At This Time, I Love Wrigley (Lyles vs Zambrano)

Let me set the scene for you.  It was a pitching duel between Carlos Zambrano vs Jordan Lyles for 3 innings.  Who would break first?  I'm happy to report that it was Zambrano for the Cubs.  Wallace was be first one up to bat in the top of the 4th inning and he clubbed one out of the park and the Astros did not look back.  Or did they?  In the bottom of the eighth inning Lyles' luck ran out.  The Cubs took a 1-3 lead into the ninth and here comes the bullpen to help Lyles get out of the jam.  Now here comes Marmol, the Cubs closer.  He ended up being the Astros savior today.  With Marmol on the mound, the Astros ended up scoring 6 runs in the top of the ninth including a 3 run homer for Hunter Pence, which ended all scoring.  The Astros took a 7-3 win against the Cubs to take a 3-2 series lead.  But it still made me wonder especially in the bottom of the ninth inning because Houston, I still think that we may have a problem, just not today. 

It's Raining in Chicago! (A.Rodriguez vs. Lopez)

Allow me to properly take in the sights and sounds in Wrigley Field for a moment.  At least during the game it was partly cloudy with highs in the upper 40's.  The air is fresh and the scene is ripe for home run after home run after home run after home run.  That's right, four homers.  In the top of the fifth, Clint Barmes and Hunter Pence hit back to back homers to tie up the game at 6 a piece.  Then J.R Towles and Jeff Keppinger joined the slug fest with home runs of there own.  Now Rodriguez allow 6 runs in 4 innings, so  how did the bullpen hold up?  One run in 5 innings.  Was it enough?  Yes!  With Keppinger's 3 run homer in the top of the ninth it sealed the game up for the Astros.  Final score 12-7.  It still scared me with the Astros lead, which still has me thinking that Houston, we may have a problem.

Thank Goodness That Series is Over (Collmenter vs Happ)

Good news is that the Diamondbacks are in first place in the NL West, overtaking the Giants.  Bad news is that the Diamondbacks swept the Astros to get there.  J.A. Happ pitched a great game.  In fact, I dare say that he was the player of the game for the Astros.  He didn't just pitch a great game, but he homered for the first time in his MLB life in the fifth inning to give the Astros a 2-0 lead.  But, once Happ sat down to let the bullpin finish it up, they couldn't hold onto the lead.  Really and honestly, why put Fulchino in again to face a team that loves him?
Personal note:  I cut myself while cutting up an onion for tonight's dinner and I put on one of Audrey's princess bandaids for lack of finding any others.  Trent finds me right before bedtime and looks at me weird.  Then he asks me, "Why you wear Audrey bandaid, Daddy?"  Yep, I laughed.  It made my day.

Oh My Hall! Not Again! (Duke vs Norris)

Bill Hall seems be have nothing more than a blunder of errors.  Really?  Tuesday he had an error that cost the Astros 4 unearned runs, and today we can tack on more.  Something needs to be done about this. 
However, I can't blame everything on Hall.  Tonight the bats were silent until the bottom of the ninth inning when the Astros FINALLY scored some runs.  But it wasn't enough.  Damage was already done when Duke was able to hit his very first MLB homerun. That was the nail that sealed it for the D-Backs.  So Norris, who has now lost 3 in a row, is having issues, too.  The Diamondbacks win again 11-3 in game 2.
Personal note:  Tonight I have fallen in love with my dutch ovens.  I've got them seasoned up for the first time while at the Haymore's and I have fallen in love.  Here's to a summer of grilling and dutch ovening.

Diamondbacks are poisonous (Hudson vs. Myers)

The first half of the game was wonderful.  Pence's RBI double scores Pence and Lee RBI singles scores Pence at the bottom of the first to get everything started.  Then Bourn's RBI double scores Chris Johnson & Clint Barmes and Keppinger's RBI scores in Bourn in the bottom of the second gives the Astros a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the second.  Then Bourn's RBI single scores Barmes again in the bottom of the 4th for a 6-0 lead. 
Well, that was that.  All that scoring upset the snakes.  Myers gem was lost the next 5 innings.  The Astros couldn't hold the lead.  Escalona, Lopez, Fulchino, and Del Rosario from the bullpen seemed to find there old ways again AND the bats went completely silent the second half of the game.  Astros lose 6-7. 
Personal note:  It was good to go up to Logan today to say goodbye to Sister Wolfgram.  It was so touching to hear the girls say goodbye.  It'll be interesting how the girls do (especially Roo) on Sunday. 

A much better day (Lilly vs A. Rodriguez)

Oh, what a good day all together.  Michael Bourn hitting his first home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning.  Hunter Pence sliding into the wall to catch the fly ball and NOT getting hurt.  Then there was JR Towles who finally found his swing, hitting the walk off single to center field that scored Brian Bogusevic from second.  Let's not forget the the bullpen is doing a fabulous job right now.  It may not have been a stellar win, but 2-1 does it for the Astros to win the 3 game series against the Dodgers 2 games to 1. 
Personal note:  Family is doing OK today with yesterday's news.  Everyone seemed to be on edge, especially Shelly and myself.  However, we made it through the day without losing ourselves.  Pack meeting round robins went great, and Shelly is out with Cicily helping her out.  Could not ask for anything better considering the circumstances. 

Depressing Day (Billingsley vs Happ)

So the Astros lost today to tie up the series against the Dodgers.  Hall's error did them in today.  But more importantly we lost an Earthly angel today in Sister Wolfgram.  She had some issues with her intestines and never could make it completely heal from the surgery.  With complications from the surgery she went home to her Heavenly Father as her husband Glenn was reciting there favorite hymn this morning.  Shelly found out and told me.  While I was out checking out the Wolfgram's home to see if mowing or weed eating needed to be done this week, Shelly told Roo and they both cried.  There are many primary children who cried with there mom's and dad's today.  Sister Wolfgram is a wonderful woman who somehow got Roo to go to primary.  She will be greatly missed.  This Friday I'm making plans to go to the Wolfgram home and mow the lawn and weed whip the edges while the Wolfgram Family is on their way to Logan for the viewing and funeral.  What better way to remember an angel than to do service for those in need.  Brother Wolfgram should not have to worry about the home while having to start life without his best friend.  May this be a testimony that families are forever if they are sealed for time and all eternity in the Holy Temple of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Yet it is still sad that we have to part for a time.  But what joy will it be to meet again!

Bourn Again! (Kershaw vs. Norris)

This was not pretty, but it worked.  Norris pitched a pretty good 7 innings today, but thank goodness for the bullpen again and to the very late offense.  Besides Quintero's RBI that brought in Hall from second in the third inning, it was Bourn and Pence that literally won the game for the 'Stros.  However, the player of the game had to be Quintero.  With his RBI in the third and throwing out a Dodger runner in the top of the 4th, he was playing like a real stud today.  I was very impressed.  Bourn quickly forgot about his blunder in center field in the 7th inning when he forgot to pick up the ball that let the Dodgers to score 2 runs.  His 2-run RBI in the 9th tied the game and Pence won it an RBI single.  That's what made it nail biter to the end.  Gotta love it!

Thank you, Canada (W. Rodriguez vs. Drabek)

Thank you also to the Astros bullpen and to Hunter Pence for the series win again the Blue Jays.  After the 2 run homer in the fifth inning by Pence, the Astros bullpen came up with a close call in the sixth but held in there to win the series.  Now it's home sweet home. 
Personal note: Sad news on the home front.  The primary counselor that finally got Roo to go to primary is on her last legs.  Only a miracle will save Sis. Wolfgram.  She is a wonderful lady and will be sorely missed.  She has definitely lived a great life, though. 

Oh, Canada!!!! (Myers vs Morrow)

It was the best of times for Brett Myers on the mound today with a 4-0 lead.  Then the Jays figured him out.  Bautista's 3 run homer and Escobar's 2 run homer must have taken the wind right out of his sails because the Jays never looked back.  On the bright side, Johnson scored in 2 runs to help the Astros get that 4-0 lead.  But the Jays  prevailed 5-7 over the Astros this morning/afternoon. 
Personal note:  trampolines are not easy to move and really difficult to mow under. 

Beautiful Toronto, Canada (A.Rodriguez vs. J. Reyes)

Last night it seemed like the Astros were going to be there usual selves.  It seemed like they were going to lose it again after trailing 0-2 into the eighth inning.  Then a miracle happened.  Pence found his bat!  With 2 guys on, Pence hit an off-the-wall 2 run RBI double to tie the game.  Come into the ninth inning now.  Downs takes 9 pitches to walk and then here comes Johnson.  He works reliever Frank Francisco to a 3-2 count and then sky-rockets a 2-run homer into the left field bleachers.  What a sight to behold!  The Astros take the lead!  To solidify the win, Bourn hits in Sanchez in a RBI single and the Astros beat the Blue Jays 5-2 in there first game ever North of the border. We should play there more often.
With that win, Mets beating the Yankees, and the Sox (Boston) beating up and maiming the Cubs, last night was a good day in baseball. 

Here I go

So I have friends who have started their own blogs.  Some of whom have started blogging about their favorite teams and how they think they've done.  So, I figured what the heck.  I've been an Astros fan for more than a decade, so why not blog about them?  But I can't just stop there.  I'm likely to blog about life in general and about the kids, too.