Pettitte couldn?t find the plate with or without the umps help, but, more to the point, the Cubs couldn?t hit the ball when it was over the plate. I got the feeling Pettitte got so tired of 3-2 counts, he was actually aiming at their bats.
Never mind, the Cubs weren?t interested in winning this one. The Astros tried to give the game away but the Cubs wouldn?t take it.
D.Lee singled in a run in the top the 3rd. In the bottom of the inning, with two outs, Prior walked Biggio, then nicked Tavares in the laundry, Lamb bounced a roller up the middle scoring Biggio, Tavares hauled ass to 3rd. That was the important part. Berkman popped a looper into center and Tavares, with his nicked jersey button, waltzed home.
Mike Lamb and Craig Biggio blew a run down after a pick off in the 5th. Lamb ran D. Lee too close to the bag and Biggio muffed the throw and tag. Cubs couldn?t make anything happen after that.
In the 6th Ensberg muffed an easy two hopper that set up 1st and 2nd, 1 out. They followed that with a botched dp, there?s runners 1st and 3rd. But the Cubs left in Prior to pop out of the inning.
In the bottom the 6th, bases loaded, 2 outs, Prior skipped a slider off Barrett?s shin guard, Wilson scored, Barrett, sliding to make the stop, grabbed the ball and flung it to Prior covering. He missed Prior completely and Ensberg scored. 4-2 Astros.
In the 8th, Biggio blooped a single with the bases loaded, Lamb trumped that with a bases loaded double, scoring 2, and the score was 7-1.
Lidge, in for an inning of aerobics in the 9th, gave up a complimentary homer to the ex-Brave Blanco and the game ended 7-2.
Oswalt deals for the sweep vs. Sean Marshall at 7:05 Wednesday.
