Well, us Astros fans got to see Mr. Hype for the first time. It’s not that I hadn’t seen him pitch – we’ve all seen him getting the 3rd strike on someone on BBTN for a few years now – and of course, every pitcher looks good on BBTN getting that 3rd strike.

But it took him over 30 pitches to get through the first inning – and this is 30 pitches to ASTROS hitters who aren’t real too particularly patient. Yeah, he got 2 Ks, but it took him 10 pitches to get Schafer and he got JD swinging on a pitch out of the zone – which is a very good way to get him out because he swings (and misses) at sinkers/sliders on a 2 strike count. He gave up 1 run, while Henry Sosa got a 1,2,3 – but Henry didn’t hold up real too good, unfortunately.

Strasburg needed almost 20 pitches to get through the second, but only a few more to get through the 3rd – he threw a lot fewer balls and fouls. His fastball velocity was mostly between 92-94 with a couple of 97 at the end. Shrug. Yes, I know he’s just returning from TJ surgery – It will be interesting to see how he does next year.

Meanwhile, Henry gave up 3 straight homers to start the bottom of the 3rd – the first was on an 82 MPH cookie right smack down the middle. The next one was a belt high, slightly outside FB – and of course, Ankiel likes em high. The next one was on an up and inside FB which looked like a pretty good pitch to me. I mean, the kind you DON’T hit. Out trots Broakie. But Henry only manages to get himself together for the nexdt hitter, a 4 pitch groundout. Then a 10 pitch K. Then 2 doubles and a walk. Then byby.

Then it’s the Astros relievers Hit Parade. Well, except for Del Rosario, who strands the runners, then pitches a scoreless 4th. Jordan Lyles pitched 2 innings, giving up 1 run. Lance Pendleton (yes, we got him from the Yanks again, this time off waivers.) He got 2 Ks, then 2 straight HBP, then an RBI single, then he was yanked – hahahahahaha. In comes Wiltonie Lopezzie and naturally, allows Pendleton’s run to score before getting the last out. Maalox came in and pitched a nice 1,2,3 – naturally – it wasn’t a save.

Henry Sosa – wonder what ol Milo-ie is doing with THAT name – Hankie? Sosa-ie?

You’re asking how the Astros hitters did tonight? You DO like pain, hunh? It just might could be time to drop JD in the lineup – he didn’t look good. Bogu went ofer. Clank had the only RBI – the second run was a gift from Ryan Zimmerman who made a 2 base throwing error with a man on second.

So don’t worry – the Astros are in NO danger whatsoever of blowing their 10 game lead in the most losses column. The Astros aren’t choking like the Red Sox (now, if ONLY the Yankees would just all choke too…) I almost hope Drayton still owns this team, if just to see him have to do the one thing he leasts wants to do and have to spend money on the top candidate, probably a Boras guy – unless he wants to do the John Moores sorry-ass Matt Bush type pick figuring that 3 mill for a worthless player is less money than more million for one who has a chance to be good to great.

And a few words about 9/11 after all the words/not forgetting/ceremonies, etc.

The worst thing, of course, was the murder of thousands of civilians, American and foreign, by cowards afraid to put on a uniform and declare themselves as soldiers, who are determined that people who do not think, talk and agree to live under their laws should all be killed – which led to the consequence that we all have to remember them ALL the time because of the incursion of government into our lives and our privacy. We don’t forget because we CAN’T forget – the cowards have made themselves a permanent part of our lives and that horrid Kate Smith song a permanent part of Sunday baseball.

The best thing was the courage of those who did what they could, at possibly (and sometimes) the cost of their own lives, to save whoever they could from the devastation in NYC – and we should not forget the courage of the male civilians on the plane bound for the White House who charged the cockpit to take down the plane. Firefighters, police, EMTs are paid to risk their lives – the Todd Beamers of the world are not, but they did it anyway.

As for me, I have yet another reason for never forgetting 9/11/01. It has nothing to do with hate-filled murdering cowards or courageous police, firefighters, EMTs and just plain folks.

You see, that day, Husband and I decided to take a “sick” day from work. We decided that we needed a holiday together - just one day out of life, just one day, it would be so nice. We HAD planned the evening of the 10th, the Stros had an off day – the things I remember – but I had to work the late shift at the last minute, so it was gonna be the next day, Tuesday. So we turned off phone ringers and, uh, paid attention to one another and next thing we knew, it was after lunch and husband, naturally, got hungry and eventually we wandered into the kitchen. The answering machine light (yes we had one back then) was blinking, and we figured it was probably someone wanting us to go to work, so we ignored it until a LOT later. First message was from my Mama wanting to know where were we and TURN ON THE TV!!! and so we did and we were therefore probably the last people in the country to find out what had happened.

Neither one of us had family or friends in NYC or the Pentagon or on one of those planes, but it didn’t matter. Husband said – this is like Pearl Harbor – you think you’re safe and can’t nothing get to you, but they CAN. And they will. I said, like Bugs Bunny – of course you realize, this means WAR. And we thought about all our friends and family in the military who would fer SHER be sent over for lots of Desert Storms. We both knew that if the murderers had come from some place that had no oil or anything else valuable, wouldn’t be real too much war. But money always has and always will do the talking.

Epilogue: we conceived our twins that day, so SOMEthing good happened that day…