GAME 130 - August 24: The Case of the Blind Squirrel

Houston 6, New York 4

Quote of the Day: "It was just the case of a blind squirrel finding an acorn." (Ausmus, on his game-winning homer in the tenth)

It was a good thing for the Astros that this game didn't have to go deep into extra innings, since they'd used up their whole bench by the time Lance Berkman came in to pinch hit in the tenth. In what must be the most effective bench performance of the year, all but one of them got on base. Ironically, the one who didn't was Berkman, pinch batting in the tenth after taking the day off to nurse a sore hamstring. He flied out for the second out. But that out was wedged in between solo home runs from two of the least likely sources - two players who had only 3 homers all season between them.

After entering the game in the eighth inning, Ausmus led off the tenth with the score tied 4-4. After two quick strikes, the next pitch - a biiiiiig curveball - went behind him. He was a bit disappointed that the ball didn't hit him, until the next pitch - another curve ball - leapt off of his bat and landed in the stands, his second home run of the season. After Bourn struck out and Berkman flied out, Erstad knocked his second pitch over the fence in right. It was the first time in the whole game that the Astros had been ahead. Valverde took good care of that 6-4 lead, with a 1-2-3 tenth, to earn his 33rd save.

Randy Wolf had let the Mets take an early 3-0 lead on Beltran's second inning 2-run homer, followed by a 2-out bases-loaded walk in the third. After failing to score in the second inning with Wiggington on third with no outs, the Astros tied the game in the fourth. Erstad had reached on an infield single, then advanced to third on Tejada's double. Loretta's 1-out sac fly gave the Astros their first run. Then Pence (never a patient batter) whacked the first pitch he saw over the wall for a 2-run homer to tie the game 3-3.

Beltran's second home run of the game put the Mets ahead again, 4-3, in the fifth inning. The score sat there until the seventh inning, when the bench started to kick in. With one out and Pence on first, Blum hit a pinch-hit double, advancing Pence to third. Then Newhan followed with a pinch-hit single, scoring Pence. Blum, unfortunately, was tagged out trying to score, leaving the game tied at 4-4.

That the score was still tied in the tenth was to due to a lights-out performance by the bullpen: Sampson in the seventh and eighth innings, followed by Hawkins in the ninth, and Valverde in the tenth. After Oswalt and Backe had pitched into the eighth innings in the previous two games, the bullpen was well rested and ready to go. The Mets never had a base runner after a lead-off single in the sixth. From Wolf's three outs in sixth through Valverde's save, Astros' pitchers set down 15 Mets batters in a row.

While I like nothing better than a good win over the F-ing Mets, it would be nice if the Astros were at least picking up some games in the Wild Card. But the Brewers keep winning, and the Astros not getting any closer as September looms...