MVN - Most Valuable Network

Hunter Pence Hits Walk Off Double

Doesn’t it seem like the Astros haven’t had a walkoff victory since, like April? 

Mama called me at 4 to tell me that her friend wouldn’t be able to go with her to the game and wanted to know if I wanted to go. Well, of COURSE I wanted to go - the trick would be to not let the kids find out I was going because of course they would want to go tooooo and there would be a WHOLE lot of crying which their daddy would have to deal with, which wouldn’t make him the happiest man, you know what I’m saying. Which gave me about an hour to get kids to WANT to go over to my cousin’s to play and to think it was their idea in the first place and talk me into it.

So I told Husband he could pick up kids when he got home and, oh yeah - pick up a few chickens from Kroger and fortunately, I had already cooked apple cobbler - it’s medicine to decrease male-type grumbling.

So I met Mama in front of the Box at about 5:45 - the place was positively swarming with Cubs fans. Cub weekends are always bad - I mean, too many Cub fans. Usually, there are a good 5000 (seriously) at Friday and Saturday summer games, but tonight I swear there were twice that many.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

And it was a great game.

Moehler was really nails - ran into a bit of trouble in the 5th with location. Edmonds hit a CBox cheapie on a fastball up and in and after getting DeRosa out, he gave up a double off the top of the scoreboard to Fontenot. And get this - Carlos MAKES A GREAT PLAY!!!! He grabs the ball the second it bounces and is perfectly positioned to make a strong accurate throw to second. Moehler was still having trouble keeping the ball down and one of the few times he got the ball down, he got the ball too far down in the dirt and Fontenot advanced to third on a WP. He then K’d Lilly - finally, after walking The Riot, he got Fukudome to popup. Fuku at the plate doesn’t look anything like the player I saw earlier this year although he still looks great in the field - he made 2 great catches.

But then Moehler came back to pitch a nails 6th and 7th and he could have most likely pitched a CG if he hadn’t been pulled for a PH in the bottom of the 7th. He only gave up 4 hits, 1 walk and 3 Ks with 1 HR.

Geary pitched the 8th and 9th - 6 up 6 down for the W.

Lilly was also excellent - FB was biting and his curve was curving. Through 6 innings, he gave up 2 singles, a walk and a triple and no runs. In the 7th, he started Carlos out with a high FB and Carlos sent it into Pujols territory - bounced off the glass onto the tracks. Then Miggy and Pence hit consecutive singles. And here is the usual Astros problem - 2 on, no out. Wiggy Ks in a 9 pitch AB, then Loretta pinch hits for Towles and FO. Then Blum PH for Moehler and walks on 4 straight pitches. Lou walks out to the mound. Lilly looks almost too tired to lift his arm, but somehow he gets Kaz to GO, leaving bases loaded.

But in the 9th, Miggy doubles to right and the very next pitch Hunter Pence sends a FB into center. Miggy takes off with the crack of the bat and Edmonds weak arm can’t get the ball to the plate in time to get a sliding Miggy. The other guys all came up and pounded on Pence - Lance picked up Miggy and hugged him.

Looks as if the ASG revitalized Miggy, who handled a very tricky 1 hopper. So be it and shall it remain. Lance looked sorry with the bat, but made an awesome catch of a popup near the dugout in the second.

Several things - if the Astros aren’t going to play Bourn, wouldn’t it make more sense to send the guy down to AAA to, like, you know, HIT??? Call up Reggie if you want a guy for DR/PR. Same with Towles - at least they let him start today, even if he can’t hit the curve - and Lilly got hisself a filthy hammer.

And last - Cooper needs to quit sending Pence and Wiggy with lefty pitchers/good catchers. Lou isn’t stoopid - and Lilly had Pence easily picked off.

The fireworks were just an added celebration to tell all those &*(%*&#%@! Cub fans that they can’t come into our House and take ovah.

Let’s hope Backe can keep it down tomorrow.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 18th, 2008 at 10:32 pm and is filed under Brian Moehler, Carlos Lee. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.