Diamondbacks 8, Astros 1

W:Kennedy (11-10)
L:Galarraga (0-4)

Seems I’ve got to have a change of scene
‘Cause every night I have the strangest dreams
Imprisoned by the way it could have been
Left here on my own or so it seems
I’ve got to leave before I start to scream
But someone’s locked the door and took the key

You feelin’ alright? I’m not feelin’ too good myself
You feelin’ alright? I’m not feelin’ too good myself

Brad Mills is free, free at last. Hopefully he’s relaxing somewhere, taking a break from the helltrain he’s been riding at the helm of, and surely this far into his career he knows to not read the papers, or at least the publishings of the Home Office because they’re busy polishing the crown of the New King.

Tony DeFrancesco: “When the game started I was in my own place out there. That’s where I belong.”

“I’m kind of disappointed in the at-bats. We’re trying to make adjustments, trying to get the right people out on the field.”

“We’re going to keep pushing, we’re going to keep working and we’re going to execute. It was a fundamentally sound game. The plays were made and the defense was decent.”

Jason Castro: “I think we kind of needed a little bit of a wake-up call, and it struck home with a lot of the guys.”

I’m not going to pick that shit apart for you, you can do that yourself on your own time. Of course, any time you spend trying to spin that straw into gold is more time than it’s worth.

Boy, you sure took me for one big ride
And even now I sit and wonder why
That when I think of you I start to cry
I just can’t waste my time, I must keep dry
Gotta stop believin’ in all your lies
‘Cause there’s too much to do before I die

Gallaraga had the start today – I think he’d started ten times in OKC for DeF, so he probably had a good idea what was coming. Three innings of his deliberate mosey through the lineup, and then when Arizona had him measured they started slapping him around, picking up five runs in the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, FeMart led off with a crank that was reviewed down to a double. After that, Greene flew out to right, Bogey bounced out to third for the first time anybody can remember this year, and Castro popped out.

In the sixth Houston finally scored when Greene’s leadoff double was cashed in by a Castro single with two outs. That’s all the Home Nine were able to scratch out though, and over the last three innings they picked up one hit and one walk.

For the Diamondbacks, Aaron Hill had a big day – a double and two home runs. Castro had two singles and the lone RBI for the woeful Astros. If this is the hard-charging excitement we’re led to believe is exploding from the clubhouse now that there is a New Firebrand Manager We Can All Trust, well, color me unmoved so far by this shell game. Maybe it’ll take a couple of days, or perhaps a road trip to see our good friends the Jakes and the steM and get right by absorbing some good beatings before an extended home stand.

Don’t get too lost in all I say
Though at the time I really felt that way
But that was then, now it’s today;
I can’t get off yet and so I’m here to stay
Till someone comes along and takes my place
With a different name and, yes, a different face

By Mr. Happy

Tonight’s ball game showed some promise early on, as the Astros first knotted the game at one and then took a 3-1 lead on a Chris Snyder two run two out home run in the fourth inning, after a spectacular catch by Brandon Barnes, which saved at least a run, if not two.  Hopes indeed were high, particularly for the SnS meetup in Suite 54, organized by SnS MVP Gleach.

Unfortunately for the home nine, games have a fifth inning, and Jordan Lyles and fifth innings mix like Mr. Happy and tattoes.  Lyles, who drops to 2-10 with a 5.70 ERA, has a season ERA of 14.11 in the fifth inning coming into tonight’s action, which goes to 19.02 with four earnies while recording no outs in tonight’s fifth inning.  Lyles surrendered eight hits and gave up three walks in his four plus frames, tossing 80 pitches.  Arizona dropped a nine spot on the Astros in that disastrous fifth inning to take a 10-3 lead that they didn’t surrender.

In addition to Snyder’s clutch bomb, his sixth of the year, Tyler Greene went deep for his sixth home run of the season.  Greene has been playing lights out since his acquisition from the Cardinals.  Chuckie Fick allowed two home runs, one to Aaron Hill, which was a three run shot in that fifth inning, and another to Ryan Wheeler, his first in the big leagues, in his 2.1 innings of work.  I lost interest in the rest of the game and started writing this recap.

I had hoped to feature some good updates from the SnS sweet suite meetup, but the crew was silent to my shock and dismay.  I guess what goes on at MMPUS stays at MMPUS.

Astros lose 7 -2

by Sphinx Drummond

It seems that the Astros play a lot of Wednesday afternoon games. Most days, the kind of work I do is not conducive to following baseball. But first and foremost, I must remember there is a day game. Yesterday, I did not. According to all the post game information the Astros lost to the Cubs 7 to 2.

Norris took the loss, it’s been a long time now since May 21st, the last time Bud Norris won a game. Norris has gone 0-9 with a 6.98 ERA in his last 13 outings. Yesterday he surrendered three home runs. It’s very hard to win games when your team is offensively anemic and the pitcher continues to get pounded. Everyone seems to think Bud would be a better starter if he developed a third pitch. Okay, so what is he waiting for?

Jose Altuve continues to be one of the two or three bright spots in the organization this year, going 3 for 4 from the lead off position. Unfortunately, the 2 though 4 hitters went a collective 0-For the game, wasting Altuve’s efforts. He needs to make smarter plays on defense but I think the guy is a keeper.

Norris might be hurt, he was limping around the clubhouse after trying to kicking a ball into an infield hit. It’s probably just a bruise but the team will keep an eye on it. And for some reason, Wallace didn’t play. Today is an off day, next game is on Friday against the DiamondBacks. According to a thread in the Beer and Queso section of the SNS forum, I think there will be some kind of gathering on Saturday night.

Astros 10, Cubs 1

W: Harrell (10-8)
L: Volstad (0-9)

box

Contributed by Reuben

In a stunning reversal of momentum, the Houston Astros last night won Game 5 against the Milwaukee Brewcubs in a blowout, 10 to 1, clinching the win in the final game of this best-of-five playoff series against their bitter, hated rivals.

Heading into the game, the Astros were on the brink of losing the series despite grabbing an early 2 games to none advantage, winning Game 1, 4-3, and Game 2, 6-5, both in dramatic walk-off fashion. The Brewcubs, however, fought back hard in Games 3 and 4. Led by slugging third baseman Aramis Ramirez, steroid-riddled MVP outfielder Braunny Sosa, baby-faced young shortstop sensation Segura Castro, and notorious Astro-killer Yovani Zambrano, the Brewcubs held on to win the third game, 5-3, and then proceeded to humiliate the Astros 7-1 in Game 4. Following Game 4, Brewcubs owner H. Caray “Bud” Selig could be seen grinning devilishly and sticking pins into a voodoo doll wearing an Astros uniform.

The Astros, though, refused to be deflated by their two-game losing streak. “We’ve lost two in a row before”, declared Wesley Wright, the team’s elder statesman. “In fact, just this season, I can think of a few times where we’ve lost two in a row, but it seems like we almost always come back and win the next one. That is, our wins have a habit of ending a losing streak.”

Clearly inspired by the words and example of their long-tenured leader, the Astros came out swinging in the first inning. Jose Altuve doubled and then, after a smash line drive off the bat of Brett Wallace was snared by leaping second baseman Barney Weeks, Scott Moore roped another double to score Altuve. Wallace made sure his next hit could not be robbed by any Brewcub fielder, launching a moonshot 3-run home run to dead centerfield in the 3rd inning. Fernando Martinez swatted his own 3-run homer to nearly the same spot in the 6th inning, by which point the Astros had a fairly comfortable 8-0 lead.

After Scott Moore belted the third Astros homer of the night in the 7th, Brewcub manager Don Svreunoeickme’s frustration was clearly evident in the dugout. “Our bullpen made me want to vomit, again,” Svreunoeickme said in the post-series news conference, “but the blame for us losing the series has to start with me. I should’ve known not to start an 0-8 pitcher in Game 5. Damn, that was stupid of me.”

In the other conference room, meanwhile, Astros manager Brad Mills was heaping praise on his Game 5 starter, Lucas Harrell, who dominated Brewcub batters from start to finish with his 94-95 mph fastball. “He was huge, as usual. I know it’s silly, but it seems like he’s won 25% of our games this year,” Mills beamed. Harrell went 8 innings, allowing 1 earned run on 6 hits, striking out 7. He even chipped in with a base hit of his own, scoring all the way from first on a Jose Altuve double – eliciting some comparisons to former Astro Brandon Backe’s enthusiastic, all-around style of play and his penchant for dominant, clutch pitching performances in the postseason.

“Who?” Harrell said when asked about the similarities between he and Backe. “He used to pitch for us? Must’ve been a long time ago. I don’t think even Wesley played with that guy.”

***

For more coverage of the Astros’ dramatic playoff series victory, read the GameZone thread.