Astros 2, Twins 5

Astros Recap
Yahoo Recap

Astros Highlights:

Well, Oswalt finally pitched a complete game. 8 innings of a complete game anyway. He gave up 5 runs on 10 hits, 4 K’s and 4 BB’s. Nice that he pitched a complete game, I really wish he could have gotten a win. I thought he did a good job.

Michael Bourn, was 0-1 with 2 walks. He got caught stealing in the 1st, not really. But what you gonna do? He also hit a sacrifice fly to score Kaz Matsui.

Lance Berkman went 0-2 with 2 walks. He was safe on his stolen base attempt.

Darrin Erstad went 2 for 2 on the night. Maybe he is getting his stroke a little bit. I hope so, he seems like a good guy.

Twins Highlights:

They hit 4 doubles, 2 by Delmon Young.

Kevin Slowey got his 10th win of the season. He had 6 K’s in his 6 innings of work. He also only allowed one run. Did just enough to let his bullpen finish it for a win.

Joe Nathan recorded his 16th save of the season and 216 of his career.

Game Analysis:

I have nothing new. The lights in the Metrodome suck. That place looks like it sucks. I bet even the Twins are ready for a new stadium. Anyone know if it has a retractable roof? If it doesn’t, it should.

I don’t understand why Miguel Tejada is batting third. Yeah, I know he’s got a good average and all, but really Cooper, why?

I am thinking that since Cooper didn’t use the bullpen tonight (not that I think he should have) he is going to use them like a kid with a couple bucks in a candy store in the next two games.

I do think the Twins look like a pretty good team. I would feel better about the Astros if they could win 2 of 3 from the Twins. If they don’t, I wouldn’t be upset if they ended up being sellers this year. Our “trash” could be someone’s treasure.

Bench Highlights:

Check out the GameZone for some kind of discussion.

Taras Bulba did the series preview. And I agree, I hate interleague play. Why do you have to change the National League because your pitchers can’t run. Freaking pansies. I bet their jock straps have ruffles on them.

I decided to share a story regarding my dad in honor of Father’s day. (I hope it is not one that I’ve shared before, if it is enjoy it again.) One I think that seems to be pretty special and sports related is this one. I was a freshman in high school I was running in a cross country district meet. After I finished 2nd (yes, I was able to run a bit back then, regionals was different) and my dad was there at the end of the finish line. I didn’t know he was going to be there, but like most of my life, he’s been there. He’s a great man. I am blessed. I hope all you dads are there for your little girls and boys. As you know, we don’t forget the things that may seem little.

Thursday, June 18th 2009

Astros 5
Rangers 3

W: Arias (1-0) | L: Jennings (2-2) | S: Valverde (3)

astros.com
AP via Yahoo!
Game Zone

I hate fucking interleague baseball. There’s no way I could sum up the reasons better than Andyzipp, but I wanted to make sure everyone knew I was on board with my disgust. This idea really can’t be that popular, can it? Since it fucks the balance of the season anyway, why don’t they just have it in the only place that cares about it, New York?

The ‘Silver Boot’ (I even hate indulging in the goofiness of it) was already safely in the Rangers’ trophy case when they met tonight on Thermal Field at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. So really, what else was there to play for? Well, for the Astros, I suspect that six straight punkings by the other team in Texas would leave a somewhat bad taste in one’s mouth heading into a tough series at the Twins.

Anticipation was high (as was the HR over/under) for Brandon Backe’s first start back from a long DL stint and he didn’t disappoint, depending on your perspective. He didn’t really look good, but then he kept the Astros in it for the 4 innings he labored. Solo dongs in the 1st and 2nd set an ominous tone but Brandon settled somewhat and turned it over to Wright at 3-0 Rangers after doing all he could to keep the wheels on in the 4th.

Defensively, the Astros combined for sloppiness AND stellar plays. Kepp’s stab and throw DP in the 3rd was awesome. Q’s throw to 3rd in the 4th was not. Guther snagged a blistering fly ball headed to the wall and was able to gun it to 1st in time for huge DP in the 5th.

The Good Guys scratched one out in the 5th on a 2-out double by Estad followed by a single by Q. They got closer in the 6th with a run on a Kepp walk, Miggy single and then a sneaky single into right by Lee. A Berkman walk loaded them up with no outs for PENCE!!! No dice, K. Kaz up next and Taylor Teagarden had a whiff of his own, letting a pitch sail right past his glove to the backstop, scoring Miggy. That’s all they could do for that threat but it was a whole new ballgame.

Wright did an excellent job holding back the Rangers for 2.2, he had a huge K of Davis, the last batter he faced, with a runner on 2nd and 1 out. Arias then came in and K’d Teagarden for his only work.

Top 8, Beaker senses there’s some actual drama to be had from this god-forsaken match up and takes matters into his own hands. The hometown boy delivered a textbook Arlington fly ball to deep center that landed on the grassy knoll. Go, Arlington Boy, GO! That ended up being all the Astros needed on this night, despite the insurance run on a SWEET triple by Bourn later in the inning.

Papa Grande’s first save opportunity since returning from the DL was interesting. A leadoff single, but then a ground out FC, a steal of 2nd, then a K. Next batter, PH AndrUw Jones laced a liner into RF. PENCE!!! says, “I ain’t done dazzlin’!” and dives for the catch and the win!

Fucking good thing this interleague shit is over. What? Eh? Oh.

Astros at Rangers,
6/17/09
Rangers 5, Astros 4
W: Wilson (4-3),
L: Fulchino (2-2)
HR: (takes deep breath…) Lee, Pence, Cruz, and Saltalamacchia
Box Score
McTaggart’s recap

The Houston Astros decided to play Little League baseball in a Little League park last night. I don’t say this too, often, but I agree with Coop:

“Just no offensive execution when we needed it,” Cooper said. “That’s really unacceptable. We’ve been playing pretty good baseball, but that’s unacceptable. We kicked the ball around and threw it around, and that’s unacceptable. I don’t care how well we’ve been playing. That game is not a game we should be playing like that.

What went wrong?

• Jason Michaels – I signing I really liked, but who has had just a miserable season – lost a ball in the sun in the first for a pop-fly double to Kinsler;
• Pudge then threw the ball away as Kinsler stole third, allowing the tying run;
• Miggy was able to ground into 2 DP’s, one because he slipped getting out of the box;
• The Rangers took the lead on an Omar Vizquel single, another E2 and a nice hustle play by Vizquel to make third, and a sac fly;
• Michaels looking nothing like a MLB hitter when fanning on 3 pitches with 2nd and 3rd and one out;
• Bourn failing to bunt a leadoff runner over in the 9th, then being gunned down on an absolutely perfect throw by Saltalamacchia;
• Keppinger’s ole bullshit leading off the bottom of the 10th, leading to the winning run;
• Michaels and Bourn nearly colliding on a routine pop up barely past the SS with the OF and IF pulled in in the 10th.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

Well, Bourn continues to look like a leadoff man, manufacturing the first run all by his lonesome. The Astros are apparently done Searching for Bobby Fischer, and he loves hitting in Arlington. But then again, who doesn’t? Ortiz, regardless of the 4 R allowed, actually pitched very well and deserved a better fate. And yes, congratulations to Pudge for squatting more often than any other player, ever. Also, congrats to Vizquel, who set the record for hits by a Venezuelan player, passing the great Luis Aparicio.

Other observations:

• Whatever name it goes by, that stadium is a joke. All 4 home runs were of the “get it up into the jet stream, let it just clear the fence” variety.
• Fox decided to swap PBP guys for an inning. I think Lewin tried to show how much he had researched the Astros, talking up David Murphy and Matt Purke as local boys (and correctly placing Klein High in Spring, no less) and comparing Nelson Cruz to Richard Hidalgo, but honestly, my ears were bleeding too much to make sense of it.
• Kabong is hurtin’ for certain. He took approximately 2 hours to round the bases on his HR, and was noticeably limping.
• The Rangers somehow make red, white, and blue look hideous. I have neer before seen this accomplished. Exhibit A: the blue catcher’s gear against the red unis.

Rangers get the sweep, again, as Brandon Backe “pitches” for the Astros in the closer.

Astros 1, Rangers 6
Astros lose the battle for the Silver Boot.
W: Kevin Millwood, L: Wandy Rodriguez

Astros Recap
Yahoo Recap

Astros highlights:

Congrats to Ivan Rodriguez for his record catching game. Hopefully tomorrow you will get a win for your record breaking game. And may you hit a homerun in that one also.

I’m glad Michael Bourn is still batting lead-off. He has been doing a good job at that role. Minus the “stolen base” attempt in the first, he does what I want out of a lead off hitter.

Alberto Arias did a good job in relief going 3 innings of scoreless baseball. That, young man, is an excellent way to help your team. Tim Byrdak pitched the 8th without giving up any runs.

Rangers highlights:

Ian Kinsler hit two homeruns off of Wandy in the first inning then in the second inning, got a walk for his third plate appearance. Wandy might want to consider just tossing a softball pitch at him so he doesn’t have to waste a good pitch on him and limit the damage to one base the next time he pitches to him. Ian went 3 for 4 on the night. I hope Russ Ortiz and Mike Hampton keep him off the bases.

Kevin Millwood was the Cy Young pitcher this game. Seems like the first pitcher the Astros face in a series is good enough to win the Cy Young that game. He only gave up 4 hits in 7 innings of work. Of course, the Astros helped him a bit.

Game Analysis:

I have to say that the Astros offensively did not look ready to play this game. I do not think the best defense was out there. Nothing against Darrin Erstad, but when was the last time he started a game? Glad he’s getting the work. Kaz Matsui looked rusty also.

I am also going on the record saying Wandy Rodriguez is not an Ace. This team doesn’t really have one. Every pitcher has to deal with umpires that don’t necessarily make the calls you want or deserve. You have to pitch through it. Hopefully he does better in his next start.

Hunter Pence hopefully does a better job showing off for his peeps than he did in this game. I’m assuming that his peeps were there since he is from Arlington, Texas.

It is hotter than Hades in the Arlington area. Apparently there is nothing to do during the day. Boot be dammed. Maybe I could blame the heat, or the day off, or even the pressure of winning the Silver Boot for Drayton, as a reason for this team losing but I will not. I have not exactly made it a secret that I do not have a lot of faith that this team will do their second half magic as they have for the past 5 years. I’ll even go out on a limb and say the Astros get swept this series. They’ve been doing good for the past 5 series, but they just haven’t really shown me anything making them seem like they are turning a corner.

Bench Tidbits:

You want to know the best way to watch this game? Go work out after work. Run a couple errands, change the shoe strings in your tennis shoes, cook dinner, take a shower. Then sit down and watch the game in fast forward. Any special moments needed to pay attention were highlighted in the Gamezone.

Check out Jane Doe’s Series Preview. She’ll sing for you.