contributed by NeilT
Most of you have heard how her mean neighbor, Grocer McLane, wanted to put down Astroleena’s little mascot, Orbit. As she clutched Orbit to her breast and fled the Harris County Domed Stadium, she heard her Auntie Emmet call, “Astroleena, no! Hunker down! The Domed Stadium’s coming down in the next cyclone!” And of course the cyclone came a-twisting and carried Astroleena, little green Orbit, and the Domed Stadium away to a strange, strange place.
As she awoke, Astroleena found herself surrounded by small, wee second basemen. “We’re the Altuves,” they said in unison, “except for that guy over there in the Vandy jersey. You’ve killed her! Or at least your Domed Stadium did!” And sure enough, poking out from beneath the Domed Stadium were two hideously disfigured bird feet wearing a pair of sparkly orange cleats.
“What! No! I haven’t killed anyone.”
Suddenly the hideous bird feet melted away. “Ding dong” sang the Altuves in unison, “the Wicked Witch of the East ain’t dead. You seem to have let her get away with the series. But look! She left her sparkly orange cleats! At least you got something.”
And then Astroleena’s gaze followed the Altuve’s eyes upward as a beautiful woman in a tight besequined gown floated down from heaven.
“Hooray!” cried the Altuves, “it’s the Good Fairy Lola!”
She was a fine-looking woman, though with an oddly husky voice. “You must be a very powerful witch, to have played the Orioles such a good series.”
“I’m not a witch at all, I’m only a little girl, Astroleena from Houston. Where am I?”
“You’re in the marvelous Land of Bud, also known as the American League.”
“But I want to go home to Houston.”
The good fairy pondered. “I can’t help you, but perhaps the great and powerful Wizard of Bud can. You must follow the chalk lines to the Brewery City and ask the great and powerful Wizard. And put on those sparkly orange cleats, I think you’ll find them very stylish.”
As Astroleena laced up the cleats she gazed at her little mascot Orbit. “Orbit,” sighed Astroleena, “I think we’re in Kansas.”
***
Royals 4
Astros 2
Lyles went 7 innings, giving up 6 hits and two earned runs, off a Perez HR in the 4th. It was another excellent performance by a starter, though maybe a bit wild. He threw 100 pitches and only 61 strikes. Only one walk though.
Wright pitched to one batter in the 8th, Hosmer, who singled. Fields came in for Wright and Hosmer scored the go-ahead run on a Butler double. Johnson then scored on a Lough double. It was plenty enough.
The bats were not particularly effective against Shields, who went 7. There was not, as the saying goes, just enough offense. In the 1st, 2nd, and 4th runners were stranded at 3rd. I hate that. Barnes scored on a Crowe triple in the top of the third. Gonzalez scored on a Castro double in the 7th. The next 7 Astros lined up to go down, so to speak.
Today is another day.