Contributed by BatGirl
Pirates 6, Astros 4

Box Score
GameZone

This one isn’t on the Astros.
Not Cooper.
Not Oswalt.
Not Drayton
The circumstances were bigger than ALL of them.
Go with me here.

So what happened?
They had a game set on 6-6
with a 6 o’clock start
End of story.

No way (you say). That’s nonsense (you insist). The numbers 666 mean nothing.
I would say to you, pish posh.
And poppycock!

The opposing team scored 6.
Oswalt’s era reached 4.66 after 6 innings pitched and 6 earned runs on 9 hits in front of a crowd of 26,099

The ultimate hard six.
I’m no alphanumericystologist. Sudoku = no. Soup-doku = yes! But add it all up, and that’s like a crapload of sixes (with a couple of upside down 6’s trying to masquerade as 9’s).

Of course breaking a mirror isn’t good. There should be no umbrellas allowed in the house. Walking under a ladder? Now you’re just asking for it. sSill some salt? Right hand, pinch, throw over left shoulder. Done.

So what is it exactly about multiples of six? What can be so bad about a particular numeric sequence? How do we know that the origins are, in fact, evil?

Without getting into a debate over all of the historical/religious over/undertones, take a second and look up zip code 60606
’nuff said

Has anyone actually checked his forehead? right hand? just sayin’.
Roy admitted to having what sounds like an out of body experience during part of the game, and said it was, “the most out of place that he had ever felt on the mound”. He added that when he was out there during the second and third innings, he “couldn’t throw the fastball where he wanted,” and he was scared to throw a breaking ball.

As Oswalt’s command became virtually nonexistent for two innings (after needing only 9 pitches to retire the side at the start of the game) the Pirates had Roy’s number, and took advantage of every mistake he made, scoring all 6 of their runs in the second and third innings.

Roy finally got rid of his demons in the fourth and managed to retire 10 of the next 11. But despite logging 10 hits and threatening to come from behind in both the eight and ninth innings, the Astros were unable to get themselves back in the game offensively, and they went 1-7 with risp.

Miguel Tejada, who sat out Friday’s game as his first ‘off-day’ of the season, went 3-5, and Hunter Pence is now hitting .347 and went 2-4, with a hr and a triple.

The series is now even at one game a piece.
Final game Sunday at 1:05.

Who’s coming with me?
Let’s give the hometown 9 a pass this time.
We’ll just 86 this game and any mention of it.
Gget ready for the next 118.
Play them 1 day at a time.

and FUCK the team that’s coming on 6/9.

Rockies 10, Astros 3

W: Hammels, L: Rodriguez

Astros Recap and Box Score
Yahoo Recap

Game highlights of the Astros.
Russ Ortiz pitched 2 scoreless innings.
Edwin Maysonet went 2 for 4, with 1 rbi and 1 run scored.

Game Highlights of the Rockies.
Please see the Boxscore.

This team has gone 5 for 5 out for the last 10 games, I still feel this way. I don’t know what is missing, but looking up at the Pirates hurts, but not as much as the team ahead of them in the standings. I think the Astros will win the series against the Pirates just to give some of us a little itty bit of confidence that they can beat the Cubs. Then they won’t.

Bench Tidbits

Geoff Blum does not know where he’d go if he could travel back in time.

Congratulations to my niece for graduating form high school. Her plan is to attend SFA. Good Luck Jessica.

Check out Craig’s Series Preview for the weekend visiting Pirates.

The GameZone has some in-game reactions.

And a special thank you to JackAstro and gleach for making me smile with the JimR avatar.

Have a great weekend.

Astros 6, Pirates 1
W: Brian Moehler, L: Ross Ohlendorf

Astros Recap and Box Score
Yahoo Recap

This was a great game. First complete game of the season by an Astro pitcher. Did anyone have Brian Moehler in the pool? He hit his location and followed his game plan. He didn’t let Cecil Cooper pull him out in the 8th or 9th innings when he had runners on base. Congratulations for an outstanding game Mr. Moehler.

The crazy thing about that is he wasn’t the player of the game. That went to young Mr. Edwin Maysonet. He may have had a bit of Moehler fear in him though. In the post game interviews Mr. Maysonet was asked what Moehler told him before the start of the game. He said, “Catch the ball.” Moehler said, “That’s not it. I said, don’t mess up.” Well, he didn’t in the field or in the batters box. Mr. Maysonet went 4 for 4, 2 runs and 4 RBIs.

The thing about this game that I enjoyed the most is that Moehler stayed in to finish. I know the pitchers may not be able to finish everygame, but stop counting the damm pitches. I heard on the radio that Moehler had his the magic 100 number and I just knew Cooper was going to yank him. He ended up not doing so. I am thankful. Who decided that 100 was the number that a pitcher will hit the wall and start coughing up hits, runs, and walks? I’d personally like to kick him in his balls. I’m so sick of the pitch counts when pitchers are in games. Let them work through things. It could be helpful in a later game.

This was a great game since the Astros won, but I’m not going to jump back on the bandwagon just yet. I expect this or something close to it to happen quite a few more times before I think the team that lost 7 in a row isn’t the real Astros. I rather think it is somewhere in between.

Bench Tidbits:

I am hosting a softball party Saturday night. Should be interesting, too much drama for a church league.

Here’s Taras’ Series Preview. Read and you will either laugh or cry.

Here’s the GameZone for this game.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

1521 – Martin Luther was banned by the Edict of Worms because of his religious beliefs and writings.
1805 – Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned King of Italy in Milan Cathedral.
1836 – The U.S. House of Representatives adopted what has been called the Gag Rule.
1868 – U.S. President Andrew Johnson was acquitted, by one vote, of all charges in his impeachment trial.
1896 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average appeared for the first time in the “Wall Street Journal.”
1908 – In Persia, the first oil strike was made in the Middle East.
1938 – The House Committee on Un-American Activities began its work of searching for subversives in the United States.
1940 – The evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk, France, began during World War II.
1946 – A patent was filed in the United States for an H-bomb.
1959 – The word “Frisbee” became a registered trademark of Wham-O.
1973 – Kathy Schmidt set an American women’s javelin record with a throw of 207 feet, 10 inches.
1975 – American stuntman Evel Knievel suffered severe spinal injuries in Britain when he crashed while attempting to jump 13 buses in his car.
1978 – The first legal casino in the Eastern U.S. opened in Atlantic City, NJ.
1998 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Ellis Island was mainly in New Jersey, not New York.
1998 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that police officers in high-speed chases are liable for bystander injuries only if their “actions shock the conscience.”
2009 – The Houston Astros lost their 6th straight.

Astros 4, Red 6
W: Nick Masset, L: Tim Byrdak, S: Francisco Cordero

Astros Recap
Yahoo Recap
Box Score

This team is just bad. I thought about writing something good about each player but decided I did not want to spend the whole night trying to come up with something for each player.

The theories as to why they are bad do not really matter. At this point, they are bad. Managing, starting pitching, hitting, relief pitching and fielding have all had their moments in the Astros suckitude this season.

I noticed a couple of weeks ago, when leaving an Astros game I was not as upset as I have been in the past after a loss. It took me a day or so to realize it is because I do not expect this team to win. My expectations for them as a team are probably higher for them than what they have for themselves.

But enough about my feelings. There are players that seem to have improved this season and they do make the games worth watching (besides it being baseball). Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence. Both of them have made improvements in their play. I’m happy for them, but it only seems to be upping their trade value at this time.

Astro highlights from the game:

Rodriguez’s double in the third to score two. I have to admit, I thought the Astros weren’t going to score at all.

Bourn’s catch in the bottom of the fourth inning was outstanding. Bourn’s catch at the wall.

Keppinger’s homerun.

Edwin Maysonet’s first RBI.

LaTroy Hawkins pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Bench Tidbits:

The Pittsburgh Penguins are waiting to play the Detroit Redwings (not yet time for the Chicago Blackhawks) in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals.

Read the GameZone for some game time reactions.

Check out JaneDoe’s series preview to see who Felipe Paulino is starting against.

“Astros need to step up and do a better job of it.” – Cecil Cooper

Rangers 6, Astros 5
W: Darren O’Day, L: LaTroy Hawkins

Astros Recap
Yahoo Recap

Derek Holland, pitcher for the Rangers, did a pretty dog-gone good job against the Astros Friday night. Allowing 3 runs on 5 hits in 5.2 innings of work. The kid is pretty good. Felipe Paulino, started for the Astros and he went 5.1 innings giving up 4 runs on 7 hits. Both starting pitchers did well, but once Paulino hit the magic number of 100+ Cooper yanked him out of the game and let the bullpen take over from then.

Jason Jennings came into the game in place of Holland, I was hoping he give the Astros some of the runs he gave up a couple years back when he was an Astro. And he did, the two he gave up just weren’t enough on the night.

Michael Bourn, Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee all had pretty good nights at the plate. Bourn seems to be handling the pressure of leading off games ok so far. Berkman seems like he might be finding his confidence again. And Carlos gets to stay in just long enough to be substituted and missed later in the game.

Overall, the this was a game the Astros could have won, but didn’t. It was another game where 5 pitchers were used. Nothing new in that.

Bench Tidbits:

Michael Bourn leads the National League in stolen bases. Run Baby Run.

Read GreatBagwellsBeard’s Series Preview for more series information.

Check out the GameZone for in game action.

Don’t forget to remember the veterans Monday. Thanks to those that have served and are serving our country. You are the best.

Brewers 4, Astros 2
W: Dave Bush, L: Russ Ortiz

Astros Recap
Yahoo Recap
Boxscore

The day of appreciation for Raup did not go quite the way one might have wanted. The Astros sprinkled hits in the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th and 8th innings but were only able to net 2 runs on the night. The first run was a “steal” of home by Kazuo Matsui, he benefitted from the caught stealing by Michael Bourn (who ended up safe at first). The second run was a homerun into the Crawford Boxes by Russ Ortiz. Otherwise the hits were like scattered showers in south Texas, nice when they came and left you wishing for more.

The Brewers did their damage in the 4th (walk, double, and a single) and 6th (2 walks and 2 singles) innings. Walks can kill you and so can Prince Fielder when sliding. That is one large man.

Personally, I do not think either team had that great of pitching on the night. Mike Hampton, who started the game for the Astros, probably would have had a good night, but the cut on the hand from the soap dispenser at Wrigley Field prevented that.

Bench Tidbits:

I thought guys used soap on a rope in showers.

No one that I wanted to or needed to win, won last night.

The Brewers started undressing after the game on the field last night. It left me wondering where they were going after the game. Seriously, close to half the team had pulled their shirts out their pants on the field. I have never noticed another team do that before. One other item we noted was there are a couple players they have that do a lot of grab-assing.

Hopefully the next Raup Appreciation Day will be better.

Check out Mark’s Series Preview for information regarding the rest of the series.

There was some commentary in the GameZone, so you can check that out also.