GAMES 43-44 - May 16-17: Bad Nights at the Not-So-OK Corral

Friday, May 16: Texas 16, Houston 8
Saturday, May 17: Texas 6, Houston 2

Quote of the Day: "Bad night at the OK Corral, buddy,' that's what I say." (Cecil Cooper on Friday night's loss)

Well, I didn't really think that the Astros were going to win every game for the rest of the season. Game after game, the Astros flirted with losing, but managed to find a way to come back. They just never quit... until they did.

The good thing about Friday night's loss to the Rangers was that it could have been worse: Remember those 18-3 shellackings from previous years, when the Astros got kicked in the butt by the Silver Boot? In comparison, 16-8 was relatively respectable.

It was trouble from the start. Texas scored 3 in the first inning. After 4 innings, the Astros trailed the Rangers 8-2, and it appeared that starter Shawn Chacon would finally get his first decision of the year. But Houston came back with the big inning, scoring 5 runs in the fifth, and another in the sixth to tie the game. By that time, Chacon was long gone, but tying it up kept him from being eligible for a decision - now with nine starts, and a perfect 0-0 record, Chacon has a major league record. One of dubious distinction, but a major league record nonetheless.

Tie game! The come from behind magic had struck again! But It didn't last long. Wright gave up a pair of runs in the seventh to make it 10-8. Then Villareal fell apart in the eighth, allowing 6 Ranger runs on 3 home runs, a triple, 2 singles, and a walk. A pair of errors in the inning (2 of the 5 in the game!) saved Villareal's ERA from taking the hit - 4 of the runs were unearned, since they came after what should have been the third out. The mystery to me (since I was not watching this Sabbath eve game) is why Villareal was pitching long enough to give up 6 runs? Why wasn't he taken out after the first two home runs? With the Astros recent ability to come back in late innings, it wasn't completely out of the question for them to have a big ninth. Villareal stayed in, and being down 8 runs was a bit much. The Astros went quietly in the ninth.

Despite the blowout score, the Astros did score 8 runs in this game, so there was some nice hitting going on. Berkman - the DH - went 2 for 4, raising his BA to .394. Erstad, getting a start at first base, also went 2 for 4, with a pair of doubles and 2 RBIs. Lee and Matsui also got two hits apiece. Bourn got his 18th stolen base. And Cooper got kicked out in the 7th inning, after objecting to a play at home. It was his second ejection of the season. (Perhaps that's why Villareal overstayed his welcome - Coop wasn't there to take the ball?)

I already knew of the Friday night debacle before the Sabbath ended - I picked up a copy of the sports section at the Fainchstein's house Saturday afternoon. However, I assumed that this was just a momentary setback, and rushed home right after the Sabbath to catch the end of the Saturday night game. With Roy O starting, it could have been over already by the time I turned on my computer, two hours into the game.

But unfortunately, the game wasn't over - Oswalt had a ratty start, giving up 6 ERs on 11 hits - including two more home runs. Two of his ERs were runners he left on base in the 7th inning, when he suddenly left the game in the middle of an at bat, with a 2-0 count. Byrdak let one runner in, and Nieve allowed the second one to score.

Meanwhile, the Astros hitters didn't fare as well. Houston cobbled together one run in the first inning, and scored on Berkman's solo homer in the fourth, and that was that. After going 2 for 3 Saturday night, including home run #16, Berkman's batting average is sitting at .399 (it went over .400 after the first two at bats). His hitting streak now stands at 16 games. Pence went 1 for 4, extending his hitting streak to 15 games.

Groin Groans: Oswalt left the game with a strained right groin. He apparently felt the problem in the sixth, but was prevailed upon to continue pitching into the seventh. He's day to day. Meanwhile, Geary's been put on the 15 day DL with a strained groin injury. Nieve came up from Round Rock to fill in. Meanwhile, Wandy threw 4 innings of a simulated game, and may be back from his groin injury in a week or ten days.