Astros franchise-MVP Baseball 2003 |C'est fini!|

[JT_55]

Hello everyone. I'm going to an MVP Baseball 2003 Astros franchise.

Now, I thought that doing franchises or dynastys of games that are more than 3 years old were, generally, frowned upon. But seeing that someone else had done one a while ago made it a bit less concerning. MVP 2003 is the only baseball game I have on my PC and my piece of junk for a computer can't handle 2005.

I'm calling this an Astros franchise because it is played with the Houston team. However, it is a bit misleading as I'm using custom rosters that only represents a small part of the past and present Astros team.

It's on All-Star level, and everything is off except player icon and name and the pitching cursor (which is set on fade). I'm using a dual-analog controller.

I'm going to sim all road games unless it has a game impact of 8+. 8 or 9 I intervene in top 7th and I will play all game impact 10 games. At home, I'm playing all games 5+, and intervening games with impact 3 or 4.

My rosters:(wait a while for it to load if you have a crappy computer like me)
Lineup


SS David Eckstein: 77 contact-52 power against RHP; 78-49 vs. LHP
2B Jason Romano: 82-48; 62-36
CF Vernon Wells: 84-76; 75-62
RF Bobby Kielty: 83-77; 71-76
LF Brad Wilkerson: 85-72; 66-83
1B Mark Teixiera: 65-69;70-72
3B Morgan Ensberg: 61-49; 72-79
C Brad Ausmus: 68-48; 87-70
P (J. Kennedy)

Pitching Rotation


Say, is it illegal to copy and paste the player's faces from a place like ESPN and post it here?

[jonthefon]

ASTROOOOOOOOOOOOOS!

Since I don't like the Rangers, I support the Astros. But you're right-that roster is hugely different to nowadays. No Roy Oswalt?

[JT_55]

Sorry, man. No Roy Oswalt. He's one of my favorite pitchers both in real life and in the game (I use him in all but two franchises; this one and a realistic Mariners one), but I was challenging myself by using a very crappy roster and he was just too good to be on my team.

Update tomorrow.

[jonthefon]

Ah well. Good luck

[JT_55]

Thanks, jonthefon. I just made a trade that made the team a bit more like the Astros.

Feel free to give me any constructive criticism as this is my first franchise/dynasty I ever posted.

Week 1
TRADE
To Colorado: Chris Carpenter and Jared Fernandez
To Houston: Jason Jennings and John Barnes

Game 1-Season Opener
Even though it had a game impact of 2, I played the season opener anyway because it was, well, the season opener. It was such a great game I wrote almost an essay for the recap so skip it if you feel its too boring.

Intro
The first game of the season, everyone. This should be a great game featuring the Colorado Rockies at the Houston Astros coming at you live from Minute Maid park. Joe Kennedy will be taking the mound for the Astros as will his counterpart Shawn Chacon for the Rockies.

Game Recap
We had no action during the first four innings so we will take you to the bottom of the fifth with one on, one out and Mark Teixiera at the plate. Teixeira doubles to the gap in right center, scoring Wilkerson at first. Astros draw first blood; 1-0 Astros.

In the bottom of the sixth with one out, Wells doubles to left center with Kennedy at 3rd and Romero at 2nd, scoring them both. 3-0 Astros.

In the 7th, Helton and Wilson hit back-to-back doubles to lead off the inning. Wilson advanced to third on Walker's flyout to center. Mark Bellhorn then pinch-hit for Payton, and immediately got plunked by Kennedy. Surprisingly, no warning were issued by the umpires. With runners at the corners, Johnson singles to right, Wilson scores. Seeing his lead cut down to one, Kennedy got two big outs while striking out Butler and getting pinch-hitter Greg Vaughn to line out softly to Romero. 3-2 Astros.

C. Reed took over for Chacon in the bottom of the 7th.

In the 8th and 2 out, Helton and Wilson again got back-to back hits, putting Helton at 3rd and Wilson at 1st. Kennedy subsequently got yanked and was replaced by the closer Gagne. Gagne gives up the lead to Walker who singles in Helton. Then Richard singles to center directly at gold-glove, cannon-armed Vernon Wells who gunned down Preston Wilson at the plate! Wells saved him team a run. Game tied at 3.

No more action in the next few innings bottom of the 11th with Justin Speier pitching. After working a full count, Vernon Wells sent a Speier heater into the short porch in left for a walk-off home run. 4-3 Astros. GAME OVER.

Player of the game:
Vernon Wells: 2-5, 3 RBI, 1 HR

Grades
Pitching: B
Kennedy made a solid start and Gagne pitched 2 and a third shutout inning to earn the win. However, Gagne is now 0-1 in saves situation after getting a BS in his first attempt.

Hitting: A-
Everyone got a least a hit and the team combined for a terrific 14 hits. No walks were taken but also no strikeouts. Stranded 10 runners.

Defense: A
Eckstein made some diving catches and Wells made a great throw to prevent the Rockies from taking the lead in the 8th.

Small Ball: C-
Wells and Eckstein combined for 3 caught steals; the only player to get a steal was Jason Romero.

Stats

Notable hitters
Wells: 2-5, 3 RBI, 1 HR
Teixeira: 2-4, 1 RBI

Wilson: 2-5, 1 RBI

Pitchers
Kennedy: 7.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 5 K
Gagne (W, 1-0): 3.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R

Chacon: 6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 K
Reed: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER
Speier (L, 0-1): 2.1+ IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 HR

Result
Colorado 3, Astros 4


Games 2-6
Game 2 Result
Colorado 3, Astros 7


Game 3 Result
Colorado 6, Astros 2


Game 4 Result
Houston 0, St. Louis 6


Game 5 Result
Houston 3, St. Louis 0


Game 6 Result
Houston 1, St. Louis 3


Week 1 Recap
Record: 3-3, tied second in NL Central

[jonthefon]

Not a bad start-St. Louis will be a big rival for this season.

Your game recaps are great though-really enjoyable.

[Tuomas]

Wow looking good. Pretty stacked up roster but I can imagine it's super fun to play with.

Keeping the talk on baseball, check out my MVP 05 dynasty as well

[JT_55]

Already checked out your dynasty, Tuomas. Blue Jay fan right here (also being a Canadian helps). Just haven't got around to posting there yet. I will soon.

By the way, what do you mean by "stacked up"? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that you mean its so good that its rigged. The roster I have would kick ass right now but at the time, Brad Lidge was lower rated than someone like Kirk Saarloos, and B.J. Ryan was lower than Sidney Ponson. Except for any EA Sport's offical patch or something like that, I haven't used any other mods or dowloads.

Glad you found my recaps interesting, jonthefon. Guess I'm going to do more of them.

Yeah, St. Louis is going to be a big rival this season. They have a dangerous lineup with Pujols, Walker, and Rolen and also great pitching. Looking forward to some tough, exciting games against them.

[Tuomas]

Oh sorry, I automatically thought that the rosters are tweaked so the players are as good as they are now. Nice to see an possible alternative player development if that is the case.

[JT_55]

It's all right, Tuomas. No worries.

I chose players who are really young and have great potential, so they are really good right now. It's almost like knowing what the future will be.

Update Sunday.

[JT_55]

(computer is screwed up; cannot type apostrophes)

I am only done half of week 2, so I will just post that. I have a doubleheader exam tomorrow so I will not get the other part done by maybe the middle of next week.

Week 2
I intervened in the top of the seventh in the next three games.

Games 7-9
Game 7 Result
Cincinnati 7, Houston 10


Game 8 Result
Cincinnati 5, Houston 4


Game 9 Result
Cincinnati 1, Houston 2


Moment of the game:
Ok, so maybe it was not a bases loaded, two out, bottom of the ninth, full count situation. But it had plenty drama itself as Eric Gagne blows Reggie Taylor away with his high heat to end the game.


Middle of Week 2
5-4, tied first in NL Central

Full standings and stats will be posted at end of week 2

[jonthefon]

Gagne and his closer

Nice work against Cincinnati, keep rolling.

[JT_55]

Gagne is a great closer. 97 mph heat, 69 mph hook, a good slider, and a 98 rated change-up. Very underrated in this game.

Continuing Week 2
Game 10
The first of a three game series against St. Louis in Houston. Game impact 5 for all games, so I will play them all.

Intro
Ankiel starts the game for the visitors, and Josh Towers for the home team. It was not as exciting as I would have hoped, as the game might as well have been over by the bottom of the second.

Game Recap
Over by the bottom of the second? Nah, I knew it was over by the third pitch Ankiel dealt to Wells. I never gotten a home run from Wells against a lefty, until this game, when he and Bobby Kielty went back...

...to back. 2 fastballs. 2-0 Astros.

Wilkerson came close with a shot to the warning track in right. Then Ensberg got another fastball from Ankiel...

...and got another home run. 3-0 Astros.

The Cards got one back in the second, with Michael Barrett's RBI single to right. 3-1 Astros.

In the first, I haven't managed to get a piece of Ankiel's curveball. It's really good. But not to Placido Polanco, who waved good-bye to Ankiel's hook with Ausmus on first to make it 5-1 Astros. Ankiel would be taken out in favor of Garret Stephenson after giving up two more base hits. Kielty added a sac fly to make it 6-1.

No much more to say after that. Wells got a clutch RBI single, Kielty got another home run, and Farnsworth got another breakdown, giving up a run in the ninth. Stephenson pitched 6 innings in relief; he should have been the starter.

Grades
Pitching: B
Towers pitched four strong inning for the win (glitch in the game; pitching only four inning will not earn the win in real life) and Lidge and Ryan combined for four shutout innings in relief. Held Cards' 3, 4, 5 hitters to a combined 1 for 14. The others got the same amount of hits as us. Not good. As for Farnsworth...arrgghh...

Batting: A-
Absolutely crushed Ankiel. Cooled down with Stephenson on the mound. Eckstein had a horrible day, going 0-4 with 3 strikeouts.

Defense: B+
Nothing special. That's really all you can ask for from your fielders.

Small Ball: C+
Wells and Romano both got steals. Eckstein failed to drive in Romano (on third) with only 1 out.

Player of the Game
Bobby Kielty: 2-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI

Stats

Notable hitters
Wells: 3-5, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, SB
Kielty: 2-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI

Barrett: 4-4, RBI
Edmonds: 0-5, 3 K

Pitchers
Towers (W, 1-0): 4 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 K
Lidge: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 K
Ryan: 1.1 IP, 0 R
Farnsworth: 1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K

Ankiel (L, 0-2): 1.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 K
Stephenson: 6 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 K
Joseph: 0.2 IP, 1 K

Result
St. Louis 2, Astros 9


By the way, anybody got an idea on where to deal Farnsworth to? Because I am getting really frustrated with him.

Game 11

Intro
Not the closest game but not the most lopsided game I ever played, either. A jem from Kennedy. Matt Morris didn't stand a chance. That's why he's my ace.

Game Recap
Ensberg had an RBI single in the second, scoring Kielty. 1-0 Astros.

In the fourth with Kielty on at first, Wilkerson and Teixeira hit back to back doubles, Wilkerson and Kielty scores. 3-0 Astros.

In the top of the fifth, Renteria hits a ground ball though the left side with runners at the corners. Kielty uses his strong arms to throw him out and saves a run.

Bottom fifth. Two on for Vernon Wells. He doubles to the gap in left center, Romano and Eckstein scores. 5-0 Astros.

No more runs for either team. Guess who came in. Garrett Stephenson pitched four shutout innings in relief of Morris. The guy is getting on my nerves.

Player of the Game
Joe Kennedy: 9 IP, 9 H, 4 K, 0 R

Grades
Pitching: A+
Kennedy with a complete game shutout and scattered nine hits. What more do you expect?

Batting: B+
Five runs is okay, but shut out by Stephenson. Eckstein broke out of his slump with a base hit in the fifth.

Defense: A-
Kielty's throw saved the shutout. No errors.

Small Ball: B
Wells, Romano, and Eckstein got stolen bags. Ausmus failed to drive in Teixeira on third with one out.

Stats

Notable hitters
Wells: 2-4, 2 RBI, SB
Ensberg: 2-3, RBI

Pujols: 2-4

Pitchers
Kennedy: 9 IP, 9 H, 0 R, 4 K

Morris: 4 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER
Stephenson: 4 IP, 4 H

Moment of the Game
This is not much of a game changer. It happened in the bottom of the eighth with the game pretty much decided. But it's one for the blooper reel. J.D. Drew says "oops" as Ensberg ended up on third. No error.


Result
St. Louis 0, Houston 5


Week 2 (In progress)
7-4, 1st in NL Central

End of Week 2 coming tomorrow (about 17 hours from now).

[jonthefon]

Brilliant sweep over Cards.

Only good relief pitching saved extreme blowouts

[jonthefon]

Brilliant sweep over Cards.

Only good relief pitching saved extreme blowouts

[JT_55]

One more game before sweep.

Last Game of Week 2
Game 12
Last game of this three game series with the Cards. Houston fans got their brooms out to the game and ended up using them.

Intro
Brett Tomko for St. Louis, Jennings for Houston. Jennings has won both of his starts to start off the year. Can he do it one more time?

Game Recap
Pitcher's duel. Well, sort of.

Two out, runners in scoring position for Albert Pujols. He gets a mistake fastball from Jennings and rips a line drive to the left side. And....

...Eckstein make the catch! Inning over. No runs score.

In the fourth, Kielty got a mistake fastball from Tomko and he make no mistake with it.

Home run for Kielty. 1-0 Astros.

Jason Romano hits an RBI double in the sixth.

An unlikely hero comes up big for the Astros in the seventh, as the pitcher Kyle Farnsworth hits a single to drive in a run. The manager decided against pinch-hitting Geoff Blum for Farnsworth and was rewarded for the decision. Farnsworth actually pitched well today, with 1 and a third shutout innings. 3-0 Astros.

Grades
Pitching: A+
No runs again. Only gave up four hits.

Batting: B
Respectable all-around night. Kielty got another home run for his team-leading fourth.

Defense: A
No errors for the third stright game. Eckstein made that fine play to save his team two runs and possibly shift the momentum to his side.

Small Ball: B-
Wells and Eckstein got SB's. Wilkerson got caught once.

Player of the Game
David Eckstein: 2-4, R, SB

Stats

Notable hitters
Kielty: 1-4, HR, R, RBI
Eckstein: 2-4 R, SB

Edmonds: 2-4

Pitchers
Jennings (W, 3-0): 6 IP, 3 H, 3 K
Farnsworth: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1K
Williamson: 0.1 IP
Gagne (S): 1 IP, 1 K

Tomko: 6.2 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 K
Crudale: 0.1 IP
Yan: 1 IP

Result
St. Louis 0, Houston 3


End of Week 2
Standings
8-4, 1st in NL Central


Week 2 Recap
Player of the fortnight
Bobby Kielty: .354 avg, .708 slg, 4 HR, 10 RBI

Pitcher of the fortnight
Jason Jennings: 3-0, 13 IP, 2.89 ERA

Complete Stats (A little homemade chart)

Batting


Pitching



Batting Average: Mo Vaughn- .500
Home Runs: (3 tied) Luis Gonzalez, Magglio Ordonez, Tom Wilson- 7 HR
Runs Batted in: Mo Vaughn- 19 RBI
Stolen Bases: Juan Pierre- 8 SB
Hits: Mo Vaughn- 23 H
Runs: Luis Gonzalez- 15 R
On Base Percentage: Mo Vaughn- .550
Slugging Percentage: Magglio Ordonez- 1.000

[jonthefon]

See, I totally predicted the sweep

I kinda mis-looked and thought that the 5-0 game was the third of the series.

Either way, you got home again.

[JT_55]

You predicted the sweep?...lol

And no, I don't have a betting service for my own baseball games .

Week 3
Easy week. All games were 1 and 2 impact so I just simmed them all. Took like 15 minutes. Wasn't easy for the team, though. Lost that third SF game in a blowout.

Games 13-19
Game 13 Result
Houston 6, San Francisco 0


Game 14 Result
Houston 0, San Francisco 4


Game 15 Result
Houston 2, San Francisco 19


Game 16 Result
Houston 4, Milwaukee 0


Game 17 Result
Houston 2, Milwaukee 3


Game 18 Result
Houston 3, Milwaukee 1


Game 19 Result
Houston 0, Milwaukee 2


Week 3 Recap
Record: 11-8, 1st in NL Central (Cubs are 1 game back)

[jonthefon]

Holy cow, 19-2? Typo or complete whacking?

[jonthefon]

Holy cow, 19-2? That's a stupidly big, even for a blowout.

[JT_55]

Yeah, its a really big blowout. Its unusual for the CPU to simulate such huge scores.

Start of May-Week 5
3 game set at home against Atlanta and another one against Florida. Playing the Atlanta series and intervening the Florida one.

Game 1 (I restart the count every month to avoid things like Game 162)

Intro
Shane Renolds against my ace Kennedy. Really scared of this Braves lineup that consists of the Chipper, Andruw, Sheffield, and Herbert Perry.

Game Recap
With Atlanta leading 1-0 in the top of the fourth, Eckstein makes a diving catch and gets injured.

Injury Report: David Eckstein (torn left shoulder muscle) out for 255 days. Replaced by Jose Vizcaino.

Uh oh. Lost my future World Series MVP to an injury. Not just that, I lost my leadoff hitter that been on a hot streak lately. Trade following this game.

In the bottom of the inning, Wells hit a 2-0 fastball from Renolds over the fence for a lead off HR. After Kielty's single, Wilkerson gives Houston the lead with another home run. 3-1 Astros.


Wells adds a sac fly with runners on first an third in the fifth. 4-1 Astros.

With runners on the corners and one out, Wilkerson (runner on first) steals second while Wells (runner on third) attempts to steal home! And he is...

...safe a home! 5-1 Astros.

In the top of the ninth, Sheffield hits a home run off Scott Willamson with Jones on first. 5-3 Astros. Gagne comes in and retires the side for his sixth save.

Grades
Pitching: B
Kennedy pitched sixth and a third soild innings, and Gagne gets another save. Williamson gave up the HR on a pretty good pitch; a 2-seamer on the inside corner.

Batting: B+
5 runs, 9 hits, that's not too bad.

Defense: B+
Again, no errors. Eckstein's suicidal diving catch didn't please me too much.

Small Ball: A
Wells scores on that steal second, steal home play. Wilkerson gets a steal.

Player of the Game
Vernon Wells: 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Stats

Notable Hitters
Wells: 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
Teixeira: 0-4, K

Sheffield: 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI

Pitchers
Kennedy (W, 4-1) : 6.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 K
Farnsworth: 0.2 IP
Williamson: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER
Gagne (S, 6): 1 IP, 1 H

Reynolds: 6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 K
Holmes: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB

Game 1 Result


Game 2
Trade
To Tampa: Jose Vizcaino
To Houston: Julio Lugo

Game 2 Result


Game 3

Intro
Houston fans looking for sweep? Not so fast, says the Braves. High scoring matchup, seesawing score, this is a heartbreaking loss for Houston.

Game Recap
I forgot what happened in the first five innings, so let's go to the bottom fo the sixth with 2 on, 1 out, and the Braves leading 4-3. Kielty hits a home run off Russ Ortiz to make it 6-4 Astros.

In the top of the eighth, starter Carlos Zambrano get the hook and in come Horacio Ramirez. First batter Ramirez faces is Sheffield. He hits a single. Next batter, Perry. He homers to tie the game up at 6. I should've pulled Ramirez right there, but I didn't and paid for it. Henry Blanco singles to bring up the oldest player in the world...Julio Franco! Anyway, Franco is a very great lefty-hitting batter and Ramirez is a lefty. Ramirez gave a mistake fastball to Franco and he drills it the other way to give the Braves the lead. Oh no!

Smoltz comes in and gets the save.

Grades
Pitching: F
Horrible. If Farnsworth pitched the entire game himself it might not be as bad. Ramirez was very dissappointing.

Batting: B
It was good, but not enough to win the game.

Defense: B+
Same old story. No errors.

Small Ball: B-
A few steals here and there.

Player of the game
Julio Franco: 2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR

Stats

Notable Hitters
Wells: 4-5, 2 R
Kielty: 2-5, 2 RBI, 2 R, HR

Perry: 2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR
Franco: 2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR
(identical stats; what are the odds of that?)

Pitchers
Zambrano: 7 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 K
Ramirez (L, 1-1): 0 IP , 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER
Soriano: 2 IP

Ortiz: 6.1 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 5 ER (actually got a home run, too)
Holmes (W): 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER
Hernandez: 1 IP
Smoltz (S), 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB

Week 5 (In Progress)
Record: 17-11

[jonthefon]

Oosh, tough series with an injury and that loss to the Braves. Still, gotta keep working, two out of three, good work.

Plus Craig Biggio joined the 3000-club, so I'm happy. Now the real-life Astros just need to find some constant form.

[JT_55]

I thought the Astros were going to turn it around after the three-game sweep of the Mariners. Oh well, at least they're still in it. I think Biggio will get into the Hall of Fame, now that he has the 3,000. But then again, he still might have made it even if he didn't get 3,000 hits.

Continuing Week 5
All games in this three game series with the Marlins were intervened in the seventh.

Game 4
Short Recap
Intervened with the score 8-3 in my favor and the game pretty much over. Tacked in 4 more in the bottom of the eighth courtesy to Blum and Lugo singles, and Wells and Wilkerson with home runs. Ramirez bounced back from that horrible outing last game, giving up no run in 2 innings of work. Soriano struck out the side in the ninth.

Game 4 Result
Florida 3, Houston 12


Game 5
Short Recap
Scoreless through eight innings. Juan Encarnacion hit a RBI single off Farnsworth to score Pudge. In the ninth, Urbina (this was before he went to jail) gave up two runs en route to a BS and a loss. Farnsworth got the game winning RBI when the suicide squeeze worked perfectly to end the game.

Game 5 Result
Florida 1, Houston 2


Game 6
Short Recap
1-1 the score after six. Kennedy gave up singles to Lowell and Pudge with two out. Then, Encarnacion hits a 3 run jack the other way to make it 4-1. No scoring after that. Redmond picks up complete game.

Game 6 Result
Florida 4, Houston 1


End of Week 5
19-12, 1st in NL Central (Cubs still one back)

[JT_55]

Darn! Oswalt got snubbed from the All-Star game. Him and Doc. Can't people nowadays know a good pitcher when they see one?

Hope he makes it thruogh Final Ballot.

Week 6
Four game series against those Pirates at Houston. Going to play all of the games.

Game 7
Intro
The first four-game series of the year is against the Pirates. This first game will feature Jason Jennings going up against Anna Benson's husband, Kris Benson.

Game Recap
Benson did not look very sharp in the first inning, giving up a RBI single to Romano with Lugo on second. Then Wells walked on a full count. Kielty's flyout advanced Romano to third. Wilkerson hits an RBI bloop single to score Romano, but poor baserunning by Wells kept him at second. He made up for it with a perfectly executed double steal to put runners on the corners. Two batters later, Ensberg hits an RBI single to give Houston a 3-0 lead. Benson would settle down after that, giving up just a Wells sac fly in the next four innings.

The Pirates got 2 runs back in the second, with back-to-back RBI singles (then advance on throw) from Sanders and Vizcaino. 3-2 Astros.

There would be no action until the seventh, when Jose Vizcaino took a mistake fastball the other way for a home run to shorten the lead to 1. 4-2 Astros.

In the top of the eighth, with Simon on first, Farnsworth gives up a home run to Giles and the Pirates take a 5-4 lead. Moment of the game:


Boehringer and M. Williams combined for two shutout innings to seal the win for Pittsburgh.

Grades
Pitching: C+
Lost the game. Farnsworth continues his bad pitching.

Batting: B-
Mustered 11 hits but just manages to get 4 runs.

Defense: C
Lugo had an error.

Small Ball: A-
Wells, Romano, and Wilkerson combined for 6 steals. Kielty was caught once, but...meh.

Player of the Game
Brian Giles: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Stats

Notable hitters
Romano: 3-4, RBI, R
Ensberg: 3-4, RBI
Giles: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
Vizcaino: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, R

Pitchers
Jennings: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 K
Lidge: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Ramirez: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER
Farnsworth (L, 1-1): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER

Benson: 5 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, BB, 2 K
Figueroa (W, 1-1): 2 IP, K
Boehringer: 1 IP, 1 H
M. Williams (S, 8): 1 IP, 1 H

Game 7 Result
Florida 5, Houston 4


Game 8

Intro
Not much to say. Kip Wells for Pittsburgh against Zambrano. Another disappointing game.

Game Recap
Lofton leads off the game with a double to left field. The next batter, Kendall, singles and drives him in. Kendall would advance on the throw. Then Simon hit an RBI single to give the Pirates a quick 2-0 lead.

Vernon Wells gets one of two sac flies in the bottom of the first against Kip Wells. 2-1 Pirates.

In the third with Lugo on second, Romano doubles to deep right center field to tie the game up at 2. Wells then gets the lead with his second sacrifice fly. 3-2 Astros.

Life would be good for Zambrano for another five innings until Sanders hits a solo shot to tie the game. 3-3 tie.

Zambrano would get the lead back when Ausmus gets a clutch RBI double off reliever Brian Boehringer with 2 outs and runners on first and second. 4-3 Astros.

Life turns out to be not-so-good for him in the ninth. He gives up back-to-back home runs to lead off the innning to give Pittsburgh the lead and gets the hook. 5-4 Pirates.

Mike Williams pitches for two consecutive days and gets the save.

Grades
Pitching: B-
Not horrible, but could have been better. Zambrano pitched eight innings and, if not for the breakdown in the ninth, could have had the win.

Batting: (A+ => F)
I have no idea what to give. The team managed to score only 4 run but had 17 hits. Now if only I can learn to cash them in.

Defense: B+
No errors. Ramirez made a spectacular play on a line drive.

Small Ball: (A => C-)
Wells and Lugo both got three steals. That is the good news. The bad news? They both got caught once.

Player of the Game
Randall Simon: 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 R, HR

Stats

Notable hitters
Lugo: 4-5, 2 R
Vernon Wells: 3-3, 2 RBI

Simon: 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 R, HR

Pitchers
Zambrano (L, 2-4): 8 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 K
Soriano: 1 IP, 1 H

Kip Wells: 4 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 3 ER
D. Williams: 3 IP, 3 H, K
Boehringer (W, 1-1): 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, K
M. Williams (S, 9): 1 IP, 1 H

Game 8 Result
Florida 5, Houston 4


Week 6 (In Progress)
19-14, 1st in NL Central (Cubbies still one back; copycats!)

[jonthefon]

Yeesh, a tough week. Anyway, the All-Star Game is a popularity contest, so it's all pretty stupid.