Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Rockies 2
Astros 3
F-11

W: Ortiz (3-2) | L: Fogg (0-1)
HR: Miggy

astros.com
AP via Yahoo!
Game Zone

The game was slipping away in familiar fashion. Down 2-1 in the 9th inning after fine work by Paulino and the pen kept them in it, the man who earlier drove in the lone Astros run came up with 1st and 3rd and no out. Tejada delivered again. It wasn’t hard-hit – that would come later – but his shallow fly that dropped in front of the Rockies right fielder got Pudge, the tying run, home to give the Good Guys new life.

No, he don't sell popcorn.

Cut to the bottom of the 11th. 1 out against Josh Fogg, Tejada delivered again. A lined laser into the Crawford Boxes ended the game and emptied the Astros dugout for a bouncy celebration at home plate. They should be happy. Miggy’s walk-off broke a 0-22 losing streak when trailing after 6 this season.

Tejada’s 4-6 night raised his BA from a league-leading .353 to league-leading .362 and gave the Astros a needed boost against the similarly struggling Rockies. On a night when more questionable moves by Coop could have sunk the effort, Miggy’s blast electrified the huge crowd that remained at MMP.

Paulino had one of his best outings of the season, going 6 with 7 Ks. His 2 runs were allowed in the 4th on back-to-back doubles and an RBI single. 5 relievers gave a scoreless inning each and the defense was solid, one of the stand-out plays came from new arrival Matt Kata. With the go-ahead run on 2nd in the top of the 11th, a sharp grounder by Fowler up the middle was snagged by Kata on a dive to his right, a bullet throw to Lance from his knee just got the runner to end the inning.

The 4-game series continues tonight at 7:05 with Marquis vs. Moehler.
strosrays’ epic Series Preview
Kvetch in the Talk Zone

Rockies at Astros, 6/1/2009
Astros 4, Rukakkes 1
W: Oswalt (2-2) L: Cook (3-3) S: Hawkins (7)
HR: Untradeable Rockies first baseman (7), Untradeable Astros left fielder (9)

McTaggart with the writeup
Box

How did this game look to you?

So… do you believe that a win is a win, and when you’re 21-28, you take any win you can get?
Or do you believe that you should still be frustrated by the many minor failures on display during such a win?

Case in point… first inning. Do you say:
a) “The Astros took a first inning lead when Lance Berkman, in an intriguing lineup change by Cecil Cooper, drove in Hunter Pence with a clutch two-out single.”
or:
b) “The Astros squandered a larger first-inning opportunity and only managed one run. Michael Bourn, after a leadoff single, failed to advance to second on a passed ball that bounced all the way to the on-deck circle, and then was thrown out stealing by a catcher that was 0-21 on the season throwing out runners. Pence, Lee, and Berkman then scraped together a run, but Lee ened the inning prematurely by running into a ludicrous third out at third base, where he was out by a good 15 feet.”

Alternatively, we could look at Oswalt:
a) Hey! Our Ace finally gives us seven innings.
or
b) you know, i’ve given the oswalt being pulled after 7 innings more thought… i disagree with the move even more. he was pitching well, and the rockies aren’t a good team. this is one game he could have gone longer and gotten a chance at a complete game.

Or, take Bourn’s seventh inning at bat. Do you say:
a) “Holy mother of God, that hurt!!!”
or
b) Trick question… there is no other appropriate response to a foul ball bouncing straight back up into a man’s testicles.

What I’m saying is, it’s a long season. Choose how you’re going to respond to this team, and this game. Or… order a cheeseburger.

I can haz cheezburgr?

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Astros 2
Pie’roots 1

W: Hampton (3-4) | L: Maholm (3-2) | S: Hawkins (6)

Some guy writer dude
AP via Yahoo!
Game Zone

I played golf this morning. I broke 100. I drank beer. It was a good day. The Astros beat the Pirates 2-1 in a pitcher’s duel of sorts. A satisfying Sunday.

I got home by the top of the 4th and the score was already 1-1. Hampton had been dealing, giving up just a solo shot in the bottom of the 1st to McLouth, one of only three hits Hampton gave up to that point and for the rest of his 7 innings. Ground balls the order of the day. In fact, all of the Pirate balls-in-play for outs were ground balls. JD says, “I could play the outfield today.”

The Astros got their 1 early run in the top of the 2nd. After a Twinkie walk, Michaels moved him to 2nd on a deep fly ball to the wall in center. Then Q knocked a chopper up the middle past the infield and Lance staggered around 3rd as McLouth airmailed his throw to the backstop.

Nifty defense helped Hampton out a few times but Pirates ne’er sniffed a threat all game. Aye!

The decider came in one fine piece of offensive puppetutes pompitus pizmotality. With 1 out in the 7th, Hampton singled after JD suggested he go deep. Slacker. Maysonet then singled and with Miggy up, Maholm’s 1-1 pitch clanked off Diaz’ glove and the runner’s advanced to 2nd and 3rd. Miggy then floated one over Dirty Sanchez’ head into shallow center sending Hampton home with the game winnah!

Sampson and Hawk did their jobs just fine, thank you! Astros walk away with a series win and a semi-high note heading home for 4 vs. the Rukkakies. I heard Brownie say something about Valverde joining the team for this series and stepping up his rehab in hopes for a return from the DL soon.

May 30, 2009

Pirates 7, Astros 4

Astros official site
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

W: Karstens L: Wandy S: Capps

PITTSBURGH (SnS) – The hapless Astros fell to the happy-ass Pirates in pretty PNC Park here Saturday evening, 7-4. The Pirates jumped to a lead in the first, with base hits falling everywhere, and they never looked back. The Astros attempted at a dramatic ninth inning rally when the Pirates bullpen appeared to start coming apart at the seams, but at no time did the comeback seem like anything other than a perfunctory effort, and never really possible. And predictably, it fell short.

One-Game Win Streak is: Over.

Wandy was: Wild. Wafting the ball in there. He got walloped, then was wiped out.

Backe is: Back. Beat up. Bullshit.

Offense is: Off. Out to lunch. Only hitting on three cylinders. Out of gas. Asthetically offensive.

Highlights of the game came from JD. First an Iron City Light reference, reminding this reporter of some wasted nights down in the Mon Valley, out in Coal Center and Charleroi, and like that. Then the Astros color man served up a Roger Whitaker reset, which you just don’t get on many MLB telecasts. Deshaies saved me, because the game otherewise basically sucked.

And it went downhill from there.

Alyson – sweet, departed Alyson – was on the post-game show. So there was that.

Anyway, be sure and tune in to tomorrow’s series finale. Ennui will eventually ensue.

********

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.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Astros 1
Redlegs 6

W: Arroyo (7-3) | L: Paulino (1-4)
HR: Bruce, repeatedly. Some other asshole, too.

Footer Recap
MLB Video Recap
AP! Recap! On Yahoo!
GameZone

What a pile of crap that was. This game had a little bit of everything – defensive blunders, mediocre pitching, thoroughly anemic offense – the only thing missing was excitement of any kind. Arroyo and Bruce absolutely killed the Good Guys. The best I can say is that it was over with quickly.

If you need more detail than that, feel free to click the links above. Enjoy your masochism, you fucking weirdo. You know, actually, let me save you some time – the highlight is a sac fly in the 1st. You’re welcome.