This one was about the pitching. Backe, for the 2nd game in a row was on. 7 innings, 3 hits, we?ll whistle past the 4 walks. And, the Pirates lineup, as it looks right now, aint that bad. Backe?s only hitch was in the 4th. Everett got handcuffed on a one hopper, an error called a hit. Then Backe left a couple pitches up, single and a sac, and the Pirates got their only run. Backe was up 2-1 at the time.
Wheeler K?d the side in the 8th. He had the tough inning, Nancy K?d screaming on a high fastball, Sanchez legged out a double. Jason Bay looked at a 3-2 fastball and turned on his heel. Xavier Nady whiffed at a 2-2 slider.
Then, the moment the Pirates had been waiting for, Lidge in the 9th. They were close, here was Lidge. Hoop te doo. Castillo flailed at 3 fastballs, the first at his eyes. Paulino whailed at 3 pitches. Randa pinch hitting, being the veteran that he is, made Lidge go to 4 pitches before whiffing.
As for offense, 3 runs were enough. Malholm walked the bases loaded in the 1st and if not for Nady?s muffed scoop on the 3 part of the 6-4-oops dp, they?d?ve scored nada.
Biggio popped a homer into the Crawfords with an assist by a fan reaching out. But, they called it. It's a homer, in the books now. The Astros third run, the only non-tainted run in JD?s estimation, came in the 6th. Ensberg walked, P Wilson, in a rare start against a lefthander, went Chopper. After he got tired of flinging bats in the stands he singled. Adam Everett threaded a double down the 3b line. Bouncing the ball off the wall of Dumbass Cove, nobody touched nothin and Ensberg scored.
Tomorrow again 7:05, Roy Oswalt might be able to pull himself out of his post-name-mentioned-in-a-trade-but-was-no-where-near-being-traded pout to face off against Shawn Chac?n.
