Matchup/Game Thread at San Francisco 9:15 CDT

Houston
Biggio, 2B
Loretta, 3B
Berkman, 1B
Lee, LF
Pence, CF
Lane, RF
Ausmus, C
Everett, SS
Sampson, P

 San Francisco

Winn, CF
Klesko, 1B
Aurilia, 3B
Bonds, LF
Durham, 2B
Molina, C
Lewis, RF
Vizquel, SS
Lowry, P

Kian give yourself a gold star; we douobt Garner considers the opinion expressed here on The Boxes when making his lineups, but there it is, four days after you suggested it, Ausmus batting seventh.

Can Biggio hitting sixth be that far behind>?

Actually, yes, would be my guess.

Loretta's batted second three straight games, and in 4 of the last 6.  We're 7 - 6 when he does so.  

As I'm sure you know, we're 1 - 0 when Pence hits fifth.

First pitch to Bidge is low and inside and the next is high and away.  There's a stike, it's 2 - 1 when he fouls it down the third base line.  

58 degrees in San Francisco as the game starts, and Biggio takes a walk on a full count.  

Winn has a 19-game hit streak going, and is their hottest (and luckiest) hitter going right now.

Lined up the middle, Everett had him played right, easy play.  

Lee a big hack on the first pitch, fouled off to the right.  

Grounded to Aurilia on the second pitch, can we say that Lee is into a slump, yet?  

I hate the time of these games on the west coast. 5:30am comes too early for me and these late games..

Barroids flies out pretty hard to Lane

for Lance to break out of his season-long slump.

Ausmus is struck out looking a breaking pitch up and in, but not too much so.

Everett lines it to Winn, and Sampson grounds it past Klesko, a hit.

Biggio bunts for a basehit, second time he's done that recently.  They all count the same in the hit list Craig.

Although doubles affect the linescore more.

A real juggernaut, these Astros, back to back singles.

Can Loretta convert with two outs?  Dunno yet, but he goes 3 - 0 to help things.  That's a walk and the bases are loaded for Berkman.

Berkman with three grand slams, but before I can even finish typing this sentence's introductory clause, Berkman has grounded to second.

Vizquel hits it well, Pence broke in at first, then had to haul ass backwards to catch it, which he did.

sure found a way to screw us out of a run.  WHAT THE HELL!!!  geeze..

Carlos Lee doubles, guess he ain't slumping, or just ended it.

Pence grounds to short, should have grounded to the other side if he wasn't gonna homer or double or whatever.

Lane . . . I'm not sure what happened there except Lee is out and Lane is on first.

Ausmus would have tripled, scoring Lane had the ball been like fifteen feet further.  Instead Lewis caught it.  

Kleskoi hit it where Ausmus had, except his ball had that extra fifteen feet, but he's slower so it's only a double.

Aurilia goes 3 - 2, this is kinda important that Chris gets him.  He does, on a grounder to Everett, Klesko does get to third, but the out is recorded.

Barroids stands in, first pitch a changeup low in the zone.  Second pitch looked a little outside I guess.  Now a curve away, good pitches, these, Bonds just doesn't swing at anything out fo the zone.  Barry steps back and Sampson fires a pitch  right through.  He gets back in  and it's ball four.

The four balls missed by a grand total of four inches.

Durham looks at a curve that drops in, then hacks at a changeup, little ahead of it there, Ray.  Next one is grounded softly at Loretta who fields it on the infield, and throws a changeup of his own to Berkman.

Klesko scores, Durham is called out.

Molina lines to Pence to end the inning, but 1 - 0 Giants.

SAmpson can't be making these mistakes with this offense. . . . .

and that will be it for me. . . .

Everett bunts for a single, whatever works, man.  Nicely placed, gotta say.

Sampson bunts back to Lowry who tags Sampson and Everett is into second.

Biggio pops it right at Lewis, Everett going nowhere.

Loretta 2 - 0, now 3- 0  and if I didn't know better, I'd say Lowry's game plan is to walk Loretta so he can face Berkman.

There's a strike and it's chopped to third to end the inning.  

Go Astros, as if it might help. . . .

are much less entertaining when he's hitting .260 with 6 extra base hits.

Well I see many of the regulars have turned in for the night due to the late start there on the West Coast. It's early afternoon here in Korea so happy to follow along BUT this game SUCKS!!!!!! Again, the offense has failed to show up [Berkman is driving me to the edge of this high rise I'm working in - I'm kidding but you know what I mean ;-) ], as the Stros have done some boneheaded plays and leaving too many runners on base!

I hate the Giants, why do the Astros have so many problems with this team? Damn...

For what it's worth, Go ASTROS!

SeoulStro