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Double the Fun
With four double plays the Astros’ defense proved they still have what it takes to win a game Saturday.
First Inning
The Astros started the first inning off with a run, giving me hope that maybe this game would be different from most of the others so far this season. When the Nationals tied the game in the bottom of the first I still hoped that although it may take some fighting we can beat them tonight.
Second Inning
Three outs came way too easily this inning for the Astros. When Belliard scored a run off Flores’ line drive to center field I noticed Lance Berkman, who normally can’t shut up, for the first time appeared speechless.
Third Inning
Another inning in which three outs for the Astros came way too easily. We finally did something in the third inning with a double play. Now if we could just get our defense on this same level for the rest of the game we might have a chance.
Fourth Inning
Pence hit a two run homer which put the Astros ahead 3-2. I knew I loved this boy. I think he has a lot of potential. Who knows? Maybe he’ll be the next Craig Biggio if he stays with the Astros throughout his career. And finally the Nationals had a too easy three out inning.
Fifth Inning
Berkman’s double line drive to left center field reminded me of who the Astros are and why Astros fans continue to believe in them even if they have had a rough season this time around. Putting the Astros’ lead to 5-2, Berkman is everything the Astros always have been. Pence proved himself once again with a line drive to left field which got Berkman home, giving the Astros a 6-2 lead against the Nationals. Wandy struck out leaving three runners on base but the rest of the inning made this very forgivable.
Sixth Inning
The Nationls got two runs this inning but a 1-2-3 double play by Chris Sampson redeemed his earlier mistake of hitting Flores with a pitch allowing a walk and a run for the Nationals.
Eight Inning
The Astros got their fourth double play of the game in this inning. Good job guys! Keep that going.
Ninth Inning
With a two run lead in the bottom of the ninth I prayed Valverde would come through for us and ends this quickly. And its 1, 2, 3 strikes they’re out at the old ball game!
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A final gift from a friend
AP photo
Our late city editor, Gary Willmon, sat in the cubicle next to me. If anyone was an Astros fan, he was. We used to talk about the Astros’ previous night’s game every morning before most of the rest of the office rolled in. One year for his birthday I gave him an Astros cap, which he loved.
He had signed up for raffles for Yankees and Red Sox tickets and actually won for both of them. He decided he wanted to go to a Yankees game, so he offered to let me buy his Red Sox tickets. Because it was his account that won the raffle, he had to buy the tickets, I just told him which seats to buy and so on. The tickets were mailed to him and I just paid him back with a check.
Anyone that knows Gary knows he gets excited about the little things. He told me after the exchange was made, “Dude! That worked out pretty great! You get to see them play the Red Sox now!”
I just smiled politely and kept doing whatever I was doing. I’ve been to around 25 Astros games, including playoffs and some great Roger Clemens games. I’ve even been in the press box and attended Clemens’ final press conference in Houston as an Astro. I wasn’t too jazzed about a Red Sox-Astros home game.
Of course, Gary died just a few weeks ago. He couldn’t even use the Yankees tickets he had.
I looked for the tickets the other day and saw Gary Willmon’s address label on them. It made me a little sad, just like anytime I see his name on something or a picture of him.
My wife and I went to the game Saturday and witnessed what may be my favorite regular-season game ever. The ballpark was split about 60/40 on Astros/Red Sox fans and the atmosphere was like something you’d see at a college bowl game, except the fans were mixed together.
All night there were dualing “Let’s go Red Sox” and “Let’s go Astros” chants. When Boston was up 4-0, they started a “It’s all over” chant, only to be outdone by their own “It’s all over” chant when Houston took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the same inning.
Of course it wasn’t over as Boston regained the lead in the sixth inning. But Houston came storming right back and eventually won, 11-10. When Lance Berkman hit a double down the line in the eighth inning, I just raised my arms in the air and soaked it all in. It was a moment I’ll never forget.
Little did I know Gary really had something to get excited about when he bought those tickets for me. And I’m so happy I took him up on the offer and I’ll always remember I have him to thank for that experience.
Thanks, Gary.
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Rangers Get the Boot
The Associated Press
The Astros played one of their best games of the year tonight, but couldn’t quite make the 12 runs needed to win the Silver Boot this year. Better luck next year, guys.
First Inning
I knew I could count on Hunter Pence. Ok…so he could have potentially hit a grand slam but seriously, a three run triple works for me.
Second Inning
The Astros proved in the second inning they still had it making me think we might win that silver boot after all! Newhan started the inning off with a 2 run double after Quintero and Rodriguez each hit singles. Berkman’s hit got Newhan home. Lee’s double got Berkman home. By the end of the second inning the Astros only needed 5 more runs to win the boot!
Fourth Inning The Astros had me super excited in this inning. My heart was racing when my man, Hunter Pence came up to bat with three on and potential for a grand slam, but Pence got out when Young caught a soft line drive and Wiggington came up to help get the third out, leaving three men stranded and my heart broken.
Eight Inning
Rangers’ David Murphy ruined the possible shut out Rodriguez almost had. Disappointing, but considering how well the astros were hitting tonight I think I’m OK with it. Plus Bourn’s catch of that drive to center field almost all the way to the hill and then the double play following that lifted my spirits again. Good job Wandy! Nine strikeouts in eight innings!
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Help has arrived
I apologize for the lack of updates but I’m pleased to announce that a couple of fellow LDNers, Brittony Lund and Samantha Johnson, have volunteered to help out with the blog. So now you can see some renewed enthusiasm on this blog and a different perspective.
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Offense yet to wake up
The Associated Press
For the last seven games, the Astros have failed to score any more than three runs in a game. Tonight was no different in their 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh.
Three random thoughts
- Brandon Backe was the losing pitcher, but except for a home run in the first inning and a fluke base hit in the fifth inning, he would have pitched a scoreless game. He gave up a three-run homer to Jason Michaels with two outs in the first. In the fifth, Nate McLouth got on with two-out infield roller and Jason Bay tripled him in.
- The bullpen kept the game close for the Astros as Chris Sampson and Doug Brocall pitched scoreless innings.
- Brad Ausmus and Ty Wiggington each had two-hit games.
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Astros flat in loss to Cubs
AP photo
After a recent red-hot run for the Astros, they’ve lost their third in four games, this time a 7-2 loss to the Cubs. Here’s hoping they can nip this in the bud and get back to their winning ways.
Three random thoughts
- Lance Berkman and Hunter Pence saw their hitting streaks come to an end. Pence was robbed of his after Jim Edmonds did his usual Astros-killing defensive play. Berkman jjust flat-out looked bad, striking out three times.
- A couple of other Astros powerhouses, Miguel Tejada and Carlos Lee, combined for a 3-for-8 night.
- Brian Moehler went five innings and gave up three runs, which is pretty fair considering he belongs in the bullpen.
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Comeback effort wasted
The Associated Press
The red-hot Astros may have met their match in the red-hot Rangers. The Astros again overcame a six-run deficit, but then gave up eight unanswered runs to lose, 16-8.
Three random thoughts
- Shawn Chacon again avoided a decision. He was pulled when the score was 8-2, but the Astros charged back with eight runs to tie the game and keep Chacon from getting the loss. That’s nine starts without a decision.
- The Astros D gave up five errors for the game. Save an exceptional play by Hunter Pence in the outfield, the play was extremely sloppy.
- Pence and Lance Berkman kept their hitting streaks alive. That’s 14 and 15, respectively.
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Five in a row
The Associated Press
This is five wins in a row, and all have been exciting comeback wins. It seems the team has full confidence in getting a win, no matter what the score. They’ve overcome 4-0 deficits and a two-run deficit in the ninth inning with Eric Gagne on the hill. Tonight, they overcame a 2-0 deficit and won it again in the bottom of the ninth.
Three random thoughts
- Kaz Matsui used some heads-up baserunning in the ninth. A ball got away from the catcher when he was on second base and he made a great jump and got to third. That forced the outfield to play in with just one out and Carlos Lee popped it over the centerfielder’s glove for the win.
- A day after he went 5-for-5, Lance Berkman tied a club record with eight straight hits. His eighth hit was a monstrous home run over the railroad tracks.
- After a horrible season start, Jose Valverde has taken a 180. I don’t know if he’s given up a run in the last two weeks. His ERA is now below that of Roy Oswalt.
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The drama continues
AP photo
The Astros pulled off another exciting win, this time a 6-5 win over the Nationals that was won in the eighth inning. Prior to that, the lead changed hands three times. The Nats scored runs in the second, fifth, seventh and eighth innings but the Astros answered with their own runs in the bottom halves of those same innings, in addition to the run they scored in the third.
Three random thoughts
- Carlos Lee was 3-for-4 with three RBI, including the go-ahead double in the eighth inning, which came when Austin Kearns dove and missed a line drive in right field.
- Lance Berkman continued his monster season with a 5-for-5 performance with two doubles and an RBI. He even stole two bases.
- Shawn Chacon has yet to get a decision in seven starts. Before tonight, it was fortunate because he deserved wins. But tonight he gave up four runs through seven innings and the offense bailed him out.
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Game eventually over
The Associated Press
It took a blown save by Eric Gagne and some 12th-inning heroics, but the Astros did pull off the sweep of Milwaukee with an 8-6 win.
- Chris Sampson got rocked early on, and the bullpen stepped up huge, allowing just one run through 8.2 innings. Geoff Geary, Wesley Wright, Doug Brocail, Jose Valverde and Tim Byrdak didn’t allow any runs.
- The box score shows that Hunter Pence was only 1-for-6, but he was one of the heroes of the day as his two-run homer in the 12th was the game-winner. That’s three homers in as many days for Pence.
- Lance Berkman was 4-for-5 today with four RBI and a homer of his own. He’s been hot since the start and has 10 home runs through the first 32 games. That puts him on a 51-homer pace.
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Long ball gives Astros exciting win
The Associated Press
For four innings, it looked like the Astros didn’t have a clue how to hit. They didn’t have a baserunner until the fourth inning and were down 4-0. But they made their big comeback in the sixth inning, scoring four runs after scoring two in the fifth. One more run in the eighth made the final score 7-4 for the Astros’ win.
Three random thoughts
- The fourth inning saw back-to-back-to-back home runs by Miguel Tejada, Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee that tied, gave them the lead and extended the lead for the Astros. This trio is going to one of the most feared in baseball, especially with …
- … Hunter Pence behind them. Pence, who before today had been struggling, hit two home runs. His big game raised his batting average to a respectable .260.
- Roy Oswalt struggled off and on and gave up four runs (three earned) but hung in the game and ate up some innings before handing the game over to the bullpen. Oswalt’s ability to hang around gave him his fourth win of the season.
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Double digits again
The Associated Press
What a great back-and-forth game. The Astros went up 2-0, but the Padres got the lead with a three-run homer by Adrian Gonzalez in the sixth inning. The Astros scored five more runs in the sixth and seventh innings. The Padres scored four of their own in the eighth before the Astros answered back with four for the 11-7 win in the eighth. That’s two games in a row where the Astros scored in the double digits.
Three random thoughts
- Jose Valverde got a blown save, but actually played the role of hero. The blown save came when he entered the game with one out in the eighth inning and a runner on third. Khalil Greene hit a sac fly to drive in the runner. But Valverde got out of the inning and the Astros scored four more runs to give Valverde the win.
- I’d like for E60 to come up with some report that Miguel Tejada is 35 tomorrow. Ever since the report came out that he’s actually 33, he has been red-hot. Tonight, he went 4-for-5 with a double and two RBI.
- Kaz Matsui had another multi-hit game since he’s come back from anal fissures. Tonight, he was 2-for-5 with two RBI and a double.
- Like I said, starting pitching was one of the main factors. Roy Oswalt has put together two great starts after starting the season with three bad ones. Tonight he lasted seven innings and gave up three runs off of six hits and two walks while striking out six. Two of the runs came on homers. It shows to me that once he got the big lead, he needed to make the Padres hitters earn their runs and he limited the walks.
- Miguel Tejada went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. He’s batting .342 and has 16 RBI. All this talk of steroids and aging hasn’t gotten to him.
- Newcomer Tim Byrdak and Oscar Villarreal pitched the last two innings and shut down the Padres’ bats to close out the win.
- I was pretty confident that if the Astros could get to the bullpen early they would have a really good shot at winning since the Rockies went 22 innings last night. But the Rockies offense gave the team a 6-0 cushion and once the Rockies bullpen did enter the game, they only gave up one run. But the bullpen is just as spent now as it was before the game so maybe the Astros can still squeeze a win out of it.
- Speaking of bullpens, the Astros’ is almost in just as bad of shape having pitched five innings yesterday and 8 1-3 tonight. Here’s hoping Wandy Rodriguez can go about seven innings tomorrow.
- It’s good to see Hunter Pence go 3-for-4 tonight after getting off to a rough start.
- Shawn Chacon pitched eight innings of shutout ball, giving up four hits and two walks. But he threw 109 pitches so I can’t blame Cecil Cooper for pulling him in the ninth. Chacon has a 2.25 ERA and no decisions.
- The “Big Three,” Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee and Miguel Tejada, went a combined 5-for-9 with one RBI.
- Former Astros fan favorite Eric Bruntlett got the start in Philly and went 1-for-2 with a stolen base.
- Shawn Chacon gave up just four hits through six innings, but the walks did him in as he handed out four free passes. That forced Cecil Cooper to hand it to the bullpen in the seventh inning.
- The third inning was the only inning of offense for the Astros as a Miguel Tejada double scored Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman. Tejada then scored on a wild pitch to give the Astros the lead. I’m having a hard time believing that the Pence-Berkman-Lee-Tejada group will keep the Astros from winning. Especially if the pitching stays solid.
- Geoff Geary gave up a two-run double with two outs in the eighth inning to Troy Glaus which gave the Cardinals the lead for good. Geary was tagged with the loss.
- Jose Valverde came into the ninth inning with a 3-0 lead. By the time he left, the score was 3-3. Valverde gave up a leadoff single to Aaron Miles, but did the unacceptable by walking Cesar Izturis. A couple hits later and the score was tied. Valverde is off to a bad start but did earn the win for his efforts.
- Valverde’s blown save ruined a stellar performance by Wandy Rodriguez. We’re talking 7.1 innings, NO runs, NO walks and just three hits allowed. He was pulled after giving up a base hit but Doug Brocall closed out the inning by inducing a double play.
- The game was scoreless in the seventh inning until Lance Berkman crushed a homer to center field. Then Carlos Lee crushed one to the train tracks. It’s a sight Astros fans could get used to this year.
- The first inning was a killer. The Astros had men on second and third and nobody out. But Darin Erstad struck out and Michael Bourn was thrown out trying to score on a fly out by Carlos Lee.
- Oscar Villarreal was tagged with the loss after giving up a seventh-inning home run to Derek Lee. That broke the 2-2 tie and the Cubs held it.
- A Miguel Tejada home run in the seventh inning tied the game. It was Tejada’s first homer of the season and he improved his batting average to .231.
- Dave Borkowski pitched a scoreless eighth inning to keep the game within a run. he’s been dependable for three years now.
- Jimy Williams. Phil Garner. Cecil Cooper. What do these three have in common? They all like to sit starters. Tomas Perez, Geoff Blum and Erstad got the starts. I understand that Lance Berkman and Ty Wiggington are still hurting from yesterday, but that should mean that guys like Mark Loretta are just going to have to miss a day off for the greater good of the team.
- With one out in the eighth inning and down by a run, Lance Berkman stole third. This put him in position to score on a sacrifice fly by Carlos Lee, who is the king of the sac fly. I really love that the Astros are trying to take the extra base in appropriate situations. This was something I think they missed out on last year and the new philosophy will win some games for the Astros this year. Berkman finished the game 3-for-5 with three RBI, which came on his home run in the ninth inning.
- Wandy Rodriguez only lasted five innings, giving up four runs. He usually gets off to a good start before hitting a wall, so this performance really concerns me.
- Geoff Geary, whoever the heck he is, and Jose Valverde pitched the final three innings. Valverde gave up the lead but ultimately picked up the win with a scoreless ninth. Geary was the only pitcher to not give up a run.
- Geoff Blum, that crazy third baseman that beat the Astros in Game 3 of the ‘05 World Series, got his first start of the season and went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
- Hunter Pence was 2-for-5 and drove in Jose Cruz Jr. to tie the game. That was with two outs, so it was obviously key in keeping the game going to give Berkman a chance for the win.
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Bats silent again
AP photo
Two games, one run. I thought this was a new offense?
Five random thoughts
- The Astros had their first run of the season in the sixth inning when Michael Bourn walked with the bases loaded.
- Brandon Backe pitched five innings and didn’t give up any runs until the fourth inning off a two run homer by Scott Hairston. It’s good seeing Backe pitch well on the road, something he normally doesn’t do. He was pulled for pinch hitter Jose Cruz, Jr. I don’t think Backe should ever be pulled for a pinch hitter. He bats as good as anyone and it wastes a player.
- Michael Bourn is having an exciting run this early in the season. He’s stolen three this season and has covered center field very well. Anyone who can push Hunter Pence out of center has to be good.
- Oscar Villereal and Doug Brocail shut down the Padres in the last two innings. Seems like the pitching we have worried about is doing fine so far.
- The story of the game was Trevor Hoffman closing the game after blowing a couple saves down the stretch last season. I’m sure Padres fans are breathing easier after seeing him shut down the Astros. But maybe that’s not such a large feat.
- A couple months agao, I had tried to get tickets to Craig Biggio’s last game of his career, which will be Sunday. I wanted to see him play at catcher, which was the plan. But the game had sold out so I settled for his next-to-last game, which was tonight. Then I found out he decided to catch tonight so I was very pleased.
- Biggio did alright behind the plate. Nothing got by him. It was really weird to see him with the equipment on again but I’m glad he got to do it. The Braves had a couple runners on in the first two innings but didn’t try to run on him, probably more out of respect than fear for his arm.
- Brandon Backe was pumped for this game, and when he’s pumped it usually means trouble for the opposing team. He lasted six innings and gave up just one run. Here’s hoping he has more to get pumped for next season.
- Backe wasn’t too shabby at the plate either. He fouled off several pitches in the fifth inning before connecting on a right-center shot to for a home run. That run ended up being the winning one.
- Lost in everything else was that Brad Ausmus got the start at second base, his first start at a position besides catcher in his career. I wonder where Ausmus will be next year. I’m pretty sure he won’t be the starting catcher for Houston. I can see him maybe signing with San Diego in a back-up role.
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Saying bye to Bidge
AP photoFive random thoughts from Astros’ 3-2 win over Braves
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Astros all-around effort gives them a win
The Associated Press
A solid effort by the offense (10 runs), starting pitching (three runs allowed through seven) and the bullpen (no runs allowed through two innings) gave the Astros an easy 10-3 win Monday night over the Padres.
Three random thoughts
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Sampson rocked in first and Rockies run away with win
AP photo
Chris Sampson tried his Jason Jennings impersonation and almost pulled it off by lasting two-thirds of an inning and giving up six runs. But Sampson is pretty resilient and I have confidence that he’ll bounce back. But for now his ERA has shot up to 8.74.
Three random thoughts
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Valverde avoids another save
AP photo
Another excellent start by an Astros starter was ruined by the bullpen “ace,” Jose Valverde. Valverde has blown two saves and his ERA has climbed to 11.37. Tonight, he had a 3-0 lead and promptly gave up a homer, hit a batter, struck out a hitter, gave up a homer, struck out a hitter who got to first on a passed ball and gave up a double to give the Phillies a 4-3 win.
Three random thoughts
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Cardinals take back-and-forth battle
Shawn Chacon pitched well enough to carry the Astros, but the bullpen couldn’t hold the game and the offense couldn’t provide anymore help as the Cardiinals won, 5-3.
Three random thoughts
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Tejada saves the day
AP photo
Miguel Tejada made his Minute Maid debut a good one with a game-winning homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Astros an exciting 5-3 win.
Three random thoughts
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Bats fail Backe again
AP photo
Brandon Backe again pulled off a quality road start, giving up just two runs through six innings but the Astros could only muster two runs themselves and lost, 3-2.
Five random thoughts
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Astros come out on top in back-and-forth affair
AP photo
The Astros played last night like most expected them to coming into the season. The pitching wasn’t good enough, but the offense earned their pay by sixth and eighth innings before putting the Padres away in the ninth inning. With two outs and nobody on, the Astros hitters managed to score four runs in a total team effort to win the game, 9-6.
Five random thoughts
Latest comments
Gary was THE MAN! Nicest guy I ever met. Lufkin and the world needs more people like him. I guess I’m glad that he’s not suffering anymore though.
... read the full comment by Michael Bergman | Comment on A final gift from a friend Read A final gift from a friend
A little of subject, but I wanted to touch on the upcoming draft which is a big issue for the astros. New regime needs to make a statement. Word is they are really high on Ricky Oropesa out of Rancho Cucamonga. He is flying in in a few weeks to take BP
... read the full comment by Alan | Comment on Five in a row Read Five in a row
Is this a daily blog? The newspaper is a daily, why not the blog? Is it only a blog when the Astros are doing well or just when Jeff puts on his Astros cap, Astros Jersey, sunglasses (so he tries to look like a ballplayer) and his Astros underroos.
... read the full comment by James | Comment on Astros end successful road trip with loss Read Astros end successful road trip with loss
That was clearly Bork’s fault. He threw wide and Munson was pulled off base. He may have gotten one but lost handle trying to get into position off balance. Pitcher’s error. Oh well. They scored a heck of alot of runs.
... read the full comment by skip | Comment on Astros outscore Padres 11-7 in final eight innings Read Astros outscore Padres 11-7 in final eight innings