Posted on 10/17/2005 6:11:04 PM PDT by Diddle E. Squat
Bottom of 2nd, 1-0 Astro lead, good game with baserunners and a great tag out at the plate by the Cardinal catcher.
I'm torn too. I work with Randy Flores' mom so we all root for the Cards for his sake, but I'd really like to see the Astros win it.
They were probably up 2-0 or 2-1. I think the league championship series were still best-of-five back then, weren't they?
Before the Sox lost the heartbreaker of all heartbreakers to the Mets, they inflicted some serious fan-pain themselves. Leading the best of seven ALCS three games to one, the long-suffering Angels looked World Series-bound for the first time in history. California led 5-4 with two outs until the top of the ninth when Dave Henderson hit a two strike two run shot off Donnie Moore to give the Sox an edge. The Angels would tie in the bottom of the ninth but the 11th inning made Henderson a hero once again as his sac fly sealed the game five win for the sox on their way to the series victor and an AL flag.
Hey, doug...i feel your pain. wasn't there a hit batter on that two out, two strike count? I seem to remember a hit batter at that point, which preceded the insertion of moore, and the hr from "hendu".
The Astros still have the edge in this series. One word: Oswalt.
I hate sports.....:-(
Except for hockey...and college football...and college basketball.....GO POKES
I know... that's the good thing/bad thing about baseball. ;-)
I was there, wish espn classics would show that game.
You realize, that we will always associate you with this game. Not that it was your fault, but whenever you show up, we will look around warily.
Game 5: Red Sox 7, Angels 6 (11 innings)
At Anaheim Stadium, Sunday, Oct. 12, 1986
Before Bill Buckner was Bill Buckner, Dave Henderson was Bill Buckner. The Red Sox outfielder dashed to the center-field wall to snag a long drive by second baseman Bobby Grich in the sixth, but when Henderson collided with the wall the ball popped out of his glove and bounced harmlessly over the fence for a two-run homer and a 3-2 Angels lead.
California added two more runs in the seventh on a Rob Wilfong RBI double and a Brian Downing sacrifice fly, but it didn't look like Mike Witt would need any additional help. Bidding to become the first pitcher to throw two complete games in an LCS, Witt took the mound in the ninth with a 5-2 lead.
Without Dave Henderson's dramatic homer in Game 5 of the ALCS, the Red Sox never would have reached the World Series.
In baseball, three outs make an inning. In the 1986 playoffs, three outs made a lifetime.
Buckner opened the inning with a single. After Jim Rice went down on strikes, Don Baylor hammered a long drive that sailed just over the outstretched glove of Gary Pettis and into the outfield seats, cutting Boston's deficit to 5-4. Witt got Dwight Evans to pop out to third, leaving him one out from a second straight complete game, but Evans would be the last batter he saw. Playing the percentages, Mauch elected to bring in reliver Gary Lucas, who had dominated Boston's Rich Gedman during the regular season. Lucas threw just one pitch -- drilling Gedman and putting the tying run on first base.
Mauch brought in his closer, Donnie Moore, still bothered by a weak shoulder. Moore quickly ran the count 0-2 against Dave Henderson, putting the Angels one strike from the World Series. But Henderson would win the battle, driving a 2-2 split-fingered fastball high and deep into the California sky to give the Red Sox a 6-5 advantage over the stunned Angels.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Angels came within 90 feet of the World Series. Bob Boone singled to start the inning and Gary Pettis bunted to move pinch runner Ruppert Jones into scoring position. Rob Wilfong tied the score with a single and advanced to third on a Dick Schofield single. McNamara ordered an intentional walk to Downing to set up a force out at home, which loaded the bases with just one out. However, the Angels failed to capitalize. Doug DeCinces lofted a fly ball to shallow right field and Bobby Grich hit a soft liner to Boston reliver Steve Crawford to end the rally.
The Red Sox finally finished the game in the 11th. Donnie Moore hit Don Baylor to put the Boston's leadoff batter on base. Dwight Evans followed with a groundball single, and Rich Gedman bunted safely to load the bases with no one out. Dave Henderson finished his heroics, lofting a sacrifice fly to center field to score Baylor and give the Red Sox a come-from-behind win, 7-6.
This textbook managing drives me nuts. Keep the setup guy in, if he starts faltering, THEN bring in Lidge.
Ozzie Guillen has got the right idea...if it aint broke, dont fix it!
I'm not gonna lie. That hurt. A lot. That's the kind of loss that destroys morale. I hope the 'Stros can pick up the pieces, because St. Louis has proven that they will never lay down.
It seemed so perfect. So beautiful. But then the harsh rays of sun scattered my reveries, grabbing me out of my blissful dreamworld. Pujols, with an awesome clutch bomb. Lidge, crumpling under the weight of his burden. The homecrowd deflated. Destiny spurned. Cyclopean Squid reeling. Houston despondent. St. Louis invigorated. It goes to 6, the momentum decidedly shifted.
I tell all of the Cards fans I work with that I'm rooting for the team that's at bat. But a part of me really wants the Astros to pull it out and WIN.
And people call me cynical because I think professional sports are bought and paid for. As long as it goes all seven games...
Exactly. If the Astros goes to the WS, it will be in spite of, not because of Garner. I don't want to be too harsh, Garner is a nice guy and an ok manager, but not a genius or an artist. Kinda like Mack Brown in prior seasons. But Mack is taking more chances this year, has loosened up a bit, and has a team so good that they can overcome (so far) coaching mistakes (which do seem to be down this year.)
I still think the Astros will win 1 of these next 2.
Who's your Daddy?
(Albert Pujols T-Shirt after the game tonight!)
GO CARDS!
*****
They had already buried Bush Stadium. They were saying goodbye to Bush.
Bush ain't dead yet.
*****
I think its the beer (Busch) not the President (Bush).
=P
Great win. Pujols came through, like a bad dream. But why come out just to celebrate? We could have used your commentary during the game, you know, when it all wasn't going your way.
Preach it, brother! I've been saying this for YEARS! Whether it's a set-up guy or a starter, why take out a guy who's pitching well and not laboring? Especially when you're up by two or more runs with no one on. One swing of the bat wouldn't even tie the game. But NOOO! So many managers these days just go by the new textbook and put in the closer no matter.
And I had the very same thought about Ozzie after the Sox series. That's how baseball USED to be played ALL THE TIME: lots of complete games, pitchers throwing 120, 135 pitches. And that was in the day of FOUR-man rotations!
Why take out a pitcher who's going well?
My mind is fuzzy on it, but it seems he gave up a game-winning home run to decide a LCS or World Series or something. It's been about 10 years ago.
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