May 23, 2007
Giants 9, Astros 1
W: Barry Zito | L: Matt Albers
Pigpen watch: 2,971 (0-3)
Game Zone chatter
Talk Zone commiseration
Other coverage:
The Footer recap
Due to the west coast start and my lack of desire to be up typing at 2:00 in the morning, we’re going to do this one on the fly. Welcome to the first edition of livecapping, enjoy it or don’t…
9:12 No Berkman in the lineup tonight. Hopefully this doesn’t mean Garner’s getting ideas from the TZ, or Adam “Carew” Everett is about to be in for a really weird couple of weeks.
9:16 Iceberg Ks looking. I no longer have anything witty to add to that statement. We’re off to a rockin’ start.
9:19 Three up and down in the top of the first, and it’s time for Fat Albers.
9:26 The first two batters walk, and JD cues up some top secret footage of Albers nailing Scott in his bullpen warm-ups. There is cause for concern.
9:30 Donut Truck Ks flailing wildly at changeups, and Durham follows with a flyout to left. Everything is fine. There is no cause for concern.
9:31 A slider described by JD as “a wiffle ball” gets by Q. Runners at 2nd and 3rd, 2 away. Concern again.
9:32 A Molina single to left plates both. Sumbitch. A flyout ends it, and it’s the ‘Stros turn to answer. Right?
9:36 I wonder how the Lost finale is going. God, I love tivo so much. If one of you fuckers ruins it for me in the morning, I swear to God I’m going to punch you in the windpipe. Maybe I’ll just skip the TZ tomorrow.
9:40 Three more up, then back down. Nothing to see here.
9:45 Barry Zito’s dad was a “stay at home musician”? What the fuck does that mean? Is that a euphemism for “deadbeat stoner”? Or is this an actual profession that I’m unaware of? Whatever. He picks up a 2-out hit, but nothing comes of it. On to the top of the 3rd.
9:51 Albers breaks up the perfect game with 2 down in the 3rd with a single up the middle.
9:56 Pigpen follows with a comebacker to end the “threat”. Gonna hit stride any second. I can feel it.
10:01 A walk and a Donut Truck single to left put runners on the corners with nobody down. Lewis scalds a sac fly liner to right to make it 3-0, which looks like 10-0 with the way the sticks are going right now.
10:08 Top of the 4th, Morgan’s up, and the seventh seal breaks as he parks a smokey in the left field bleachers. On a 3-1 count, no less. Absolutely anything is possible now. My dog could start talking to me about it while riding a unicycle, and I wouldn’t even flinch.
10:12 Thunder Pants finally gets over on Vizquel with a 2-out infield hit, bringing up Lane. Jason, see Morgan. Anything. Is. Possible. Let’s go.
10:14 Klesko makes a gorgeous play at the warning track on a long fly to left. To bring the degree of difficulty up, he gives way to Winn, who is not actually there. Like I mentioned, this is in left field. A last second belly flop saves the play, but not so much the dignity.
10:17 Beaker is a spazz. It’s like a game of warning track one-upsmanship right now, as Gunther makes a great leaping catch at what he believes to be the wall… only he’s not quite there yet, lands awkwardly and staggers head first into where the wall actually is. He gets 9s for the catch, 3s for the landing (except the Russian judge, who gave a 2).
10:25 Astros down in order in the top of the 5th. I wonder what they’re talking about in the GZ. Probably the Lost finale. I’d better stay here and work on filling in my bold tags or something.
10:33 Lewis steals one off of Albers with 2 down when Matt failed to keep him honest at 2nd, coming in just ahead of a good throw by Q. Albers comes back and ponchés Durham to take us to the top of the 6th.
10:42 Nothing doing in the 6th after a little noise, owing partly to a Moberg GIDP. I don’t know what to feel about him anymore. I really don’t.
10:43 Kristin Schiller is the Coors Light Inner Fan, or some such shit. She seems like a nice enough lady, but she’s yelling at me, and I feel a little uncomfortable. Please stop yelling, lady. They’re using a microphone – you don’t need to be loud enough for us to hear you directly.
10:46 Albers delivers his 5th walk on the evening to open the bottom of the frame, which is notable. He’s cruising along at nearly a walk per inning clip, which is a recipe for disaster.
10:49 Even so, he gets out of it again, and this has somehow morphed into a quality start.
10:54 Following a leadoff Pence walk in the 7th, there’s stirring in the Gints bullpen. I realize they’re a damn site removed from the Dickities crack relief squad, but anything has to be an improvement over continuing to face these starters. It’s a damn massacre out there.
11:02 Damn it. No such luck, as Zito puts down the next 3 in order. 6 outs left.
11:07 Winn beats out an infield hit with 1 down, in spite a of a nice grab and throw by Everett on the run to his right. Scraps comes to get Albers, who finishes 7.1 with 3ER (becomes 4ER shortly thereafter), and hands it off to Rick White’s beard.
11:12 Oh motherfucker. With two away, Ensberg lays out on a Klesko grounder, treading well into AE’s territory and knocking the ball into center. Winn takes 3rd on the fuck up.
11:14 Sure enough, Durham follows with a single to plate Winn and extend it to 4-1.
11:15 And there goes Molina with a triple to deep right center, clearing the bases. 6-1 Gints (or 20-1, deflation adjusted.) Shit. At least there’s going to be a new pitcher in the top of the 8th. Baby steps.
11:19 OP takes out some frustration by whipping a bat into the 1B line seats, before grounding out on a nice play by Vizquel. I like the approach, though – if you can’t hit the pitching, hit the fans.
11:24 Vizquel uses the giant magnet in his pants to pull in all 3 outs in the 8th, as the Good Guys go down without a fuss. Just 3 outs to go.
11:26 Brian Moehler sighting! Always a thrill.
11:34 Oof. Ground rule double, Texas League single, and a Winn double to the left center gap makes it 8-1 with one out. I think I’m ready for this series to be over now.
11:39 Two outs, Winn on third, Iceberg bobbles a grounder, tries to recover and whips one past 1B for the error. In fairness, Loretta probably should have been able to knock it down, but of course, he’s not a first baseman. So there you go. Good times. 9-1.
11:48 Just a Thunder Pants single in the 9th before this one went in the books. That series sucked fucking eggs. Get the hell out of town immediately, and go tear the cover off the damn ball in Arizona. Seriously.
11:55 Night, gang.