Astros at Nationals, 7/16/07
Score: gNats 4, Astros 3W: Rivera (4-2) L: Williams (4-11) S: C. Cordero (16)
Home runs: Lee (17), Dm. Young (9)
Read the early Footer here:
Astros.comLet me get quickly to the bottom line: Lance Berkman lost this game for the Astros.
When you team is unequivocally not good, as is the case with your hometown side, then you absolutely cannot give away outs, or runs. Berkman did both by once again displaying an astonishing lack of game awareness.
Top 4 – Berkman gets a one-out single, and Lee follows with a walk. Loretta then follows with a blooper to right, on which Kearns makes a diving effort but clearly traps.
Berkman was still standing on second base when Kearns made the trap. Berkman was still standing on second base when the umpire signaled “safe”. Berkman was still standing on second base when Kearns stood up to make the throw to third for the force. Berkman had barely LEFT second base when the ball arrived at third. Thus, when Iceberg reached on an infield single, Lee was stranded at third rather than scoring Berkman.
Hopefully Lance will spend the evening writing “On my best day, I could not carry Jeff Bagwell’s jock” 1,000 times.
Everything else in the game – Woody’s inevitable 3-run home run to Young, Kabong crushing a hanger, and the umpire checking out early – was filler. The game turned on this one play, and unsurprisingly, Lance Berkman was there, doing the wrong thing.
Tomorrow: a player with even less baseball sense than Lance Berkman takes the mound for Washington.
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