Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
Pimply Misshapen Asses 6
Astros 2
W: Harang (1-3) | L: Norris (1-2)
Sorry for the shitty headline. I couldn’t think of anything more clever to put there and truthfully, that’s pretty much what happened to the Astros line-up tonight and that sucks, because so does Harang. It would be easy to get the feeling the team was turning the corner offensively after the impressive 10-game run they just had, capped by a sweep of the lowly Buccos, but getting dicked by the Dickities at home by a guy they’ve owned in recent memory shows there’s still a lot of work to do.
The force of nature that is Michael Bourn got dotted by a runaway slider to lead off the Astros 1st. Raise your hand if you knew he was going to score. Steal, E2, 4-3 GO and it’s 1-0 Astros.
In fairness to the bats, it was just as much young Mr. Norris’ inability to keep Reds off the bases that did the Good Guys in tonight. The lead-off batter got on base at a .666 clip and that beast will drag you to Hell every time. The Reds took the lead for good in the 2nd after a lead-off HBP, BB, then 2 singles, the second plating 2.
Norris seemed to settle in through the 5th but there’s something Bud don’t like about the 6th. Actually, it was the Reds batters jumping on anything that was near the plate. 3 straight singles ended Bud’s night without retiring a Red in the 6th and a 3-1 Dickities lead. Fulchino’s first batter singled in the 4th Red’s run, then later, a sac fly plated the 5th.
The Astros got one more in the bottom of the 6th on a Berkman lead-off ground-rule 2B. He advanced on Blum’s 2nd hit of the night, and then scored on Towles’ sac fly. The Astros matched hits with the Reds at 9 but only 1-7 with RISP. That won’t cut it.
Sammy’s first outing coming off of the DL was shaky. A lead-off walk, GO then steal of third seemed to get to him and as he toed the rubber for the next batter, he placed the ball in his mitt. fiddled with it, then took it out again. HP ump Miller called what JD said was a “rule-book” balk. 6-2 Reds.
Lee had a couple of good-looking at-bats. Blum stayed hot. Bourn is God. But 11Ks for the line-up tonight, with Pence and Towles to only ones to escape the whiff.
Hoping for a bounce-back in game 2 tonight with Leake vs. Paulino