Phil Garner has said of Ezequiel Astacio that if he keeps the ball down, he?s unhittable. Through 5.1 innings, when Zeke kept the ball down, he was unhittable. Unfortunately he got one up against Molina and he hit it out. Then Edmonds, who is always sniffing around for something outside to flip to left at the Ball Park got a high and outside ball.
In the 2nd , the Astros avoided 2 double plays, Mr Double Play, booted an easy one right over the bag and Everett outran the weak throws of Eckstein and Grudzilelanek and got a run home on the fielders? choice. A bloop to right by Ausmus scored another run. At the time the score was 2-1 Astros.
Mulder shut down the Astros with a procession of groundballs to Eckstein who now holds the record for most ground covered by crow hops.
In the 9th, 3-2, Tank Commander makes the call to bring in Isringhausen over a cruising Mulder. Why not, he invented the closer. The Crowd got up. Huge waves of ?LETS GO ASTROS? reverberated around the rafters. Ensberg, visibly pumped, surfing the wave, extended his arms, and jacked a huge 410 foot blast into the bullpen that he knew was gone when he hit it.
Extras.
Pujols lead off the 10th vs. Wheeler with a ringing double. The Tank Commander retreats to his Situation Room and comes up with The Strategy, Edmonds, who had earlier homered and doubled, bunting. Rodriguez also bunts and the Cardinals get their run.
Ausmus, the Crowd subdued at this point, didn?t need any energy. He just needed a hit. And he tied the game with a Biggio Boxer against Isringhausen, who unofficially blew 2 saves in one game.
In the bottom of the 11th, the Astros wasted Biggio on third with one out.
In the 12th, Palmeiro on 1st, Ausmus bunted the ball short toward 1st. Pujols pounced and threw wide to second. Somehow, Angel Hernandez, called Palmeiro out even though Eckstein, stretching for the wide throw, was a foot off the bag when he made the catch. If Hernandez was a plumber and missed a pipe connection by that much, he?d be in prison. Ausmus later died on second.
In the 13th, Edmonds flipped another outside pitch, Qualls was in, to left for a homer. 5-4, Jakes.
The bottom of the 13th the lipless jackass Tavarez is on to pitch. Ensberg greets him with a basehit. Chavez pinch hitting, bunts to the Jackass, he turns, double pumps and throws to second. Ensberg was popping his slide as Eckstein was catching the ball. Angel Hernandez, in his professional judgment, calls him out. In any other profession, anyone this incompetent would not be employed.
No matter, fuck the umps. Lane bloops a single to right and Chavez busts his considerable ass all the way over to third. The camera angle from third revealed that Raul, in full stride, resembles a herd of buffalo. A gorgeous herd of huge, hairy, big butt buffalo hugging third with one out. Tank Commander makes his move. He directs the walk of Vizcaino and instructs Ray King to the mound. Dierker digs into his bag of space filling commentary and rattles off how King does not walk anyone, does not throw wild pitches, but he never said he doesn?t hit anyone. He hit Opie; who did make an effort to get out of the way.
Tie game, NOW the Crowd gets wild. Ausmus, I know what you?re thinking, squeeze! Screw that, he?s hitting .350 since mid-August and just recently homered. Swing away Bradley. But he fails with a bloop to right that would have dropped had the outfielders not been playing in.
Now it?s Bruntlett who falls down 0-2 quickly to Al Reyes. Then works the count 2-2, and finally lines to left scoring Lane. It may be the Zaun Moment of this season.
6:05, Clemens v. Carpenter, it?s on TV.
