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Game Hero, 89 - 73

Jason Lane
  • 2 for 3, HR, BB
  • I thought he was in there on Ausmus's sac, too.
  • Concluded the Cubs series pretty well, I think
  • Finishes 2005 with 26 homers and 78 RBI

Since it was a team goal that was reached today, I was tempted to select the team as a unit for Game Hero for the fourth time this year. But in the end, Jason's home run meant so much, it was impossible not to go in that direction.

If you were watching, you know how it felt when, mostly through no fault of his own, Roy Oswalt had watchd the Cubs dink and deke their way into erasing Houston's early 3 - 0 lead. Philly by that time was obviously going to win their game, and it felt very bad for the Astros.

That bad feeling lasted one pitch, as Maddux left one up, and Lane did exactly what he needed to do with it.

And when he was done, you had a positive feeling again.

So since I can't really select Neifi Perez, Jason Lane it is.

While Roy Oswalt will not finish third in the league in ERA behind his teammates Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, he did pick up his 20th win. Roy had so much adrenaline early, that it was probably not sustainable, and it was a combination of fatigue and bad luck that chased him. A happy confluence of good luck and Cubs' error came together to give him the win anyway.

Astro 20-Game Winners
Year Name W L
1999 Mike Hampton 22 4
1999 Jose Lima 21 10
1979 Joe Niekro 21 11
1989 Mike Scott 20 10
2004 Roy Oswalt 20 10
2005 Roy Oswalt 20 12
1980 Joe Niekro 20 12
1969 Larry Dierker 20 13
1976 J.R. Richard 20 15

Credit to the Cubs, and to the Phillies. Especially the Phillies, who to be honest, played better down the stretch. The sweep that the Astros laid down upon them in Philly ended up determining the Wild Card, but it also spurred the Phillies into playing their best baseball of the season.

The Astros know a thing or two about finding your highest level within your greatest adversity, and the players, if you asked them, would probably say much the same thing as me.