Question: When was the last time Clemens pitched an up and in get off the plate heater? This kind of pitching - Roger Clemens's 2000 playoff game against Seattle, which included 15 strikeouts and the high-and-tight pitch that knocked down then-Mariner Alex Rodriguez and was generally credited with setting the tone of the game. In the fourth game Clemens, this time on a week's rest, pitched a one-hit shutout and struck out 15 Mariners in a gem scuffed by two straight first-inning knockdown pitches to Mariners shortstop Alex Rodriguez. The Rocket claimed he was just trying to get the ball in on the hands of Rodriguez, who had entered the game hitting .341 off Clemens. After the game A-Rod, stone-faced, echoed the sarcastic refrain spit out by Mets manager Bobby Valentine after the Piazza beaning three months earlier: "I guess he was a little off." But there was no denying the Rocket's mastery. His fastball hummed in the mid-90s and was clocked as high as 98 on the gun; he mixed in a diving splitter that traveled nearly 90 mph. "I have never seen a pitcher dominate like that," said Justice, who spent most of the '90s playing behind the peerless Braves staff. "I saw Maddux and Glavine and Smoltz shut down a lot of teams, but Roger? That was pure power." Said Torre: "He got to about the fifth or sixth inning, and I could visualize Bob Gibson pitching against Detroit in the [1968] World Series."
Before game 2, I got a chicken cheesteak and onion rings from Texadelphia and went to a buddys apt to watch the game. During the game I drank crown and coke. For the love of all that is holy and sacred with this world, USE EVERY SUPERSTITION NECESSARY TO MAKE THIS WIN HAPPEN . Its weird because I didnt have a good feeling about winning Monday night. After attending the game with my dad, I was excited, but felt kind of numb and nervous about game 5. It was odd. All my friends were overconfident about Monday night, but I remained kind of the opposite. I feel really good about this game. I think we have a professional team that can bounce back after a tough loss (although this one is pretty painful) and Roy will pitch another gem reminiscent of Game 2. No prediction because of superstitions......
I kept waking up this morning, once at 4, once at 6, another at 8, and all 3 times I was so hot that I had to take a shower. I think I may actually be sick, maybe some bad Popeye's yesterday, but man it's a sick feeling.
No joke. :/ 3 Showers and 5-6 naps later, and a 40 minute drive to work, and I'm feeling a bit better, but still, not too great.
If we can win tonight, we'll prove that we are an amazing team. Being able to come back and win the series after the emotional gutshot on Monday would display a mental focus far superior to any other team. If we win tonight, we will have the ultimate confidence and will win the World Series. If we don't win tonight, I feel confident that Clemens will take care of business on Thursday.
At least my wife, is barred from the living room tonight. She freaking jinxed us Monday when she came in, sat down and starting asking questions like...."Isn't that Albert guy good!" I told her to ZIP IT and then there was the HOMER. I told her to "go to your room and never return!" Well she WILL NOT be in the living room tonight so Astros should win.
Well...here's the lineup 2b - biggio cf - taveras 1b - berkman 3b - ensberg rf - lane lf - burke c - ausmus ss - everett p - oswalt ss - eckstein cf - edmonds 1b - pujols lf - sanders rf - walker 2b - grudz 3b - nunez c - molina p - mulder
Now the Astros are a team that likes to go out on the town We like to drink and fight and **** till curfew comes around Then it's time to make the trek we better be back to buddies check It makes a fella proud to be an Astro Now our pitching staff's comprised of guys who think they're pretty cool With a case of scotch, a greenie, and a beat up whirlpool We'll make the other hitters laugh then calmly break their bats in half It makes a fella proud to be an Astro. Now Scrap Iron is the one that manages this crew He doesn't like it when we drink and fight and smoke and screw But when we win our game each day Then what the **** can Scrap Iron say? It makes a fella proud to be an Astro.
I'm not sure if this was mentioned in another thread, but apparently the Astros were joking with Lidge on the plane telling him when they were in the air that "Pujols' HR ball just hit us." I think they're pretty loose.
