Astros at Reds, Memorial Day 2009
Reds 8, Astros 5
W: Harang (5-4), L: Wandy (5-3), S: Cordero (12)
Box score
Footer still on the job
It is axiomatic that good teams find ways to win games, and bad teams find ways to lose games.
It is clear into which category the 2009 Houston Astros fall.
8, yes, 8, unearned runs led to an 8-5 loss to begin the Astros’ road trip. Losing the first game of a road series is nothing unusual, but the manner in which the Astros accomplished this was the real story. Despite a 2-run cushion courtesy of Berkman’s typical GABP HR, the “Good Guys” went out to give it back, and then some. Miggy led things off by booting a routine grounder from Taveras, and the floodgates opened, figuratively and literally. Wandy had absolutely no command of his curveball, and after getting to 2 outs with 2 runs, Eny was unable to record that elusive third out, including an RBI single from Harang.
From there, the only question was when CB Bucknor would decide to call the rain delay. Strangely, he allowed things to proceed to 2 out in the 5th with one pitch already thrown to Pence. I suppose it’s not completely unheard of for an umpire to call the delay one out short of making the game official, but I can’t recall seeing it before. Even more unusual was Dusty Baker’s decision to risk his starter by bringing him back out for all of two batters after a two hour rain delay. (What am I saying? It’s Dusty Baker, a man with no regard for his starters’ arms.)
I’ll spare you the other sordid details of Q throwing a ball into the photo booth while trying to pick Hairston off of first, or Miggy forgetting to touch the bag on a DP. Rather, let’s leave this where we started: bad teams find ways to lose games.
“Ace” Roy Oswalt tries tonight to stop the losing streak that started with the lineup fiasco.
