Game Seven: Babies @ Astros, Friday, 10/21/05, 7:30 PM
Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
BABIES CRUSH ASTROS, 9-2, AS BOB STEVENS AND KYLE BURNS EACH CRUNCH 2-RUN HOMERS FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOOD CAUSE
Unlike most of these big deal sports encounters, the two clubs involved in time travel here were wired into the wisdom that springs from this very deep well. Never make a claim for being the greatest team of all time unless you have traveled through the time warp to play those other clubs from other time dimensions who think they are better than you and yours. Well, we really don’t think that either of these clubs suffered from those delusions of grandeur about their own degrees of greatness, but they both encountered in each other an opponent that came ready to give and take – all that they each could handle.
Game Seven was a surprise that included some bad news. When Marie “Red” Mahoney left early with a sore elbow on her pitching arm, it did not seem so bad, but it turns out that she and Patrick Lopez each have injuries that will require Tommy John surgery before either can hope to make a comeback. It’s either Tommy John now – or back to the future for a more profound approach to orthopedic healing. They will each need to give that alternative some thought too.
Meanwhile, the game itself was quite one-sided after the Babies recaptured an early lost lead in the 5th on a 2-run double by Phil Holland. The Babies added to their margin when Bob Stevens took a 2-run homer deep to dead center in the top of the 6th and Kyle Burns launched a 2-run homer to right field in the top of the 8th. Two more runs by piece work in the top of the 9th finally sealed victory for the Babies at 9-2.
Mike McCroskey got the win in relief after giving up 2 unearned runs in the 4th and only 2 hits over the 2 2/3 innings he worked in early response to the injury loss of Mahoney. Mike Rejmaniak, Marsha Franty, and Tony Cavender worked the last five innings and giving up no runs, not hits, and only 2 walks to 8 strike outs.
Manager Bob Dorrill (R) pushed all the buttons that worked in the big series
All the Babies we spoke to expressed a strong desire to do more time traveling matches in the future and we shall see what we can arrange for around the time the National SABR Convention takes place in Houston. We could play the games live if we can round up the technology to show the game or series in progress on a big screen at the hotel. We could even have a tourney that allowed interested convention attendees to manage their favorite local clubs from history. The APBA game is strictly stat-driven and a lot of fun for those of us who can see the game in our heads unfolding from the way Ernie Harwell describes the action in his play-by-play.
At any rate, the Pecan Park Eagle hopes that some of you with arcane sci-fi hearts may have enjoyed this Time Series just a little bit, if not a lot.
Kyle Burns rests after his big 2-run homer in the 8th.
Tomorrow we will be posting the player stats so that those who care to vote on the Series MVP may do so.
Now, as per usual ….>
Here’s how the scoring went in Game Seven 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 Second: Babies batting, Roy Oswalt pitching ~
* LJ Miggins strikes out (1); * A Hajduk walks; * K Burns beats out an infield hit on slow ball to SS; A Hajduk advances to 2nd; * J Hale fouls out to M Ensberg on 3rd base side (2); runners hold; * B Stevens laces a line drive RBI single to LCF; A Hajduk scores from 2nd (Babies, 1-0); J Hale stops at 2nd; * R Mahoney hits into a 4-6 force out play, C Biggio to A Everett, (3); side retired; (Babies, 1-0).
(Due to injury, M McCroskey replaced R Mahoney as pitcher for the Babies in the bottom of the 2nd.)
Bottom of Fourth: Astros batting, M McCroskey pitching ~
* C Biggio leads off with a bloop single to RF; it is C Biggio’s 8th hit of the Series; * M Ensberg beats out a swinging bunt single to B Hale at 3rd; C Biggio moves up to 2nd; * L Berkman launches a long lazy fly to deep CF; K Burns under it; K Burns drops it; E8; C Biggio scores from 2nd on the error (Babies 1 – Astros 1); M Ensberg scampers to 3rd; L Berkman holds at 1st; infield will play in for M Lamb; * M Lamb hits a sharp bouncer to P Holland at 2nd; P Holland looks M Ensberg back to 3rd and takes the 4-3 out at 1st (1); L Berkman moves up to 2nd; * C Burke draws an intentional walk to load the bases and set up the force and double play opportunities; * A Everett lifts a sac fly to CF (2); M Ensberg scores from 3rd (Astros 2 – Babies 1); L Berkman holds at 2nd; C Burke holds at 1st; * R Chavez strikes out (3); side retired; (Astros 2 – Babies 1).
Top of Fifth: Babies batting, Roy Oswalt pitching ~
* D Jones enters game as pinch hitter for pitcher M McCroskey; M McCroskey leaves game after 2 2/3 innings; he gave up 2 unearned runs and 2 hits and is the pitcher of record in line for the loss, if the Babies remain behind and lose; D Jones draws a walk; * J Disch sends C Burke to the wall in left for a deep fly out (1); D Jones holds at 1st; * B Hale swings and misses to cover D Jones on a steal of 2nd; B Hale works a walk; runners now on 1st and 2nd; P Holland bashes a double down the RF line; D Jones score from 2nd (Astros 2 – Babies 2); B Hale scores from 1st (Babies 3 – Astros 2); P Holland is thrown out 9-4-5 trying to stretch his hit into another triple (2); LJ Miggins strikes out (3); side retired; (Babies 3 – Astros 2).
(Going into the bottom of the fifth, Mark Rejmaniak will now pitch and bat 4th; D Jones will remain in the game, replacing LJ Miggins at 1st, and bat 9th.)
Top of Sixth: Babies batting, Roy Oswalt pitching ~
* Z Hajduk is robbed a single to right on a great 4-3 play by C Biggio (1); * K Burns is retired on a 6-3 pick and throw by SS A Everett (2); J Hale collects her 3rd hit of the Series, a single to LF; * B Stevens crushes a 440 foot HR to dead center; W Taveras climbs Tal’s Hill, but he can only wave goodbye to the ball (Babies 5 – Astros 2); it is B Stevens’ first homer and 5th hit of the Series; * D Jones grounds out to R Oswalt, 1-3, (3); side retired; (Babies 5 – Astros 2.)
(Going into the top of the seventh, Chad Qualls replaces Roy Oswalt as pitcher for the Astros.)
Top of Eighth: Babies batting, Chad Qualls pitching ~
* A Schmelter pinch hits for pitcher M Rejmaniak; in 3 innings, M Rejmaniak gave up 0 runs on 0 hits and 2 walk; A Schmelter doubles down the left field line for his 3rd hit of the Series; * M Gallo replaces C Qualls as pitcher for the Astros; C Qualls leaves on 1 hit and 1 strikeout night in 1 inning of work; he is also responsible for the runner at 1st; * Z Hajduk fouls out to catcher R Chavez (1); A Schmelter holds at 2nd; * K Burns lines a deep fly to left center; it clears the Conoco Pump for a home run (Babies 7 – Astros 2); it is the first Series HR for K Burns; * B Dorrill enters the game as a pinch hitter for catcher J Hale; Dorrill hits a can of corn fly ball ut to L Berkman in RF (2); * B Stevens is retired on a high infield pop fly behind 2nd to A Everett (3); side retired; (Babies 7 – Astros 2).
(Going into the bottom of the 8th, A Schmelter will remain in the game and bat 4th; B Dorrill will remain in the game and bat 7th; and Marsha Franty will now pitch and bat 5th.)
Top of Ninth: Babies batting, Russ Springer pitching ~
* D Jones walks; R Pena flies out to L Berkman in RF (1); D Jones holds at 1st; * M Hudec batting; D Jones out 2-6 attempting to steal 2nd (2); M. Hudec singles to RF; P Holland hits deep fly to CF, but W Taveras drops it (E8) and M Hudec scores all the way from 1st (Babies 8 – Astros 2); P Holland holds at 1st; A Schmelter laces his 3rd double and 4th hit of the Series on a blast into RCF; P Holland scores from 1st (Babies 9 – Astros 2); A Schmelter holds at 2nd; * T Murrah bats for pitcher M Franty and draws a walk; runners now on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs; * R Martin pinch hits for K Burns who leaves the game with 2 hits, a HR, and 2 RBI; R Martin grounds yo Everett and a 6-4 force play at 2nd (3); side retired; (Babies 9 – Astros 2.)
(Tony Cavender pitches to three batters in the bottom of the 9th, striking out 2 {M Lamb and A Everett} and closing the door on the Time Warp Series.)
Mike McCroskey is the winning pitcher for the Babies (W, 1-0); Roy Oswalt (L, 0-1) takes the loss for the Astros.
Tags: 10/21/05, Game 7: Babies @ Astros
The Pecan Park Eagle 
December 6, 2013 at 10:23 pm |
The Babies would probably have swept the 2013 Astros!