Well, I hate to say I told you so, but…
With the Astros up 4-3 in the top of the ninth inning, Brad Lidge got his chance for redemption. Mark Kotsay, who led off the inning for the A’s, had a different idea, and he deposited one of Lidge’s pitches deep into the right field stands.
Tie game. Blown save. Confidence still shot.
So, Jason, what’s Lidge’s trade value now?
But, let’s forget about all of that now. Let’s talk about the star of the game. Because, you see, the Astros were still able to get the win last night when Brad Ausmus singled in Adam Everett to win the game 5-4 in the 11th inning. Hell, the Astros wouldn’t have won this game with the mighty bat of Brad Ausmus – I bet none of you thought that you’d ever hear that phrase. A second inning Brad Ausmus single scored Chris Burke for the team’s second run, and Ausmus knocked a two-run homer deep to left field in the fourth inning. That’s right, Brad Ausmus had three hits and four RBI.
The Astros now have a record of 27-37 for the season, with a 5-6 record for the month. And, since the Brewers were no-hit by Justin Verlander and the Tigers, the Astros even gained a game in the standings – the team’s still in a tie with the Pirates for fifth place in the NL Central, however.
Chris Sampson gets the start for the ‘Stros tonight, facing off against Oakland’s Joe Blanton.
And I’ll leave you with this big question: how long is Lidge going to hang on to the closer’s role this time out? – John Royal
This article appears in Jun 7-13, 2007.
