It didn’t start off very well for the Astros – 10 pitches, 3 outs on Westbrook’s sinker. Then Lopez, leading off for the Cards, hit a liner under Keppinger’s glove for an error (later idiotically ruled a hit) and then stuff happened. Jon Jay hit an easy GB back to the pitcher for whjay SHOULD have been a nice 1-6-3, but the throw was lousy and clanked off the glove of Anderson Hernandez (getting a start at short) and rolled into center. Bourn, running forward to get it, threw it to Anderson to try to tag Jay, but again the throw clanked off his glove and Lopez, who never stopped running, slid into home as the throw came in where it was picked up by Keppinger and scored, even though the replay clearly showed him out.

No outs, 3 errors, a run scored, man on second. So I sighed and thought – oh nooooooooo. But somehow, no more runs scored.

Then in the second, Carlos Lee (no Clank tonight – more on that latah) singled – what a relief, we won’t get no hit by Westbrook, who looked unhittable, but Kepp GIDP. Wallace, hitting 6th ahead of CJ again, was HBP, but then CJ struck out.

In the 3rd, Carlos Lee HUSTLED after a fly ball and caught in with s nice sliding catch. Actually, Carlos hustled ALL GAME. Yes, you heard right. He made 2 VERY nice catches, no lazy crap, and he ran HARD to try to break up a DP and he ran HARD to score from 3rd on an IF hit with bases loaded. Guess being benched for 2 days straight might could have done a lil bit of good. I HOPE – he did K, but he also drew TWO walks (neither intentional) singled twice, drove in a run and scored 2. I actually wonder if Brad Mills told him flat out he was gonna lose playing time to Bourgeois and Michaels if he dogged it out there.

youneverknow

But anyway, in the 4th, Anderson Hernandez doubled down the LF line, then Pence beat out an IF dribbler toward third, stole second on a Carlos Lee swinging K, beating the throw from Yadi – it was a NICE jump – then Kepp drove in Hernandez with a groundout. Then

BRETT WALLACE DROVE IN HIS FIRST ML RBI

with a 9 pitch IF single – Westbrook gets all these groundballs with that sinker, but sometiems they find holes and sometimes guys beat them out – and Felipe Lopez is not exactly David Freese with the glove

so the Astros led 2-1.

But it was Uncle leading off the bottom of the 4th and Uncle did what Uncle does best, which is KILL Astros pitching and when a ball went down the middle, Uncle deposited it in the stands to tie the game. Uncle, by the way, says he hasn’t “felt comfortable” all year – guess he isn’t kidding because his OPS has, ahem, fallen all the way down to .953 – have to laugh – bout every ballplayer would LUUUUVVVV to have an OPS over 900…

Anyway, the Cards then load the bases with 2 walks and a single, then Schu GIDP and another run scores, but then TLR’s strategy of having the pitcher bat 8th backfired, because Westbrook can’t hit any better than my 8 year olds, so bases loaded, only 1 run.

But the Cards now lead 3-2. Schumaker and Ryan aren’t hitting worth spit this year, kind of surprised that they didn’t get more sticks at the deadline, but youneverknow.

No excitement in the 5th.

In the 6th, with 2 out, Carlos walks, Kepp ROE (it wasn’t Lopez’ night with the glove), but then up 3-1, Wallace swings at 2 pitches out of the zone – over eager, I think.

At the end of the 6th, both starters were sent to the showers and Jason Motte came on, gave up a single to CJ – guess he’s starting another hitting streak, although he is continuing his on base streak – then a FO, then pinch hitter Jason Bourgeois GIDP 6-3.

In the bottom of the 7th, With Nelson Figueroa pitching in relief, Pence robbed Schumaker of a sure hit to shallow center with a great diving catch. Randy Winn flew out to Bourn, then Brendan Ryan singled and Felipe Lopez hit a ball to right which Pence misjudged and missed for a RBI double and the Cards led 4-2.

Motte came back out for the 8th and Bourn led off. He went to 2-1, couldn’t get the bunt down, fouled off a couple, took another ball, fouled off a couple and drew a walk. And you know what is gonna happen if Michael is on first with a relief pitcher, Yadi Molina or no Yadi Molina, so adter the first pitch to Hernandez, he’s on second. Not that it mattered because Hernandez drew a 4 pitch walk. Motte was pulled and in came ex-closer Mike McDougal, who got Pence to popup on the first pitch. Then Carlos came in, took a strike, then hit an RBI single to right – shallow right, but Roberto Clemente wouldn’t get Bourn. Then Keppinger hit an RBI double with the first pitch and drove in Hernandez – Carlos had to stop at third because of his lack of speed.

Then – get this – TLR has McDougal IBB Brett Wallace. Yes, his first ML IBB!!!!!!!!

So it’s Chris Johnson and his .340 BA up and he hits a chopper over the pitcher’s head, Schumaker grabs the ball, throws home, but throws wide and Carlos, chugging at full speed (for him) beats the throw and everyone is safe. Quintero, who had a BAD day at the plate, GIDP 5-3.

But Astros lead, 5-4.

Brandon Lyon comes in to face Uncle, Holliday and a pinch hitter.

Uncle smacks a single to left, Holliday goes to 3-2 and then sends a fly ball to left, and Carlos HUSTLES and manages to snag it instead of letting it fall in for a single as he usually does!!!!! Nick Stavinoha then GIDP 6-4-3.

Yes, it WAS GIDP city tonight – Astros had 3, Cards had 2.

So top of the 9th, in comes ex-Stro Trever Miller. Angel Sanchez, pinch hitting, comes in and singles to right (got this feeling Tommy Manzella just might could not get his job back) and then Michael Bourn, on another 3-2 count, after failing to get the bunt down TWICE, hits an IF single toward 3rd and with his speed beats the throw. So men on first and second, no out. Jason Michaels flies out to shallow center and runners hold. Pence singles to right and Sanchez scores and Michael flies to third.

Trever is pulled and Blake Hawksworth, who started against the Astros a couple months back and held us to a couple of hits, comes in to relieve and face Carlos, who sees 4 pitches out of the strike zone and does NOT swing at any of them, giving him his second walk in ONE game. Yes, you read that correctly.

Keppinger comes in and hits the first pitch to center and Bourn trots home with Pence close on his heels. Wallace pops out, then CJ doubles off the LF wall to drive in ANOTHER run and the Astros lead 9-4. Quintero grounds out to end the inning.

Lindstrom, who had started warming up when the Astros led 5-4, goes in to finish up. He gives up an IF single to Yadi, as it richchets off his glove and bounces into the vacated hole at short.

Then Schu comes up, hits a grounder to right, which Wallace lets bounce off his glove, but fortunately, Keppinger is backing up the play and gets the ball to first in time. Lindstrom gets the next 2 outs with 2 pitches.

A nice come from behind victory – which, curiously enough, is something the Astros have done quite a bit this year.

Tomorrow, Bud Norris, who is NAILS at Busch, faces Jaime Garcia, who I thought was pitching tonight. Jaime really SHOULD win Rookie of the Year, seeing as how Strasburg will have only pitched less than half of the year and Jaime is awesome.

Bud has had 2 good starts in a row – let’s hope it continues.