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St. Louis Cardinals at Houston Astros, Aug 29, 2008 7:05 PM CDT

St. Louis Cardinals @ Houston Astros



National League Wild Card Standings

W L PCT GB STRK
Milwaukee 77 56 .578 0 Lost 1
St. Louis 74 60 .552 3.5 Won 1
Philadelphia 73 61 .544 4.5 Lost 2
Florida 68 66 .507 9.5 Lost 1
Houston 68 66 .507 9.5 Won 2

(updated 8.29.2008 at 10:30 AM CDT)


Let's start our focus of tonight's game and opening series with the Wild Card Picture.  We're still a daunting 9.5 games back of the Brewers, but I (and some of you too) have pretty much discounted the notion that we'll ever catch the.  However, I will still consider this season a success, and a thing of beauty, if we catch the Cardinals.  It kills me that it was supposed to be us, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh battling for the NL Central basement, but somehow TLR has somehow managed to push the right buttons and still have a play-off contender on his hands.  Just look at their rotation.  Is there a single impressive name on it? Their bull pen has been a cluster fu...you get the picture...all season long, but somehow, there they are.

The positive in all of this, is that if we just take this series, we'd only be four games back of them and could conceivably be 3 if we manage to pull of a sweep (I won't hold my breath on that).  With those hopes in mind, let's turn to the series preview:


Current Series

3 game series vs Cardinals @ Minute Maid Park

St. Louis Cardinals
@ Houston Astros

Friday, Aug 29, 2008, 7:05 PM CDT
Minute Maid Park

Kyle Lohse vs Randy Wolf

Partly cloudy. Winds blowing in from right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 90.

 

Complete Coverage >

Sat 08/30

Braden Looper vs Brian Moehler

6:05 PM CDT
Sun 08/31 1:05 PM CDT

I assume that Wandy will pitch Sunday, but I'm too lazy to see who's slated for the Cards.  Either way, this isn't the strongest pitching match-up series ever.  Lohse is enjoying a season in which command and a stellar Cardinals defense have made Lohse a sure fire candidate to get some multi/multi deal that will probably look insane by it's end and left Ed Wade looking like an idiot for taking Chacon over Lohse (do you think Lohse would have beat him up?).  Looper and Moehler have both enjoyed anomalous seasons and could either be good or bad.  We should just flip a coin to predict it.  So this is a series in which hitting will be the main story and unfortunately, I think the Cards have us beat in that regard.  So we'll need some great pitching performances.



W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP
2008 - Kyle Lohse 13-6 28 28 0 0 0 0 168.0 178 77 74 15 41 93 3.96 1.30


W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP
2008 - Brian Moehler 9-5 25 20 0 0 0 0 121.2 133 57 54 15 29 66 3.99 1.33

For this series, I hope the Cecil Cooper remembers that Yadier Molina has a ridiculous arm and we should not run ("Please God, give Cecil Cooper a modicum of restraint.  Thanks."  I just violated Kevin Costner's rule from For Love of the Game, sorry Kevin.).  Also, this is the debut of Instant Replay for the Astros -- thank God Bud Selig, et al., got off their high horses and did something intelligent.

Oh, and here's your starting line-up:




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1-2-3 for Wolf

FO to Right Center
Sharp grounder to Miggy
Towering IF off the bat of Prince Albert.

A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.

by DyingQuail on Aug 29, 2008 7:11 PM CDT   0 recs

Yes!!

A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.

by DyingQuail on Aug 29, 2008 7:13 PM CDT   0 recs

Of course he wouldn't be on base for Berkman

if he keeps hitting all of those home runs :p

by entropic soul on Aug 29, 2008 7:14 PM CDT   0 recs

hahaha

He swung for the record, but missed.

A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.

by DyingQuail on Aug 29, 2008 7:19 PM CDT   0 recs

A pitcher's duel

A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.

by DyingQuail on Aug 29, 2008 7:27 PM CDT   0 recs

Goatee Lance to the plate

A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.

by DyingQuail on Aug 29, 2008 7:29 PM CDT   0 recs

Ugly IF

A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.

by DyingQuail on Aug 29, 2008 7:29 PM CDT   0 recs

Ugly 6-4-3 from Pence.

A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.

by DyingQuail on Aug 29, 2008 7:33 PM CDT   0 recs

yep...it was ugly. someone else mentioned in another thread...

that Pence hits too many balls to SS…and that was an example.

by clack on Aug 29, 2008 7:35 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

So agile and nimble

Lance prevents Lohse’s 1B

A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.

by DyingQuail on Aug 29, 2008 7:36 PM CDT   0 recs

And the pitcher's duel marches on.

Or the offensive ineptitude…really baseball’s version of is the glass full or empty?

A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.

by DyingQuail on Aug 29, 2008 7:46 PM CDT   0 recs

Yea I guess

Technically I guess you could make a case that your offense isn’t inept, just the pitchers are really good… (or vice versa)..

Go 'Stros!

by Stros Bro on Aug 29, 2008 7:47 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

What's that?

Moehler and Erstad signed for next year.
Moehler has a option for 2010.

by entropic soul on Aug 29, 2008 8:03 PM CDT   0 recs

Per Official Scorer at chron.com

Moehler, 2.3M + incentives + option for 2010.

Erstad, 1.75M + incentives

And Wiggy gets caught in a run down as Tejada strikes out.

by entropic soul on Aug 29, 2008 8:05 PM CDT   0 recs

I'll take it

I think they are both good signings..

Go 'Stros!

by Stros Bro on Aug 29, 2008 8:07 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Agree.

Per live blog, Levine going to talk to Ed Wade… says he’ll be back in a few.

http://blogs.chron.com/unofficialscorer/2008/08/live_blog_astroscardinals_open.html

by entropic soul on Aug 29, 2008 8:07 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm not sure they are good signings.

I’m not convinced that Moehler can justify that salary next year. Erstad isn’t an ideal combo with Bourn since they are both LHB. But I’m not upset with the signings either. Both guys seem like good guys, and they have done a good job this year.

by clack on Aug 29, 2008 8:10 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I like it.

Assuming they have solid years like they have had this year.

Hi, my name is Rich and I'm an Astroholic.

by Austin Astroholic on Aug 29, 2008 8:16 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Blum, Erstad, Moehler

Will any be traded over the winter? And I forget – What is Loretta’s status?

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Aug 29, 2008 8:26 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Tejada strikes out

in a strike him out throw him out double play

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Aug 29, 2008 8:07 PM CDT   0 recs

Cooper likes to send Wiggy on steals and hit and runs...

a lot. It seems like it backfires a lot too.

by clack on Aug 29, 2008 8:11 PM CDT   0 recs

It doesn't matter

He’s stranded

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Aug 29, 2008 8:23 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Ugh

we’ve made Lohse look brilliant every time we’ve gone out against him this year.

by jonthefon on Aug 29, 2008 8:35 PM CDT   0 recs

Is that why he's 3-0 against the Astros this season?

and well on his way to a fourth win tonight unless Astros start scoring some runs.

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Aug 29, 2008 8:54 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

NEWHAN homerun

TIE game

Lohse Win is not so certain now

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Aug 29, 2008 8:58 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Pence to Berkman Double Play

Those are nice to see

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Aug 29, 2008 9:05 PM CDT   0 recs

Wiggy thrown out trying to squeeze a single into a double...

and it ends the 8th for the Astros. Wigginton shows more hustle than good judgement on the bases, it seems to me. JD likes the play, but I’m not so sure, partly because I see Wigginton make too many of those outs.

by clack on Aug 29, 2008 9:12 PM CDT   0 recs

Top of 9th and Pujols with hard single to start it off...

and that’s not a good way to begin 9th. If you’re a glass half full type, at least it wasn’t a Pujols HR.

Now, Brocail with an excellent fielding play to get Pujols on a DP.

by clack on Aug 29, 2008 9:14 PM CDT   0 recs

Walk-off time

Let’s get it before Pooholes shows up again.

by jonthefon on Aug 29, 2008 9:17 PM CDT   0 recs

OMG....Berkman almost got his first walk off HR...

and I thought he had it. Berkman showed vicious bat speed.

by clack on Aug 29, 2008 9:21 PM CDT   0 recs

And now Berkman does it!!!!!!!

First walk off homer of his career.!!!!! After the almost-homer to RF. This was to LF.

by clack on Aug 29, 2008 9:22 PM CDT   0 recs

I guess the first near-HR foul ball didn't scare Springer.

He say, “hmm…he hit that foul to deep RF. So I’ll throw the ball where he can only hit it to LF.”

by clack on Aug 29, 2008 9:38 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Taken him

seven years to get one, wow.

by jonthefon on Aug 29, 2008 9:24 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Amazing

Homerun to left after barely missing a homerun to right (foul) .

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Aug 29, 2008 9:23 PM CDT   0 recs

ASTROS WIN 3-2

Win stuns me. It was all Lohse until Newhan homers and Berkman ends it.

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Aug 29, 2008 9:24 PM CDT   0 recs

Astros in Fourth Place

in NL Central
and
in NL Wildcard

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Aug 29, 2008 9:29 PM CDT   0 recs

I haven't been paying attention to the standings

were they not in 4th for a while?

Go 'Stros!

by Stros Bro on Aug 29, 2008 9:32 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

They've been in fourth in NL Central for weeks

Just passed Florida in NL Wildcard.

“Only” Philadelphia, St Louis and Milwaukee ahead in Wildcard race now.

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Aug 29, 2008 9:41 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I love Lance.

Does that make me gay?

A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.

by DyingQuail on Aug 29, 2008 9:33 PM CDT   0 recs

if it does

we can both come out together

Go 'Stros!

by Stros Bro on Aug 29, 2008 9:35 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Aww

That would be so cute.

A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.

by DyingQuail on Aug 29, 2008 9:43 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

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NL Central Standings

W L PCT GB STRK
Chicago 97 64 .602 0 Lost 4
Milwaukee 90 72 .555 7.5 Lost 1
Houston 86 75 .534 11 Won 1
St. Louis 86 76 .530 11.5 Won 6
Cincinnati 74 88 .456 23.5 Lost 5
Pittsburgh 67 95 .413 30.5 Won 1

(updated 1.8.2009 at 4:10 AM CST)


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