The rain delay was 192 minutes, the Astros weren?t going anywhere until this one was done. The Pirates management offered the 12,000 some odd fans in Pittsburgh who thought a ballgame was better than being at work a replacement ticket to another game, including OD 2007. Also, they gave them a small hot dog. Most took them up on the offer. Some, however, said ?oh hell no, I?ve come this far and I?m going to see what this game called baseball is all about.?
Roy Oswalt gave them a quick glimpse. He went 7 shutout innings under a constant drizzle in typical Oswalt fashion; the game lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes then the guys got on the bus and headed to Atlanta.
There was little to interrupt the flow of the game. The top 4 Astro hitters were 0-14. The bottom of the order, Burke, Lane, Everett, combined for 3 hits, all bunched in the 5th. Add a hit by pitch and 2 walks, including Oswalt with the bases loaded, with the 3 hits scored 3 runs.
Roy took the lead into the 6th. The Oswalt Inning. With 2 outs, the bases were loaded, Nady at the bat, and then this happened,
(from an eyewitness) "Roy threw a great pitch that sawed off that cocksucker Nady. Nady squibbed the goddamn thing toward SS, but so goddamn slow that just about anyone faster than Xavier Nady was safe easy.
Everett had to charge hard, barehanded the ball at the edge of the infield grass with one finger, flew around the planet backwards a few times, stopped the time-space continuum, returned to earth, threw to first, and got Nady by one RCH (red cunt hair).
It was a pretty routine play."
The Link After that, T Miller, Qualls and Lidge closed down the 8th and 9th.
On to Atlanta
