Thursday, June 3, 2010
Natinals 4
Astros 6
W: Lindstrom | L: Matt “Mike” Capps
HR: Cash, Berkman, Lee
Despite the critical debate surrounding Moehler’s future on this 19-34 team, he pitched well for 5. Combined with HRs by Cash and Berkman, the Astros had a one-run lead after 8. On we go to the newly-exciting “save situation” for Matt Lindstrom.
Started out great with a K and a certain feeling of confidence. Then, a sharp liner to right that Twinkie leaped and snagged in a sweet, yet scary play. OK, 2 out. Then, a single up the middle by PH Morse. No worries, Willie Harris up. 2nd pitch, a low sinker, Harris golfed a high slicing pop to short left. Flapjack, still in the game for some reason (actually, a reason we’ll find out later), zeroed in on the ball as it headed towards the outcropping of seats along the LF line. Sensing no chance for a catch, he pulled up as the ball bounced past his bare-handed try at fielding it. Running on the pitch, Morse is halfway between 2nd and third by the time the ball hits the ground and easily cruises home as the tying run. Once Flapjack corralled the ball and got it in, Harris was safely at 3rd. In a foreshadowing of the hero/goat theme of this wacky-ass 9th, Cristian Guzman capped Lindstrom’s blown save with a high-pop single to shallow LCF that scored Harris, giving the gNats the lead.
So the Astros have one more shot, down by one with PH Sullivan, then the unchanged top of the order due up against gNats closer Capps. Sully grounded out, then Bourn doubled. Cue the wavy image flashback dissolve to the bottom of the 8th and the down-by-one desperation of gNats manager Riggleman. In a double-switch, he moved starting SS Guzman to RF to get the pitcher out of the due-up-in-the-9th 6th spot with Desmond in at SS. Got it? The line-up change worked but there is still the bottom of the inning to deal with. Flashback over, wavy dissolve back to Berkman batting with 1 out in the 9th. He rips what could be called either a topspin fly or a sinking liner to RF Guzman who seemed to have a beat but the ball sunk just past his glove as he came in on it. The ball bounced away and Bourn strolled home to tie the game.
It was scored an error, but he’s a SS in RF. Hero’s fall complete. Now for that goat. Flapjack sauntered up to the plate with one thing on his mind. KABONG! 2-run, walk-off no-doubter to the Crawfords. Goat’s redemption complete. Astros take 3 of 4 from the Natinals and seem, and I mean seem, to be getting a bit of a groove back with the bats. We’ll see.
3 coming up with the FuckTheCubs at Minute Maid. Check out the always bile-filled FTC Series Preview by Craig. It’ll get you in the right frame of mind…