Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Brad Lidge was once again entrusted with the game on the line. He plunked the leadoff hitter and botched a bunt comebacker to allow the winning run on second with no outs. The next batter also bunted to Lidge, but with an awkward throw was able to get the lead runner at third. After a strikeout, Phil Garner replaced Lidge with Dan Wheeler to face the Brewers only lefthanded batter, rookie Prince Fielder. First pitch swinging, Fielder roped a hard-hit single to right, where Lance Berkman attempted to scoop the ball. He failed to pick it up cleanly and the winning run scored easily. No error on the play, but he had a good shot at the runner if he had not muffed it. Game over.
The Astros trailed 1-0 when Luke Scott led off the 2nd inning with yet another extra base hit, a double into the right-center field gap. Aubrey Huff followed with his own double in the same gap, a ground rule shot for the Astros first run. Later in the inning with Huff on third and two outs, Brandon Backe hit a swinging bunt that Brewers starting pitcher Tomokazu Ohka grabbed but decided to tag Huff coming home instead of throwing to first base. Huff stopped and retreated towards third base as Tomokazu Ohka threw the ball into left field. No one was covering third. Huff scored easily for the Astros second run.
Backe pitched a good game after a shaky first inning. After a leadoff double and a HBP, Fielder hit a hard liner right at Berkman for the first out. Gabe Gross lined an RBI single to right with the trailing runner holding at second. The next two batters knocked deep flies to left, allowing Backe to escape with mimimal damage.
Backe breezed through the middle innings, allowing only a solo homer on a good pitch, a low outside slider that wound up in the bullpen in right center to tie the game 2-2 in the 4th. He went 6 1/3 innings and a no-decision for his outing.
Tomokazu Ohka retired the final 11 Astros on his way to 7 innings of work. The only runners Tomokazu Ohka allowed after the 2nd was a one out walk to Mike Lamb in the third that was quickly erased by a GIDP by Berkman, and a leadoff single by Scott in the fourth. Tomokazu Ohka also received a no-decision for his efforts.
After Backe retired the first batter in the 7th, Garner went to his bullpen after pinch hitter Geoff Jenkins was announced, hitting for Tomokazu Ohka. Russ Springer allowed a first pitch double by Jenkins into the right field corner, but was able to retire the next two hitters on fly balls to right.
The Astros blew an opportunity to go ahead in the 8th. Willy Taveras lined a one out single to right center off of reliever Jose Capellan, in for starter Tomokazu Ohka, to extend his hitting streak to an impressive 21 games. On the next pitch, a strike to Craig Biggio , Taveras swiped second base, and after standing on the base for a second, he realized the throw from the catcher went into center field, and scampered to third on the error. Biggio was jammed on an inside fastball and grounded weakly to short, Taveras was unable to advance as the infield was drawn in on the play. Another disappointing failure that happens far two often for this team in a must score situation. The Brewers replaced Capellan with submarining lefty Brian Shouse and he retired Lamb on a pop up.
In the bottom of the eighth, Trever Miller retired Fielder and was replaced by Lidge. After a pair of singles brought high anxiety, Lidge retired the final two hitter on strikeouts.
Berkman and Scott both walked against Shouse leading off the ninth. Curiously, against a tough lefty like Shouse in a tie game, Huff was allowed to swing away and he struck out, flailing away at curve balls outside. Garner then decided to pinch hit for Adam Everett with Chris Burke , the Brewers countered by installing their new closer, righty Francisco Cordero. Burke hit a grounder to third for an around the horn double play to end the threat, setting up the fateful home half of the ninth.
Dave Borkowski will replace ailing Roy Oswalt for game three against Dave Bush at 7:05 Saturday night.