September 26, 2007
Astros 7, Redlegs 6
W: Sarfate (1-0) | L: Burton (4-2) | S: Qualls (5)
The Footer Recap
AP Recap! via Yahoo!
Talk Zone, teetering on the brink of The Void
Brief, poignant Game Zone thread
The Game
Last night’s game featured everything you would expect from 2 long-since-out-of-contention teams in the last week of the season, if what you expect is a plethora of home runs, mediocre starting pitching, and a tight back-and-forth bullpen war culminating in a one run squeaker decided in the late innings. Twinkie was huge – both in physical size and on-field performance – driving in 4 to reach the 100 RBI plateau for the 5th time in his career.
The top of the 1st got off to a rollicking start with a Mr. Peepers double and AE single to lead off. Fat Elvis continued his total ownership of the city of Cincinnati with a 3-run clout to left center, the first of two crackers for the evening by Berkman. El Kabong made it back-to-back with a solo pat, bringing it to 4-0 with no outs in the game. The Good Guys managed a couple more baserunners to chase Cincy starter Tom Shearn, leaving Kirk Ssaarrllooss to clean up the mess.
The lead was short-lived, though, as the Dickities responded with a two-run Phillips shot in the bottom of the frame, and picked up 3 more in the 2nd for a 5-4 edge. Ssaarrllooss did the damage in the 2nd, plating a pair with a double to left, and scoring later on a DP off Keppinger’s bat. This raised his batting average, slugging percentage, OBP, runs and RBI by infinity, so pick him up for your keeper league while he’s hot. That tip’s free, the next one’s gonna cost you.
Houston tied it back up with a Thunder Pants smokey in the 3rd, and the Berkman’s second tater made it 6-5 in the 4th. The see-saw kept right on teetering when Encarnacion scored off a Coats double in the bottom of the 6th, tying it back up at 6-all.
The final run came in the top of the 8th after Flapjack doubled to right with 2 down. Gunther followed with a single to center, and Manso forced the issue at home, where Lee executed one of the lithe, balletic movements for which he has become known, sliding artfully past Valentin for the 7-6 lead. Qualls nailed down the save as Lidge rested, and Sarfate picked up his first W for a scoreless 7th and 8th. Up next, the Good Guys cap off the road season with Wandy taking the hill against Raup favorite Matt Belisle before heading home to wrap up 2007 over the weekend.
Thanks, MFers
On a personal note, thanks to all who bother to read these ridiculous things – it’s been a distinct pleasure to write them all season. Hi fives all around to the rest of the recap crew, you’re magnificent bastards, one and all. Thanks to the admins for offering the opportunity, and for not charging me for the additional bandwidth and disk space required for a couple of the longer ones. Unless the bill is coming at the end of the season, in which case, fuck you.