The game was delayed a few minutes in the bottom of the sixth inning while plate umpire Joe West waited for ballpark personnel to change the rolling advertising panels behind the plate.
Cardinals second baseman Aaron Miles said he was having trouble seeing the ball against the white backdrop, which manager Tony La Russa said was turning to black when the Astros were in the field.
“That’s against the rules,” La Russa said. “They were very hard-headed about changing it. I kept thinking they’re messing with the wrong guy. You don’t mess with Joe West.”
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On pitching to The Smirking Goon
“Most times, that’s what you do,” said Cooper”It makes it a lot tougher, too, when you throw a ball right down the middle,” said Borkowski Link
What was up with Sampson?
“Sick, tired, drained,” Sampson said tersely. “I went as long as I could, as hard as I could. I came in after the fourth and Coop told me I was done.”
“Tough to breathe, coughing stuff up, nose running,” Sampson said. “Flu-like symptoms. I felt weak all week long and just ran out of gas — ran out of energy. I got tired very quickly. It wasn’t going to stop me from taking the ball.”
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Towles will catch Oswalt
J.R. Towles has been told by manager Cecil Cooper to expect to catch ace Roy Oswalt on Friday for the first time this season.
“I want to do what’s best for the team,” Towles said. Link