GAME 45: To Be or Not To Be... the 2005 Astros?

GAME 45 - May 25: Brewers 6, Astros  0   1

Game 45 of the Astros season starts in a few minutes and I'm wondering: Is it better if the Astros lose tonight, matching the famous 15-30 start of 2005, when they turned it all around and won the pennant? Or is it better to win tonight, indicating that this team is even better than the 2005 team? A hard choice...

This game could really go either way. The Brewers are only 2 games ahead of the totally-last-place Astros, but they don't enjoy a home field advantage, having lost 14 of their 18 home games so far. Familiar pitcher on the mound against us tonight - Randy Wolf is starting for the Brewers. He's not an ace - he's sporting a 5.10 ERA with a 3-4 record. It's a major league catching debut for his battery mate, Jonathan Lucroy. But Houston's starter is our #5, Felipe Paulino with a 5.36 ERA, an 0-6 record, and totally crap run support. So it could really go either way...

I'll update this blog live tonight, in between my Twitter tweets, so that you can share these moments (several hours worth) of indecision with me.

Inning 1:  Quick 1-2-3 in the top of the inning. Hope this isn't going to be one of those nights. Losing is one thing; shutouts just suck. Bottom of the inning: Paulino isn't getting a no-hitter tonight. Gave up a single to the leadoff, got the next guy to pop up, but then allowed Ryan Braun to hit the ball over the wall in the deepest part of center field. We're already losing 2-0, 15 minutes into the game.

Inning 2: The Astros got their big chance in the top of the second, as a single and a pair of walks loaded up the bases. With two outs, the guy with the top BA on the team comes to the plate -- Paulino (.385). He clearly wanted to do something to help his own cause, given how lousy his run support is, and he swung mightily. And missed. Struck out to end the inning. Bottom of the inning: What should have been a relatively short inning for Paulino got extended by a 2-out fielding error, allowing the Brewers pitcher to get to first. Astros broadcasters go on about how Wolf should have been an automatic out. Not sure why they say that. With his .292 BA, he's batting better than every player on the Astros lineup tonight, except for Paulino. Next batter gets an infield hit, but the inning ends with a ground out and no more trouble.

Inning 3: Astros go down 1-2-3 to start the inning, with Berkman taking a called strike 3 to end the fun. Bottom of the inning: Paulino's throwing fireballs in the high 90's, but way too many pitches - already over 63 by the end of the third. Allowed another two runners, but wriggled out of it without any runs scoring.


Inning 4: Feliz gets a 2-out walk but Q strikes out looking - that seems to be the most popular way to end Astros innings tonight. Bottom of the inning: Paulino gives up a leadoff single to the rookie Brewer catcher -- looked like it coulda, shoulda been played by Feliz, but wasn't. Gets the next two out, then Q throws out the rookie's attempt to steal second. Still 2-0 with the Astros on the wrong side. Paulino has thrown 82 pitches already. 


Inning 5: Manzella lines a single into right for a leadoff hit, but is quickly erased when Paulino hits into a DP. Bourn grounds out and we're still being shut out after 5. Bottom of the inning: Paulino gets out of it with just a walk to Prince Fielder, but he's up to 100 pitches. Would be nice if his spot comes up to bat in the 6th - that would mean that 8 guys came to the plate and maybe we'd have some runs.


Inning 6: No such luck. Kepp, Puma, and the Stallion go down 1-2-3 again. This is not a very inspiring performance by Wolf, and the Astros are being shut out anyway. It's unreal how they make nearly every pitcher look like Cy Young material. Well, at least it gives Paulino another chance to pitch. There's still a chance that the Astros can score on his watch. Bottom of the inning: Paulino has his best inning, downing the Brewers 1-2-3 for the first time all night. With 112 pitches, this is going to be it for him. What's the chance that his teammates will get him a few runs in the 7th?


Inning 7: Pence and Feliz make two quick outs. We're down to Paulino's last chance for redemption. Q and Manzella get back-to-back two-out singles, doubling the Astros hit-count for the game. That brings up JMike to pinchhit for Paulino. Michaels strikes out looking - seems to be the most popular Astros inning killer tonight. Bottom of the inning: Sampson takes over for Paulino, and hits the first batter on the hip. Bad luck. Next batter hits another big homer, doubling the deficit to 4-0. Three singles later it's 5-0, and Sampson's on his way to the showers. Fulchino gives up a ground-rule double, now it's 6-0. Would have been worse if Bourn hadn't made a terrific running play in center field. Jim Deshaies refers to Bourn's glove as being "where triples go to die."


Inning 8: Bourn led off with a big fat K. Kepp got a hit, bringing up the so-called heart of the order -- Berkman, Lee, Pence -- who are a combined 0 for 8 tonight. Puma whiffs for the second out. El Cabrio grounds out to end the fun, another 0 for 4 game for him, helping to keep his BA solidly under .200. Bottom of the inning: Fulchino throws a perfect inning, with a little fielding help from Manzella.

Inning 9: I just updated the score at the top of this blog: Brewers 6, Astros 0. They haven't played the ninth yet, so that may not turn out to be right, but I'm not posting this blog till it's over. I dare the Astros to score a run and make me change it. Hunter Pence is leading off - he hits a 3-1 fast ball into right field for a double. It's only the Astros' sixth hit - and the first extra-base hit -- but hey, we'll take it! Feliz pops up for the first out. Quintero hits a double - Pence scores!!! It's not a shut out!!! I had to change the score after all. Manzella strikes out for the second out. Blummer's pinch-hitting for the Last Chance - and he harmlessly grounds out. Game Over. TILT.

We have attained the Magic Number, Astros Fans: 15-30. Can we go anywhere but up from here??? We shall see.

Tomorrow Oswalt pitches. Will the Astros fail to score a run for him? Who knows? Maybe it will be his last start as an Astro? Will they trade him, like he requested? We shall see...