Monday, October 17, 2005
Cardinals (1-3) at Astros (3-1)
We're back where the season started. If it's going to end tonight, so be it; I liveblogged the first game, I'll liveblog the last until the very bitter end. I don't care about bad umpires, dirty slides, missed tags, short porches, flag poles on the field. All I care about is seeing the team I watched for six months show up. If they lose, the least they can do is go down playing like Cardinals. That means no extra outs, no semi-conscious at-bats. Just do what they did all year long. Play like you want it, not like it's owed to you.
1st Inning: I'm in the car, but the first two reach on a HBP and walk. Then...nothing. Brutal. Lead off single for Biggio, Grudz couldn't grab it. Bunted over. With a base open, would you walk Berkman? Well, they didn't want to but did. Ensberg whoopsies one to Carp for the 2nd out. Very nice play by Luna (4th string 3rd baseman) to end the inning.
2nd Inning: Grudz continues his exercise in futility, grounding out. Yadi doubles after a very nice at-bat. STFU Lyons, Molina will kick your ass. Arugh, Luna couldn't hold up on a high pitch. Carp grounds out on the first pitch. Lane does need to see one up by his chin. But he singles to left. Shit, hit and run, second and third, no outs. Struck him out. One down. Carpenter looks a little scared. Out at the plate!!! I just adore Yadi. He came to play. Damn, Biggio pokes one into left. 1-0 Astros. And now Yadi takes a foul off his bare hand. Can we please get one break? Burke strikes out to end the inning. Sigh. The way things are going, one run might be enough.
3rd Inning: Eckstein fouls a ball off his leg. And they're booing the trainer. Fuckers. Bloop to center! So tough. Then he steals 2nd. Off Pettitte. Shut your mouth, Jimmy. Base hit sends Eckstein to third. Pujols plays chess? Oh. And he strikes out. Goddammit. Unreal. Reggie hits a loooong foul ball. And then strikes out. Show me something, Larry. Well, he walked. Which loads the bases for...Grudz. Who does NOT swing at the first pitch. GRUDZ COMES THROUGH!!!! 2-1 Cards!!! Arugh, Yadi strikes out. The crowed goes wild as Berkman flies out to Jimmy. Strike out. Ground out. Nice job shutting them down after we score.
4th Inning: Ensberg just gets Luna. Carp flies out to right, Lane makes that look hard. Eck flies out to right, too. They're finally making a pitcher work, though. They hit Lane!!! WOW. Probably an accident, though; it was a breaking ball on the butt. FC, Lane out at 2nd. Single and it's 1st and 2nd. Pettitte bunts them over. I noticed Larry shaved his playoff beard yesterday. Duncan comes out to talk to the infield. So, it's 2nd and 3rd for Biggio again. And he hits it to left again, but this time Reggie's there and he doesn't fall on his head.
5th Inning: Jimmy whoopsies a chopper in front of the plate. Damn, Albert ropes one right to the third baseman. Reggie singles to left on the first pitch. Show me something, Larry. Reggie steals 2nd. Meh, Larry grounds to 2nd. Burke strikes out. Berkman singles to center. Ensberg strikes out. And another strike out.
6th Inning: The Bushes are at the game. Jesus, Mark. HUSTLE. Out by a mile. Then Yadi singles. Arguh. Luna pops up. Grrrrrr. Carpenter grounds it back to Pettitte. Man, that looked like it could have been something. Lane loooong fly ball, but not long enough to get to the Crawford boxes. Fly out to right. Ground balls, Carp. Ground balls. Comebacker to Carp. He's elevating the ball. Worrisome.
7th Inning: Eck reaches on a bad throw. Oh, he's picked off. That's not good. Two outs on the basepaths. Oh, Jimmy you are so lucky that's a dead ball. Jimmy's safe at first, Lamb pulled off the bag. And Pettitte is knocked out of the game. Damn, I wanted Albert to have another shot at him. Qualls in. I miss the Astros' old bullpen. Nice play gets Pujols at first. Bleh, grounder to third. Crazy-ass half inning. Clemens is relaxed, Mulder is tense. Grounder to Eckstein. How does Biggio not get diseases from his helmet? Oh, Luna misplayed it and Biggio's safe. Oh God. Foul Ball. Wow. Shit. 1st and 3rd. Carpenter, do this. Now. Berkman home run. 4-2 Astros. I'm going to cry. 338', what a joke. Ensberg out trying to get to second. Pop up to center ends the inning, but the damage has been done. With all the scoring problems the Cardinals have had, it's not looking good.
8th Inning: Walker hits the ball off of the pitcher's glove and still gets thrown out. That's just the epitome of the series. Play some damn Cardinals baseball, guys. Quit swinging at the first pitch, quit giving them extra outs. Grudz, fly to center, Yadi weak grounder. Mabry in for Walker. Thanks for the memories, Larry. Izzy also in. Fly to Jimmy. Grounder to short. Pop up to 1st. Here comes Lidge.
9th Inning: J-Rod leads it off. Swings at a ball in the dirt and is thrown out at first. Mabry also goes down swinging. We were totally outplayed these last four games. Totally. Eckstein scoots in through the left side. He takes 2nd. Jimmy walks. OH MY FUCKING GOD HOME RUN ALBERT. Reggie strikes out. Pujols slides to beat Tavares to the bag. Thom sounds so sad. Another grounder to Pujols. And here's Burke. So catches the last out. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.
1st Inning: I'm in the car, but the first two reach on a HBP and walk. Then...nothing. Brutal. Lead off single for Biggio, Grudz couldn't grab it. Bunted over. With a base open, would you walk Berkman? Well, they didn't want to but did. Ensberg whoopsies one to Carp for the 2nd out. Very nice play by Luna (4th string 3rd baseman) to end the inning.
2nd Inning: Grudz continues his exercise in futility, grounding out. Yadi doubles after a very nice at-bat. STFU Lyons, Molina will kick your ass. Arugh, Luna couldn't hold up on a high pitch. Carp grounds out on the first pitch. Lane does need to see one up by his chin. But he singles to left. Shit, hit and run, second and third, no outs. Struck him out. One down. Carpenter looks a little scared. Out at the plate!!! I just adore Yadi. He came to play. Damn, Biggio pokes one into left. 1-0 Astros. And now Yadi takes a foul off his bare hand. Can we please get one break? Burke strikes out to end the inning. Sigh. The way things are going, one run might be enough.
3rd Inning: Eckstein fouls a ball off his leg. And they're booing the trainer. Fuckers. Bloop to center! So tough. Then he steals 2nd. Off Pettitte. Shut your mouth, Jimmy. Base hit sends Eckstein to third. Pujols plays chess? Oh. And he strikes out. Goddammit. Unreal. Reggie hits a loooong foul ball. And then strikes out. Show me something, Larry. Well, he walked. Which loads the bases for...Grudz. Who does NOT swing at the first pitch. GRUDZ COMES THROUGH!!!! 2-1 Cards!!! Arugh, Yadi strikes out. The crowed goes wild as Berkman flies out to Jimmy. Strike out. Ground out. Nice job shutting them down after we score.
4th Inning: Ensberg just gets Luna. Carp flies out to right, Lane makes that look hard. Eck flies out to right, too. They're finally making a pitcher work, though. They hit Lane!!! WOW. Probably an accident, though; it was a breaking ball on the butt. FC, Lane out at 2nd. Single and it's 1st and 2nd. Pettitte bunts them over. I noticed Larry shaved his playoff beard yesterday. Duncan comes out to talk to the infield. So, it's 2nd and 3rd for Biggio again. And he hits it to left again, but this time Reggie's there and he doesn't fall on his head.
5th Inning: Jimmy whoopsies a chopper in front of the plate. Damn, Albert ropes one right to the third baseman. Reggie singles to left on the first pitch. Show me something, Larry. Reggie steals 2nd. Meh, Larry grounds to 2nd. Burke strikes out. Berkman singles to center. Ensberg strikes out. And another strike out.
6th Inning: The Bushes are at the game. Jesus, Mark. HUSTLE. Out by a mile. Then Yadi singles. Arguh. Luna pops up. Grrrrrr. Carpenter grounds it back to Pettitte. Man, that looked like it could have been something. Lane loooong fly ball, but not long enough to get to the Crawford boxes. Fly out to right. Ground balls, Carp. Ground balls. Comebacker to Carp. He's elevating the ball. Worrisome.
7th Inning: Eck reaches on a bad throw. Oh, he's picked off. That's not good. Two outs on the basepaths. Oh, Jimmy you are so lucky that's a dead ball. Jimmy's safe at first, Lamb pulled off the bag. And Pettitte is knocked out of the game. Damn, I wanted Albert to have another shot at him. Qualls in. I miss the Astros' old bullpen. Nice play gets Pujols at first. Bleh, grounder to third. Crazy-ass half inning. Clemens is relaxed, Mulder is tense. Grounder to Eckstein. How does Biggio not get diseases from his helmet? Oh, Luna misplayed it and Biggio's safe. Oh God. Foul Ball. Wow. Shit. 1st and 3rd. Carpenter, do this. Now. Berkman home run. 4-2 Astros. I'm going to cry. 338', what a joke. Ensberg out trying to get to second. Pop up to center ends the inning, but the damage has been done. With all the scoring problems the Cardinals have had, it's not looking good.
8th Inning: Walker hits the ball off of the pitcher's glove and still gets thrown out. That's just the epitome of the series. Play some damn Cardinals baseball, guys. Quit swinging at the first pitch, quit giving them extra outs. Grudz, fly to center, Yadi weak grounder. Mabry in for Walker. Thanks for the memories, Larry. Izzy also in. Fly to Jimmy. Grounder to short. Pop up to 1st. Here comes Lidge.
9th Inning: J-Rod leads it off. Swings at a ball in the dirt and is thrown out at first. Mabry also goes down swinging. We were totally outplayed these last four games. Totally. Eckstein scoots in through the left side. He takes 2nd. Jimmy walks. OH MY FUCKING GOD HOME RUN ALBERT. Reggie strikes out. Pujols slides to beat Tavares to the bag. Thom sounds so sad. Another grounder to Pujols. And here's Burke. So catches the last out. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.
