May 17, 2007
Giants 2
Astros 1
W: Chulk | L: Lidge | S: Benitez
Pigpen watch: 2966 (0-5, Golden Sombrero)
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A very impressive pitching performance by RoyO and solid bullpen work were not enough to keep the Giants and their young phenom from getting away with a win as the Astros dropped the final of the series in heartbreaking fashion, 2-1 in 12.
Slow start
Right out of the gate it looked like Roy was having trouble hitting his spots as the top of the SF lineup worked him hard for 22 pitches in the inning. After a Winn ground out, he walked Fred Lewis but then got Donut Truck to GIDP and Roy seemed to settle in.
“The Future”
It didn’t take too many pitches from young Tim Lincecum to realize the Astros might be in for a long night. The kid’s got stuff in high 90’s heat, wicked change and a nice bender and he sat Bidge down pretty quick. Twinkie managed a hit but that was all the offense could muster off of the young right-hander, who resembles RoyO in style and Cameron Frye in looks.
No-No? Uh-uh.
Roy seemed determined not to be outdueled by the youngster and he pretty much had the SF hitters on their heels all night, inducing weak grounders and lazy fly balls. So effective was Roy that he had a no-no working through 5.2 until Ritalin-candidate Randy Winn poked a grounder up the middle that Everett stopped on a dive but couldn’t make a throw. Unfazed, he worked 7 scoreless with 4 hits, 2 walks and 6 Ks.
Manufacturing
For the Astros offense, in the 4th they found a chink in the kid’s armor in the form of some damn crafty footwork by the Vending Machine. With 1 out, Berkman walked and then with Lee up, he broke for 2nd. Bengie of the Crouching Molinas attempted an ill-advised off-balance throw that sailed past Durham and into CF allowing Twinkie to ease into 3rd and reload the seeds before the throw-in reached the infield. Next pitch, El Kabong lifted one deep enough to CF to easily score Berkman and give the Good Guys the lead.
Bully!
After a leadoff single by Beaker in the 5th, Giants pitchers retired 14 Astros in a row, 7 by strikeout. Lincecum threw 95 pitches in 7 innings with only 2 hits, 1 walk and 10 ponche. Astros bats didn’t fare any better with the Gints bully who pitched 5 innings of 1-hit ball. The Astros bullpen was just as strong, going 5 with 3 hits….BUT…
We know he’s in there for his bat.
With one out in the 8th, Randy Winn singles off of reverT. Then Fred Lewis grounds a DP ball sharply to Clank! who fields, then throws WAAY behind Biggio covering 2nd. Winn heads for 3rd while Scott, backing up the play, thinks he can get the speedy Winn and throws a strike to 3rd that gets by Lamb and into foul territory as Winn trots home to tie the game. Aside from the Winn single, Miller pitched well, getting Klesko to ground out and pitching an IBB to Barroid before Qualls finished the 8th and 9th perfectly to take the game into extras.
3 for free
Wheeler pitched 2 strong with 3 Ks but the Astros sticks couldn’t get out of the mud to put anything together. As Lidge came in to work the 12th, it seemed like the long night would just get longer. But he gave up a single to Feliz just past Bidge, who looked like he could have made a play. A sac bunt and a ground out moved Feliz to 3rd with Randy Winn up. Lidge pitched him well with some pitches that were strikes earlier in the night called balls. Winn fouled off a couple and with the count full, he strokes a grounder down the first base line that Berkman was in position to field but the ball skips off of the first base bag and over to Biggio, too late to get either Winn or Feliz as he crossed the plate giving the Gints the lead for good. Matadorph has coined this “LidgeKarma.”
Benitez baffled to put this one down, 2-1.
Detestable interleague play begins with “The Battle for the Rusty Shoe” or some shit. 3 with the stRangers coming up.