Manager's decision. Apparently, Williams would rather go with Lane and Merced against Moss than Berkman.
Berkman needs a day off and he sucks ass as a right-handed hitter. Moss is hell on everyone, so today is probably the best day to rest him.
Williams does things differently from Larry, that's for sure. Maybe it's starting to pay off. I'm getting pumped about our chances.
Cruz, after looking unhittable, just gave up the go ahead HR to Sheffield in the top of the 13th...6-5 Braves.
If we lose, this will be one of the most embarrassing losses I've ever dealt with as a Houston sports fan. Three run lead in the 9th, premier closer... nothing. Bases loaded, one out in the bottom of the 11... all Blum had to do was make contact. Whiff. All Cruz has to do is not serve one right down the pipe... blasted out. They said before the game that it was playoff intensity... the Astros certainly got the message.
Wow, what an ending. Helms and Furcal (as he was falling over!) threw Biggio out at the plate to end the game in a Braves win, 6-5 in 13 innings.
This is not the first time this year that Gene Lamont has sent a runner he had no business sending. There was no way that Biggio was going to score from first on that. Lamont took the bat out of Bagwell's hands.
I'm so dissapointed, i agree they never should have sent that runner.... i just hope this doesn't start a string of losses
I don't think it will. The Braves have the best record in baseball. If we can play that close with them we'll be ok. We should have won that game...at least twice. ARG!!!!
i love how about 2 pitches before sheffield's homer worrell mentioned not hanging the changeup and cruz promptly floats one directly over the plate about thigh high. i mean damn, sheffield had been whiffing on knee-high or lower off speed stuff all night. throw it in the dirt and hope, don't hang it whatever you do. what the hell was jimy doing with miller after the sixth inning?? miller had been getting knocked around all night and had amazingly lived to tell about it and then with 2nd and 3rd and 1 out williams decides to not pinch hit??? for what, that friggin extra third of an inning he got out of him?? he does this all the damn time with miller and oswalt. no matter how much they struggle, he seems to just keep putting them out there as long as the runs haven't been too bad. i swear he thinks it's a sin to pull either of them unless they've gotten to 100 pitches. how much easier could the decision have been. about 95 pitches for miller, 12 baserunners, he's already gone 6 innings, and you have a big rbi opportunity and miller's already managed to GIDP twice. i mean sure it worked out thanks to lugo, but that was a horrible decision. and then miller putting on 2 more guys with one out sure didn't make it look any smarter. and mr. lamont. i'm trying to think how much i hate him as a 3rd base coach. he seems to send people all the friggin time when he shouldn't. sometimes horrible throws save him (which seems to be what he's always banking on), but how can you really rationalize sending a guy who is gonna be out by a mile (which only turned into half a mile b/c furcal was tripping) when bagwell (or whoever it was) was coming up? just say no. and wagner's performance speaks for itself. big game=bad wagner. it was a 3 run lead anyway, just let dotel finish it off and if he struggles then bring in wagner. gives you 2 chances of non-sucky pitching instead of one.
exactly, maybe they should have a promotion where the fans don't come. it seems to shock them into losing. probably just the braves though, smoltz is scary looking.
That was a hell of a game. Can't really fault Blum, he had a very good AB & fouled off a ton of good pitches. Ausmus hit the ball hard after Blum K'd & Castilla made an excellent play. It took a great play by Furcal to get Biggio, and with 2 outs against the best closer in baseball it wasn't really that bad an idea to send him. Great game by the Bravos.
Great game all around. Anyone who's interested should hit the chat during the games, it's pretty awesome.
