2005 SEASON

MAY 30-JUNE 1: CINCINATTI @ HOUSTON

MONDAY, MAY 30, 2005 (Game 50) – Cincinnati @ Houston

Cincinnati 9, Houston 0

Clemens is cursed. He should ask to be traded to a team that will appreciate him. He’s pitching as well as any time in his career – should have at least 9 wins by now – and the Astros are going to give him a losing record.

Another fine start by Clemens: Aside from one mistake (a homerun on a bad slider to Randa), he pitched another impressive game: Eight innings, 110 pitches, giving up 2 runs (on the HR), on 4 hits, 1 BB, and 7 Ks. After a single to center by Sean Casey in the third, Clemens retired the next 11 batters in a row and 16 of his last 17. His ERA is up to 1.30 – still best in the major leagues; his 76 strikeouts are second in the NL. The Astros completely failed him again today, in front of a very quiet sold-out Minute Maid Park, with their 9th shutout loss of the season.

The Astros have only scored 18 runs in Clemens’ 11 starts this season, and have been shut out in 4 of them. For some reason, he isn’t blaming the team for letting him down. "I just very much dislike putting my guys down 2-0. It's disappointing. I just don't want it to wear on them and it is. We're just not that good right now." Geez.

The Astros wore their blood red Sunday best, in honor of the Memorial Day holiday.

High points:

Taveras went 2 for 4, and got a stolen base (#17) after his first hit. But he was caught stealing the second time.

Disappointments:

• Just about everything. No hitting. No runs. The second thru fifth batters in the Astros lineup were 0 for 15 today. Biggio was the only one of them to get on base – and that was because he was hit by a pitch in the 9th (#6 for the year, and 262 career).
  

• So Clemens pitched 8 innings, and gave up 2 runs. But the Astros lost by 9… Where did the other 7 come from? The Astros relief pitching outdid themselves in badness today, with Franco and Springer sharing the dishonors – coming into the top of the 9th, down by 2, still a remote chance of pulling off a win… and they totally blew it. First Franco gave up three consecutive hits, allowing 3 runs to score. Then Springer allowed two hits and a walk, struck out one, then gave up a homer – total damage: 4 more runs. The good news: Qualls didn’t give up any runs for a change; he got rid of the last two batters.
  

Notes on the Other Good Guys:

• The Nats won at home, 3-2. Another win for Okha, who pitched 7 innings, with 3 hits and no earned runs.
  

Notes on the Other Bad Guys:

• Pittsburgh beat Florida, 3-2, in 10.
  

• The rest of the NL Central teams are playing late games.
  

Final123456789RHE

Cincinnati       0200000079       100

Houston          00000000005 0

W: A. Harang (4-2) L: R. Clemens (3-3)

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TUESDAY, MAY 31, 2005 (Game 51) – Cincinnati @ Houston

Houston 4, Cincinnati 3

Hey! The Good Guys won a close one!

Brandon Backe pitched just fine – not a Roger Clemens game or even a Roy Oswalt game – but just fine thanks: He threw 6 2/3 innings, 104 pitches, giving up 3 ERs (one thanks to the reliever), on 9 hits, 2 BBs, and 1 K. But it was just good enough for a win, as the Astros inexplicably decided to hit in a few runs, giving Backe the best Astros pitching record: 5-3. Backe has now started 9 home games, and the Astros have won all of them (although not all on his watch). Guess he’s lucky for them – and for himself too.

The Astros wore the home stripes.

High points:

• Backe helped himself at bat too – hitting a single in the 5th inning, moving up on Taveras’ infield hit, then scored on Self’s single. After Biggio popped out, Berkman got an RBI single, scoring Taveras, but Self was out at home plate trying to score. That 4-hit inning was responsible for half the Astros’ runs – a rare multi-run inning.
  

• Backe also made some nice fielding plays – a split-second catch of a hard liner in the 5th (Freel, the batter, looked stunned), and a pickoff of a pinch runner on second base in the 7th.
  

• The Astros first scored in the 4th when Berkman singled, Ensberg walked, and Lamb hit an RBI single. Then the 2 runs in the 5th. And then another run in the 6th on Ensberg’s solo homer (#5). It was the first time that the Astros had scored in 3 consecutive innings since May 15.
  

• Today’s relief pitching was just the opposite of yesterday’s. Yesterday two relievers screwed up big, and one did fine. Tonight one wasn’t so hot, and two were brilliant: Franco, relieving Backe in the 7th with 2 out and a runner on second base, faced the same lefties as yesterday: He immediately gave up a double to Casey, scoring the runner. (It would have scored two if Backe hadn’t picked off the second runner.) But then he got Griffey Jr on a fly ball to end the inning – significantly better than he did yesterday. Wheeler struck out the side in the 8th. Lidge recorded 3 Ks in the 9th inning to end the game and to earn his 11th save. Lidge was excellent tonight, in both speed and control – all three of his 3rd strike pitches were at least 96 MPH.
  

• Berkman was 2 for 3, continuing to inch up his batting average – it’s now .234. Bit by bit, it’s going up. Now it’s time to get the homers going…
  

Disappointments:

• Biggio was 0 for 4 – the only Astros starter who didn’t get on base tonight. (Ensberg was 0 for 3 but walked.) He hasn’t had a hit since he was hit by the runner in Friday night’s game. Maybe Bidge is still bruised up; maybe Garner should rest him for a day?
  

• 
  

Notes on the Other Good Guys:

• The Nats won at home, 5-4, over the Braves.
  

Notes on the Other Bad Guys:

• Pittsburgh beat Florida again, 5-4.
  

• Colorado beat the Cards, 2-1!
  

• Milwaukee lost to San Diego, 8-4.
  

• Chicago beat the Dodgers, 2-1 in the 10th.
  

Final123456789RHE

Cincinnati       0000201003      100

Houston «       00012100x480

W: B. Backe (5-3) L: M. Belisle (2-5) S: B. Lidge (11)

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2005 (Game 52) – Cincinnati @ Houston

Houston 4, Cincinnati 1

Hey! The Good Guys won two SERIES in a row (first time this season)!!!

Another beautiful start by an Astros pitcher, and this time the rest of the team decided to help him get a win out of it. Oswalt looked great: He threw 86 pitches in 7 innings, with 1 run on 4 hits, 1 BB, and 4 Ks. He mowed down the first 10 batters before giving up a run on a double and two singles in the 4th, then only gave up one more hit in the rest of his outing. For a nice change, the guys remembered that baseball is a team sport: They knocked in 4 runs on his watch. Wheeler and Lidge, coming off last nights’ great relief pitching, did it again tonight. All in all, the Astros made winning look easy – like something they could maybe do on a regular basis.

Oswalt’s 14-0 record against the Reds sets a major league record for the most wins by a pitcher against a single team without a defeat. He had previously shared that record with Pedro Martinez (against Seattle).

The Astros wore the home stripes. Ensberg showed up for the game without his long blond hair. He made the decision to get sheared after the blazing hot game on Monday, when the stadium roof was open. "So I woke up (Tuesday) morning and said, 'This has gotta go.' I'm sure a lot of the fans are going to be asking me to take my hat off." Hopefully shearing Samson’s locks won’t have any effect on his power: He hit 8 HRs in May, and led all 3rd basemen in extra-base hits.  Speaking of attire, I missed seeing the first inning tonight. I was out shopping with Miriam for my dress to wear to Josh’s wedding.

In other news, Bagwell’s surgery seems to have been scheduled for June 7th, not tomorrow.

High points:

• Oswalt sure looked like a 20 game winner tonight. His 69 MPH curve ball and the 97 MPH fast ball were both working great.
  

• Wheeler sure looked like a setup man last night and tonight. Hell, he looked like a closer! Tonight the bad guys went down 1-2-3 in the 8th inning on a grounder and 2 Ks. That’s 5 strikeouts in 2 innings for him.
  

• Lidge pitched well, but not in his trademark way: No strikeouts tonight. But no hits either – just a walk on a 3-2 count, a groundout and a couple of fly balls. Okay, the final fly ball went all the way to the wall, and Palmeiro had to jump to keep it in the stadium ("I think it was maybe going to be on the other side of the fence, but I didn't have to jump maybe that much”). Whatever – he caught it, and Lidge got his 12th save – and the 4th one in the past 5 games.
  

• So what did I say yesterday? Now that Berkman has started hitting, it’s time to see some homers? You gotta love a man who listens! He hit his second home run of the season tonight in the 4th. Batting average still inching up slowly, but the number (.237) is deceiving: Berkman has hit in 19 of his last 20 games.
  

• The Astros fielded an all-rookie outfield tonight, as Garner started Burke, Taveras, and Self. It was the first time that 3 rookies started in the Astros outfield since 1982. Burke is back; Garner apparently plans to play him a lot in the outfield (waiting for his turn someday at second base, if/when Bidge ever gets old). Zeke Astacio went back to Round Rock to make space for him.
  

• Garner was replacing the starters right and left in the 7th, as he put in Palmiero for Chavez, then Viz for Oswalt – both of whom struck out. I wondered at the wisdom of the move, since Oswalt was pitching brilliantly and only had 84 pitches. But then Taveras singled, and Garner made his 3rd switch, putting in Jason Lane to hit for Self. Hmmm… Lane hasn’t been hitting well at all. But third time was the charm, as Lane doubled in both base-runners to give the Astros some nice insurance runs.
  

• Taveras was 2 for 4, and scored twice. He’s leading the major leagues now with 20 infield hits. Quite the road runner…
  

• Everett was hit by a pitch, but luckily not injured this time.
  

• Biggio got a hit tonight, his first since his crash at 2nd base on Friday night.
  

Disappointments:

• After catching Oswalt’s winning game, Raul Chavez found out that he has been designated for assignment. According to the Houston Chronicle, Oswalt was stunned: "This puts a sour note on tonight, for sure," he said. "Any time you've had a guy you've worked with for two years let go, especially when you work so well together, it's tough." Chavez wasn’t surprised though: "All these days lately I've thought about this. We're struggling, man. What can I say? That's the business." The Astros brought up Humberto Quintero (hitting .299 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs) from Round Rock to take Chavez’ place as Oswalt and Rodriguez’s pitcher.
  

Notes on the Other Good Guys:

• The Nats lost to the Braves, 5-4.
  

Notes on the Other Bad Guys:

• Pittsburgh creamed Florida, 9-1, thanks in part to Rob Mackowiak’s grand slam. The Pirates have won the first 3 games of the series, and will try for a sweep tomorrow night against… guess who… Dontrelle!
  

• St. Louis beat Colorado 8-6.
  

• Milwaukee and Chicago both have late games.
  

Final123456789RHE

Cincinnati       000100000140

Houston «       10010020x470

W: R. Oswalt (6-6) L: R. Ortiz (1-4) S: B. Lidge (12)

The Name Game

Cincinnati reliever Ryan Scott Wagner has a great name – which he shares with three Houston pitchers: Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott, and Billy Wagner. The Wagner part comes from his parents, but the Ryan and Scott were picked in honor of the best Astros pitchers of the 80s.

So aside from that,

Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?

Morgan Ensberg: "It's disappointment and embarrassment. More embarrassing. I'm embarrassed out there."

Craig Biggio: "I've never seen anything like this in my life. It's not just Rocket. It's all of our staff. It's just discouraging."

Brad Ausmus: "You can't cut off a chicken's head and suddenly start hitting." (Huh?)

Quote of the Day

Garner on scoring four runs in one game:  "As long as it was one more than they had."

Totally

Inoffensive

May sucked. The Astros were 10-19. The staff ERA in May was 5.02. The fifth spot in the pitching rotation has been a revolving door. The .345 winning percentage for the month was an all-time low for the franchise for May. Behind it all: Really bad offense: . The team batting average of .230 was the worst in the major leagues. The team’s paltry 98 runs scored were the worst in the major leagues.

But never fear. Baseball, as Garner points out, is a game of stats. What goes down must come up. Water finds its level. Lamb is not a .200 hitter; Berkman is not a .225 hitter. Therefore, we should be seeing improvement any minute now…

Headline on Jose de Jesus Ortiz Houston Chronicle column today:

“It's June 1; Astros season pretty much over.” 

Well, I know I’m a sucker for the Astros. But I’m not giving up yet.

Not

Superstitious...

The Astros relievers spent the first inning of the game standing together in the dugout, waiting until the inning ended before going out to the bullpen.

Russ Springer explained how this started last Saturday: "In Milwaukee, we decided we were going to stay in the dugout to see if we were going to get some runs in the first inning, and that was the day that Morgan went deep and we scored three or four runs. Of course, the next day the hitters wanted us in the dugout, and we scored one run. The three games here, our presence was requested."