August 29: Houston 3, St. Louis 2
August 30: Houston 8, St. Louis 5
August 31: Houston 3, St. Louis 0
Quote of the Day: "Never hit a walk-off home run, has he? This would be a good time..." "This would be a fantastic time." (Exchange between Astros TV broadcasters, just before Berkman hit his first-ever walk-off home run Friday night)
No one currently playing in the Majors has gone longer and hit more home runs, without ever having hit a walk-off homer, than Lance Berkman. So the one that he hit to left center on Friday night, in the bottom of the ninth with the score tied 2-2, was pretty sweet. Even sweeter as it set the tone for a weekend sweep of the perennial late season rival Cardinals.
Continuing a recent trend, the Astros' other two runs Friday night were thanks to a long ball - Newhan's 2-out 2-run blast to right in the seventh inning. Up until then, Cards' starter Kyle Lohse hadn't let the Astros do much of anything, let alone get on the scoreboard. But Randy Wolf matched him, giving up 2 runs in his seven innings, only one earned. The unearned run was his own fault, though, as he mishandled a 2-out grounder for a fielding error, then launched it over Berkman's head for a throwing error. The bullpen continued their great support, with two scoreless innings from Sampson and then a close from Brocail, who earned the win.
Berkman hit his game ender off his good friend, ex-Astro Russ Springer. One pitch earlier, Berkman had worked up the crowd with a just-barely foul blast into the right-field seats. Then he launched the next pitch the other way,into left center field. The crowd went nuts and fireworks exploded as Berkman headed for home for the customary brain bashing by his teammates.
Hunter Pence made a nice contribution in the Friday night game also - he went 2 for 3, scored on Newhan's homer, and made an outfield assist, throwing out a runner at first after a caught fly ball in right. It was his 14th outfield assist, tying for the league lead.
Saturday night's game got off to an ominous start, as Moehler gave up a 3-run home run in the top of the first inning. But his teammates didn't make him worry over that for long: The first seven Astros batters got on base, beating up on Braden Looper. Erstad singled, then Wigginton hit another August home run to cut the lead to 3-2. Tejada doubled, Berkman walked, then Blum hit a double, scoring Tejada to tie the game. Pence followed with a 3-run homer, to give the Astros a 6-3 lead that they never gave up.
After his early trouble, Moehler settled down and pitched well through the sixth inning. The Astros threatened to score again in the third inning, after Pence led off with a single and Newhan walked. Two on and no outs - and it all came apart in seconds. With Quintero at the plate Newhan was picked off for the first out. Then Quintero hit a fly ball to center field, which was caught on a bounce by a sliding fielder. But the umpire made an embarrassingly wrong call, saying that the ball had been caught, and the fielder threw to second to double up Pence. There was no doubt about the catch; from every camera angle, the ball clearly hit the ground before the fielder gloved it. The ump refused to get a second opinion, and when Cooper rightly argued for that, he was tossed.
The bad call did not affect the outcome of the game, however. The Astros added a pair of insurance runs on Blum's 2-run homer in the fifth. The Card got two in the seventh, when Byrdak walked a batter and Brocail then gave up a 2-run homer to Pujols. (Pujols has to do that at least once in an Astros series. They should be glad that was all the damage he did in a 4 for 4 game.) Hawkins pitched a perfect eighth to set up Valverde for the save, his 36th.
Carlos Who? Wiggington, still out in left field, substituting for the pinkie-challenged Lee, has gone wild in August. He finished up the month with yet another home run on Sunday, to tie my beloved Bagwell for the "most home runs in August" team record (12). The two-run homer in the eighth gave the Astros a bit of breathing room, as dueling pitchers left Houston with a fragile 1-0 lead late in the game. Wandy pitched very well, carrying a shutout into the sixth inning, when he was pulled out with a strained right oblique muscle. Chris Sampson relieved him, finishing off the sixth and then the seventh inning without giving up a run. Hawkins threw a perfect eighth to set up Valverde for a perfect ninth, his league-leading 37th save of the season. He also set a new Astros team record, for saves in his tenth consecutive appearance.
The Astros scored their first run in the second inning, when Berkman led off with a double, and then scored on Pence's RBI single. Pence also contributed another outfield assist in the first inning - his league-leading 15th of the season.
Wandy was pulled just after he struck out Pujols and then Ludwick to start the sixth. Both batters struck out looking, and both complained to the umpire. La Russa came out of the dugout to continue the fruitless discussion of balls and strikes, and was ejected for his troubles, as he knew he would be.
I had to go to a social event Saturday night right after the Sabbath, so I watched all three games on Sunday. (Yes, I already knew the outcome of the first two!) After losing every series against the Cards this season, 1 game to 2, the sweep was a nice touch. With 5 wins in a row, the Astros finish the month with 21 wins and 9 losses. As good as that is, it's only the third best August record in the league, and unfortunately, the other two teams are both ahead of the Astros in the NL Central. So their terrific play since the All Star break has not actually helped them advance in the standings - they've lost ground to the Cubs and the Brewers. So, as sweet as the sweep was, it probably hurt St. Louis (which is also ahead of the Astros) more than it helped Houston. I never give up on the Astros until they are actually mathematically eliminated - especially when they are over .500 - but it's going to take more than an incredible run to make the playoffs. It's going to take humongous meltdowns from several other teams - especially the Brewers.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
GAMES 132-134 - August 26-28: Seeing a Nice Shade of Red
August 26: Cincinnati 2, Houston 1
August 27: Houston 4, Cincinnati 1
August 28: Houston 3, Cincinnati 2
Quote of the Day: "After he threw that last pitch, he kind of gave me a little stare. I got goose bumps. It was a good thing. I really liked the competition. It was honestly a fun at-bat, but I lost in that situation." (Joey Votto, after striking out to Oswalt to end the sixth)
I usually like it when the Astros play the Reds. It's not just that Cincinnati's record is worse than Houstons', giving them a chance to win. That's true of the Pirates, too, and the Astros have been terrible against them. But the Astros do seem to be lucky against the Reds. The Cincinnati team looked different this time, though, with long-time teammates Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr gone in trades.
They weren't too lucky on Tuesday night in an unlikely pitchers' duel between Wandy and Bronson Arroyo. The high-kicker threw all nine innings, allowing only a single Astros run on 5 measly hits. It was the second game in a row that the Astros were bested by a complete game performance. But Wandy was no slouch either in his seven innings. In one of his best starts all season, he gave up only 1 run on 3 hits and 1 walk, and struck out out 10. The game differentiator turned out to be a Reds hit off the wall off of Geary in the 8th - a close call that would have been checked out on the instant replay two days later, when that goes into effect. But the ump called it a homer, and the Reds took a 2-1 lead.
The Astros lone run was patched together in the fifth. Loretta led off with a single, and moved to second on Pence's walk. Newhan's ground ball out moved them both up a base. Loretta scored from third on Ausmus' ground out.
Wednesday night's game was a rerun of a show I've seen so many times before - and never get tire of: Oswalt beating the Reds. It was classic Wizard: Seven innings, 1 run, 5 hits, a couple of BBs and a few Ks. Cincinnati may have a new cast of characters, but they were as befuddled as ever with Roy O on the mound. The Reds' sole run scored in the first, on an infield single, double, and ground ball combo. After that, they couldn't do anything against Oswalt - with the same result as so many times before: Oswalt 22, the Reds 1.
Unlike his last start, the Astros gave Oswalt some friendly run support in this game. The Astros scored all four of their runs on homers - one 2-run home run for Pence in the fourth and a matching one for Wiggington in the seventh. Berkman was 3 for 3, scoring on Pence's homer. To back up Oswalt completely, Hawkins pitched a scoreless eighth, and Valverde struck out the side for the save.
In the rubber match Thursday afternoon, it was Backe up against Aaron Harang. Backe, in his pingpong approach to pitching this season (one game dominant, next game skunked), broke the pattern. He was due for a huge loss; instead he pitched a very respectable 6 2/3 innings, not giving up any runs until the seventh inning, when he allowed a pair. Meanwhile, Harang pitched a quality start also, only allowing the Astros to score 3 runs in his 7 innings. So it was a very close game that the bullpen inherited in the seventh. They didn't let Backe down: Brocail, Hawkins, and Valverde threw 2 1/3 perfect innings to keep the Reds in their place. For the second game in a row, Valverde struck out the side, earning his 35th save.
Offensively for the Astros, the game turned on another outstanding performance by Wiggington. Since taking over for Carlos Lee in left field, the guy has been amazing. This time it was another pair of solo homers - one in the second and one in the sixth - that accounted for two of the Astros' three runs. Quintero's solo homer in the fifth added the third. The past two games have been a home run derby for the Astros - all of the runs in both games were scored on long balls.
Another series win, as the Astros continue their strong performance since the All Star Break. But it's probably still too little, and too late, as the teams ahead of them have been even better.
August 27: Houston 4, Cincinnati 1
August 28: Houston 3, Cincinnati 2
Quote of the Day: "After he threw that last pitch, he kind of gave me a little stare. I got goose bumps. It was a good thing. I really liked the competition. It was honestly a fun at-bat, but I lost in that situation." (Joey Votto, after striking out to Oswalt to end the sixth)
I usually like it when the Astros play the Reds. It's not just that Cincinnati's record is worse than Houstons', giving them a chance to win. That's true of the Pirates, too, and the Astros have been terrible against them. But the Astros do seem to be lucky against the Reds. The Cincinnati team looked different this time, though, with long-time teammates Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr gone in trades.
They weren't too lucky on Tuesday night in an unlikely pitchers' duel between Wandy and Bronson Arroyo. The high-kicker threw all nine innings, allowing only a single Astros run on 5 measly hits. It was the second game in a row that the Astros were bested by a complete game performance. But Wandy was no slouch either in his seven innings. In one of his best starts all season, he gave up only 1 run on 3 hits and 1 walk, and struck out out 10. The game differentiator turned out to be a Reds hit off the wall off of Geary in the 8th - a close call that would have been checked out on the instant replay two days later, when that goes into effect. But the ump called it a homer, and the Reds took a 2-1 lead.
The Astros lone run was patched together in the fifth. Loretta led off with a single, and moved to second on Pence's walk. Newhan's ground ball out moved them both up a base. Loretta scored from third on Ausmus' ground out.
Wednesday night's game was a rerun of a show I've seen so many times before - and never get tire of: Oswalt beating the Reds. It was classic Wizard: Seven innings, 1 run, 5 hits, a couple of BBs and a few Ks. Cincinnati may have a new cast of characters, but they were as befuddled as ever with Roy O on the mound. The Reds' sole run scored in the first, on an infield single, double, and ground ball combo. After that, they couldn't do anything against Oswalt - with the same result as so many times before: Oswalt 22, the Reds 1.
Unlike his last start, the Astros gave Oswalt some friendly run support in this game. The Astros scored all four of their runs on homers - one 2-run home run for Pence in the fourth and a matching one for Wiggington in the seventh. Berkman was 3 for 3, scoring on Pence's homer. To back up Oswalt completely, Hawkins pitched a scoreless eighth, and Valverde struck out the side for the save.
In the rubber match Thursday afternoon, it was Backe up against Aaron Harang. Backe, in his pingpong approach to pitching this season (one game dominant, next game skunked), broke the pattern. He was due for a huge loss; instead he pitched a very respectable 6 2/3 innings, not giving up any runs until the seventh inning, when he allowed a pair. Meanwhile, Harang pitched a quality start also, only allowing the Astros to score 3 runs in his 7 innings. So it was a very close game that the bullpen inherited in the seventh. They didn't let Backe down: Brocail, Hawkins, and Valverde threw 2 1/3 perfect innings to keep the Reds in their place. For the second game in a row, Valverde struck out the side, earning his 35th save.
Offensively for the Astros, the game turned on another outstanding performance by Wiggington. Since taking over for Carlos Lee in left field, the guy has been amazing. This time it was another pair of solo homers - one in the second and one in the sixth - that accounted for two of the Astros' three runs. Quintero's solo homer in the fifth added the third. The past two games have been a home run derby for the Astros - all of the runs in both games were scored on long balls.
Another series win, as the Astros continue their strong performance since the All Star Break. But it's probably still too little, and too late, as the teams ahead of them have been even better.
GAME 131 - August 25: Split Infinitive
New York 9, Houston 1
Quote of the Day: No comment.
Carlos Delgado and Mike Pelfrey are the Mets to hate in this game, robbing the Astros of another series win against their evil birth twins. Delgado hit a pair of 3-run homers. Pelfrey pitched a complete game, keeping the Astros from scoring even a single run until the ninth inning. Nothing the Astros did in this game came close, so I think I won't write any more about it.
Move on. Next stop - the Reds in Houston.
Quote of the Day: No comment.
Carlos Delgado and Mike Pelfrey are the Mets to hate in this game, robbing the Astros of another series win against their evil birth twins. Delgado hit a pair of 3-run homers. Pelfrey pitched a complete game, keeping the Astros from scoring even a single run until the ninth inning. Nothing the Astros did in this game came close, so I think I won't write any more about it.
Move on. Next stop - the Reds in Houston.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
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...
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...
GAME 129 - August 23: Bouncing Backe
Houston 8, New York 3
Quote of the Day: "I have a long way to go to redeem myself." (Backe)
If Brandon Backe continues his ping-pong ball of a season, the Reds will be having some fun next Thursday afternoon, his next scheduled start. In a continuation of his alternating pattern of great starts and complete embarrassments, Backe held back the Mets on Saturday night to give the Astros a much-needed win. Actually, his game was not quite as good as Roy O's the night before - 3 runs in 7 innings on 5 hits and a walk, striking out 4 - but he had one big advantage over the Wizard: The Astros got some runs. Lots of runs - too bad they couldn't have split them evenly over the two games and won them both!
Continuing from Oswalt's 20 up-20 down the night before, Backe put down the first 14 batters he faced, before giving up a walk and RBI double in the fifth inning. He allowed a pair of runs in the eighth in a repeat performance from the previous game, by the same two ex-Nats: Church singled, then Schneider hit a 2-run homer. Byrdak finished up the inning, and Geary threw a hitless ninth to keep the Mets at 3.
But, as Oswalt knows from Friday night, that only helps if your teammates score some runs. This time they did, starting to rough up starter John Maine in the second inning. Berkman led off with a ground rule double - a 400+ foot smack to center, then scored on Blum's RBI single. The scoring became more serious in the third inning. Backe, with his .300+ batting average, got it started in the right direction with a single. Erstad walked, and Bourn moved them both over with a sacrifice bunt. Backe scored on Tejada's RBI single. Berkman didn't wait around to join the fun - he knocked the first pitch over the wall in left center to make it 5-0.
In the sixth, right after the Mets scored their first run, Newhan won one back for them with a lead-off homer. Quintero and Backe struck out. Then, with two down, Erstad, Bourn, Tejada, and Berkman hit consecutive singles to plate another pair of runs, to give the Astros an 8-1 lead.
This all took place just before I turned on the game after the Sabbath ended, so I didn't actually get to see any of the Astros' offensive fun on Saturday night. The Mets' bullpen shut the Astros down for the last 3 innings. But no need for greed; I watched the rest of the game on Sunday morning.
Wiggington, uncharacteristically, did not have a hit in the game, but should have - he was totally robbed by an amazing leaping-twirling-throwing play by Mets third baseman David Wright. Wright also made a terrific play to steal a hit from Newhan, but Newhan got payback with a nice defensive play of his own in the sixth: Playing second, he gloved the ground ball and flipped it from his glove to Tejada, who then threw to Berkman to complete the double play.
It's hard to know when a pitcher has redeemed himself after a couple of huge meltdowns like Backe's had recently. Backe doesn't feel like he's there yet. Maybe it's when he gets his ERA back under 5. Maybe in his next game he'll throw a no-hitter - and hit a grand slam too. That should do it.
Quote of the Day: "I have a long way to go to redeem myself." (Backe)
If Brandon Backe continues his ping-pong ball of a season, the Reds will be having some fun next Thursday afternoon, his next scheduled start. In a continuation of his alternating pattern of great starts and complete embarrassments, Backe held back the Mets on Saturday night to give the Astros a much-needed win. Actually, his game was not quite as good as Roy O's the night before - 3 runs in 7 innings on 5 hits and a walk, striking out 4 - but he had one big advantage over the Wizard: The Astros got some runs. Lots of runs - too bad they couldn't have split them evenly over the two games and won them both!
Continuing from Oswalt's 20 up-20 down the night before, Backe put down the first 14 batters he faced, before giving up a walk and RBI double in the fifth inning. He allowed a pair of runs in the eighth in a repeat performance from the previous game, by the same two ex-Nats: Church singled, then Schneider hit a 2-run homer. Byrdak finished up the inning, and Geary threw a hitless ninth to keep the Mets at 3.
But, as Oswalt knows from Friday night, that only helps if your teammates score some runs. This time they did, starting to rough up starter John Maine in the second inning. Berkman led off with a ground rule double - a 400+ foot smack to center, then scored on Blum's RBI single. The scoring became more serious in the third inning. Backe, with his .300+ batting average, got it started in the right direction with a single. Erstad walked, and Bourn moved them both over with a sacrifice bunt. Backe scored on Tejada's RBI single. Berkman didn't wait around to join the fun - he knocked the first pitch over the wall in left center to make it 5-0.
In the sixth, right after the Mets scored their first run, Newhan won one back for them with a lead-off homer. Quintero and Backe struck out. Then, with two down, Erstad, Bourn, Tejada, and Berkman hit consecutive singles to plate another pair of runs, to give the Astros an 8-1 lead.
This all took place just before I turned on the game after the Sabbath ended, so I didn't actually get to see any of the Astros' offensive fun on Saturday night. The Mets' bullpen shut the Astros down for the last 3 innings. But no need for greed; I watched the rest of the game on Sunday morning.
Wiggington, uncharacteristically, did not have a hit in the game, but should have - he was totally robbed by an amazing leaping-twirling-throwing play by Mets third baseman David Wright. Wright also made a terrific play to steal a hit from Newhan, but Newhan got payback with a nice defensive play of his own in the sixth: Playing second, he gloved the ground ball and flipped it from his glove to Tejada, who then threw to Berkman to complete the double play.
It's hard to know when a pitcher has redeemed himself after a couple of huge meltdowns like Backe's had recently. Backe doesn't feel like he's there yet. Maybe it's when he gets his ERA back under 5. Maybe in his next game he'll throw a no-hitter - and hit a grand slam too. That should do it.
GAME 128 - August 22: Santana Wins Duel with the Wizard
New York 3, Houston 0
Quote of the Day: "He pitched eight innings so he beat me there." (Johan Santana, on Roy Oswalt)
As pitching duels go, this was a good one: Santana vs. Roy O. Just because I don't like the outcome doesn't take away from that. All of Oswalt's hits and runs came in the first two innings - 4 hits, including a 2-run homer in the second. But after that, the Mets were helpless against him for the rest of the game as the Wizard set down 20 of the Evil Ones in a row.
Unfortunately, Oswalt's teammates couldn't figure out an angle for scoring against Santana. It wasn't like they didn't have their chances - he only had one 1-2-3 inning. With 8 hits, the Astros had plenty of base runners to work with. In the second inning, Pence was on third with one down, and missed a chance to score on Ausmus' ground ball - a base-running flub that earned him a chat with Cooper after the game. Berkman grounded out to end the fifth with runners on second and third. The only part of the Astros' anti-Santana game plan that worked was the attempt to run up his pitch count, starting with Berkman's 11-pitch strikeout in the first inning. By the end of seven innings, Santana had logged a season-high 121 pitches, and to his chagrin, minor-league teammate Oswalt had outlasted him in the game. But the Astros had no luck against the Mets' bullpen, so the strategy didn't buy them anything in the end.
So, a sad loss for Roy O, after a mostly stellar outing. I told my sons, who live in NY and attended this game, to cheer for the Wizard. I'm thinking that they might not have done that.
In other news... The Astros have picked up Jose Castillo off waivers from the Giants, to shore up the infield with Matsui still out. He didn't play in this game.
Quote of the Day: "He pitched eight innings so he beat me there." (Johan Santana, on Roy Oswalt)
As pitching duels go, this was a good one: Santana vs. Roy O. Just because I don't like the outcome doesn't take away from that. All of Oswalt's hits and runs came in the first two innings - 4 hits, including a 2-run homer in the second. But after that, the Mets were helpless against him for the rest of the game as the Wizard set down 20 of the Evil Ones in a row.
Unfortunately, Oswalt's teammates couldn't figure out an angle for scoring against Santana. It wasn't like they didn't have their chances - he only had one 1-2-3 inning. With 8 hits, the Astros had plenty of base runners to work with. In the second inning, Pence was on third with one down, and missed a chance to score on Ausmus' ground ball - a base-running flub that earned him a chat with Cooper after the game. Berkman grounded out to end the fifth with runners on second and third. The only part of the Astros' anti-Santana game plan that worked was the attempt to run up his pitch count, starting with Berkman's 11-pitch strikeout in the first inning. By the end of seven innings, Santana had logged a season-high 121 pitches, and to his chagrin, minor-league teammate Oswalt had outlasted him in the game. But the Astros had no luck against the Mets' bullpen, so the strategy didn't buy them anything in the end.
So, a sad loss for Roy O, after a mostly stellar outing. I told my sons, who live in NY and attended this game, to cheer for the Wizard. I'm thinking that they might not have done that.
In other news... The Astros have picked up Jose Castillo off waivers from the Giants, to shore up the infield with Matsui still out. He didn't play in this game.
Friday, August 22, 2008
GAMES 125-127 - August 18-20: Nasty Brew
August 18: Milwaukee 9, Houston 3
August 19: Houston 5, Milwaukee 2
August 20: Milwaukee x, Houston y
Quote of the Day: "I'm predicting that [the Astros will sweep the Brewers], I'm going out on a limb. You heard it here first."" (Cooper, according to Kristin Oliphant on Astros.com)
I miss Alyson Footer. She's still reporting for Astros.com, but not every day. More often than not the games and news are covered by Kristin Oliphant, who makes little mistakes in the facts (a no-no in a game where stats are holy). And who prints quotes like the one above, without giving any indication to Cooper's tone when he predicted that the Astros would sweep the Brewers - was he really serious? Joking? Ironic? Hopeful? I don't know the man, but from what I've read of him from others, he doesn't seem the type to jinx his team by making a boastful claim to sweep the team that leads the Wild Card pack. Meanwhile, McTaggert at the Chronicle was also predicting a sweep - with Houston on the losing end.
It would have been sweet if the Astros had swept the Brewers, but it wasn't very likely, given that they would be facing the top of Milwaukee's rotation: newer-Brewer Sabbathia, long-time nemesis Sheets, and Parra to round it out.
While the scores in this series were not as lopsided as the Dback's one, the outcome was the same: The Astros lost the series two games to one.
Monday night, the dreaded Sabbathia was anything but lights out as he gave up 11 hits in his complete game, but the Astros missed opportunities and ended up with only 3 runs, each a singleton. Two were solo homers - one by Wiggington (of course) and the other by pinch-hitter Abercrombie. Sabbathia did them just as much damage at the plate as on the mound. Randy Wolf had been pitching well for the Astros when, in the fifth inning, with runners on first and second and two outs, he decided to walk the catcher to pitch to Sabbathia. This turned out to be the beginning of the end for Wolf, as Sabbathia hit a 2-RBI single that kicked off a 5-run scoring spree. Sampson came in to throw a perfect 8-pitch sixth inning, but every Astros pitcher after than dug their hole a little deeper. Brocail gave up one in the sixth, Wright struck out the side in the seventh but allowed a solo homer in the middle, and Geary gave up one more for good measure in the eighth. But all that was just decoration.
Tuesday night's game was a nice comeback, considering that Milwaukee starter Ben Sheets has a history of good luck against the Astros. Moehler didn't have his best start of the season - he gave up 9 hits in his 5 1/3 innings - but kept the Brewers to only 2 runs, one in each of the first two innings. The bullpen was nearly lights out: Between Sampson, Geary, Hawkins, and Valverde, the Brewers only eked out a single hit in 3 2/3 innings. The difference in the game came in the sixth, when Blum broke open the 2-2 tie with a 3-run home run.
Wednesday afternoon's game was bad luck all around. First of all, I hate afternoon games on work days, since I can't watch them at the office. But even more, I hate squandered opportunities. This game was full of them - not the least, the eighth-inning bases-loaded, no-out chance that got away. The Astros loaded the bases on luck: Tejeda beat out a bunt, Berkman was hit (just barely) by a pitch, Blum made it safely to first on a fielding error. But the luck ended in a blink of an eye, as Pence (not a patient batter) was jammed swinging at the first pitch and set off a double play. Then Newhan swung at his first pitch - and grounded out. Two pitches and it was all over. Wandy, who didn't pitch badly (3 runs, 2 earned, in 5 1/3 innings) got a loss. I'm guessing that he's going to stay "Wandy" in my journal for the rest of the season.
So no sweep, either way, but Houston missed a great opportunity to pick up ground on the Wild Card race. Instead, the Astros leave Milwaukee 8 1/2 games out, with plenty of other teams in between. On to New York for a 4-game series against the Mets, who are probably anxious to avenge their sweep in Houston.
August 19: Houston 5, Milwaukee 2
August 20: Milwaukee x, Houston y
Quote of the Day: "I'm predicting that [the Astros will sweep the Brewers], I'm going out on a limb. You heard it here first."" (Cooper, according to Kristin Oliphant on Astros.com)
I miss Alyson Footer. She's still reporting for Astros.com, but not every day. More often than not the games and news are covered by Kristin Oliphant, who makes little mistakes in the facts (a no-no in a game where stats are holy). And who prints quotes like the one above, without giving any indication to Cooper's tone when he predicted that the Astros would sweep the Brewers - was he really serious? Joking? Ironic? Hopeful? I don't know the man, but from what I've read of him from others, he doesn't seem the type to jinx his team by making a boastful claim to sweep the team that leads the Wild Card pack. Meanwhile, McTaggert at the Chronicle was also predicting a sweep - with Houston on the losing end.
It would have been sweet if the Astros had swept the Brewers, but it wasn't very likely, given that they would be facing the top of Milwaukee's rotation: newer-Brewer Sabbathia, long-time nemesis Sheets, and Parra to round it out.
While the scores in this series were not as lopsided as the Dback's one, the outcome was the same: The Astros lost the series two games to one.
Monday night, the dreaded Sabbathia was anything but lights out as he gave up 11 hits in his complete game, but the Astros missed opportunities and ended up with only 3 runs, each a singleton. Two were solo homers - one by Wiggington (of course) and the other by pinch-hitter Abercrombie. Sabbathia did them just as much damage at the plate as on the mound. Randy Wolf had been pitching well for the Astros when, in the fifth inning, with runners on first and second and two outs, he decided to walk the catcher to pitch to Sabbathia. This turned out to be the beginning of the end for Wolf, as Sabbathia hit a 2-RBI single that kicked off a 5-run scoring spree. Sampson came in to throw a perfect 8-pitch sixth inning, but every Astros pitcher after than dug their hole a little deeper. Brocail gave up one in the sixth, Wright struck out the side in the seventh but allowed a solo homer in the middle, and Geary gave up one more for good measure in the eighth. But all that was just decoration.
Tuesday night's game was a nice comeback, considering that Milwaukee starter Ben Sheets has a history of good luck against the Astros. Moehler didn't have his best start of the season - he gave up 9 hits in his 5 1/3 innings - but kept the Brewers to only 2 runs, one in each of the first two innings. The bullpen was nearly lights out: Between Sampson, Geary, Hawkins, and Valverde, the Brewers only eked out a single hit in 3 2/3 innings. The difference in the game came in the sixth, when Blum broke open the 2-2 tie with a 3-run home run.
Wednesday afternoon's game was bad luck all around. First of all, I hate afternoon games on work days, since I can't watch them at the office. But even more, I hate squandered opportunities. This game was full of them - not the least, the eighth-inning bases-loaded, no-out chance that got away. The Astros loaded the bases on luck: Tejeda beat out a bunt, Berkman was hit (just barely) by a pitch, Blum made it safely to first on a fielding error. But the luck ended in a blink of an eye, as Pence (not a patient batter) was jammed swinging at the first pitch and set off a double play. Then Newhan swung at his first pitch - and grounded out. Two pitches and it was all over. Wandy, who didn't pitch badly (3 runs, 2 earned, in 5 1/3 innings) got a loss. I'm guessing that he's going to stay "Wandy" in my journal for the rest of the season.
So no sweep, either way, but Houston missed a great opportunity to pick up ground on the Wild Card race. Instead, the Astros leave Milwaukee 8 1/2 games out, with plenty of other teams in between. On to New York for a 4-game series against the Mets, who are probably anxious to avenge their sweep in Houston.
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