By ‘strosrays 

Birdland Über Alles

Cardinals (63-64) at Astros (58-73)
Minute Maid Park, 501 Crawford St., Houston, TX  77002
a/k/a “The Juice Box”

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Tuesday, August 28 (7:05 p.m. CDT) – FSN

Wednesday, August 29 (7:05 p.m. CDT) – FSN

Thursday, August 30 (1:05 p.m. CDT) – FSN

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”Don’t crush that dwarf, hand me the pliers.” – Noe

Well, save for the appropriate and somewhat moving ceremony on Sunday to retire the number of franchise hero Jeff Bagwell, this homestand has been something of a king-hell bummer, has it not?  It is hard to remember now, but the Astros came into it after that rarest of things in Astros history, a successful West Coast swing; and they still had not entirely insane hopes of somehow throwing everything together right at the end to pass up the stumbling Cubbies, the bumbling Brewers, and the staggering 3rdinals and take the Central Division crown this season, after all.

Of course, losing 6 of 8 to the Naxpos and Pirates in the last week-plus killed that crazy idea dead.  And now here come Tony LaRussa and his fighting Co-ardinals, on a bit of a roll themselves, having gone 8-4 since mid-month.  And a little roll here at the end is about all it will take in the Third World-like NL Central this season.  It is easy to say now, but I have been convinced for about a month, since whenever the Hothouse Brewers began to seriously wilt, that the Redbirds would take this thing, in the end.  I am no less convinced of it now.  The Cubs appear to be blowing their chance, as we suspected they would; and the Brewers (7-16 so far in August) have been godawful.  Meanwhile, the Tank Commander’s patched together team is hitting its stride.  There is slightly more than a month left, of course, and with the top three teams in the division seperated by two games at this writing, literally anything can still happen.  But my knowledge of recent history and my grudging respect for LaRussa the manager, irritating quirks and all, has me thinking the Co-ards are gearing up for a postseason run; and the Astros laying down for them this series is an integral part of their plans.

Meantime, the Astros are occupied by reverently burying their recent past, and appear to be mailing it in, otherwise.  I am a bit sad to see that past go, but of course it must.  The problem is, I am not convinced anyone, in the Astros’ organization or out of it, has any clear idea of what comes next.  The future’s so bright, I gotta wear Q-beams.Read More