11/23/24
October 14, 2005
Roy Oswalt dominates, Brad Lidge turns out the lights as Astros beat Cards: It's not a series until you win on the other guy's patch and now in both the LCS', it game on. More timely hitting from platoon player Chris Burke helps Houston even things up. If you're not watching this series, you're missing some good, tense playoff baseball. Or maybe it's just tense in the vicinity of my couch, who knows.
posted by Texan_lost_in_NY to baseball at 07:50 AM - 23 comments
Oswalt was impressive. I hate the Cards bullpen right now. But it really scares me to think about Morris pitching in that bandbox in Houston.
posted by mbd1 at 09:04 AM on October 14, 2005
I predict that this thread gets about 40 posts. Among all SpoFi threads since Oct. 7, those with the words "Yankees" or "Red Sox" average about 100 posts, while baseball threads that do not mention the Yankees or Red Sox average around 40 posts. What does that tell us? (But now that I've mentioned Yankees and Red Sox, we may be headed for 100!)
posted by Bill Lumbergh at 09:19 AM on October 14, 2005
Lieber and Buehrle are two other quick pitchers. I really think pitchers who work fast have better defense behind them, at least in the regular season (not sure it matters in the playoffs, because everyone has their head in the game anyway). I'd love to see a study on that.
posted by cl at 09:48 AM on October 14, 2005
I'm sorry did you say yanks-sox. Well I'm going to drone on and on with endless non-sequiters about two teams no longer in the playoffs. eventually someone who is a fan of the opposing team will say something I don't like and we will get into a virtual shouting match through this post. rivalries are good for sports but maybe we should try to keep the conversation on those teams that remain in the playoffs. their names escape me right now.
posted by HATER 187 at 09:50 AM on October 14, 2005
...made me sad the NLCS is relegated to FX when both leagues are playing. Two nights ago, in my market, the Sox/Angels game was on FX and the Astros/Cards game was on regular ol' Fox. Oh, and I'm watching both series with great interest this year. No dastardly Northeast teams this year makes for good baseball in my mind. It's nothing personal to any residents of that otherwise fine area, it's just in my Midwestern DNA to hate all Northeastern sports teams. And I make no apologies for biology.
posted by NoMich at 10:23 AM on October 14, 2005
The Astros may have won, but the Cards beat themselves. Molina had a passed ball that scored one run. The terrible attempt at a catch by Sanders could account for at least one if not two more runs. You take away those runs and it is a game again. The game should have been alot closer if not for the bad play by the Cards.
posted by mcstan13 at 10:38 AM on October 14, 2005
I haven't read any sports pages yet today; what is Sanders' status? That fall looked pretty bad.
posted by NoMich at 10:43 AM on October 14, 2005
I'm sorry did you say yanks-sox. Well I'm going to drone on and on with endless non-sequiters about two teams no longer in the playoffs. eventually someone who is a fan ... HATER 187 uses two capital letters in one post! An example of the influence of elitist SportsFilter culture? That last sentence gave me a chuckle, though, good one.
posted by Amateur at 10:53 AM on October 14, 2005
(But now that I've mentioned Yankees and Red Sox, we may be headed for 100!)
posted by Bill Lumbergh at 9:19 AM CST on October 14Uhmmm, I´m glad you brought this up! :p
So, how many years has it been since the "Evil Empire" won a World Series? I mean, do consider what their payroll is!
BTW Bill, did you add your own post to the count/prediction? posted by zippinglou at 10:54 AM on October 14, 2005
As a Cardinals fan, Lidge scares me big time -- his presence basically makes any game in which the Astros take the lead a 7 or 8 inning affair (wish we could say the same about Izzy).
posted by holden at 11:48 AM on October 14, 2005
Sanders apparently has bumps, bruises, a sore neck, and a headache. 50-50 for Saturday right now. Taguchi will probably get the start if Reggie can't go. Maybe John Rodriguez. Yes, Lidge is solid, but the rest of the Astros bullpen is hittable.
posted by mbd1 at 12:07 PM on October 14, 2005
Seems like the world has turned on its axis, AL playing small ball, and NL yanking taters. (seems like it anyway) Lidge seems lights out, but 'Stros starters Pettite and Rocket below par last couple of games. Funny, Cards have always been my NL team, but rooting for 'Stros this year. Like to see Biggio and Bagwell get a ring.
posted by sfts2 at 01:00 PM on October 14, 2005
That's funny mcstan. The cards were dominated in game 2.
posted by catfish at 01:12 PM on October 14, 2005
As a Cardinals fan, Lidge scares me big time -- his presence basically makes any game in which the Astros take the lead a 7 or 8 inning affair (wish we could say the same about Izzy). I agree. But as a Cardinals fan, I hope we have seen enough of Julian Tavares. He has been extremely ineffective for the last 2 months. I hope TLR has gotten enough of a Tavares fix to last him into the WS. Can you say "Free Agent"?
posted by imanage at 01:27 PM on October 14, 2005
Amen, imanage -- the less we see of Tavarez the better. Tavarez's tendency to give up at least two runs every time he comes in makes that Al Reyes injury hurt that much worse.
posted by holden at 02:21 PM on October 14, 2005
I think the cards did beat themselves, but ypu can't take away the power and run support the astros had. The Astros played a good game in game 2, but can they hold up like that for the next games to come.
posted by D-train at 02:41 PM on October 14, 2005
Sorry Bill- only 18 posts so far! Is it just my Cardinals bias, or did anyone else think the Cards got "Denkingered" by the safe call on Burke's triple or by the "fair ball" call that Grudz bounced off his big toe?
posted by Bury Bonds at 04:05 PM on October 14, 2005
The call on Burke's triple looked good to me, though it was hard to tell from the one angle shown. The glove didn't move like a foot had contacted it.
posted by cl at 04:10 PM on October 14, 2005
It was definitely a foul off G's toe and Burke looked safe to me as well; Nunez just did a poor job of moving his glove, thinking the ump would give him an out because the ball beat the runner. I'm surprised no one's mentioned Pujols being a bit clueless on a couple of plays at first. He was well out of position on least 2 plays but the Astros didn't capitalize on either mistake. I'm not surprised at all with the Cardinals going 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position, such was the Astros pitching. As good as St. Louis is at the plate, as we all know, good pitching beats good hitting every time. Rocket below par last couple of games I agree he was not himself in the first game he pitched against Atlanta but 3 innings of one hit ball in the series clincher shows me Clemens is back to himself. He knows how to pitch in Houston and I fully expect the Astros to be up 2-1 around 6:15 pm Houston time tomorrow. Sunday's another matter altogether with Backe on the mound. He's 0-1 with a 10.32 ERA over three games (two starts) vs. St. Louis this year. Yikes.
posted by Texan_lost_in_NY at 04:47 PM on October 14, 2005
"Denkingered" Is now a verb. I love it. Even my kid yells out the Denkinger name whenever there is an obvious blown call, and he wasn't born until 7 years after the original "Denkingerization". I guess our children do listen to us after all. I don't necessarily think the umps are on a mission against any particular team, however. It is more indicative of the lower standards throughout our society. That is all the more reason for Instant Replay to be implemented into all major league sports. There is to much $$$ on the line for the results to suffer from people who don't take pride in doing their jobs correctly the first time.
posted by imanage at 04:48 PM on October 14, 2005
It is more indicative of the lower standards throughout our society. What is?
posted by cl at 05:07 PM on October 14, 2005
oswalt 'lights out!' as i said to a freind of mine the other day' oswalt is nasty stuff in a cannon.' BTW i am a cards fan and i think they can take one, maybe two in houston. right now it is easy to beat up on the astro's bullpen minus lidge. ( a part of me would love to meet both oswalt and lidge in a dark alley. wonder if they would like ice cream?) ha ha tried to make you look. all in all astro's are fighting and ya GOTTA love the sport!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted by basseuphoria at 05:42 PM on October 14, 2005
I hadn't watched a full game Oswalt pitched since his rookie year. I love a guy who pitches like's double-parked. Are there any other effective MLB pitchers who pitch that quickly? Watching the game also made me sad the NLCS is relegated to FX when both leagues are playing. I understand Fox goes with the bigger markets, but the NLCS seems like a a better brand of baseball* this year. They're playing the game Ozzie Guillen thinks he's playing, except Ozzie shouldn't be playing it because HIS PITCHER DOESN'T HAVE TO BAT. *Should not be taken as an endorsement of either league.