I took a peak at the St. Louis paper's website and generally they're pretty respectful of Stros but there is some beyatchin about the Umps. http://www.stltoday.com/
Oswalt saves Astros' bacon Starter's stellar outing helps ease pain for Game 5 goat Lidge, writes Phil Rogers By Phil Rogers Published October 20, 2005 ST. LOUIS -- Thanks to Roy Oswalt, the St. Louis Cardinals are left to spend the winter pondering this question: If Albert Pujols hits a monstrous home run in a forest, will anyone remember it after this fall? And what about some other big moments in postseason history? How many of them could have been turned into footnotes? Was the big problem at Wrigley Field in 2003 that Steve Bartman got in Moises Alou's way or that Alex Gonzalez and Mark Prior turned to mush? And was it Dave Henderson's homer off Donnie Moore that beat California in 1986 or that Kirk McCaskill and John Candelaria couldn't get it done the next two games? Don't you think Leon Durham wishes Rick Sutcliffe had been able to get an out or two against Alan Wiggins, Tony Gwynn and Steve Garvey after his 1984 error at Jack Murphy Stadium? Or that Bill Buckner would give anything for Bruce Hurst to have gone out in Game 7 and beaten the New York Mets? I bet Don Denkinger would still be sending fruitcakes to John Tudor at the holidays if Tudor had found a way to win the 1985 World Series for St. Louis, rather than allowing the Cardinals to continue the free fall that began with Denkinger's bad call at first base in Game 6. But bad almost always begets bad in October baseball. That's why Oswalt's dominating performance in the Houston Astros' 5-1 victory over the Cardinals on Wednesday night in the National League Championship Series was so stunning. It not only sends the Astros to the World Series for the first time in their 44-season history, but keeps Brad Lidge from being remembered for one of his rare failures. Quick: Who served up Carlton Fisk's game-winning home run in the 1975 World Series? It was Pat Darcy, as some remember. The skinny Cincinnati left-hander would be a whole lot better known--and more in demand at card shows--if the Reds hadn't won Game 7 on Joe Morgan's single. Oswalt, the biggest bulldog on a staff that also includes Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, did Lidge a favor by keeping St. Louis hitless into the fifth inning in what turned out to be the last of 51 postseason games at Busch Stadium. He set the tone by blowing away Pujols after walking Jim Edmonds in the first inning. Oswalt started Pujols with a 97-m.p.h. fastball that painted the corner for strike one. He threw back-to-back curveballs, one for a ball and another for a called strike, and then absolutely obliterated the best hitter in the game with a 95-m.p.h. fastball in Pujols' kitchen. His hands tied up, Pujols waved helplessly. It was the start of a 0-for-4 night for the Game 5 hero and just about the end of realistic hopes for an I-55 World Series. The Cardinals needed great pitching to match Oswalt but didn't get it from Thornwood High product Mark Mulder, who missed a chance to pitch in the World Series in the park where he grew up watching Frank Thomas, Robin Ventura and Jack McDowell. This was the third win in three playoff starts for Oswalt this October and fourth in six starts the last two postseasons. He's a smooth 44-22 overall the last two years, with his work against Atlanta and St. Louis in the playoffs giving him 23 wins this year. Houston manager Phil Garner pulled Oswalt after seven innings because he had thrown 118 pitches. He probably could have gotten another inning out of him but knows he might have to get two World Series starts from him--in Game 3 at Minute Maid Park and then (gulp) in Game 7 at U.S. Cellular Field. Word of advice to the White Sox: Don't let it go further than Game 6. In terms of Houston's chances to win the Series, Oswalt's victory was even bigger than it might seem. It allows the Astros to settle into their Chicago hotel rather than hanging around St. Louis to see if Game 7 can be played Thursday. A forecast for steady rain made it appear a rainout was possible, maybe even likely. That would have delayed the deciding game to Friday, giving the Sox a major advantage in preparations for the third consecutive series. Oh, well. There will be no shortage of great story lines in an Astros-White Sox series. After 15 years together, Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell will finally get to ride a season to its ultimate conclusion. The team that lost two of last winter's top free agents, Carlos Beltran and Jeff Kent, goes further with kids in those spots (Willy Tavares and Chris Burke) than with the veteran stars. Houston, like the Sox, is loaded with starting pitching. Garner's next decision is an enviable one: Do you start Clemens or Pettitte in Game 1? Don't be surprised if he goes with Pettitte, giving Clemens one more day to rest his 43-year-old arm, in the hope it has just a little bit more greatness in it. Either way, he's going to feel real good knowing Oswalt is waiting behind them. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-0510200305oct20,1,4103165.story?coll=chi-sportsnew-hed
What has this world come to? Phil Rogers and Jeff Gordon had to move to journalism to make money? Our economy is shot....
