Sunday, May 31, 2009

Astros 2
Pie’roots 1

W: Hampton (3-4) | L: Maholm (3-2) | S: Hawkins (6)

Some guy writer dude
AP via Yahoo!
Game Zone

I played golf this morning. I broke 100. I drank beer. It was a good day. The Astros beat the Pirates 2-1 in a pitcher’s duel of sorts. A satisfying Sunday.

I got home by the top of the 4th and the score was already 1-1. Hampton had been dealing, giving up just a solo shot in the bottom of the 1st to McLouth, one of only three hits Hampton gave up to that point and for the rest of his 7 innings. Ground balls the order of the day. In fact, all of the Pirate balls-in-play for outs were ground balls. JD says, “I could play the outfield today.”

The Astros got their 1 early run in the top of the 2nd. After a Twinkie walk, Michaels moved him to 2nd on a deep fly ball to the wall in center. Then Q knocked a chopper up the middle past the infield and Lance staggered around 3rd as McLouth airmailed his throw to the backstop.

Nifty defense helped Hampton out a few times but Pirates ne’er sniffed a threat all game. Aye!

The decider came in one fine piece of offensive puppetutes pompitus pizmotality. With 1 out in the 7th, Hampton singled after JD suggested he go deep. Slacker. Maysonet then singled and with Miggy up, Maholm’s 1-1 pitch clanked off Diaz’ glove and the runner’s advanced to 2nd and 3rd. Miggy then floated one over Dirty Sanchez’ head into shallow center sending Hampton home with the game winnah!

Sampson and Hawk did their jobs just fine, thank you! Astros walk away with a series win and a semi-high note heading home for 4 vs. the Rukkakies. I heard Brownie say something about Valverde joining the team for this series and stepping up his rehab in hopes for a return from the DL soon.

May 30, 2009

Pirates 7, Astros 4

Astros official site
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

W: Karstens L: Wandy S: Capps

PITTSBURGH (SnS) – The hapless Astros fell to the happy-ass Pirates in pretty PNC Park here Saturday evening, 7-4. The Pirates jumped to a lead in the first, with base hits falling everywhere, and they never looked back. The Astros attempted at a dramatic ninth inning rally when the Pirates bullpen appeared to start coming apart at the seams, but at no time did the comeback seem like anything other than a perfunctory effort, and never really possible. And predictably, it fell short.

One-Game Win Streak is: Over.

Wandy was: Wild. Wafting the ball in there. He got walloped, then was wiped out.

Backe is: Back. Beat up. Bullshit.

Offense is: Off. Out to lunch. Only hitting on three cylinders. Out of gas. Asthetically offensive.

Highlights of the game came from JD. First an Iron City Light reference, reminding this reporter of some wasted nights down in the Mon Valley, out in Coal Center and Charleroi, and like that. Then the Astros color man served up a Roger Whitaker reset, which you just don’t get on many MLB telecasts. Deshaies saved me, because the game otherewise basically sucked.

And it went downhill from there.

Alyson – sweet, departed Alyson – was on the post-game show. So there was that.

Anyway, be sure and tune in to tomorrow’s series finale. Ennui will eventually ensue.

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Astros 6, Pirates 1
W: Brian Moehler, L: Ross Ohlendorf

Astros Recap and Box Score
Yahoo Recap

This was a great game. First complete game of the season by an Astro pitcher. Did anyone have Brian Moehler in the pool? He hit his location and followed his game plan. He didn’t let Cecil Cooper pull him out in the 8th or 9th innings when he had runners on base. Congratulations for an outstanding game Mr. Moehler.

The crazy thing about that is he wasn’t the player of the game. That went to young Mr. Edwin Maysonet. He may have had a bit of Moehler fear in him though. In the post game interviews Mr. Maysonet was asked what Moehler told him before the start of the game. He said, “Catch the ball.” Moehler said, “That’s not it. I said, don’t mess up.” Well, he didn’t in the field or in the batters box. Mr. Maysonet went 4 for 4, 2 runs and 4 RBIs.

The thing about this game that I enjoyed the most is that Moehler stayed in to finish. I know the pitchers may not be able to finish everygame, but stop counting the damm pitches. I heard on the radio that Moehler had his the magic 100 number and I just knew Cooper was going to yank him. He ended up not doing so. I am thankful. Who decided that 100 was the number that a pitcher will hit the wall and start coughing up hits, runs, and walks? I’d personally like to kick him in his balls. I’m so sick of the pitch counts when pitchers are in games. Let them work through things. It could be helpful in a later game.

This was a great game since the Astros won, but I’m not going to jump back on the bandwagon just yet. I expect this or something close to it to happen quite a few more times before I think the team that lost 7 in a row isn’t the real Astros. I rather think it is somewhere in between.

Bench Tidbits:

I am hosting a softball party Saturday night. Should be interesting, too much drama for a church league.

Here’s Taras’ Series Preview. Read and you will either laugh or cry.

Here’s the GameZone for this game.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Astros 1
Redlegs 6

W: Arroyo (7-3) | L: Paulino (1-4)
HR: Bruce, repeatedly. Some other asshole, too.

Footer Recap
MLB Video Recap
AP! Recap! On Yahoo!
GameZone

What a pile of crap that was. This game had a little bit of everything – defensive blunders, mediocre pitching, thoroughly anemic offense – the only thing missing was excitement of any kind. Arroyo and Bruce absolutely killed the Good Guys. The best I can say is that it was over with quickly.

If you need more detail than that, feel free to click the links above. Enjoy your masochism, you fucking weirdo. You know, actually, let me save you some time – the highlight is a sac fly in the 1st. You’re welcome.

1521 – Martin Luther was banned by the Edict of Worms because of his religious beliefs and writings.
1805 – Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned King of Italy in Milan Cathedral.
1836 – The U.S. House of Representatives adopted what has been called the Gag Rule.
1868 – U.S. President Andrew Johnson was acquitted, by one vote, of all charges in his impeachment trial.
1896 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average appeared for the first time in the “Wall Street Journal.”
1908 – In Persia, the first oil strike was made in the Middle East.
1938 – The House Committee on Un-American Activities began its work of searching for subversives in the United States.
1940 – The evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk, France, began during World War II.
1946 – A patent was filed in the United States for an H-bomb.
1959 – The word “Frisbee” became a registered trademark of Wham-O.
1973 – Kathy Schmidt set an American women’s javelin record with a throw of 207 feet, 10 inches.
1975 – American stuntman Evel Knievel suffered severe spinal injuries in Britain when he crashed while attempting to jump 13 buses in his car.
1978 – The first legal casino in the Eastern U.S. opened in Atlantic City, NJ.
1998 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Ellis Island was mainly in New Jersey, not New York.
1998 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that police officers in high-speed chases are liable for bystander injuries only if their “actions shock the conscience.”
2009 – The Houston Astros lost their 6th straight.

Astros 4, Red 6
W: Nick Masset, L: Tim Byrdak, S: Francisco Cordero

Astros Recap
Yahoo Recap
Box Score

This team is just bad. I thought about writing something good about each player but decided I did not want to spend the whole night trying to come up with something for each player.

The theories as to why they are bad do not really matter. At this point, they are bad. Managing, starting pitching, hitting, relief pitching and fielding have all had their moments in the Astros suckitude this season.

I noticed a couple of weeks ago, when leaving an Astros game I was not as upset as I have been in the past after a loss. It took me a day or so to realize it is because I do not expect this team to win. My expectations for them as a team are probably higher for them than what they have for themselves.

But enough about my feelings. There are players that seem to have improved this season and they do make the games worth watching (besides it being baseball). Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence. Both of them have made improvements in their play. I’m happy for them, but it only seems to be upping their trade value at this time.

Astro highlights from the game:

Rodriguez’s double in the third to score two. I have to admit, I thought the Astros weren’t going to score at all.

Bourn’s catch in the bottom of the fourth inning was outstanding. Bourn’s catch at the wall.

Keppinger’s homerun.

Edwin Maysonet’s first RBI.

LaTroy Hawkins pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Bench Tidbits:

The Pittsburgh Penguins are waiting to play the Detroit Redwings (not yet time for the Chicago Blackhawks) in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals.

Read the GameZone for some game time reactions.

Check out JaneDoe’s series preview to see who Felipe Paulino is starting against.

“Astros need to step up and do a better job of it.” – Cecil Cooper