Either this is one of those small sample size things, or Jeff Bagwell has electrified these hitters.

It was 110 degrees down on the field and the hitters were HOT.

Didn’t start off that way – Garcia had a lethal sinker that first inning; Bourgeois, getting a start in center against the lefty, went to 3-2, then popped out, then Sanchez and Pence struck out swinging. I thought uh-oh. And even though Bud looked good, he gave up a homer to Colby Rasmus on a 3-2 FB down and in and I was afraid we were gonna lose like 1-0, seeing as how Bud had given up only 1 run over 4 games in St. Looie.

But even though Jaime is from Mission (Texas, for all yall from somewheres else), he looked as if he had a lil trouble with the heat. In the second inning, he gave up consecutive singles to Carlos (no Clank tonight – I SWEAR he has turned into Carlos Hustle – hahaha) and Keppinger, then Pedro Feliz, getting a start at 1B, hit what SHOULD have been a GIDP ball , but Aaron Miles, playing 3rd, screwed it up and everyone was safe. Then CJ hit a sac-fly to deep center to tie the game.

For whatever reason, Garcia just couldn’t get his sinker to sink. Castro hit into a FC as Carlos scored. Then Bud Norris hit an RBI single. Then Bourgeois hit a RBI double to left center. Then Sanchez hit a 2 RBI double to center, Pence grounded out and the Astros led 5-1. Bud Norris, full of confidence, went out and got 1,2,3 out on 12 pitches.

Carlos Lee again led off the 3rd and he singled again. Keppinger hit into what SHOULD have been a 5-4-3, but Miles again screwed it up, so he only got Kepp. Feliz singled and Carlos SERIOUSLY hustled around 3rd and beat the throw – yes, Yadi dropped the ball, but the ump signaled safe BEFORE it was obvious that the ball was dropped (replay showed Carlos got his hand in there.) Garcia pulled himself together, got CJ on 2 nasty curves and a wicked slider.

Bud trotted back out and got 1,2,3 out on 11 pitches.

Garcia continued to keep the ball down and out, but Bud ran into a little trouble in the 4th. Rasmus singled, Uncle singled, then Holliday flew out to left center and Bougy made a VERY nice running catch. Allen Craig, a new guy called up to play right (platooning with Jon Jay, now that Ludwick is gone) singled Rasmus home, then Skip Schumaker sincled to right and Uncle ran thru the stop sign at 3rd to score – Pence’s throw was waaaaayyy offline. Arnesberg trotted out, chatted with Bud, who then got Yadi to groundout to CJ for a nice GIDP (it wasn’t Yadi’s night) and I must say that CJ made an EXCELLENT play on that ball -  and made very good plays on a couple others. Hopefully, the errors will dissipate as he gets more comfortable and is no longer nervous that he’ll be benched if he goes ofer.

Both pitchers had quick 1,2,3 5th inning.

Then Garcia, at 91 pitches, lost steam. He gave up a single to CJ, then Duncan trotted out. Castro fouled off a couple, took 2 balls, then lined a single to opposite field. Goodbye Jaime, who has given up SIX runs, 2 earned (the guy came into the game with a 2.33 ERA) and left 2 on base.

In trots Mitchell Boggs, RHP and his 3.23 ERA. Bud sac-bunts Castro to second, then Boggs walks Bougy on 4 straight pitches, then Our Friend da Angel hits a bases clearing standup triple to the RF gap – one of those balls that rolls slowly to the wall after it falls. Pence hits a sac-fly to deep right in foul territory, then Carlos hits a ball to deep right center which Craig, the RF, bobbles a bit – and Carlos, RUNNING FULL OUT (and NO I am NOT kidding) chugs around second and heads full steam into third (and NO I am NOT kidding) and beats the throw and tag, but is called out. It was absolutely incredible. I haven’t seen him play like this since we were on a winning streak back in August of 08. I don’t know what on earth has gotten into him, but I’m just sorry it didn’t happen a lil earlier.

So the Astros are up 10-3. Bud comes back out, gets Rasmus to fly out, then gets Uncle to ground out to 3rd – another REALLY good stop and throw by CJ. Then Holliday hits a hanging slider into the RF bullpen, Craig singles to center – Bougy traps the ball and unsuccessfully tries to sell it. Schumaker draws a 3-1 walk. Bud looks tired and hot and out trots Arnesberg. Yadi is up and hits the ball to shallow right and Pence makes a fabulous diving catch, just like last night, to end the inning.

Astros 10 – Cards 4

Boggs goes back out to start the inning and promptly walks Kepp, then gives up a single to Feliz (who went 3 fer 6 on the night with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored) and then TLR goes out to the mound and tells him – THROW STRIKES!!!. So he does and Chris Johnson promptly swats the first pitch into right center for a 2 RBI double and Boggs is done.

In comes lefty Dennys Reyes (250 lbs? surrrrrrre, if you just counting the top half) and Castro lines a single to center. Lefty Brett Wallace is sent up to pinch hit and HE hits a RBI single to right. Bougy GIDP, then Sanchez knocks in his 6th run with a single before Pence grounds out. At this point, Pence is the only guy in the lineup who hasn’t gotten a hit, although he DID drive in a run.

Byrdak comes in in the bottom of the 7th and gives up a single to Ryan, but gets the other 3 outs without giving up any runs. Best part was watching Reyes bat – he hadn’t had an AB for 5 years and he managed to have an 8 pitch AB.

So Reyes comes back out to start the 8th and gives up a 4 pitch walk to Carlos (guess he was all tired out from swinging a bat) then a single to pinch hitter Jason Michaels. So out comes TLR, out goes Reyes and in comes Mike McDougal, who didn’t have what you might could call a real too particularly good night last night.

Pedro Feliz hits an RBI single, then Blum, newly arrived from the DL (Anderson Hernandez got DFA’d instead of Feliz, too bad) pinch hit for CJ and hit an RBI single, then Castro walked. Byrdak, in his first AB since last year (he went ofer 3) struck out, then Bourgeois drew a 4 pitch walk. Bases loaded. Da Angel up, needing a homer for the cycle, and a granny would give him the Astros team record of 10 RBI for a 9 inning game (you know that JR Towles currently holds the record of 8 – against the Cards, interestingly enough) but he struck out looking.

Too bad.

Then Pence FINALLY got a hit, an RBI single – and only Blum trotted home – can’t be rude, you know, leading by 14 runs and Carlos grounded out to end the inning.

Fulchino came in to pitch the bottom of the 8th, his first inning since he came off the DL (Abad was sent down to AAA) and gave up a single to Uncle, then a groundout from Holliday (Bougy, now at second, made a nice play) then he walked Craig on 4 pitches, then got his control in hand and struck out Schu and LaRue.

TLR had bout run out of pitchers, so Aaron Miles, all 5′8″ of him, trotted in to relieve. He threw 70 MPH pitches, gave up a single to Blum, and got Michaels, Feliz and Castro to pop up. Who needs Da Mariano?

Chacin came in to mopup in the 9th, gave up 2 singles but no runs.

Unbelieveable.

Like I said, either we are doing better with young guys who can, you know, like, HIT, or Da Baggy has had some kind of magic effect on everyone. And anyone who can get Carlos Lee to try to stretch a double into a triple is my kind of guy.

Se the Astros have now won 6 straight games at Busch, for like the first time EVAH.

And we go for the sweep tomorrow against ace Chris Carpenter, who is more than relieved that his nemesis Berkman is no longer with the team. The Cards face  JA Happ.

Youneverknow. Whoda thought we’d score 28 runs against the Cards over TWO games?

And I guess Tommy Manzella is headed back to AAA for rehab – 3 weeks worth. Wonder if he’ll ever get his job back. Wonder if the Red Sox wonder if Angel Sanchez switched bodies with the ghost of Nomar 1999 or something…

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