Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Astros 1
Padres 2
W: Young (1-0) | L: Backe (0-1) | S: Hoffman (1)
Ms. Footer’s submission
AP via Yahoo!
GZ
0-2 in 2008. Good or bad? Discuss.
An enthusiastic welcome goes out to the new-look SpikesnStars and a toast to everyone who made it happen. And what’s a new-look site without a new-look team to go along with it? Houston Astros v4.0 is what’s been kicking around in my head as this this team looks nothing like the one I’ve been used to for, oh, about 20 years. Busting with bats and butt-haulin’, it seems this team’s been designed for scoring loads of runs with the hope that starters 2-5 hold it together enough for the ‘pen to bring it home. Apparently, prodigious Petco Park is not exactly the ideal locale to open things up for this team as the Padres held the Astros to one walked-in run to muck up a pretty strong outing by Brandon Backe and drop game 2, 2-1.
The Astros had only 6 hits but got 6 free passes as well so there were plenty of opportunities to plate a few runs. Pads starter Chris Young struggled at times, especially with command but kept the ball in the park, inducing fly ball after fly ball that started with promise but died a withery death shy of the warning track. The boys got the bases loaded in the 4th inning on a Flapjack single and walks to Ty and Towles but with 2 outs, Young played Backe with a 4-pitch, swinging strikeout that had him reeling all the way back to the bench.
pravata astutely observed in the bottom of the 4th, “Backe messed around and took his atbat out to the mound. Couldnt get the ball over and then started heaving it.” He got behind 3-0 to Kouzmanoff, who laced a single to CF, and 2-0 to Gonzales who flied out. The one he really heaved was an 89 MPH fast ball to Hairston that gotoutinahurry. 2-0 that fast. He got out of the inning and worked another but that turned out to be the game winner.
The Astros lone run came in the 6th as Tejada and Ty singled off a tiring Young. Loretta’s ugly bunt pop-out and Towles fly out had Coop contemplating 15 scoreless innings to start the year, then making the decision to pinch-hit Chieto for Backe. Young tried to work Cruz up after getting ahead 1-2 but patience and a close call had him on 1st with a walk and the bases loaded. Black pulled Young for Thatcher who then walked Bourn for the Astros first run of the year. Pence then grounded out to end the inning.
Three shut-out innings for the ‘pen. God, I hope they can hold it together.
Michael Bourn. Holy shit! If you haven’t seen his catch in the 7th, git yer ass over to astros.com and check it out. What an exciting player.
Game 3 matches Wandy against Sniveler #1. Get your naps in ‘cuz it’s 9:05 CDT again.