On a day with all this talk of redemption and rebirth and re this and re that, making old things new or something that wasn’t into something that is, today we saw the sweet breath of life resuscitating the moribund Home Nine into something like the Guns of Navarone. Don’t be messing with us, boy, we gots pitchin’ and timely hittin’ and little dudes flying around the bases…we got us a TEAM, boy, and don’t you forget it…
At least for today. This was a good weekend, facing off against a foe that strikes no fear in the heart after having to contend with real champeens and being shown how wide the gulf had become. Today the almost-previously-dead Juan Nicasio rose to the hill and matched Our Golden Surfer over seven. He left with a 2-1 lead courtesy of #7-hitting absolute-nobody Wilin Rosario’s two-run yackleberry in the fourth. Mighty Mouse led off the bottom of the frame with a triple and was driven in by El Caballo’s two-bagger and that score held until the bottom of the eighth. With two out, MM and Martinez stacked singles and then Caballo nerfed a roller to third but the throw to first was awry, scoring pinch-runner Bixler.
Lefty Rex Brothers, who can bring that freaking ball, who reduces lefthanders to flailing Nancy Boys, who had all the advantages, was facing Lefty Bogusevic because Mills’ options were a lot like the Easter Bunny. Bogey, with all of 19 plate appearances against lefties in his career, with a .118 batting average against them, with a snappy .118 slugging percentage against them, promptly screamed the first pitch into right for the winner.
Redemption. Rebirth. Resuscitation. Indeed.
Myers came on for the ninth and New Astro Killer Cuddyer doubled. With two out, Helton drew a pinch-hit walk, but Colvin bounced out to end the game and send the Astros over .500 for the first time since 2009.
Attendance was announced as 14,195 paid. I can imagine how I’d promote a game on Easter Sunday, but it would probably result in a crowd even smaller than the 5000 or so who actually showed up. I don’t know how they did it in other cities, but they did draw more fans.
Screw ’em – the ones who showed up saw a good one, and they saw a team that is trying to win instead of searching how to play well enough to not be embarrassed. There’s a big difference.
Go Astros!