2005 SEASON
SEPTEMBER 12-15: FLORIDA @ HOUSTON
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2005 (Game 143) – FLORIDA @ HOUSTON
Florida 8, Houston 2
It was really all about Dontrelle: His 7th complete game and 21st win of the season, his 2-run homer, his energy, his charisma, his everything…
I didn’t even bother to get anxious over the game. Having seen Dontrelle beat the Astros in Spring Training, I just about conceded the game to him before it started. And maybe the Astros did too. I didn’t even really mind that he won, even though it cost the Astros the NL Wild Card lead – he’s just so cool and so hot that it’s hard not to want him to win. This is a pitcher whose batting average (.259) is higher than his ERA (2.49).
Of course, I will get hot and bothered over the remaining three games of the series, as Houston retakes its lead.
The D-Train threw 113 pitches in 9 innings, giving up 2 ERs on 8 hits, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts. Brandon Backe, in his second start since returning from the DL, did okay, but was not nearly as impressive. He lasted 5 innings, giving up 4 runs (3 ERs) on 7 hits, 2 BBs, and 1 K. Backe and the other Astros pitchers were mostly undone by a combination of Dontrelle’s pitching and the Marlins home run hitting – including a massive homer by Dontrelle himself in the 6th, off reliever Scott Strickland. Both Cabrera and Delgado – the Marlins’ main longball hitters – got home runs off Backe, and Conine (not usually a home run hitter) hit one off Springer.
The Astros wore home stripes.
High points:
- Jason Lane scored the Astros first run, with a home run (#21) in the 5th.
Disappointments:
- Ensberg is still out, with a slow recovery from his hand injury. He’s been out 6 games now.
Notes on the Other Good Guys:
- Nah!
Notes on the Other Bad Guys:
- The Phillies beat Atlanta, 4-1.
- The Nats had the night off.
- The Cards beat the Pirates, 4-3. The Reds beat the Cubbies, 5-2.
Final123456789RHEFlorida « 200112002811 0Houston 000011000281W: D. Willis (21-8) L: B. Backe (8-8)
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2005 (Game 144) –
FLORIDA @ HOUSTON
Florida 4, Houston 2
Wandy Rodriguez pitched well tonight – probably one of his best starts this year: 6 1/3 innings, 3 ER on only 4 hits, 3 BBs, and 2 Ks. Wandy also hit a batter and got a balk – both of which affected the game.
If the Astros had only gotten those 6.4 runs that they average when Wandy starts, he would have been a winner. But unfortunately, they passed up many good chances, and only scored 2 runs on solo homers by Mike Lamb and Adam Everett.
The HBP: Marlins starter Josh Beckett had pitched balls very close to Biggio’s head on both of his at-bats, but the umpire hadn’t said a word. But in the 4th inning, when Wandy hit Delgado on his first pitch, one at-bat after Delgado had hit a home run, the umpire warned both teams. It may not have been intentional; Wandy doesn’t have great control, and there was a runner on first. In a close game he wouldn’t have wanted to move that runner to scoring position. The warning seemed to shake Wandy up a bit, and he gave up a single to the next batter, scoring the runner from second when Jason Lane bobbled the ball.
The Balk: It was in the 7th inning, with the score tied 2-2 and 1 out. With a full count, the 3rd base umpire called a balk on Wandy for putting his pitching hand to his mouth. He argued that he had just wiped his nose (which the replay seemed to show). But the balk put the batter on first base with a walk. Garner decided to pull Wandy, who already had 100 pitchers, and brought in Qualls, a ground ball pitcher, hoping that he’d induce the double play. Instead he gave up a 2-run homer, and that was the game. Neither team scored again after that.
The Astros, typically of many recent games, failed to score runners in scoring position in the 2nd, 6th, and 8th innings. With runners on first and third in the 8th, with only 1 out and Berkman up, the Marlins finally pulled the starter. They put in their closer (who has the lowest ERA of any NL reliever), who threw one pitch to Berkman to get a double play.
The Astros wore home stripes. The loss moves Houston to 3rd place in the NL Wild Card race, 1½ games behind the Marlins, and half a game behind 2nd place Philadelphia.
High points:
- Adam Everett’s home run in the 5th was his 11th of the season.
- Mike Lamb batted 3rd tonight, with Ensberg still out injured. And he really came up to the role: He went 3 for 4, including a home run, a double, and a single. He raised his batting average all the way up to .219. But on his infrequent play, and with his low BA, he still has 45 RBIs. So he’s better than I’ve given him credit for. At any rate, I promised not to razz him any more this season.
- Springer and Wheeler both pitched scoreless innings in relief.
Disappointments:
- Luke Skywalker and Vizcaino both pinch hit tonight in the 7th inning, with the Astros behind by 2 runs -- and both popped out. I heard that Garner only wants to use Bagwell as a pinch hitter in low stress situations, but he wouldn’t have done any worse than that. He’s only had one chance to pinch hit since he’s been off the DL.
- Willie Taveras made it to first base in the 3rd inning on a combination of incredible speedand a missed call by the umpire – Taveras hit the ball with his finger on the bat; the ball then hit him on the leg, according to the replay. The umpire let him get away with an infield single (#67), despite fervent arguments by the Marlins’ manager. But Taveras was the one to lose – when the ball hit his hand, it lacerated the middle finger of his right hand. Taveras was sent to the hospital to examine it. No status on whether he’ll be able to play tomorrow.
Notes on the Other Good Guys:
- The Red Sox lost to Toronto, 9-3.
Notes on the (Other) Bad Guys:
- The Phillies beat Atlanta, 5-4.
- The Nats beat the F-ing Mets, 4-2. I was even cheering for the Mets, given that Washington is the bigger threat to Houston. Chad Cordero got his 45th save.
- •Chris Carpenter looked well on his way to his 22nd win, leading the Pirates 4-1 through the 6th inning. But then he gave up 3 more runs and came out of the game in the 7th. The Cards came back to win, 5-4, but Carpenter did not get a decision. Nothing against Carpenter, but I’m kind of leaning towards Dontrelle for the Cy Young, since it doesn’t look like any of the Astros pitchers are in the running.
- The Yankees went bonkers tonight, winning 17-3 over Tampa Bay. The innings were all or nothing – the Yankees scored 5 runs in each of the first 2 innings, then 7 in the 6th. They are 2 ½ games under the Red Sox in the AL East, and 1 game behind the Indians in the AL Wild Card. Could this be the year that they don’t make the playoffs?
Final123456789RHEFlorida 010100200460Houston 000110000290W: J. Beckett (14-8) L: W. Rodriguez (9-8) S: T. Jones (37)
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2005 (Game 145) –
FLORIDA @ HOUSTON
Houston 10, Florida 2
Pregame Commentary: Everyone who knows anything about Roger Clemens knows about his devotion to his mother. Last winter, his reluctance to re-sign with the Astros to pitch for another year was largely due to his concern that Bess Clemens wouldn’t live to see him inducted into the Hall of Fame. So no one who knows him will think that his pitching in tonight’s game, after his ailing mother passed away early this morning, is meant as any slight to her memory. According to the press statements, she wanted him to pitch, so he’ll be on the mound tonight in her honor.
But I’ve got to make two observations: (1) It’s really strange to me. I know that they aren’t sitting shiva, but how can someone just go to work on the day that his parent dies? (2) How can Garner let him pitch? Can’t he say, “Roger, its really nice of you to offer to take your place in the rotation, but it’s not really necessary.” Yeah, it’s a hot Wild Card race, but it’s not the end of the season yet, and he had a rough start last time, and he’s going to be emotionally and physically exhausted… Why would anyone expect him to pitch well tonight? The Marlins might feel sorry for him, but they aren’t going to just let him win because of that. Is this good for the team?
Well, that’s my commentary before the game. We’ll see what happens.
Postgame Commentary: Of course, I was completely wrong. Clemens looked like he was going to have a hard time in the top of the first: He gave up a run on a 4-pitch walk, then a single, and then an RBI ground out. He walked a second batter in the inning, but pitched his way out of the shaky start.
And then he turned back into Roger Clemens. After that first run scored, he pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, giving up a total of 5 hits (all singles), 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Until the 7th inning, no Marlin even made it to second base. In his own way, Clemens honored his mother’s memory, and it was probably therapy for him too. (But it’s still strange to me.) He earned his 12th win, and lowered his ERA to 1.77.
The Astros, in their own crazy way, honored Clemens: After scoring only 2 runs in each of their last 3 games, they blew out the score of this one. They capitalized on many mistakes by the Marlins pitchers (10 walks!). They batted around in the 2nd inning, scoring 3 runs. They brought 8 runners to the plate in the 3-run 7th. And then batted around again in the 8th, scoring more 4 runs. In addition to the 10 runs they did score, the Astros stranded a lot of base runners in scoring position.
With this win, the Astros are half a game behind Florida and the Phillies, who are tied for the NL Wild Card lead.
High points:
- Lots of runs with RBIs spread all across the team. Seven different Astros had RBIs in the game, including Clemens, who walked in the 2nd inning with the bases loaded.
- Mike Lamb, batting third and playing third in place of the still-ailing Ensberg, is batting like a guy who belongs in the 3 spot: For the second night in a row, he had 3 hits. This time, he went 3 for 5, with a triple and two singles, scoring twice, with an RBI. His average is now up to .226, with 46 RBIs.
- Adam Everett was 2 for 4, with a double and 3 RBIs.
- Berkman was on base 4 times in 5 at-bats, with 2 singles and 2 walks. He scored 3 times. Berkman also made a brilliant fielding play in the 5th, when he rushed forward to scoop up a bunt, wheeled, and threw to second to get the runner who was advancing from first.
- Jason Lane was also 2 for 4, with 3 runs and 2 RBIs. He also made a tremendous catch in right field, for the third out of the 6th – an inning in which Clemens retired the side 1-2-3 in 7 pitches.
- Charles Gipson came into the game in the 3rd, replacing Burke, who was replacing Taveras (see Disappointments). In his first Astros at-bat, he doubled; he later walked, and had an RBI single. Nice start! Charlton Jimerson replaced Gipson in CF in the 9th for his major league debut. Jimerson was brought up from the minors to fill in the outfield while Taveras is benched.
- In a situation that mirrored last night’s game, Garner pulled his starting pitcher to bring in Qualls with one out in the 7th, runner(s) on, and Lo Duca up to bat. Last night the strategy failed, as Qualls gave up a 2-run homer. Tonight I could barely watch, but Qualls did it perfectly tonight, getting Lo Duca to ground into the double play to end the inning, leaving 2 runners stranded.
- Bagwell pinch hit in the 8th, with one out and runners on first and second. He walked to load the bases. It was only his 2nd at-bat since he’s returned from the DL.
Disappointments:
- It was a bad night for center fielders. With Taveras out for several days, recuperating from the lacerated finger (5 stitches) he suffered in last night’s game, Chris Burke was playing in center. He made a dive in the 1st inning, attempting to catch a line drive, and hurt his shoulder. After striking out in the 2nd inning, he was removed from the game. It was later reported that he had suffered a subluxed (partially dislocated) left shoulder. He is day to day.
Notes on the Other Good Guys:
- The Red Sox beat Toronto, 5-3. It was a bad night for center fielders for Boston too, as Gabe Kapler was playing center in place of Johnny Damon, who was out with a sore shoulder. Kapler reached base on an error in the 5th. Tony Graffanino followed with a home run. But as Kapler rounded 2nd base, he ruptured his left Achilles' tendon and fell to the ground. He got up on one knee, but could not walk. After about 5 minutes, they carted him off the field and a pinch runner came in to complete the run to home plate.
Notes on the Other Bad Guys:
- The Phillies pulverized Atlanta, 12-4, for their 3rd straight win over the NL East leaders. Is Atlanta going to lose it at the last minute? Is Alyson’s mid-season prediction going to come true? (She predicted that the Braves would beat the Astros for the NL Wild Card slot by 2 games.)
- The Nats beat the F-ing Mets, 6-3. Those Mets are so useless. Loaiza got the win; Cordero got his 46th save.
- The Pirates beat the Cards, 5-3.
Final123456789RHEFlorida 100000001260Houston « 03000034x 10 121W: R. Clemens (12-7) L: A. Burnett (12-11)
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2005 (Game 146) – FLORIDA @ HOUSTON
Houston 4, Florida 1
What a beautiful game!
Andy Pettitte was totally on tonight, as he won for his sixth straight game, improving his record to 16-9, and his ERA to 2.43. Pettitte pitched 8 innings, giving up only 1 ER on 5 hits, 1 BB, and 5 Ks. He pitched 6 shutout innings before giving up his only run, on a solo homer to Cabrera.
Pettitte was helped by excellent Astros defense tonight: Of the other 5 base runners (4 singles and a walk), three were decommissioned on 6-4-3 double plays. In addition to nice infielding, Gipson made some excellent plays in left field, holding base runners to singles on hits that had double written all over them.
The Astros didn’t go nuts scoring runs like last night, but they put one on the scoreboard in the 3rd. Everett started it off by singling, stealing second, moving to 3rd on a fielders choice, and then scoring on a fielding error. In the 5th, the Astros got two more runs on solo C-Box homers by Ausmus (#3) and Biggio (#21). (In between the two of them, Pettitte came up to bat and hit a long fly ball that was caught on the warning track.) The 4th run scored in the 7th, when the Marlins reliever gave up a single to Biggio, a BB to Berkman, and then hit Lane with a pitch to load the bases. Vizcaino singled to score Bidge, but the Astros left the other runners stranded.
It was a good night for the kids to play, with so many Frequent Fielders sidelined. Ensberg is still injured with his finger contusion that doesn’t want to heal, Taveras is sitting out games waiting for his lacerated finger to heal, and now Burke is on the bench awaiting the results of his MRI after last night’s shoulder dislocation. So Garner started Bruntlett in CF and Gipson in LF. And with a lefty Marlin starter, Garner used Viz at 3rd instead of Lamb.
The Astros wore home stripes, as they moved back into the lead in the NL Wild Card race.
High points:
- Despite all the attention that Carpenter and Dontrelle have received for their 21 wins, here’s an interesting stat: Pettitte has been the best major league pitcher since June 20, with a 13-3 record and a 1.50 ERA.
- Bidge was 2 for 5 with a homer and 2 RBIs.
- Bruntlett was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.
- Lidge was the best I’ve seen him all year. He struck out the top of the Marlins lineup on 14 pitches, for his 37th save. They all went down swinging at Lidge’s 99 MPH fast ball. This is what I’m dying to see in the playoffs!
- Lamb continues to hit! He came in to pinch hit for Pettitte in the 8th and got a single. He’s 7 for 10 in this series.
- The Astros got three stolen bases – one each for Everett, Berkman (!), and Ausmus.
Disappointments:
- On a night that the Astros started newbies Bruntlett and Gipson in the outfield, due to injuries, they didn’t need any more scares. But in the 5th inning, Gipson and Everett collided trying to field a fly ball. Both went down, and Everett stayed down a while. Happy outcome: They were both all right, and were able to continue playing. And, even better, Gipson held on to the ball.
Notes on the Other Good Guys:
- The Red Sox lost and the Yankees won. It’s getting too close for comfort over in the AL East. I’m really hoping for a Yankee-free zone in the playoffs this year.
Notes on the Other Bad Guys:
- The Phillies lost to Atlanta, 6-4. Next stop for the Phillies: Florida! I hope they split.
- The Nats beat the F-ing Mets again, 6-5, in 10 innings Those Mets are completely useless – the Astros needed them to beat the Nationals, and they failed. The Mets have lost 15 of their last 18 games, to more or less abandon their Wild Card pretensions.
Final123456789RHEFlorida 000000100151Houston « 00102010x480W: A. Pettitte (16-9) L: J. Vargas (5-4) S: B. Lidge (37)
