CARDS 7, ASTROS 4
June 7, 2011
MMPUS
Westbrook (W, 6-3)
Myers (L, 2-5)
HOUSTON (SnS) – The Astros fell to the rival St. Louis Cardinals here Tuesday night, 7-4.
In what is becoming a familiar script for recent Astros games, the home team acted like it might be about to do something a time or two but, lacking serious firepower, came up short. Once again.
Cardinal starter Jake Westbrook’s mediocrity outmatched Astro starter Brett Myers’ ineptitude; then Co-ard skipper Tony LaBoozer made a dozen or so pitching changes to bring his team to victory. Meanwhile the Astros relievers, following form, gave away insurance runs like they were candy.
Offensively, former Astro Lance Berkman drove the first several nails into Houston’s coffin with a two-run blast to dead center in the top of the first inning. The Astros immediately tied it up in the bottom of the frame, on a monster two-run bomb to left by Carlos Lee. After that, Myers seemed to right himself (as did Westbrook). Then, after retiring the first two hitters in the 4th, Myers fell apart. He loaded the bases on a couple of singles and an intentional walk, then surrendered a loooong double to right center to Westbrook (a .105 hitter coming into the game), which even Bourne couldn’t run down; which cleared the bases and essentially put the game out of reach. Out of reach not even counting the surety that the bullpen would hemorrhage a few more runs here and there and render any thoughts of a comeback pointless.
Pence, Bourne, Lee and Wallace continue to hit consistently, though only occasionally with power. Myers is obviously a few notches below the pitcher we saw last season. The rest of the rotation is a crapshoot, and the bullpen is awful. The offense and defense are passable, but neither nor both can overcome the woeful pitching. None of this is news. And so it goes.
As consolation, it would be far worse being a BFiB. First of all, it would mean you’re a clueless prick. Also, win or lose, you’d be doomed to watch LaGenius overmanage every night. Between the double-switches and umpteen pitching changes, the are 25-30 minutes of every Cardinals game where literally nothing is happening. Like in NFL football.
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