Houston Babies ace Bob Blair threw a complete game, allowing zero earned runs and only 6-hits in a 13-1 win over the 2005 Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park last night.The win came in Game One in the Best 4 of 7 Time Warp Series. HOO! RAA!
GAME ONE: BABIES @ ASTROS, SATURDAY, 10/15/05, 7:30 PM
MINUTE MAID PARK, HOUSTON, TEXAS
BABIES BLAST ASTROS IN FULL HOUSE SERIES OPENER, 13-1
42,876 fans showed up for the Series opener at MMP last night and, wanted or not, they got to watch the incredible local vintage ballists, the Houston Babies, thoroughly take apart the 2005 National League Champion Houston Astros, 13-1. Babies ace Bob Blair (W, 1-0) went the distance, limiting the Astros to only 1 unearned run on 6 hits while walking only 3, but striking out 9. Hall of Famer 0ughta-be Roger Clemens (L, 0-1) lasted only 1 and 1/3 innings for the loss, giving up 6 earned runs on 3 hits and 5 walks – and fanning only 2.
Babies batters Phil Holland and Jimmy Disch led all hitters with 3 for 5 games, as Kyle Burns also kicked in 2 hits and 2 RBI. Holland and catcher Jo Hale knocked in 3 RBI each. No Astro batter bagged more than 1 hit – and, other than Franco, Astros relievers Astacio and Springer were both ineffective.
1920s visiting writer Grantland Rice didn’t get to see much. Rice spent most of the evening looking for a typewriter. And that’s too bad. He missed a great show – one that beat to the heart pump of our eternal love for baseball.
Game 2 plays out at 7:30 PM tonight at MMP. Larry “Buffalo” Hajduk (0-0) goes for the Astros and lefty Andy Pettitte (0-0) take the mound for the Astros.
Here’s how the scoring went in Game One by Inning (In these line summaries, each new batter is preceded by the “*” sign; outs (1) (2) and (3) are shown in parentheses as they occur; changes of pitchers are noted in bold type; and the new score is indicated in parentheses after each run crosses the plate and again, at the end of the half inning time at bat):
Top of First: Babies batting, Roger Clemens pitching ~
*J Disch walks and B Hale strikes out (1); * P Holland triples down RFL and J Disch scores; (Babies, 1-0); * LJ Miggins drops bloop single to LF, scoring P Holland; (Babies, 2-0); * A Hajduk fouls out to catcher (2); * K Burns HBP; LJ Miggins to 2nd base; * J Hale strikes out (3); side retired; (Babies, 2-0).
Top of Second: Babies batting, Roger Clemens pitching ~
* B Stevens flies out to RF (1); * B Blair walks; * J Disch beats out infield hit to SS and B Blair advances to 2nd; * B Hale walks to load the bases; * P Holland walks, forcing in B Blair from 3rd; bases still loaded; (Babies, 3-0); * LJ Miggins HBP, forcing in J Disch from 3rd; bases still loaded; (Babies, 4-0); Injury to LJ Miggins forces his removal from the game; Deacon Jones pinch runs at 1st for LJ Miggins and will take his place in the lineup as 1st baseman for the Babies; * A Hajduk walks, forcing in B Hale from 3rd; bases still loaded; (Babies, 5-0); E Astacio replaces R Clemens as pitcher for the Astros; * K Burns hits sac fly to left (2), scoring P Holland from 3rd; (Babies, 6-0); J Hale retired by J Lane on long fly out to RCF (3); side retired; (Babies, 6-0).
Top of Fourth: Babies batting, Ezequiel Astacio pitching ~
* P Holland lines out to CF (1); * D Jones singles over SS to LF; * A Hajduk walks, D Jones moves to 2nd; * K Burns flies out to RF (2); runners hold; * J Hale plunks an opposite field double down the RF line, scoring D. Jones from 2nd and A Hajduk from 1st; (Babies, 8-0); * B Stevens lines out to LF (3); side retired; (Babies, 8-0).
Top of Sixth: Babies batting, Ezequiel Astacio pitching ~
* P Holland to 1st on a bloop single to LF; * D Jones strikes out (1); * A Hajduk walks, P Holland moves to 2nd; * K Burns singles through infield to RF; P. Holland scores from 2nd (Babies, 9-0) and A Hajduk moves to 3rd; J Franco replaces E Astacio as pitcher for the Astros; * J Hale retired on a sac fly to deep RCF (2); A Hajduk scores from 3rd (Babies, 10-0) and K Burns holds at 1st; * B Stevens doubles down the LF line, scoring K Burns from 1st (Babies, 11-0); * B Blair lines out to 2nd baseman C Biggio (3); side retired; (Babies, 11-0).
Bottom of Seventh: Astros batting, Bob Blair pitching ~
* L Berkman walks; E Bruntlett enters game as pinch runner and left field replacement for L Berkman; * J Lane reaches 1st on infield topper to right side; Bruntlett advances to 2nd; * M Lamb singles to LF: A Haduk fields ball on one bounce; E Bruntlett rounds 3rd, trying to score; A Hajduk’s throw to the plate is wild; E; E7; Bruntlettt scores; (Babies 11 – Astros 1); J Lane reaches 3rd on play; M Lamb makes it to 2nd; * B Ausmus lines out near the ground to D Jones at 1st (1); D Jones quickly guns the ball to J Disch at 2nd for a double play bag tag before M Lamb can get back (2); J Lane holds at 3rd; * A Everett lines out to LF (3); side retired; (Babies 11 – Astros 1).
Top of Ninth: Astros batting, Russ Springer pitching ~
* B Stevens strikes out (1); * B Blair singles to LCF; * J Disch reaches on a short single to LF, as Blair moves to 2nd; * B Hale is batting when Springer wild pitches B Blair to 3rd and J Disch to 2nd; B Hale then singles to right, scoring B Blair; (Babies 12 – Astros 1); J Disch is retired on a Jason Lane throw to the plate that gets him trying to score from 2nd (2); B Hale takes 2nd base on the throw home; * P Holland doubles off the LF wall, scoring B Hale from 2nd (Babies 13 – Astros 1); * D Jones lines out to LF (3); side retired; (Babies 13 – Astros 1).
And Babies 13 – Astros 1 holds up as the final score in Game One of the Time Warp Series.
Please feel free to post your ongoing questions, comments, or cheers as the Series plays out. And try to keep track of which player from either team is deserving of our post-Series MVP vote when it’s all over and the time travel portal is closed again.
Social Note: Current Astros owner Jim Crane was on hand among the Houston sports people attending the Series. Like many others, Mr. Crane took advantage of the open time portal to attend the game with a long deceased ancestor. In the case of Mr. Crane, his guest was an ancient 18th century uncle named Ichabod Crane – from someplace called Sleepy Hollow in rural New York.
See you again tomorrow back here for the Game Two wrap on Hajduk v. Pettitte. – Meanwhile, the Babies lead the Astros in this best 4 of 7 match, 1 Game to Zero.
Tags: Game 1: Astros v Babies
The Pecan Park Eagle 
November 30, 2013 at 9:29 pm |
Way to go Babies!