The Astros, fresh off a forgetable road trip, returned home in style with a 12-2 pasting of the Colorado Rockies Friday night.
The game was close through five innings. Rookie starter Fernando Nieve came out throwing with increased velocity on his fastball but little idea where it would go. He held the improved Rockies to a single run in his 5 1/3 innings, allowing 6 hits and 3 walks along with 4 punchouts in the no decision. Mike Gallo entered and finished the sixth inning for Nieve, right before the onslaught began, and earned his first win of the season.
Craig Biggio tied the game 1-1 with a solo homer in the third, before the Astros realized they were in friendly territory and scored eleven runs in the last three innings, as the Friday night fireworks began early.
Yvette visited the booth in the 5th, passing out gifts including a blue cap for Brownie and a throwback jersey to JD, who held it up and remarked “I feel like backing up third.”
The tiebreaker was a Morgan Ensberg three-run blast in the sixth, immediately following a close 2-2 pitch that was ruled a ball. Colorado starter Jason Jennings was visibly upset with the call and lost his composure, his pinpoint control, and the game in short order. Brad Ausmus singled in another run-one of six hits allowed by Jennings in the inning-to send him to the showers trailing 5-1.
Brad Lidge pitched a hitless 7th in his new role in the bullpen, and looked much better with his fastball.
Ensberg had a run scoring single in the 7th, and Preston Wilson had a two run triple to Tal’s hill off reliever Dohmann as the Astros scored three more in the inning, which included a rare catcher’s interference call with Mike Lamb awarded first base after the error. Lamb had pinch hit for the hamstring tweaked Lance Berkman .
The Astros scored four more in the 8th, greeting Rockies reliever Joe Table with a double by Ausmus, a single by Adam Everett , a run-scoring ground rule double to left by Eric Bruntlett and a sac fly, before the Rocks inserted a lefty to pitch to Lamb, who deposited an offering into the Crawford boxes to complete the scoring.
Russ Springer pitched a hitless inning and struck out two, and fresh off the DL Trever Miller continued to struggle allowing a solo homer and a pair of walks in his one inning mop up role.
Game time 6:05 Saturday, Roy Oswalt vs. Aaron Cook.