Padres 7, Astros 3
WP: Vincent (1-0, 3.00)
LP: Myers (0-3, 3.71)
by Mr. Un-Happy
For six innings the Astros were no hit. What Dallas Keuchel didn’t demonstrate in command tonight was outweighed by the calm, cool and collected poise out there In traffic, because he had lots of it. Fortunately for him, the Padres were only able to scratch out one run on a Chase Headley solo no doubter in the third inning. Then, in the seventh inning, with one out, Carlos Lee broke up the nono with a sharp single to CF, followed up by monster two run jack by cleanup hitter du jour Brian Bogusevic, which chased Cashner, who had abused the Astros primarily with cheese aided quite a bit by Derryl Cousin’s wide and high strike zone.
The Astros added an insurance run in the eighth with a little bit of slapdickery from the Padres: a wild pitch scoring a what we thought at the time was an insurance run. We got decent bully action tonight out of Rhiner Cruz (who I think was pitching for his spot in the organization tonight), Lyon and Wright. So that takes us to the top of the ninth inning and our closer, Brett Myers, who has been just a bit wobbly lately.
After I woke up from shock after watching Clank II boot his second ball of the night on a potentially game ending twin killing, I noticed that the Padres had tossed a six run hand grenade, four of which scored courtesy of the first big league home run from Alexi Amarista. Lucky for Myers, who departed with two outs in the frame in favor of Xavier Cedeno, only one run was earned courtesy of the Clank II choke. Cedeno coaxed the final out in the ninth , ironically handled by Clank II. Do we have someone-anyone-who could come in as a 3B defensive replacement, because I think that Clank II needs one? Every night. Oh. I almost forgot. Marwin Gonzalez is on the DL but should be out on a rehab assignment as of tonight.
On a night that was shaping up as magical, with Fuckhouse as the Patti Smith fan of the game and a majestic clutch home run by Bogusevic in what was a ten pitch at bat, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. The Padres threw a hand grenade in the ninth inning. Ouch. This one hurts. As Austro in the Game Zone observed, that plane ride to the Windy City ought to be just a barrel of laughs. Clank II and Myers should be forced to sit together on the plane.