Well, it was a 2 hour rain delay before the players could take the field.
Shawn Chacon took the mound and he couldn’t find the strike zone with a guide dog. Walked the first 2 batters in 8 pitches – not even close, by the way – Towles looked like a gymnast out there grabbing balls flying gawd knows where. Dewey RUNS out – he says, like dude, it’s Albert Pujols up and he’s a Bad Motha – whatch yo mouf, so do NOT throw him something good to hit. Oh, and by the way, try your breaker. Albert wasn’t having a good night – he popped out. Duncan fouled off a bunch of pitches at the edge of the strike zone before taking a walk too. Glaus Ks on 3 pitches. Then Kennedy hits a perfect 5-4-3 DP ball right to Blum, who throws it into center field. 2 runs score on the error. Yes, it was a 2 base error, no way in HECK was that a “FC” as the Cards scorer decided in the next inning. BAH. Those were UNEARNED runs.
BAH
Anyway, the next inning, Chacon was a little sharper, giving up a single to Ankiel. He then got Uncle to hit a little dribbler in front of the mound, a perfect 1-6-3, but he slipped and fell as he grabbed the ball (the rain, remember?) and Albert gets a “single” – no error. Brotha, please. He walks Duncan. Bases loaded, 2 outs. And AGAIN he gets Glaus to K.
Two innings, he’s up to 61 pitches.
But you know, he just went out there after that and did an INCREDIBLE job of getting it done. Except for an error by Blum (again!!!!) in the 3rd, a walk to Pujols in the 4th and a single to Looper in the 6th, he didn’t allow another base runner and he went 7 innings. He needed only 8 pitches to mow down the heart of the lineup in the 7th.
AWESOME.
He’s starting this year pitching the best he ever has in the bigs and he now has 5 ND to show for it to accompany his 2.45 ERA.
Astros bats? You mean those limp noodle swishy things they took out there for 8 innings?
And LHP Wesley Wright goes out, has a 7 pitch AB battle with righty Aaron Miles (replacing Troy Glaus, who had something in his eye?) before getting him to FO. Then he Ks lefty Kennedy. He walks righty Molina. Then Dewey trots out, asks, so, you gonna get this righty out or we gotta waste another reliever? Wesley says, righty, lefty, alla same to me dude, if you excuse me, here comes the ump, I got a hitter to get out. And he Ks the PH Barton on a nice inside breaker. The HP ump had a VERY generous strike zone, especially inside, by the way.
So it’s 2-0. And Izzy is in to slam the door. He didn’t blow a single save against the Astros last year, hadn’t since July of 06. Actually, I thought he hadn’t since Jeff Kent Game 5 in 04, but this is why you look things up.
And he firmly grasps the door knob and starts to slam it, striking out Kaz on 3 pitches. But Erstad wedges his big foot in the path, fouling off 4 pitches before sending an outside hanger into left for a single. And up comes Miggy, who has had a couple weak swings and a walk. Izzy throws 3 balls, then a gimme FB, then a perfect slider, then a hanger, which Miggy drives into the RF gap for a triple. Erstad trots home and at least we won’t get shut out.
And, by the way, hanging sliders that get hit is not something that only happens to Brad Lidge when Uncle is hitting, you see what I’m sayin.
Duncan trots out. Izzy, he says, maybe you should walk Berkman, pitch to Lee. Don’t be silly says Izzy – Berkman got a .452 OPS against me. I’m fine. Go away. And he does get Lance out, but unfortunately it is on a sac-fly, which easily scores Matsui. Tie game, 2 outs.
Now what should Izzy do? No one on. Should he walk Lee, who is 5/12 with 2 homers, and, at midnight with a 12 PM game the next day looming and channeling Barry Lamar, who explained that he hits walkoffs because he hates extra innings and give him first with first open THEN pitch to Geoff Blum, who has looked pathetic at the plate, let 2 runs score with a stupid throwing error and eager for revenge, currently in a bit of a slump, hitting barely above Mendoza and 1/5 lifetime against him?

Naturally, he pitches to Lee, who sends the first pitch, a mid thigh, mid plate FB 400′ into the LF stands. Lee can hear each footfall as he rounds the bases.† Blum grounds out.
(Oh yeah – those of you moaning for the return of Ty Wigginton best remember that he makes Blum look like Scott Rolen before 06, OK???!!! And that Mark Loretta at third makes Mark Loretta at short look like Adam Everett, yes???)
So let’s see if the new, improved Valverde will show up again.
Bourn, groin and all comes in to play center and Erstad goes to left.
Heaven knows I give Cooper a lot of poopoo for his dumb moves, but this was most certainly the smart thing to do AND it would have been the smart thing to do even if Lee had been set to bat in the next inning. Defense matters. It does. Baseball games are often lost on bad defense, just as they are won on good offense. Ask Chacon.
Anyway, Brendan Ryan, their new SS is up and he takes the 1-2, a hanging splitter to deep short for an infield single. (This is play Everett makes every day and twice on Sunday.) He steals second, then goes to third on a groundout to second. Ankiel strikes out swinging at Ball 2 inside at his knees. Then youknowwho is up. 2 outs, tying run on third and he’s the winning run.
Cooper holds up 4 fingers. ABSOLUTELY the correct move, I don’t care HOW bad Albert has looked all game. Bout time a manager had the sense to give him a lil respect. It’s not that Duncan is Mendoza, he’s the cleanup hitter for a good reason, but he’s no Pujols.
Duncan pops up and Astros win in a comeback in the 9th. AGAIN.
And at noon, it’s Roy Oswalt vs Adam Wainwright.
Interesting that Cards fans, since Game 6 2005, are absolutely convinced that Roy is unbeatable.
Fast trivia question – who does Pujols hit better, Roy or Lidge? Off which pitcher, both regular and post season, has he hit more game winning homers?
Anyway, Roy is 9-5 in 22 GS and 1 in relief ( where Uncle hit a walk-off homer): in 151.2 IP, 151 H, 12 HR, 28 BB, 117 K, 2.79 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and a .260 BAA.
Adam Wainwright is one of the very VERY few players who John Schuerholz/Bobby Cox have traded or not re-signed, who has done well subsequently.
This year, he’s 2-1 in 4 GS: 29.2 IP (yes, at least 7 IP in each start) 25 H, 1 HR, 7 BB, 22 K: 2.73 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, .277 BAA.
It’s supposed to be nice and sunny today, cool in the low 60s.
So I’d better not be hearing nothing bout how the wet grass made the fielders not field…