Baseball is Fun Again, but I Knew it Would Be

We had fun at PNC Park Friday night. It was easy. The Astros won behind a complete game from Brian Moehler which featured seven shut out innings (actually it was eight, but seven is part of the story later.) Also Edwin Maysonet had a big game including his first major league homer.

I was not surprised.

You see during dinner Bill Brown turned to me and said, "What do you think Luke? What's going to happen tonite?" I responded without really giving it much thought and said, "The losing strink will end tonite. Edwin Maysonet will have a big homer and a big game and Brian Moehler will go seven shutout innings."

Brownie, Jim Deshaies, Chronicle writer Jesus Ortiz, radio engineer Lowell Matheny and TV director Paul Byckowski who were also at the table probably wondered what I was drinking. Actually, I think it was combination of ginger ale and orange soda out of the machine in the lunch room.

After all, Moehler had not been very effective this season after going on the disabled list with a strained knee. His earned run average was over eight! And Maysonet was 2-10 this season and 3-17 in his short major league career without even a double let alone a homer.

Imagine my surprise when Edwin parked one in the left field stands for his second hit of the game in the fourth inning. That gave the Astros a 3-0 lead. It was shortly after that homer--which Brownie and JD had noted on the telecast that I had predicted that I took note of Moehler not allowing any runs yet either.

Once he passed the fifth inning I thought he might make it. First of all his pitch count was only 65 at that point so it looked like he would be able to go seven. Now, could he not allow any runs?

When Jason Jaramillo cracked one on the ground to Lance Berkman with two out and one on in that seventh inning, Brian had made my second prediction come true. And the Astros were winning 6-0.

As history records Brian Moehler was not finished. He threw one more scoreless frame and still had a shutout till Jaramillo grounded out with a runner on third and one out in the ninth. Still Moehler finished the game on 123 pitches and the Astros won 6-1. That ended the seven game losing string. It was only one game, of course, but a fun one for the Astros and for me too.