The Astros fell behind in this one almost immediately; likely intimidated by the luminaries flocking in for the Enron trial, Greta Van Sustern was sitting right in the front row of the cell phone section. And George H. W. Bush, also sitting in the front row, displaying the NL Championship ring that the Astros finally got to him. Mattress Mac didn?t have a ring in his size. Remembering George?s contributions to the stretch run in 05, no doubt gave The Dozer the jitters. Whatever the reason, The Oswalt Inning (part 1) was the 1st. Two runs scored due mostly to Ensberg?s offline throw home, compounded by Bradley?s fear of contact.
In the bottom, Biggio added to his NL leading total for leadoff, 1st inning homeruns. Ensberg extended his strike zone to accommodate a high outside fastball that he banged off the left field fa?ade, and by the time Preston Wilson stared at his 6 K in a row, the game was tied.
But hang on.
In the 2nd, Ausmus bounces one up the middle that eludes Hall, Lane hustled from 1st to 3rd and set up a sac fly for Everett. With one out, Ausmus was on first and Oswalt was trying to bunt. Ausmus breaks, Roy pulls back on an outside pitch and Brad is standing in the middle between 1st and 2nd. The Brewers try to get him going back to 1st as the theme song of the Three Stooges movies plays in the background. And he makes it. Next pitch, Oswalt executes the sac and Ausmus is on 2nd with two outs. Then Biggio singles home Ausmus, Taveras golfs a liner to the scoreboard wall, Biggio scores but Taveras makes the last out at third trying to stretch the double to a triple. 5-2
In the 3rd, Preston Wilson stares at strike out number 7 in a row. Then Lane and Ausmus add walks to Ensberg?s single to load the bases for Everett?s slicing 2 run double to right and then Oswalt bounces one up the middle, mostly by just sticking his bat out for 2 more runs. 9-2.
But hang on.
The scoring continued in the 6th, Ensberg homered, his second, on a change low and in, scoring 2. The inning also featured a single by Preston Wilson that got an ovation from the crowd and the bench. It sounded sincere. So, by now, 11-2
Then the 7th. Garner moved Ausmus to first, Munson to catcher and Burke to center. With one on and no outs Corey Koskie lined a Charlie Brown up the middle that may have nicked Oswalt, but definitely spun him around and put him on his butt.
After that he lost his control. RBI single by Fielder, sac fly and a two run homer by the pinch hitter Gabe Gross, his 2nd in 2 days, chased Oswalt. Astacio closed the inning with the score 11-6.
In the 7th, the Astros picked up an insurance run when Everett banged a double off the Banco Popular sign just to the right of the Crawford Boxes and Biggio singled him home.
The Brewers picked up where they left off. Astacio and Revert Miller gave up a two run homer each and Garner was forced to bring in Lidge with runners 1st and 2nd one out. Lidge Ks Cirillo with a wicked diving slider. Then gets 2 strikes on Hall with 2 more sliders. Tries another for a ball, bounces one that Munson can?t handle and the runners move up. Second and third, 2 outs, count 3-2, Lidge strikes out Hall swinging with a belt high fastball. 12-10.
In the 9th Everett gets another 2 out RBI, blooping a single in front of Gross in center that scored Wilson from second. It would have been a bang bang play at home had not Gross? throw been a step up the 1b line and had not Miller dropped the ball. 13-10.
But. Hang on.
In the 9th, Lidge walks Jenkins, and then Lee hits his second two run homer in two innings to the Boxes. No outs. 13-12. Koskie Ks, Weeks skies one to a windmilling Ensberg, Fielder lines an 0-2 for a single, Miller grounds out weakly to Biggio. The game is over, wait, ... yes, game over.
Pettitte v. Capuano, 7:05
