Astros 39-51/10.5
Cubs 45-43/2.5
POTG: Z! (6.2 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 7 K, 0 R, W [11/75]; 2 H, R, RBI)
Runner Ups: RP Carlos Marmol (3 Marooned, 1.1 IP, K, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB), LF Soriano (2 H, 2B, R), SS The Riot (2 H, R, SB), 1B D Lee (2 BB, 2B, 2 RBI), RF Uncle Cliffy (2 H, R, BB), 2B Mark DeRosa (2 H, R)
I followed this one online, and caught the last couple innings on a static radio. Traveling screwed with my schedule this week.
This was a tough POTG to figure. Lots of good hitting, though no great one. If the final score was a little bit closer, Marmol’s job in the 7th would’ve been more important, but it really wasn’t that close at the time and ended up less so. This was not a great Z! game, but it was a pretty good one, so it goes to him.
The 8th inning was really where Lee’s power drain, turning into the greatest doubles hitter of all time at the cost of hitting any home runs, went from absurd to hilarious. You just knew it was going to be yet another double, and it was, and it was great. I spent the rest of the weekend just expecting doubles at all times when Lee got to the plate. That’s his gimmick.
Howry did not look especially good in the 9th, but I was fine with that. I hope he remains closer while Dempster is out, because it’s causing Lou to use Marmol earlier games in bigger situations, and he’s the guy on the staff everyone would prefer in those spots right now. The league ought to catch up to him at some point, but it hasn’t happened yet.