsui, Lee, and Bourn each had 2 hits.

But six runs doesn't go far enough when the pitching gets beat up. Moehler, who has been quite good, was trashed. In 4 2/3 innings, he gave up 7 ER on 7 hits, 3 BBs, and just one K. Geary got the bullpen off to a bad start. He came in with the bases loaded and two outs, and promptly hit the batter with a pitch, forcing in a run. He had a 1-2-3 sixth inning; Byrdak and Villareal followed with perfect relief innings. Valverde came in to pitch in yet-another non-save situation (when was the last time there was a save situation?), and got beat up. A leadoff home run, a double, and a single put two more Brewers runs on the board. Well, better that he get it out of his system in a game that wasn't a save situation!

Enough said about a game that I only read about. Yankees coming to town this weekend...