Home > The M.O. > Archives > 2007 > April > 02 > Entry
Live Blog: Opening day for the Astros
The Astros begin the season with some question marks in the rotation. After Roy Oswalt, and newly-acquired Woody Williams and Jason Jennings, there will be a platoon of young pitchers, one imagines, battling to shore up the rotation. While the pitching does not appear as strong as in years past, the offense may be its best since the loss of Jeff Kent and Carlos Beltran. Power-hitting Carlos Lee came over in free agency and should provide some serious protection for perennial MVP candidate Lance Berkman. Chris Burke and Luke Scott get their first opening day starts in the outfield, and while the Astros definitely lost some speed and all-star caliber defense when they traded Willie Taveras for Jennings, Burke should provide a much needed offensive boost.
The Astros will also need Morgan Ensberg to return to his 2005 form and hope to get more production from Craig Biggio, who batted below .200 after the all-star break last season. If they can get those players to add some more offense, as well as the always shaky Adam Everett and Brad Ausmus, the Astros should be able to contend for the NL Central title.
The cameras just showed a sign in the outfield sponsored (of course it is sponsored) by AT&T that will keep track of Craig Biggio’s pursuit of becoming the first Astro to get 3,000 hits. Biggio, starting in his 19th consecutive Opening Day (14 seasons at 2B), currently stands at 2,930, and many predict he should reach the milestone by late June or early July. Roy Oswalt starts the game for the Astros. It is the 5th consecutive Opening Day start for Oswalt, a feat equaled only by J.R. Richard, Mike Scott and Shane Reynolds.
Top of the 1st Inning
First pitch of the season for Oswalt is a ball. A rare walk for Oswalt to the Pirates’ lead-off man probably indicates that Roy, despite his fifth consecutive Opening Day start is a little affected by the adrenaline.
Burke fielded the first out of the game in a pop fly, but you can already see the drop-off from Taveras to Burke. Surely Burke will improve as the season continues, but he played that first ball rather poorly - a play Taveras would have made with ease
Oswalt seems to have found his groove, but having thrown 22 pitches in the first inning, I wonder if he will be able to go eight full, as he did on Opening Day last year.
Bottom of the 1st
Biggio leads off the game with a weak fly to first base. Oddly, the weak-hitting Everett is batting second tonight. Last season saw way too many pitchers coast through the bottom of the Astros’ order, so maybe Garner is trying to mix it up a bit. And Everett hits a soft pop to second base. Berkman grounds out to the left side of the infield to end the inning. Three up, three down. Hope that is not a sign of things to come this season.
Top of the 2nd Inning
Broadcaster Bill Brown has quoted a few pitching coaches around the league who stated that they felt the strike zone had gotten smaller over the spring and that people can expect even more home runs this season.
Burke goes to his left to field a soft drive from Bautista. He dives to make the catch but drops the ball as his glove hits the ground. He showed pretty good eyes and feet in making the jump, but it is a play that should have been made. The question about his play in center will probably center more around his decision making and familiarity with the position than his athletic ability, which is unquestioned.
Bottom of the 2nd
Carlos Lee hits a fly to deep left field that is caught on the warning track in front of the Crawford Boxes. Boy, that woulda been a nice way to start off your career in a new city.
Luke Scott gets the Astros first hit of the season but is thrown out by a mile as he tries to extend his hit into a double. That could be the theme for the 2007 Astros, “We can hit, but we can’t run.”
Top of the 3rd Inning
Pitcher Zach Duke leads off the 3rd with a single, followed by Oswalt retiring the next three batters in order.
Bottom of the 3rd
There’s the added offense the Astros were looking for when shipping Taveras to Colorado…Burke leads off the inning with a ground rule double and is the first Astro to reach second base in the 2007 campaign. Brad Ausmus pulls his best Craig Biggio and gets hit by a pitch to put men on first and second, but Oswalt fails to execute the sacrifice and Biggio hits into a 5-4-3 double play to end the third inning - an inauspicious beginning for Mr. 3000.
Top of the 4th Inning
Oswalt continues to pitch well. Retiring the side in order to make it six straight.
Bottom of the 4th
Lance Berkman snakes one up the middle for his first hit of the season. The Astros commentators seem to think that Berkman will probably be pitched as cautiously as ever, even though Lee is batting behind him. Lee hits into the Astros second double play in as many innings to end the inning. Do I see a pattern forming?
Top of the 5th
Workman-like performance from Oswalt - three up, three down.
Bottom of the 5th
After Morgan Ensberg reaches base with a single, Luke Scott picked up where he left off last season with the Astros first home run of the season. The fans rain down the “Luuuuke”s. Chris Burke follows with a knock off of the left-field wall scoreboard for the third straight Astros’ hit and his second double of the night. Looks like the two guys who got their first Opening Day career starts are right where they need to be. I have no idea why Burke is not leading off tonight, or every night, for that matter. Sticking him at the bottom of the line-up may give the order some more consistency, but you need your fastest player and a consistent offensive threat leading off. Of course, just as I write it, Burke gets thrown out trying to make it home as he challenges Duffy’s arm. Biggio with another unceremonious out. He stays at 2,930 to end the 5th.
Top of the 6th
After Chris Duffy singles, Ensberg makes what could be a costly error at third. His error allowed to Jack Wilson to reach, leaving Oswalt to face power hitting Jason Bay with no outs. Oswalt gets squeezed by the umpire on both his 0-2 and 1-2 pitch. Bay showing good patience with runners on. Ensberg makes up for his error by starting a 5-4-3 double play to get the first two outs.
Bottom of the 6th
Everett makes me look foolish with a double to left. And the Pirates proved the broadcasters right by pitching delicately to Lance Berkman, who walked. The Pirates apparently have a malfunctioning phone, as they send their ball boy running to the bullpen to alert them to get a pitcher warm. Carlos Lee hits a scorcher to second, but Castillo makes a diving grab and doubles up Everett. The Astros see another mounting rally aborted.
Top of the 7th
Another 1-2-3 for Roy O. Someone’s looking like he’s already in mid-season form.
Bottom of the 7th
Following a (what I assume must have been) painful ‘God Bless America’ - one of the worst sporting ramifications of the attacks on 9/11 - by Clay Walker, the Astros repay the favor by going in order. The attandance for the night has been announced at 43, 803, the largest in Opening Day fhistory at Minute Maid Park.
Top of the 8th
Nate McLouth (who?) ruins Oswalt’s shutout with a pinch-hit home run, the first allowed by the Astros since July of last year. Everett makes a fine play for the first out, and then uses good judgment in not attempting a throw on Jack Wilson’s infield single. Everett is the best defensive shortstop in baseball, and not only does he make spectacular plays, he uses good judgment in knowing when there is a play to be made. The infield hit, however, will take Oswalt out of the game after 95 pitches. The Wizard gave up 5 hits and 1 run over 8 2/3 innings. Dan Wheeler comes on in relief. After a hooking foul that probably had Oswalt nauseated in the dugout, Wheeler gets Bay to roll out weakly.
Bottom of the 8th
Hey, hey, hey. Look who got a hit. Biggio reaches out and slaps a ball to left field for his 23rd career Opening Day hit. I am sure the sports radio fanatics would have been out in full force tomorrow in Houston calling for a benching of Biggio had he gone hitless tonight.
Top of the 9th
In what might be the most nerve-wracking and imporant moment if the night, Brad Lidge enters the game. The once-amazing closer fell on hard times last year, with many people thinkng that the bomb he gave up to Albert Pujols in the 2005playoffs changed his career permanently. Lidge looked good against Adam LaRoche, getting him to strike out on three pitches. After a routine ground out for out #2, the worst possible scenario ocurred. Lidge gave up a home run to Xavier Nady, and out came the Booh Birds. That is the last possible thing Lidge and the Astros needed in this game. The Houston Astros 2007: Feel the Drama. Bautista follwowed the homer with a double and the boohs continued to cascade. Lidge then nibbled around the corners and walked the pinch hitter Doumit. Lidge then takes the next batter to a full count before Adam Everett makes an amazing play over his shoulder on a dead run ot left field. That catch may have saved the game, and Lidge’s therapist from a midnight phone call.
Bottom of the 9th
Carlos Lee could be a hero with a home run to end the game for his new team, but he skies an infield pop for the first out. And it loosk like one of those games, as both Ensberg and Scott line out to send it to extra innings.
Top of the 10th
After Duffy grounded out to start the inning, Wilson reached on another infield single. And then the levee broke. Bay hit a two-run home run off of reliever Chad Qualls. Astros fans must be sick. Not only may they potentially lose to the lowly Pirates to start the seaosn, but it is due to the choking of not one but two relievers. Many felt that if Lidge could not keep the closer’s job, that Qualls could step up to be The Man. Following this game, there will only be more question marks with regard to the pitching staff.
Bottom of the 10th
Salomon Torres comes on for the Pirates. The reliever appeared in 94 games for the Bucs last year. That is ridiculous. Torres gets the Astros in order and the Bucs get the win (their first in Houston since 2005) in heartbreaking fashion for Astros’ fans. Someone take away Brad Lidge’s (and many Astros’ fans) shoelaces. In good news, it’s a long, long season.
Or is that the bad news?
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Sports
Comments
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By Steve
April 3, 2007 10:53 AM | Link to this
Nice blog. What’s the over/under on when the Astros bullpen gets dismantled? Once Lidge comes in, the author can blog the end of the game without watching.
By Jay
April 12, 2007 8:39 AM | Link to this
Well…..I’m impressed.
Good read, keep it up Matthew.
Your “Uncle Jay”.