NLCS Game One

Tip your hat to the Cardinals.
They have been touted as the best team in baseball with their 105 regular season wins and they looked like all of that tonight. Some Astro fans might be saying right now they got lucky, a lot of bloop and broken bat hits. They would be partially right. The Cardinals did have many hits like that tonight. They had that luck, however good teams take advantage of that luck as the Cardinals did tonight.

Here is my breakdown.

First it was good to see the Astros get on the board in the first. Beltran looks as advertised. Biggio did well to get on ahead of him to have Carlos' homer make it 2-0 Astros. Did Astro fans think it would be that easy? This one didn't. Albert Pujols showed that he is as advertised as well. His home run in the bottom of the first made it 2-2. After that Backe and Williams pitched well for three innings and kept things in check. Only a walk and a pitch Jeff Kent got a hold of in the fourth made it 4-2 Astros. Williams came back and got a one two three inning in the fifth to keep things in control for the Cardinals.

At this point I was thinking that it will take more than 4 runs to win tonight. I didn't see Backe or Williams going deep into game and both teams will be able to score on the bullpens. The bad part there is that Houston's bullpen is more suspect, much more. Having injuries to Pettitte and Miller made bullpen guys into starters, i.e. Munro game two's starter. This has thinned out the Astro bullpen. They just do not have anyone there right now outside of Lidge that scares the opponent. That's what the Astros are really missing in this series is a good old Nasty boy like Rob Dibble , Randy Myers or Norm Charlton. I hate using Reds as a reference but hey that kind of intimidation out of the pen is what this Astro team is lacking. Facing Qualls or Gallo just doesn't strike any fear or doubt into the opposition. Besides the o so slim chance that the Astros will re-sign Beltran, getting a guy or two like that for the pen would be the priority. Anyway I digress.

The bottom of the fifth inning I feel was key for this game. The Woody Williams double where he got just enough of it to get over the drawn in Berkman was huge. If Lance makes a spectacular grab or just happens to be not playing the pitcher a tad shallow (and who wouldn't) that gives Backe two outs with Womack coming up. His groundout would have been the inning. Trust me the Cardinals would have still scored more runs eventually, they are that good, however maybe its to just tied up the game and not take the lead.

Backe did as best as he probably could tonight, especially on only 3 days rest. The Cardinals just found a way to get to him and the bullpen tonight. The rushed Vizciano throw and missed scoop by Bagwell are going to happen in a series such as this. A trip to the World Series is on the line and it will make players press a bit. I am sure the Cardinals will do so too before this NLCS is over with.

To finish I was glad to see the Astros put some more runs on the board before it was a final. I think it shows they will not give up and to win the Cardinals, as good as they are advertised to be, will still have to earn it. As an Astro fan I can live with that. Possibly I feel that way because the Astros already accomplished the big task of winning in the post season. Possibly I feel that way because I am trying not to get my hopes too high. Either or both could be true, but this I know is true ... I am a fan because the likes of Biggio, Bagwell, Berkman and know Beltran all play hard no matter what and win or loose that effort will always keep me coming back for more.

Keep your chin up guys... Go get 'em in game two and try to sneak off with a win on the way back to Houston!