Intense Game Tonight

[Baseball-Addict]

Tonight's game is gonna be intense, because if the Stros loose tonight, then the hope of winning the World Series is scrapped. All hopes that the Stros will win tonight, GOOD LUCK TO THEM! If the White Sox will win tonight it's gonna be a darn shame :ugh:

[Astro Annie]

It goes without saying that this is a must-win game for the Astros. They've won must-win games before; they can do it tonight.

[Baseball-Addict]

I am really excited now, I am gonna stay up till morning over here in the UK so I can watch the game Live :)

[PissedPrincess]

It goes without saying that this is a must-win game for the Astros. They've won must-win games before; they can do it tonight.

Do you believe the Astros can truly win this series? I'm curious as to the mood there. I absolutely did NOT think the Sox could come back from 0-3, but most people did.

[Toy Cannon]

Do you believe the Astros can truly win this series? I'm curious as to the mood there. I absolutely did NOT think the Sox could come back from 0-3, but most people did.
I wouldn't put money on it. This is the way their whole season has gone so if they did come back and win it, it wouldn't shock me. The problem is that Houston has had it's chances and have not capitalized on them. I'm still so furious at Garner I can hardly see straight. Last night in the 9th with runners on 1st and 3rd and only one out, he let Taveras bat. What the efff???? You have a LH Palmiero on the bench, a veteran pinch hitter who makes contact. Makes no effing sense. Hang this loss on the manager. :angry:

White Sox relievers walked, what was it, 10 batters? If you can't take advantage of that you don't deserve to win :(

[lal4l]

with Backe people are scared

[PissedPrincess]

They walked 12 batters. Yeah, I was about to freakin hang Garner. :gripe:

Good Luck tonight. A bunch of us crowded around together last year bottom of the 9th, down 0-3, down 4-3, Mariano on the mound. I made everyone do a shot. It was a well, let's enjoy the last 3 outs of the season shot. Oddly, none of us felt sad or angry. No one put their coats on. It was really odd.

Well, you know the rest.

As we said in Boston: Make History or be History. :)

[PopTop]

I won't blame Game 3 on Garner, on that Dale and I will simply have to agree to disagree. Houston has had trouble getting runs across all season, we're a bat short of being a really damn good team. We were two bats short until Berkman returned in May, perhaps three bats short up to then considering Bagwell's shoulder.

What were the W-L stats for this team entering the playoffs when they scored 4 runs or more? I saw the numbers once, but can't remember them exactly. Off the top of my head I think we were something like 69-5, or something pretty ridiculous as that. Roy has arguably the worst inning of his career and can't hold a 4-0 lead. I can't focus on a misplay or a mismanaged move at the end of that game as the reason we lost. It's like saying the last sin you commit is the one that sends you to hell at the end.

But I do like Jacqui's idea about the shots. Sort of like earlier this season when I told everyone I wasn't giving up, but I was giving in. If tonight is the last game in our magical wonderful splendiferous season, then so be it. This will still be my best offseason ever as an Astros fan.

[Baseball-Addict]

Hopefully the World Series wont end tonight and Astros will be victiorious. But I guess it's already been great for an Astros fan seeing as they have come to a World Series.

[Toy Cannon]

Roy has arguably the worst inning of his career and can't hold a 4-0 lead. I can't focus on a misplay or a mismanaged move at the end of that game as the reason we lost. It's like saying the last sin you commit is the one that sends you to hell at the end.
Garner had no control over Oswalt, unless he pulled him, and I think both of us would have left him in the game as well (I know I would have stuck with him). He did have control over who batted in the 9th however, and I feel that is where he let his best chance to win the game get away from him. He screwed up IMO. What would you have done?


If tonight is the last game in our magical wonderful splendiferous season, then so be it. This will still be my best offseason ever as an Astros fan.
Absolutely, without question :thumbsup: After all these years, I feel like I made it to the World Series. :woohoo

[BayStateBabe]

Garner had no control over Oswalt, unless he pulled him, and I think both of us would have left him in the game as well (I know I would have stuck with him). He did have control over who batted in the 9th however, and I feel that is where he let his best chance to win the game get away from him. He screwed up IMO. What would you have done?

Maybe Garner should have pinch hit for Taveras in the 9th, but the heart of the lineup had plenty of chances in the 10th - 14th and couldn't push one run across. That's not on Garner.

[Toy Cannon]

Maybe Garner should have pinch hit for Taveras in the 9th, but the heart of the lineup had plenty of chances in the 10th - 14th and couldn't push one run across. That's not on Garner.
Absolutely correct. They squandered a ton of chances. IMO however, pinch hit for Taveras in the 9th and we most likely would never have known about the extra innings.

[PopTop]

What would you have done?Heck, Dale, I'd have probably been peeing my britches if I was the manager of a team that made it to the Series. All I can think of as to why Garner let Chilly Willy hit is that Taveras had been hitting the ball pretty hard out of the infield the first couple of games in the Series. Or that he wanted Taveras in center the whole game for his best defensive setup. I pretty much gave up second guessing coaches or blaming umpires years ago for health reasons.

If there was a single player or person I was most upset with last night, it was Ensberg. That boy just needs to quit dicking around with his dadgum stance. I've been known to rant against Mo before, no doubt some of it unjustified on my part. He had a big RBI single early and made a couple of very good defensive plays. But he also looked like doo-doo a couple of times at the plate and in the field late.

[barzilla]

Oddly enough, my wife was asking me why they didn't pinch hit for Taveras in the 9th. My response goes to show what we expect out of the Astros these days. I said, "if Palmeiro fails in that scenario we end up with one less bat on the bench and our best centerfielder out of the game." It's funny that my mind goes immediately to failure. Runner on third with less than two outs should be a better than 50/50 proposition, but for us it seems the hardest task in the world.

Do I blame Garner? I guess it depends on whether you're a go for broke type of person. He just got out of an 18 inning affair a little more than a week ago where he used up his bench first. I have to think that was going on in the back of his mind. If that is what he was thinking, I can't blame him. This team has squandered so many such opportunities in the post season it is a miracle we're here to discuss it. I heard Garner's post-game comments and agree 100%. This loss is on the team, not him. If you can't get more than a hit from the seventh inning on you don't deserve to win. If you squander three golden opportunities to get runners home from third with less than two outs (once with no outs) in games one and three you deserve to be down 3-0. If you strike out as much as this team does in key situations you deserve what you get.

I'm a happy as a pig in slop that we are here. Even if you ignore 15-30 and focus squarely on the playoffs, this team has overcome a lot to be here. No one can question this team's heart or desire. I'm just not sure if they have the talent to get the ultimate prize this year. Yet, they've beaten two teams with more talent than them to get here.