Game Hero 47 - 46

Eric Bruntlett

3-run triple in the third was the play of the game Ended up scoring too, so he was involved in 67% of the Astros runs in the game

:-)

How about that? Sweeping a double header on the road with your number five and number six starters?

Larry Dierker has a column on the official dot com where he makes it sound as if management, poised to jump into the talent market before the St. Louis series, has now taken two reflective steps backward. If this is true, perhaps tonight's results (or tonight's results matched with a Pettitte victory tomorrow afternoon) can get them moving forward again. Two days after St. Louis concluded their sweep, the Astros stand where they did before the Cardinals series. It's not quite as if the sweep never happened, but the first three-quarters of the Pirates series shows that the Astros have a resilience that quality clubs tend to have.

Imagine what they could do if they had this resilience along with another bat . . .

Management is looking for signs, huh? Well here's some signs for them:
Clemens and Oswalt will start the first two in Washington. If Pettitte can get his tomorrow and Roger and Roy can grab W's on Friday and Saturday, then I'd say that would be a portent, a sign, a flashing beacon, an indian smoke signal, a communique from the Baseball Gods above, whatver Purpura and Co. want to call it. It means you should make a move.

Maybe Astacio is more attractive now for someone with a frontline bat. Or Harville or Qualls, but you need to put something together to give this team a few more horsepower.

I know that I risk overestimating the impact of any one single bat, and I understand that bringing in one player guarantees nothing but a realistic chance at the Wild Card.

But this team is earning that chance, and has been for the past 40 games.