Rangers 11, Astros 3W: Millwood (4-6) | L: Williams (3-10)
Seven hits shy of 3000 for Biggio (2993, 1-5)
AP recapFooter wrap
Woody Williams had a bad game. He started shaky by allowing three hits and a run in the first inning, and allowed another run on a walk and a hit in the second. Woody seemed to regain his effectiveness by escaping a three-walk jamb in the third, and retired the side in order in the fourth. By the time he took to the hill in the fifth, his teammates had spotted him with a 3-2 lead. The slim lead quickly vanished as he gave up a single then back-to-back homers and he was quickly yanked, throwing 103 pitches in his 4+ innings and down 5-3 on the scoreboard.
Astros manager Phil Garner called upon new arrival Stephen Randolph, a veteran left-handed reliever, to keep the game close. Randolph promptly walked the first batter he faced, an ominous sign that proved to be fatal. When the dust cleared, the Astros trailed 10-3 as Randolph allowed four hits, including a homer and a double to left-handed hitters, and two more walks as the Rangers took the commanding lead.
The subpar outing by the Astros pitchers ruined the feel-good story of the game, a return home for Astros rookie Hunter Pence, complete with cheering section in the center field bleachers. TZ and GZ mainstay
homer reportedly was among this group of adolescents, despite his
crawfishing attempts to distance himself from the young posse. Speculation also abounds in the GZ about the nature of a mysterious limp that hampered much maligned Astros thirdbaseman Morgan Ensberg throughout the contest.
Your check is in the mail, homer.Pence did give his posse some excitement. His opposite field drive in the first drove Ranger rightfielder Marlon Byrd to the track, where he spun late and snagged the ball just short of the wall. Hunter did find the left center gap in the fifth inning to his liking, one hopping the wall for an RBI double. He scored on the next play, perfectly reading a blooper off the bat of Lance Berkman. Twinkie had hit a solo home run to left center in the first inning for the initial Astros lead.
Make sure you read Alyson Footer's game wrap in the link provided above for quotes from Woody and Garner.
If my calculations are correct, the Astros will have to outscore the Rangers by double figures in the next two games to keep the Silver Boot in South Texas. Today's game is slated for a brutal 3:00 pm start for the FOX network. Fucking genius.
Roy Oswalt will start, Craig Biggio will not.
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