In the time it took to play 8 innings Tuesday night, Backe and Padilla got through 5 innings last night. The problem was that Backe couldn't throw strikes and Padilla didn't want to throw the ball.
Backe's touch on the offspeed stuff was pretty good considering the long absence. However he was having trouble getting people out and left after 4 down 3-2.
Padilla had control of the game for the most part until runners got on. Then, he didn't want to deliver the ball to the plate. Even Berkman, walking in the 6th, distracted him.
The Astros lately have been scoring runs one of two ways, homerun or fielders choice. They chose three from column A and one from column B. The Berkman homer giving them the early lead and Lamb, filling in for the still bruised Ensberg, with a 3 run hit that gave the Astros the lead in the 6th.
After Backe, Garner paraded a long line of relievers that started with Rodriguez, who was somewhat unsure of himself; stretch or windup? Hickey came out and told him, windup. Springer, the bright spot in the relief corp, had a blazing fastball, went 1.2 strong, and then Gallo for one batter. Dot, in the 8th, was uncharacteristically off. He gave up a tying 2 run homer that may have been one of the least hard hit balls of the inning. Qualls followed and couldn't hold the tie giving up the go ahead single with the bases loaded.
Then comes the 9th, enter Sandman. 2 quick outs, then Vizcaino lined one off the 3bs glove, Taveras bounced one to the slow learner at short who, as he had done previously, laid back on the groundball and Taveras beat it. 2 on, 2 outs, up comes Biggio, who knew, he just knew, that Wagner wasn't going to get beat with anything but his best pitch.
Day off, meet in Milwaukee on Friday.
