Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Astros 4
Turdinals 3

W: Valverde (1-2) | L: Franklin (2-1)

MLB.com Recap
MLB.com Video Recap
AP! Recap! On Yahoo!
GameZone

Last night’s game? Oh, it was holyshitfuckingawesome, thanks for asking. To try to capture it would be futile, so I strongly urge you to watch the game recap, Schumaker getting Pudge facked, El Torpedero fielding the ball off of Sparky, Coste tying it with a double in the ninth, and Miggy’s game winner. The lesson for tonight is this – when you have the opportunity to end the game on a double play, you best take it. Unless you just like watching extended, vigorous man-hugs, NTTAWWT…

On a closing note, for some reason, Ryan Franklin forces me to think about Geico ads. I want to look away, but that beard won’t. stop. staring. at. me.

Not coincidentally, if you turn Ryan Franklin upside down, he's also a broom with googly eyes.

Cardinals 6, Astros 11

W: Wandy Rodriguez, L: Todd Wellemeyer

Astros Recap
Yahoo Recap

Even though this team is 2 games over .500. Even though they are playing good baseball and beating good teams. I still have that little bit of hair raised on the back of my neck reminding me that this is the team that sucked really bad in the beginning of the season. I’ve said before I think they have the parts, but something was missing. I think that something is a good manager.

I feel bad that after the Astros score 11 runs and win the game that I still have doubts about this team. But when my team has a manager that does crazy things, I just can’t feel comfortable about their chances.

Astros Highlights:

Wandy Rodriguez was allowed to pitch only 7 innings, probably due to a combination of a 100+ pitches and having to run the bases in the bottom of the 7th. My #2 guy did a good job. He even kept Prince Albert off the bases. He was also named the Topps player of the game.

Carlos Lee, who is overpaid according to Mr. Justice, hit a homerun with three Astros on base. That was fun. What I thought was gravy was that my friends and I were cheering quite loudly and Carlos came out for a curtain call (take that BFiB) and Geoff Blum hits one into the RF seats. Back-to-Back homeruns.

Hunter Pence hit a 2-run homerun in the 2nd to give the Astros the lead.

Cardinal Highlights:

P.J. Walters pitched 2 innings giving up 4 hits and 6 runs. I normally would feel for the guy, but he’s a Cardinal.

Astros Lowlights:

Chad Paranto and Wesley Wright came in the 8th to get some outs. They combined for 5 runs on 4 hits. We thought maybe there was some deal made in the bullpen about giving Jose Valverde a chance to get a save. Thankfully that did not materialize.

Cardinal Lowlights:

Their mustaches need to be shaved. They are horrible.

Game Analysis:

This was a great game to attend. I did not like Wandy being pulled after 7 innings. I heard the “it was a long inning and he ran the bases” reason, but he’s our #2 pitcher, he needs to suck it up and finish his own games, because Cooper can find a way to take that “W” away.

Michael Bourn is still impressing me. I’m glad that he has done well with the Astros this season. He certainly has showed Cooper that he is a valuable member of the team. I sometimes am waiting for Bourn to have a dry spell at the plate and Cooper to move him back to the 8-spot in the lineup.

The Astros scored in 6 of the 8 innings they batted. That is good offense. The Cardinals scored in 2 of the 9 innings they batted. That is good pitching and defense. Yeah, I’m looking at you Blum and Coste.

Kazuo Matsui may end up on the DL after fouling a ball off his knee.

Bench Tidbits:

Check out the GameZone for some in-game reactions and other stuff.

Craig wrote a rather pleasant series preview that will give you information about Wednesdays game.

Happy Birthday Drayton McLane! May you get to say your team is World Series Champions.

Cardinals at Astros, 7/20/2009
That’s 2 small runs for the Jakes… 3 giant runs for Astro-kind.
W: Moehler (7-5), L:Lohse (4-6), S: Valverde (10)
HR: Kabong (14)

Tag’s recap
Box

7 members of the Apollo program threw out the first pitch tonight, in what Mr. McLane intended to be an homage to the Mercury 7 throwing out the first pitch at the Astrodome. Fortunately, no over-the-hill burlesque dancers were involved.

All scoring came in the fourth, with a Squatting Molina continuing the trend of all-glove catchers hurting the Good Guys offensively, on a 2-run single. Fortunately, Caballo decided to teach the fanshow to say “moon shot” in several different languages, knocking one over the tracks with Tejada and Berkman aboard.

The remainder of the game featured strong pitching by Moehler, sharp commentary by JD, Berkman intentionally not covering 1b to discourage PENCE!!! from an unwise 9-3 attempt on a Pooholes single, both catchers throwing out runners at 2b on wild pitches and Coop saluting the Tanked Commander by using 5 pitchers is a 3-2 win. Wright and Fulchino combined for 4 pitches, so they’ll need some extra rest.

Check-out the in-game etymology for “mustache” in the GZ. If that leaves you inspired, find more soup strainer action here.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Astros 3
Dodgers 4

W: Troncoso | L: Hawkins | S: Broxton

astros.com
AP via Yahoo!
Game Zone

Despite the bats of Blum, Bourn and Lee, a fine outing by Ortiz and a 1-run lead in the 7th, the Astros managed to hand this one over to the Dodgers without much effort on their part.

The 3 runs for the Good Guys all came in the 3rd and began with a lead-off double by Bourn. The poor guy watched as Kepp popped out and Miggy lined hard but both to 1B. Lee came through, though with a sharp single to right that scored Bourn easily. Blum finished the scoring with a sweet shot to the right field stands and the Astros had a 3-0 lead.

Ortiz did a good job of holding down the top of the Dodgers’ order but damn that no. 8 hitter! Both of the runs Ortiz surrendered were on doubles by Officer Brad, scoring Kemp twice. He left after 6 with a 1-run lead.

The Astros had plenty of opportunies. 9 left on, baserunners in each of the first 5 innings but none of them got past second outside the 3rd inning.

Arias relieved Ortiz and proceeded to cough up the lead in ugly fashion. The lead-off single to Kemp wasn’t so bad and he fielded Ausmus’ sac bunt cleanly. But he muffed a catch covering 1st base on DeWitt’s grounder to Coste, allowing Kemp to get to 3rd. Then, he fielded Furcal’s chopper in front of the mound and inexplicably let the ball slip from his hand as he attempted to throw Kemp out at the plate. 3-3.

The winning run came from Kemp again, a solo shot in the 8th off of Hawk with 2 outs. Walk the 7th hitter who’s gotten on base every at-bat to get to the 8th hitter who’s driven him home twice? Fickle game, this baseball. Frustrating loss, that’s for sure.

Still, they took a split at the west leaders, which is…ok…I guess. Back home tomorrow for 3 against the central leaders.

Read Craig’s Series Preview here.
Talk Zone

Thursday, July 16. 2009

Astros 3
Dojers 0

W: Wandy (9-6) | L: Wolf (4-4) | S: Valverde (9)

astros.com
AP via Yahoo!
Game Zome

Contributed by homer.

The suitcases were lined up in the clubhouse as the Astros were set to scatter across the country after the game. Moehler and Zimmerman did their parts to keep the game moving and make sure that everyone got to their destinations on time until the game slowed to a crawl in the 6th. Kaz sent the home team into the break happy with an 8th inning three run shot to the first row of seats in right.

Bourn reached and advanced to second via an error in the first, and Tejada drove him in with a single. That run would be all that was needed to vanquish the young Mr. Zimmerman and his electric fastball 5-0. The Astros, however, did their best to give it away with sloppy baserunning and bases loaded jams in the 6th and 7th.

After a leadoff walk for El Vendo in the 4th, El Caballo launched one towards the daily Caballitos gathering, but about 3 inches too low. The call was reviewed by the umpires, but they could have just asked Carlos because he watched it all the way. Maybelline was also focused on something besides baserunning, as he ran through Clark’s stop sign and was tagged out by the waiting Nieves as he stopped about 5 feet short of home plate.

In the top of the 6th, Moehler gave up a lead off double, and, after a ground out to Puma, Moehler promptly walked the next two. An infield pop up and a 3-1 ground out ended the inning put the Nationals offense out of its misery.

In the top of the 7th, a leadoff single followed by a sacrifice bunt, a pitching change that brought Arias, and a single led to runners on the corner with one out. The speedy Nyjer Morgan easily stole second which was followed by a walk. Again, the inept Nationals offense couldn’t plate a run after a weak pop out to Berkman in foul territory and a Dunn ground out to Tejada, who was shifted up the middle, for the 6-3 put out.

In the bottom of the 7th, Blum half assed his way to first with a no hustle HBP and was followed by a Pence single up the middle. Pudge struckout for the third time, but not before arguing that he was also hit by a pitch after he pulled back on a bunt attempt. Home plate umpire Adrian Johnson ruled that he had made a bunt attempt for the swinging strike, but Pudge emphatically argued for an appeal to Jim Wolf at first. Cooper was roused from his Sunday afternoon nap to stroll out and get a close up view of Pudge losing his mind. Kaz picked him up, however, when he turned on a middle-in fastball and lined it into the first row of the right field seats.

A two on, two out 8th led to Papa Grande getting the call for the four out save opportunity which he converted without issue. The Astros added a run in the top of the 9th when Nationals pitcher Tyler Clippard caught a spike in mid delivery and balked in the Puma from third.

The Astros start the second half on Thursday night with the first of a four game set in LA. The Astros will face the Co-ards 12 times, the FTCs 7 times, the Brewers 9 times, and the Phillies 8 times for a total of 36 of the final 74 games.