Astros 6, Giants 5 (10 innings)
WP Qualls (4-1) LP Sanchez (1-1)
Pigpen’s path to Cooperstown: 0-fer (2,966)
AP recap
Footer MIA, Ben DuBose fills in with his wrap.
Carlos Lee hammered his second solo home run of the night off of the limestone facade with one out in the 10th inning to send the rockin’ Minute Maid Park fans home happy as the Astros beat the Giants 6-5. El Caballo crossed the dish four times on his four hits and a walk in his perfect evening of work.
The Astros starting the scoring in the 2nd. Lee led off with a walk and with one out, rookie Hunter Pence lined a hanging curve past third that rolled around in nonchalant Barry’s backyard long enough to score speed demon Lee all the way from first. They added another run in the 3rd when starting pitcher Woody Williams took advantage of the Crawfords for his fourth career homer, and added a third run in the 4th on Lee’s first blast. Meanwhile, Woody was mixing it up and shutting out the Giants for five complete, despite the horrible calls from home plate umpire Wally Bell.
Reminds me of a quote from old school HOF ump Bill Klem. “The best umpired game is the game in which the fans cannot recall the umpires who worked it.”
This was definitely not the case in this game. Wally was in his own little world for this one, bringing out several “C’mon Wally” exclamations from Jim Deshaies and the wrath from the Game Zone dwellers.
Woody lost his shutout and his lead in the 6th, allowing three runs on a pair of homers. He also stayed in long enough to fall behind 4-3 in the 7th, and Rick White allowed another run in the 8th as the Astros trailed 5-3 going into the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Lee fought off a tough two-strike pitch and served it over the secondbaseman’s head for a single. After a line drive to left for out number two, Pence sent the hungry Houston crowd home with a free chicken sandwich by poking a home run off the fowl pole screen in left, just a few feet above the fence. The pitch was a inside fastball from Giants closer Armando Benitez that tied the game at 5 apiece, and set the stage for Lee’s heroics two innings later.
Game photo: Lee attempts to charge past his teammates waiting at home after his game winner.
The wives of AE and MoBerg were in the booth explaining their participation in the upcoming Silver Boot series against the stRangers and the benefit softball game. Don’t believe Alkie in the GZ, Jennifer Everett is HOT.
Update, new father Chris Sampson will set down his cigars and pitch tomorrow night in place of Matt Albers, as reported on the post game show.