2005 SEASON
SEPTEMBER 9-11: HOUSTON @ MILWAUKEE
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2005 (Game 140) -- HOUSTON @ MILWAUKEE
Milwaukee 7, Houston 4
The good news for Roger Clemens was that the Astros actually scored a few runs for him. The bad news was that he had one of his rare bad starts, lasting only 3 innings and giving up 5 runs. The runs scored on a combination of 5 hits (including 2 home runs) and 5 BBs, with only 2 Ks, not at all the Rocket’s usual performance. Unfortunately, although Houston scored some early runs, they stranded a number of runners (1st and 3rd in the first inning, bases loaded in the 2nd, 2nd base in the 4th and 9th) and could not make up Clemens’ deficit. It was his shortest outing this season, his third loss in a row, and the rare on-the-road runs drove his ERA up to a whopping 1.78. The three losses in a row is Clemens’ longest single-season losing streak in 5 years.
When I went back to watch the highlights of this Friday night game after Shabbat, I didn’t focus in on watching Clemens, or even on Lane’s home run. I went straight for the 4th inning, when Garner brought in a pinch hitter for Clemens – it was a guy who hasn’t had much bat time this year, and he struck out, but still, it was momentous for me. Finally, Jeff Bagwell is back! It’s so great to see him at the plate, even if he did strike out. In fairness, it was a very dubious called third strike; in the replays it was clearly an outside pitch. But the ump called it as a strike and that was that.
The Astros wore road greys.
High points:
- Lane had a good night at bat, going 2 for 4 with a 2 runs and an RBI. His hits were a home run (#21) and a double.
- Ausmus continues with great hitting in the end of the season – two doubles in this game, including an RBI in the 4th inning, as Everett scored from 1st base.
- Clemens got a double and scored in the 3rd inning.
- Astacio (3 innings) and Burns (2 innings) combined to finish off the game, each giving up 1 more run.
Disappointments:
- Ensberg is still on the bench, nursing an injured hand from the HBP in last week’s game. He had been in a batting slump before the injury; hopefully he’ll come back stronger.
Notes on the Other Good Guys:
- The Red Sox lost to the Yankees, boohoo.
Notes on the (Other) Bad Guys:
- Luckily, the Marlins lost big to the Phillies (who must have been hungry after Houston’s sweep), 12-5. That loss kept Florida from overtaking the Astros in the NL Wild Card race.
- The Nats beat the Braves, 8-6, in a home game. It looked like Loaiza would lose the game, but the Nationals pulled off a big 4-run 8th inning to retake the lead.
- The Cards beat the F-ing Mets, 3-2. The Mets now have a 70-71 record and are tied with the Brewers. It’s not over till it’s over, but I’m hoping that it will be over for the Mets soon.
Final123456789RHEHouston 011100010490Milwaukee « 12200110x7 111W: D. Davis (10-10) L: R. Clemens (11-7) S: D. Turnbow (30)
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2005 (Game 141) -- HOUSTON @ MILWAUKEE
Houston 7, Milwaukee 5
It wasn’t Andy Pettitte’s most beautiful start this season, but it was good enough to earn his 15th win, for the 7th year in a row. Pettitte gave up 3 ERs in 6 2/3 innings, on 5 hits and 1 walk, with 4 strikeouts.
Pettitte, who leads the league in successful sac bunts, helped himself offensively as well. He got on base with 2 outs in the 2nd inning, courtesy of a fielding error. Willie T moved him over on a soft single, and the both scored on Biggio’s double. In the 3rd inning, Pettitte completed a rare bases-loaded squeeze bunt, scoring Lamb from 3rd base.
The Astros actually put some runs on the scoreboard, allowing Pettitte the luxury of winning without having to pitch shutout ball. The Astros built up a 5-0 lead with 1, 2, and 2 runs scored in the first 3 innings, respectively, and were able to maintain the lead for the entire game. Brewers long reliever Wes Obermueller kept the Good Guys scoreless for 4 innings, but the Astros got two more runs in the 8th on Lance Berkman’s gorgeous arc of a homer to center.
Craig Biggio had a great night at the plate, going 3 for 5. His hits included that 2-RBI double in the 2nd inning – #600 for his career. His hits in this game also moved him up past Andre Dawson for 43rd place in the alltime hit list. Biggio is the only player in major league history to have 2700 hits, 240 homers, 400 stolen bases, and 600 doubles. Sure sounds like HoF to me…!
When I turned on the game after Shabbat ended, Houston was ahead 5-2 in the 4th. I watched the first three innings on Sunday morning.
In other news, the Astros 2006 schedule was announced yesterday. They’ll open with a 7-game home stand, kicking off the season with a 3-game series against the Marlins. They’ll end up playing the Braves in Atlanta. They are scheduled to play here in Washington on May 22-25, and in Philadelphia September 4-6.
High points:
- Berkman’s home run in the 8th was his 19th of the season, and his 6th in the last 9 games. Couldn’t happen at a better time, with Ensberg sidelined with his bruised hand. Berkman also made a brilliant single-handed double play in the 6th, with a quick grab of a hard liner, then a lurch on his knees toward the base to double off the 1st base runner.
- Luke Skywalker, batting 3rd in the lineup in place of injured Ensberg, broke his 0 for 16 slump in the 1st inning. He hit a blooper to shallow left field, scoring Willie T from 3rd base for the first run of the game. It might have been a cheap shot, but I bet he was really glad to have it. That was the last fun he had in the game; he had to come out after a full-speed collision with the left field wall in the bottom of the 3rd, trying to catch a home run ball. He hurt his left hip, and is designated day to day.
- After sitting out Friday night with a sore wrist, Taveras was taped up and back in the lineup for this game. He seemed to be feeling better, and got lots of chances to show his stuff – with 3 at-bats in the first 3 innings. He went 2 for 5; the hits were singles in his first 2 at bats.
- Milwaukee kept trying, but the Astros relievers managed to hold the lead. Qualls pitched well after relieving Pettitte with 2 outs in the 7th inning. He threw 1 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings. Given the Astros 7-3 lead after Berkman’s 8th inning homer, Garner went with Wheeler instead of Lidge in the 9th. However, for the second time in a row, Wheeler had a less than stellar performance. He gave up back-to-back doubles to start the inning, narrowing the lead to 7-5, then got the 3rd batter to fly out. With a hot 21-year old lefty, Prince Fielder, coming up to pinch hit, Garner pulled Wheeler and brought in Lidge in what was now a save situation. Lidge gave up a single, allowing Wheeler’s 2nd runner to score. He struck out the Brady Clark on 4 pitches – all strikes. Fielder got to second on a wild pitch before Lidge got the last batter to pop out. It was Lidge’s 36 save.
Disappointments:
- Ensberg is still out of the lineup, his bruised hand slow to heal enough for him to play. After sitting out 4 games, he’s not happy, but it could be a lot worse; it could have been broken, sidelining him for the rest of the season.
- Bagwell didn’t get a chance to pinch hit in this game.
Notes on the Other Good Guys:
- Boston crème-pied the Yankees, 9-2.
Notes on the Other Bad Guys:
- The Marlins and the Phillies traded slings for 9 innings, but Florida was able to eke out the win, 7-6, to stay half a game behind the Astros in the Wild Card race.
- The Nats lost to Atlanta, 4-0. Livan Hernandez got the loss after pitching 8 innings – 7 good ones and one marred by 2 homer, accounting for all of the Braves runs.
- The Cards beat the F-ing Mets again, 4-2, putting a few more nails in the coffin of NY’s Wild Card hopes. The Mets are now down with the Cubs and Brewers, tied at 6½ games out. With such fierce competition between the top contenders, the Mets may finally have an insurmountable gap to make up. And on top of it all, Mike Piazza – just activated from the DL after a broken hand – was hit in the head by a pitch from Julian Taveras. Piazza had homered in the first inning. Taveras claimed that the HBP was unintentional. Yea, sure. Taveras will be remembered from last year’s playoffs as the asshole hot-headed (and butt ugly) Cards reliever who was pissed off and trashed a water cooler, injuring his own hand.
Final123456789RHEHouston « 1220000207 121Milwaukee 0020001025 82W: A. Pettitte (15-9) L: T. Ohka (10-8) S: B. Lidge (36)
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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2005 (Game 142) -- HOUSTON @ MILWAUKEE
Milwaukee 4, Houston 2
Here are some strange-but-true statistics: The Astros have the best 3-man starting rotation in the major leagues, with Clemens, Pettitte, and Oswalt. Yet, when the three of them have combined to pitch a series, the Astros have lost the series 5 out of the last 6 times.
That’s what happened again today. Ray Oswalt did not have his best stuff, giving up 4 ERs in the 6 innings he pitched. The relievers did a great job of holding the line, with Springer, Gallo, and Wheeler combining for the 7th and 8th innings. Meanwhile, in the scoring department, it was the usual problem. The Astros rested Biggio and Ensberg is still recovering from his injured hand, so they started Vizcaino and Lamb. Here’s another strange-but-true statistic: In the 8 games in which Lamb has hit a home run, the Astros have a 8-0 record. He did not hit a home run today.
Instead, the Astros put runners in scoring position and abandoned them in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 7th innings. The worst case was in the 3rd, when they loaded the bases with 1 out, and then failed to score. They allowed a less-than-world-class pitcher (Rick Helling) to hold them scoreless for 7 innings. As soon as he was gone, the Astros put a couple of runs on the board in the 8th, but it was too-little, too-late.
The Astros wore Sunday road reds.
In other news, the Marlins are coming to Houston for a 4-game series, beginning with a Dontrelle-Backe match-up tomorrow night.
High points:
- Berkman continues to hit well. He was 2 for 4 today, with a single and a double. But both times he was left stranded on 2nd base.)
- What Oswalt couldn’t achieve on the mound, he tried to make up at the plate: He went 2 for 2 at bat today.
- As soon as the Brewers changed pitchers in the 8th, Chris Burke hit the first pitch over the wall (home run #4 for him). Vizcaino hit the second pitch long, for a triple, and scored on Lane’s grounder. But that was it, alas, in the scoring department.
Disappointments:
- Sigh. I was really psyched up to see Oswalt have an amazing game.
Notes on the Other Good Guys:
- Boston’s Tim Wakefield lost to the Yankees’ Randy Johnson, the way Roger Clemens loses to anyone: In a 1-0 duel. Wakefield pitched a complete game, only 3 hits and 1 walk, and 12 strikeouts – and lost. His only flaw was giving up a solo homer to Giambi. Meanwhile, Johnson gave up only one hit in 7 innings, and the two NY relievers stuck with the plan, giving the Yankees the game and series win.
Notes on the (Other) Bad Guys:
- The Phillies totally blew away the Marlins, 11-1, holding them back from taking over the lead in the NL Wild Card race.
- The Nats lost to Atlanta, 9-7, in their usual heartbreaker. Behind 6-2, the Nationals had a big 8th inning, scoring 5 runs to give Washington a one run lead. With Cordero coming in to save, it looked like a good deal. Cordero gave up a single, but quickly got two outs. Then he gave up back to back home runs, and Atlanta snuck off with a 9-7 win. Frank Robinson started yanking his pitchers early in the game. After starting a rookie reliever, who lasted only 2 innings, Robinson went through 8 pitchers.
- After 6 straight losses, the F-ing Mets finally won one, 7-2, over the Cards.
Final123456789RHEHouston 000000020270Milwaukee « 10020100x4 100W: R. Helling (2-0) L: R. Oswalt (17-12) S: D. Turnbow (31)
