Notice the change to Arabic numerals.
Tonight, at the same time as one of the season's most memorable Yankee games (one of: for all of tonight's fireworks, I'd still put Yankees 2, Bosox 1, with Melky jumping into Monument Park to bring Man-Ram's homer back into the yard, ahead of tonight's 8-7 barroom brawl), there was maybe the 'Stros best inning of the season.
Situation: Reds 5, 'Stros 1, bottom fifth. The Astros have availed nothing since Craig Biggio's lead-off homer. In part because of Cincy's long balls, in part because of Cincy's pesky-ass hitting, in part because of some defensive blunders, the 'Stros simply will not come back. They will not come back because they never come back, and they never come back because they don't score in general. The 'Stros whole season has devolved, offensively anyway, to two precepts: getting as many men on base as possible when Lance Berkman comes to bat, and having enough talent batting behind him that Berkman sees a strike or two.
The last two weeks, the formula has worked atrociously. Tonight? Just how they drew it up in practice.
The bottom of the fifth: single, hit-by-pitch. First and second. Fielder's choice, one out, runners second and third. Single scores a run. 5-2. Single scores two more runs. 5-4. First and third, still one out.
All of this is perfect prelude to what comes next: Berkman's titanic, 450-foot home run into the Mexican Restaurant beyond the centerfield fence.
Berkman would homer later, and there'd be some bullpen difficulties. But if the 'Stros make the playoffs again, bottom five tonight will be the inning they point to.
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