GAME 95: Live, from Exile: Get Out Your Broom...

Astros 4, St Louis 3 - THAT'S A SWEEP!!!!!

I'm writing this up as I'm watching the game - something I've only actually done once, during the last game of of the 2005 season. With Roy O facing Chris Carpenter, it's supposed to be a great game, so I thought it would be fun to share my live reactions in the blog - not just on Twitter. These two pitchers are 5-0 in their combined last 3 starts, with an ERA well under 2. Everything points to a pitchers' duel.

When a favorite pitcher like the Wiz is on the mound, I have my own little ritual: First, I always start out hoping that it's going to be one of those games that is remembered for years - a perfect game or a no hitter. Then, once the first hit has been given up, I'm hoping for a great performance -and a win - for my pitcher. If things go south, then I'm hoping for a win for my team. There's layers of hopes and expectations - but I always start out really greedy.

So tonight, after 2 innings, both Oswalt and Carpenter are doing their thing: Pitching well. No perfect games or no no's tonight - both teams have hits, but no score yet. My big concern after last night's blow out: The Astros used up all their firepower yesterday, and didn't save any goodies for Roy O. Hopefully the first inning is not going to be representative of the night: Bourn eked out an infield hit, stole second, got to third on Matsui's single. Runners on first and third, no outs - and the Astros still managed not to score. That is not a good sign. Let's hope that this won't turn out to have been the Astros best chance all night.

Now after 3, more of the same: Score is zip-to-zip. Both pitchers throwing well, but Oswalt has a bit of an edge on pitch count - 29 to Carpenter's 41.

Middle of the 4th: Roy O just threw that great curve to strike out Ryan Ludwick for the third out. Just 9 pitches for the inning - he's on his game. Dare we hope for another complete game tonight?

Astros are up to bat in the bottom of the 4th, and the idiot FSN guys are interviewing the hotdog guy about all the new flavors of dogs at the 5-7 Grill. Like I care about treif wieners in another time zone. I'd rather be watching Tejada and Lee bat. With 2 outs, Lee just singled to center. Blummer's up - I'm calling a homer... Last night I called that Lee grand slam, you know. I told my husband (who couldn't care less about baseball): Lee's up with the bases loaded - watch him hit a grand slam. And then he did.

Fly ball to left, three outs, end of four innings. I have to make a confession: I like to brag about calling home runs. And I do call a lot of them, especially for guys like Berkman and Lee, who are prone to such feats. But I also call a lot of home runs that don't actually happen. I'm not psychic - I just call a lot of home runs.

Top of the fifth: Mark DeRosa just hit a homer off Oswalt, giving the Cards first blood... Two batters later, Carpenter strikes out swinging at a 94 MPH fastball to end the inning. Oswalt's only thrown 49 pitches in 5 innings. Still hoping for a complete game from the Wiz. But he might have to hit a homer of his own to get this team on the board. (If he does, just remember that I called it!)

The Astros are up to bat, and Fox is out in the stands interviewing a woman who's celebrating her 97th birthday at the game. She's wearing a paper tiara with "97" over her Astros hat. Very nice - now can we go back to watching the Astros bat???! Pence just struck out for the second time. Pudge walked. Coste struck out - two down. Now Oswalt will be up - big chance to hit his game-winning homer in this inning. :-) Hold on a sec - I'm going to full-screen the video so I can watch this great event.

Oswalt grounded out to end the fifth. Astros trail 1-0. Carpenter's at 70 pitches. Hopefully the Astros are going to try to beef up his pitch count in the next inning or so, and try to get rid of him. They are having good luck against the Cardinal bullpen.

Sixth inning already, a little over an hour into the game. Both pitchers are throwing quickly. Leadoff double to Schumaker. Rasmus bunts to advance the runner, but Pudge throws to third and gets the runner in a close play. (Replay: Hard to say. Thanks, Ump.) Pujols up with a runner on first... and he hits into a double play. The Astros defense is really outstanding. Oswalt gets through the inning on 6 pitches - he's now at 55 after 6 innings.

Bottom of the sixth, and happily, no dumb FSN cameos out in the stands, so Exilees like me can actually watch Bourn get a leadoff walk. Matsui's sac bunt moves up Bourn - too bad they had to waste an out just to get Bourn to second base. Unfortunately, Carpenter & Molina aren't easy to steal against - Bourn got a lucky break when he stole in the first inning. Infield hit for Tejada on a swinging bunt - Molina drops the ball. Runners on first and third, one out. Come on, guys, score a couple of runs. Don't leave Roy with a loss in a gem like this! Lee grounds into a fielders choice, and Bourn scores to tie it up. Blum's up - he's hit a couple of fly balls tonight - how about a big bop into the Crawford Boxes? Nope, he hits it right to Carpenter for the third out. At least the game is tied. After six, score is 1-1 in the pitchers' duel that was predicted. Carpenter's up to 88 pitches - can we get rid of him soon? I'd prefer to take our chances with the bullpen.

Top of the seventh: Oswalt gives up a leadoff infield single on a ball that bounces off his glove. Would have been better to let it go and let Tejada take it! Next batter hits liner straight to Tejada. Cards are going to try to tire out the Wiz: DeRosa watches 7 pitches without moving, and walks. Molina singles to left - Lee makes a great throw to the plate, but Pudge drops the ball and the runner scores. Cards lead 2-1, with runners on first and third, one out. Sac fly to center scores another run - Bourn's throw to the plate bounced off the mound. Fly ball ends the threat, three outs. I sure hope that the Astros are going to make this up to Roy in the bottom of the inning. Roy added 24 pitches to his count in this inning - he's now at 79.

Bottom of the seventh: Pence grounds out on a first pitch swing - he's been totally stymied by Carpenter all night. Wish he'd been a little more patient - we need to wear out Carpenter. Guess he's afraid of striking out a third time. Pudge hits a long fly, that comes within inches of being a homer - instead it's a long single. Coste gets on with an infield hit, bringing Puma to the plate to pinch bat for Oswalt - no complete game tonight. Crowd is on its feet, going nuts. Berkman hits a single to load the bases. He can hit, but can't run - Kata comes in to pinch run. Bourn goes down on a called strike three, two outs. Matsui up, bases loaded, two down - and he singles to center, scoring Pudge. Coste has to hold at third. Tejada flies out to end the inning, with the Astros down 3-2. No win for Oswalt tonight, but there's still time to keep it from being a loss! Carpenter's at 104 pitches - hopefully we'll get someone who will be more charitable to our guys in the eighth.

Eighth inning: Byrdak relieves Oswalt, in to face the first two (lefty) batters. He does the job, chikchak, and passes the ball to Hawkins to face Pujols. Ground out to end the inning. Pujols has not been a problem for the Astros in this series.

Bottom of the eighth: Ugh! Carpenter's back! Can't we get rid of him? Two quick outs... Pence up - will his luck change? Pudge gives him a few words of advice. Takes a wild swing at the first pitch. We'll never get rid of Carpenter at this rate. (On a totally irrelevant subject: I hate Chris Carpenter's mustache. Is he trying to look like a naturalist, with a caterpillar under his nose? Or maybe a 70's porn star?) Pence strikes out for the third time to end the eighth. We get one more chance here, guys - let's hope that Carpenter's done for the night.

Ninth inning: Valverde pitching in a non-save situation. With yesterday's blowout, and tomorrow's off day, he might as well get some exercise. Strikes out Ludwick on a nasty splitter. Ankiel singles. DeRosa goes down swinging for the second out. Molina up, the runner goes... and Pudge nails him with a perfect throw to Matsui. Three out.

Bottom of the ninth, Astros down by one, with the bottom of the lineup coming up. Hey guys, Roy doesn't deserve a loss tonight - just a couple of runs will do it...

Cardinals' closer Ryan Franklin is up. Carpenter's sporting an ugly mustache, and Franklin's wearing his matching beard. He looks like a billy goat. The Fox guys are going on and on about how wonderful Franklin's been pitching this year, 2000 consecutive scoreless innings, blah blah, blah... Time to upset his streak.

Pudge leads off with a single to center. Coste set up to bunt. Wah. I hate to waste an out when we're down to our last 3. Pudge nearly gets picked off first. Coste fails in two bunt attempts; hopefully he's swinging on 0-2. Swinging.... and rips a double to center, scoring Pudge to tie the game!!! OKAY!!!! I'm smiling now! Kepp singles to left, Coste to third. Rewind to the first inning: First and third, no outs. CAN WE SCORE THIS TIME???

Bourn pops up - one down. We have to do it NOW!

Matsui grounds to second - looked like an easy double play, but they go for the play at home. Coste out - two down, with runners on first and second.

Tejada singles to left -- he runs to first waving his arms in joy, as Kepp scores from second. I'm jumping up and down in my kitchen, clapping, and grinning like an idiot.

ASTROS SWEEP THE FIRST PLACE CARDS!!! We're only one game out of first! Man, I love baseball!!! I'm going to wear this dumb grin for the rest of the night.