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View Full Version : Astros take care of business


Ulysses
10-02-2004, 09:31 PM

Dynasty
10-02-2004, 09:37 PM
The Astros' win today clinches only a tie for the NL wildcard. If the Astros lose tomorrow and the Giants win, those two teams will both end the season 91-71 and have to play a one game playoff.

If the Astros make the playoffs, they'll play the Braves.

If the Giants make the playoffs, they'll play the Cardinals.

GuyOnTilt
10-02-2004, 09:52 PM
Go freaking 'Stros!!!

For the Giants to make the playoffs, they'll need to win the next 2 games AND Houston would have to lose their next 2 games. Bottom line: not gonna happen. The only sad news is that Houston plays before SF tomorrow. If the Giants had an afternoon game and Houston had an evening game, they could have possibly saved Clemens for Games 1 and 5 of the Division Series. But hey, I have absolutely nothing to complain about today. I'm a happy man.'

Go freaking 'Stros!!!

GoT

Clarkmeister
10-02-2004, 10:19 PM
While I would like to see SF go because of Bonds, as a Cardinal fan it's good news that the Astros look likely to go to the playoffs. I really didn't want to play the Dodgers and Giants back-to-back. This ensures that if we beat the Dodgers in round 1 (a team that really scares me), we'll get the heartless Braves in the NLCS after their standard 3-love sweep of the Stros.

Zeno
10-02-2004, 11:40 PM
The Astro are rolling and hot and nothing can stop them except the Dodgers, who always wait until the very last at bat to win their ball games. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

-Zeno

andyfox
10-03-2004, 12:53 AM
The Giants had the game won today and what do they do? First batter, their 40 year old left fielder, playing way too deep with a 3 run lead, gets a bad jump on a ball and can't catch it. Then they walk the next batter. Then they walk the next batter. Then they walk the next batter. Then they make an error. Two batters later, they bring in a guy with an ERA of 6.52 to face the most important opposition batter of the year.

I'd LOVE to face the Giants as my playoff opponent. Houston will beat a hapless Colorado team tomorrow and that will be that.

Tracy will have to play to win, as the Braves did against the Cubs, for the "integrity" of the game, and because they'd like to knock their arch-rivals out.

Clarkmeister
10-03-2004, 12:57 AM
The Giants have been simply embarassing the last few games at critical times. They certainly have no one to blame but themselves, as they have literally pissed away 3 games in the last week. Had they won those 3, they'd have clinched the division.

andyfox
10-03-2004, 01:10 AM
They're starting a 42 year-old pitcher on short rest tomorrow.

nolanfan34
10-03-2004, 01:49 AM
[ QUOTE ]
This ensures that if we beat the Dodgers in round 1 (a team that really scares me), we'll get the heartless Braves in the NLCS after their standard 3-love sweep of the Stros.

[/ QUOTE ]

As a fellow Cards fan, I like this scenario the best. Worst case would be the Stros somehow getting past the Braves, and facing the Cards.

Either way, I really hope they can get the engine going again. They've been on cruise control for the last month, I just hope they're sharp for the playoffs. Ben Sheets sure looked good against them today. I know they're resting up, but I'd like to see at least a win to close out the season so they have a little momentum.

The Astros have really impressed me. How about Phil Garner? And I wonder just how close they really got to dealing Beltran away before the deadline, when they went on their tear.

Clarkmeister
10-03-2004, 01:54 AM
I love the fact that Woody is slated for games 1 and 5. He's a great big-game pitcher and I love taking my chances with him.

Morris being moved back to game 3 is good, but I'd prefer he sit out the series. He has shoulder problems and the rest could help him. Right now he's a gas can and fully capable of costing us any given game by giving up his patented 5-spot in the first.

Carpenter going down really, really hurts.

I'm also worried about our defense, which has been mindnumbingly bad over the last 3 weeks. With the pitching looking as shaky as it has been all year, we really need the D to step up.

nolanfan34
10-03-2004, 02:02 AM
Those are all good points. Rolen isn't 100% either, and I don't like that. I don't have confidence in the bench either if someone goes down with an injury.

I really think that while it's nice to wrap up your playoff spot early on, there are some disadvantages to running away with the division so early on. This reminds me a bit of the M's in 2001. They had the overall win record to chase, but really didn't have anything to play for down the stretch. In the playoffs they just wilted under the pressure...I think you can only take a couple of months of being considered a WS favorite for the doubt to creep in when you drop a playoff game.

I hope the Cards don't suffer the same fate - been waiting since 87 for them to get back in the Series...a rematch with the Twinkies would be nice.

Ulysses
10-03-2004, 07:39 PM
[ QUOTE ]
The Astros' win today clinches only a tie for the NL wildcard.

[/ QUOTE ]

Whatever. Like I said, TCB, baby!