HOUSTON 5, St. Louis 3
July 28, 2011
Busch Park
WP – W. Rodriguez (7-7, 3.47)
LP – Garcia (10-5, 3.14)
ST. LOUIS (SnS) – For the second straight muggy night, the cellar-dwelling Houston Astros took down the top-of-the-division St. Louis Cardinals convincingly, here at the Cardinals home park on the banks of the Big Muddy. The peasants from Texas stormed and overran the castle tonight to the tune of a 5-3 victory, led by a resurgent Carlos Lee and aided by a gritty pitching performance from Wandy Rodriguez.
Last night I was cool at the pool hall
Held the table for eleven games
Nothing was easier than the first seven
I beat a woman with varicose veins
Wandy’s evening did not begin with promise. The Inbred-birds dropped a two-spot on him in the bottom of the second – on a 2-run single by Card newcomer Corey Patterson – and added another tally in the third, on an RBI double by Albert Pujols. Meanwhile, though they had manufactured a run in the first on a Michael Bourn double and then steal of third and a Jose Altuve sac fly, the Astros appeared to be having trouble figuring out Cards lefty Jaime Garcia. They finally got to him in the fourth for two runs, one driven in by a Lee single, the other on a sac fly by Chris Johnson. That tied the game, 3-3. Meanwhile, Wandy had settled down after the shaky start and was dealing.
Jason Bourgeois doubled in the go-ahead run in the fifth, and Lee drilled a solo shot to left in the sixth, for insurance.
It should be noted that the good pitching the Astros got the last two games was against a Cardinal lineup depleted by an injury to Lance Berkman and the trading away of Colby Rasmus. In addition, Matt Holliday missed Wednesday’s game with an illness. Still, Bud Norris last night and Wandy tonight had good stuff and would’ve been tough against anyone. They held Pujols mostly at bay, for one thing.
I recall how Caesar and Cleo
Made love in the Milky Way
They needed boats and armies to get there
I know there’s a better way
Wandy got through the seventh before running out of gas. Escalona Occidental Specialista pitched a solid eighth, and Mark Melancon put the lid on the victory with a scoreless ninth.
PENCE!! is still with the Astros, sadly. I did not realize how much I’d love for him to be gone until the real possibility it might happen presented itself. Now I’m burning candles and shit and saying novenas and anything else I can think of to ensure the team trades him far, far away.
LaRussa was doing some weird shit with his lineup this series. Weirder than normal, I mean. I know in some instances he had his hand forced, by injuries and trades, but still . . . one has to wonder if the ol’ Tank Commander is finally beginning to go around the bend. Maybe he is becoming insular, and has grown increasingly deluded . . . sort of like a bunch of drought-crazed yahoos in central and north Texas wishing for a fucking hurricane.
Altuve had his seven-game hitting streak broken tonight. No big thing – I am pretty sure he’ll have more. A note to Brad Mills . . . dude, let Little Dude hit. Shitcan the sacrifice bunt bullshit, please. At least as long as you are still here. Thanks.
The Astros head for Milwaukee next, and the scary, scary Brewers. But for tonight, they can take satisfaction in a series split with the Co-ards in St. Louis, in the middle of a tight pennant race. In as fucked-up a season as this one is, it doesn’t get much better than that.
I’m making another delivery
Of chemicals and sacred roots
I’ll hold what you have to give me
But I’ll use what I have to use
I’m thinking of no one
In my mind
Sedan delivery is a job I know I’ll keep
It sure was hard to find
*********************************************************