Astros 5, Phillies 4 (13 innings)
W: Matt Albers (2-4) | L: Jose Mesa (0-1)
Homeruns: Hunter Pence (10)
HOF monitor: Craig Biggio 2-5, R, RBI, BB
AP recap from Yahoo!
DuBose wrap from Astros.com
Hunter Pence is having the time of his life. The enthusiastic rookie center fielder capped a huge night by slamming a Jose Mesa fastball off the facade in left field for his first career walk-off home run leading off the 13th inning, helping the Astros to their fifth win in the last six games and starting the 4th of July fireworks celebration early. Pence joined Carlos Lee and Mark Loretta by hitting the third walk-off homer for the Astros in the last six games.
“Lately, it’s felt like when we were down late that someone’s going to find a way to get the job done,” Pence said. “I tried to see a fastball over the plate. It was a great game and a good team victory. That’s a big win for us.”
Pence gave much of the credit to the bullpen for allowing the Astros plenty of chances to win the game in every inning of the extra frames. The much maligned relief crew tossed six shutout innings after starter Roy Oswalt left the game trailing 4-3 after seven innings.
The extra innings excitement was set up by a lucky break. The Astros still trailed 4-3 with one out in the ninth, but loaded the bases as National League RBI leader Lee stepped to the plate. Phillies veteran relief pitcher Antonio Alfonseca coaxed a seemingly routine double play grounder to short, but Carlos hustled down the line and appeared to be thrown out by half a step, only to be called safe by first base umpire Lance Barksdale as Craig Biggio crossed home plate with the tying run. Phillies manager Charlie Manual argued to no avail, and was sent to the showers for his effort. Rumor is he invited Barksdale to his office after the game, and the umpire also received a six finger salute from Alfonseca.
The early inningsAfter a scoreless first inning, Oswalt ran into trouble in the 2nd, as Shane “Diving Dipshit” Victorino doubled to left with one out and scored on a two-out double to left by Wes Helms as the Philadephia clan drew first blood.
The Astros answered in the bottom half. Loretta and Mike Lamb singled, and Luke Scott and Brad Ausmus followed with walks to tie the game 1-1. Oswalt then grounded into a double play as Lamb crossed the plate for the 2-1 lead. Biggio singled and Scott scored the third run of the inning, giving Oswalt some breathing room.
Roy gave it right back in the 3rd, allowing a two-run double to scary Ryan Howard to tie it back up 3-3. The Astros failed to answer in the bottom half.
The middle innings
The game remained tied as Phillie starter Adam Eaton and Roy traded scoreless innings for the next three frames.
The late innings
Roy ran into more trouble in the 7th, allowing another double to Helms leading off. After a fielders choice, a single, and a strikeout, Oswalt couldn’t finish the deal once again, giving up another run scoring two-out double as the Phillies took the 4-3 lead.
The Astros attempted to re-tie the game after the 7th inning stretch. Facing reliever Ryan Madison, Morgan Ensberg pinch hit for Oswalt and singled. Biggio sacrificed him to second and Pence walked, but Berkman struck out and Ensberg was gunned down at home by Victorino after a Lee base hit.
Going into the 8th, Trever Miller took over for Oswalt facing the Big and Scary first baseman for the visitors. Howard proceeded to smash a big and scary fly ball to center that resembled the Richie Sexton drive of several years ago. Pence ran back to the base of Tal’s Hill, looked up, then scrambled up the incline next to the flag where he caught the ball with one hand resting on the big green pole. It appeared Hunter was as surprised as the Game Zone dwellers were as he corralled that massive drive. Read the words of the great pravata as he describes this remarkable catch. As the crowd buzzed after the catch, pain in the ass Victorino singled and sent Miller to the bench as Chad Qualls took the ball. New piss ant stole second but Qualls struck out Aaron Rowand and got Helms to ground to third, where Lamb tagged the amped up Flyin’ Hawaiian trying to sneak past.
In the bottom half of the eighth, the Astros left the tying run in the form of Lamb on third as they failed to score.
Dan Wheeler took over for Qualls in the ninth, and immediately allowed a leadoff double to the Phillies catcher Rod Barajas, who was then replaced as a pinch runner with another catcher, Carlos Ruiz. Slugger Pat Burrell then pinch hit for the pitcher, but flied out to center. Pence showed good footwork and a strong throw right to the cut-off man Loretta as the runner at second held. After a shallow fly to right, Ruiz tried to score on an infield single after Berkman dropped the late throw at first. He was dead meat at the plate for the third out on that boneheaded attempt.
The home half of the ninth started with pinch hitter Orlando Palmeiro, who grounded out. Biggio singled and Pence also singled by fisting a jamb shot just over the shortstop. After a Twinkie walk, Lee pulled out his rabbit’s foot for the tying run.
The extra innings
Rookie lefthander Mark Raup McLemore entered in the top of the 10th and faced trouble right off the bat by giving up a leadoff double to Chase Utley. After a routine fly to center by the Big and Scary dude (and another hold of the runner by Pence), McLemore then “Garnered” points by drilling the Piss Ant with a pitch, but the tough little pain in the ass took first as Dave Borkowski relieved. Victorino broke up the double play ball by taking out Biggio at second and trying to block his path to the dropped relay as Utley thought about trying to score. Pigpen pushed him away and scooped up the ball as Utley wisely held third. Bork then got a comebacker for the final out of the inning.
With wild rookie lefthander Mike Zagurski pitching, the bottom of the 10th started off slow as Lamb grounded out and Scott whiffed. Brad Ausmus then singled with two outs, and was followed by a pair of walks to Eric Bruntlett, who entered in a double switch, and Biggio, but Pence couldn’t seal the deal as he also struck out swinging at a low fastball to retire the side.
Bork sailed through the 11th frame as the Phillies had to use a pitcher for a pinch hitter because they used all their position players in regulation play.
The bottom half of the 11th brought another scoring opportunity for the good guys. Facing yet another rookie reliever, righty J.D. Durbin, a one out walk to Lee and a pinch hit single by Chris Burke failed to produce a run, as Lamb and Scott flied out the end the threat.
Matt Albers took the ball and retired the Phillies in order in the 12th, the last being another deep fly to center by Howard. The Astros countered with their own three-up, three-down in the bottom half.
In the 13th, Albers allowed a single and a stolen base to – stop me if you’ve heard this – Shane “I hate this MoFo” Victorino leading off. Rowand followed with a hard single to right, but Victorino held at third base. With the infield in, Albers had his sinker working as Nunez grounded weekly to short with Rowand taking second. Ruiz was intentionally walked to load the bases with the pitchers slot up next. Ancient starting pitcher Jamie Moyer was a curious choice for a pinch hitter in that spot, at least to me, and Albers didn’t disappoint by blowing him away for the huge K, followed by a grounder to first that Albers had to hustle to just nip the speedy Rollins to the bag as Berkman fed him the ball for the final out of the 13th. Houdini would be proud, escaping the bases loaded/no out jamb.
The bottom of the 13th brought veteran reliever Jose Mesa, who only had to throw one pitch for the instant loss. Pence sped around the bases into the waiting crowd of Astros teammates for the dramatic final touch on this exciting evening.