Thursday, September 27th, 2007
Astros 4
Dickities 3
W: Borkowski | L: Majewski | S: Lidge
Lidge had ’em gripping in the Game Zone
Cable, dish or fiber in the Talk Zone
Other coverage:
Alyson knows the score
AP via Yahoo!
As the shit snowball that is 2007 slows to just a steaming pile, from any Astros fan’s perspective – anyone not named Raup – getting perfected by a young Reds pitcher would be a dubious, yet somewhat appropriate exclamation point to this “lost season.” Yet there I was, watching it all. What am I feeling? Have Jim and Mark given me pause to consider this lad who they know so well, as he lays zeros upon my favorite team? Am I actually rooting for him to do it??
Naaah, fuck the Reds!!! Matt Belisle may have been stellar for 6 but the lugs loosened in the 7th and the Reds’ wheels fell off in the 9th as the Good Guys nailed the series shut with a sweep, 4-3 at Six Flags Great American Amusment and Cholesterol Ball Park!
Wandy got the start again, his second straight on the road, and gave up a lead-off single but got 2 quick outs before allowing a E. Encarnacion blast to center, spotting the Dickities a 2-run lead. More about Wandy later.
I was paying such close attention that I didn’t even realize Belisle was pitching perfect until the middle of the 3rd when the Reds’ mouths alerted me to the lack of Astros baserunners. Of course, they also alerted me to the amazing amount of fat, ugly people in the stands (amazing because there weren’t very many people there at all) and that the television crew they work with are the BEST IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL. Anyway, Matt was breezin’ as the Astros’ line up was swinging at everything, but launching only weak flies, liners and Ks. It wasn’t until the 7th, when the Reds’ mouths had said everything about Belise’s performance except “perfect”, that Josh Anderson stepped up to the plate with a shit-eatin’ grin, and poked the second pitch through the left side of the infield. Goodbye perfection.
Belisle seemed disappointed but I am not in any position to say he was rattled. I only noticed that he gave up a blistering double to the next batter Burke and walked Ransom to load ’em up with no one out. Next batter Lee grounded into a 4-6-3 DP that scored Anderson but then PENCE!!! singled to center to score Burke and tie it up 2-2. Matt was lifted for a PH in the bottom of the 7th.
Wandy wasn’t perfect but he pitched a helluva game, settling down for 6 scoreless with 6 Ks and 3 BBs (1 IBB) after the 1st inning. I may be delusional but Wandy seems to be putting it all together to be a solid #3 for this rotation.
In the top of the 9th, shortly after the Reds’ mouths listed all of the games that the Astros punked their hapless bullpen, the Astros punked their hapless bullpen again. The winner this time…Gary Majewski from Houston, TX!!! Congrats Gary! Gary gets the honor today by first, giving up a double to Ty, then after giving up an RBI single to El Kabong (a personal record. Congrats Carlos!), he backs up his catcher on the wide throw to home and inexplicably airmails a throw to second into center field, leaving Lee standing on 3rd. Nice. 2 batters later, Bruntlett singles Lee home to finish the Astros scoring with a 4-2 lead.
Brad Lidge, the enigma wrapped in a riddle, wrapped in bacon to make him more pleasing. Bottom of the 9th, he walks the first 2 batters as none of the Reds would bite on his high FB or low slider. A sac bunt by Ellison moved the runners into scoring position, then PH Valentin chops a ball to Ty at 3rd, who tried hard but failed miserably to get Valentin as Lamb did well to keep the ball from sailing into right. Cantu scored and Ross scrambled into 3rd to get the Reds within 1. Next batter chops a grounder to Lamb at 1st who sprints the nearly 90 feet to get to the bone-headed Ross in an unassisted run-down. I could hear the Reds mouths’ jaws agape. Next batter grounds to Ty at 3rd who tags PR Gil to end the game. Nerve-wracking, yet entertaining. Shot therapy was a great idea. Thanks pravata!
That’s going to wrap it up for my wrap-ups. I, like JackAstro, would like to thank the owners and administrators of OrangeWhoopass for allowing me to contribute to this amazing site. I’ve been a constant visitor since 1999 at the BFT, an Astros fan in Florida, looking only for a place where I could read about the Astros from fans, not the media. I was surprised and honored to be asked by Noe to give my perspective on the games once a week and I jumped at the chance. Thanks again to the admins, mods and my fellow contributors whose talent, knowledge and extreme wit have kept me on my toes all season. And most of all, thanks to the readers.
Go Astros!