Astros at Rangers,
6/17/09
Rangers 5, Astros 4
W: Wilson (4-3),
L: Fulchino (2-2)
HR: (takes deep breath…) Lee, Pence, Cruz, and Saltalamacchia
Box Score
McTaggart’s recap
The Houston Astros decided to play Little League baseball in a Little League park last night. I don’t say this too, often, but I agree with Coop:
“Just no offensive execution when we needed it,” Cooper said. “That’s really unacceptable. We’ve been playing pretty good baseball, but that’s unacceptable. We kicked the ball around and threw it around, and that’s unacceptable. I don’t care how well we’ve been playing. That game is not a game we should be playing like that.
What went wrong?
- Jason Michaels – I signing I really liked, but who has had just a miserable season – lost a ball in the sun in the first for a pop-fly double to Kinsler;
- Pudge then threw the ball away as Kinsler stole third, allowing the tying run;
- Miggy was able to ground into 2 DP’s, one because he slipped getting out of the box;
- The Rangers took the lead on an Omar Vizquel single, another E2 and a nice hustle play by Vizquel to make third, and a sac fly;
- Michaels looking nothing like a MLB hitter when fanning on 3 pitches with 2nd and 3rd and one out;
- Bourn failing to bunt a leadoff runner over in the 9th, then being gunned down on an absolutely perfect throw by Saltalamacchia;
- Keppinger’s ole bullshit leading off the bottom of the 10th, leading to the winning run;
- Michaels and Bourn nearly colliding on a routine pop up barely past the SS with the OF and IF pulled in in the 10th.
Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
Well, Bourn continues to look like a leadoff man, manufacturing the first run all by his lonesome. The Astros are apparently done Searching for Bobby Fischer, and he loves hitting in Arlington. But then again, who doesn’t? Ortiz, regardless of the 4 R allowed, actually pitched very well and deserved a better fate. And yes, congratulations to Pudge for squatting more often than any other player, ever. Also, congrats to Vizquel, who set the record for hits by a Venezuelan player, passing the great Luis Aparicio.
Other observations:
- Whatever name it goes by, that stadium is a joke. All 4 home runs were of the “get it up into the jet stream, let it just clear the fence” variety.
- Fox decided to swap PBP guys for an inning. I think Lewin tried to show how much he had researched the Astros, talking up David Murphy and Matt Purke as local boys (and correctly placing Klein High in Spring, no less) and comparing Nelson Cruz to Richard Hidalgo, but honestly, my ears were bleeding too much to make sense of it.
- Kabong is hurtin’ for certain. He took approximately 2 hours to round the bases on his HR, and was noticeably limping.
- The Rangers somehow make red, white, and blue look hideous. I have neer before seen this accomplished. Exhibit A: the blue catcher’s gear against the red unis.
Rangers get the sweep, again, as Brandon Backe “pitches” for the Astros in the closer.