The Pecan Park Eagle

PRIOR TO GAME 6. MIKE LAMB HAD A GOOD TIME AT BATTING PRACTICE. HE HAD AN EVEN BETTER TIME IN THE 5TH INNING WHEN HIS HR GAVE ANDY PETTITTE ALL THE RUNS HE WOULD NEED TO WIN AND FORCE GAME 7 TONIGHT.

Game Six: Babies @ Astros, Thursday, 10/20/05, 7:30 PM

Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas

ANDY PETTITTE 3-HITS BABIES, 2-0, TO FORCE GAME SEVEN TONIGHT

LAMB’S HOMER AND ENSBERG’S TRIPLE PROVIDE THE 2-RBI MUSCLE POWER

The 2-0 Astros win in Game Six of the Time Warp Series played out with all the precision of endoscopic microsurgery at Minute Maid Park last night. Starter Andy Pettitte (W, 2-0) went all the way, giving up only 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 10 Babies hitters. A lead off homer in the 5th by Mike Lamb and a triple by Morgan Ensberg in the 6th after Craig Biggio had doubled provided all the offense needed to coast the 2005 Astros into a deciding Game Seven tonight at Minute Maid Park against the 1888 Houston Babies. Marie “Red” Mahoney will take the mound for the visiting Babies; Steady Roy Oswalt will go for the Astros. Neither pitcher has a Series record to-date from their previous encounter.

Unlucky Larry Hajduk (L, 0-2) pitched well enough to win most other nights. As the Game Six Babies starter, Larry gave up only 2 runs and 2 hits in 5 innings pitched. He also walked none and struck out 3, but just could not head off the finger of Destiny that kept pointing Mr. Pettitte to the winner’s circle this night. As for how that fickle finger will point in the deciding Game Seven, it’s anybody’s guess. Pitting Pettitte (2-0) against Blair (2-0) is the only match up that could have stoked the fires of betting and anticipation more, but that confrontation is not to be, given what each is now recovering from their great individual efforts in both Games Five and Six.

Mike Lamb, who provided the margin of victory for the Astros in Game Six with his 5th inning solo HR, went 2 for 3 on the night and was the only player in the game from either team that netted more than 1 hit.

THE HOUSTON BABIES KEPT THE LID ON ANY DISAPPOINTMENT OVER THE GAME 6 LOSS. “WE’LL HAVE TO DO BETTER IN GAME SEVEN,” BOB STEVENS OFFERED IN A QUIET WHISPER OF THE TRUTH AFTER GAME. SIX.

Here’s how the scoring went in Game Six 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):

Bottom of Fifth: Astros batting, Larry Hajduk pitching ~

* M Lamb lines a ball deep down the RF line; R Martin back at the wall to leap for it; R Martin misses; it’s gone; HR for M Lamb; his 2nd of the Series; (Astros, 1-0); * B Ausmus hits a soft grounder to M Hudec at 3rd; it’s an easy 5-3 out at 1st (1); * A Everett lines a double into the RCF gap; it’s his 1st double and 2nd hit of the Series; * A Pettitte drops a sac bunt down the 1st base side; he’s retired on a 3-4 play (2) as A Everett moves to 3rd; W Taveras lines out to R Martin in RF (3); side retired; (Astros 1 – Babies 0).

Bottom of Sixth: Astros batting, Larry Hajduk pitching ~

* C Biggio laces a seeing-eye single up the middle into CF; it is C Biggio’s 7th hit of the Series; * M Ensberg slams a triple to deep RCF for his 1st hit and RBI in the Series; C Biggio scores easily from 2nd;  (Astros 2 – Babies 0); Babies manager B Dorrill visits the mound with a hook for starter Larry Hajduk; Ira Liebman is now pitching for the Babies; for I Liebman, it is his 3rd relief appearance; he has worked 1 2/3 previous innings for a 0.00 ERA and one save; * L Berkman walks; Astros now have L Berkman at 1st and M Ensberg at 3rd as runners; still no outs; infield playing shallow; *  J Lane slices a hot grounder to R Pena at SS; M Ensberg is trying to score; R Pena wings a hard true throw to catcher B Dorrill; M Ensberg is tagged out, 6-2 (1); J Lane takes 1st on the play; L Berkman moves to 2nd; * M Lamb lines a fly ball to DCF; center fielder A Schmelter runs it down at the base of Tal’s Hill (2); runners forced to hold by A Schmelter’s mercurial throw to 3rd after the catch; * B Ausmus is retired on a lazy fly ball to RF (3); side retired; (Astros 2- Babies 0).

Houston Astros 2 – Houston Babies 0 holds up as the final score. The Time Warp Series is now tied at 3 games each for both clubs and everything is on the line in tonight’s Game Seven.