Daily Kos

Baseball: Astros is 18 INNINGS over the Braves

by bustacap

Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 05:34:50 PM PDT

Oh my dear lord, what a game!  The Houston Astros eliminated the Braves 7-6 in the longest MLB playoff game in history .. eighteen freaking innings!!
Down by 5-1 in the 7th --- in a microcosm of their season --- it looked as if the Astros were staring another game vs the Braves in the face.  But with their bats on the firing line, the Astros prevailed in the longest MLB playoff game in history.  Chris Burke's bottom-of-the-18th line drive homer into the left field Crawford boxes, laid the Braves low for the second year in a row.  The 'Stros have advanced; oh, baby, it feels good!

Game 2 starter Hall-of-Famer Roger Clemens was very strong off the bench, coming up big in relief with three shutout innings.

I was yelling in triumph after Burke's walkoff homer.  My 3-y/o son Jake told me I shouldn't shout in the house (I've told him the same thing time and again), but after I explained the situation so he could understand, he was running around the living room with his little arms in the air yelling "Go Astwos!!!!"

From Astros.com:

Chris Burke's solo homer off Joey Devine in the 18th inning led the Houston Astros to a 7-6 win over the Atlanta Braves, sending the home team to their second straight National League Championship Series before a frenzied crowd of 43,413 on Sunday afternoon (and early evening) at Minute Maid Park.

The game lasted 18 innings -- the longest in Major League postseason history. It became an endurance test for the hitters, who were at the obvious disadvantage as they grew weary while the relievers entered the game relatively fresh.

Following Brad Ausmus' game-tying homer with two outs in the ninth, the teams would play the entire length of a regulation game -- nine more innings -- without scoring a run.

Burke's homer arrived after Roger Clemens pitched three scoreless innings, leading The Rocket to his first win of the 2005 postseason.

Burke was hitting third after pinch-running for Lance Berkman in the 10th.

The Astros rallied from a 6-1 deficit, plating four runs in the eighth and one in the ninth.

I don't mind going up against (and perhaps losing to) the Cardinals: they're an excellent baseball team.  But I hate the Braves, so this victory is sweeeeeeeeet.

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  •  I hate baseball (none / 1)

    My wonderful regular Sunday lineup of shows on Fox have been removed to air the most boring sport ever dreamed up in the minds of men.

    Dodd '08!

    by Irrelevant Prolixity on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 05:34:41 PM PDT

  •  I kept watching, and watching, and watching....... (none / 1)

    I didn't think that damn game was gonna end! It was like watching two games with the same teams back-to-back! Oh well, it's Sunday evening, what else was I gonna do anyways?

    GO ASTROS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Ahhh...Bush vetoed the stem cell bill AGAIN! Maybe one of these days I'll walk again when a Dem is made Pres...Some day...

    by RetreatHell on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 05:36:02 PM PDT

    •  I've been a Braves fan as long as I can remember (none / 1)

      (that is, since long before 1991)

      Now I'm going to cheer for the Astros to go all the way.  Why?  Because they beat my team.  And losing to the World Series winner isn't so bad.  If the Astros lose in the NLCS, I might just have to jump into a pond.

      Hell of a game no matter what.  If the Braves had someone other than Chris Reitsma and Joey Devine to bring out of the 'pen, the series would have been over in 3.

      Good job, Astros.  Now I'll be looking forward to 2006.

      "No ... human ... would stack books like this."

      by socratic on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 06:23:05 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Quite an Amazing Ballgame (none / 1)

    The Braves haad every chance to save their asses, then took 18 innings to blow it. Classic. All the while Houston was celebrating I was doing the tomahawk chop. Gee-god I hate the Braves. Go riddance. You can stop rocking now, Leo, it's over.

    The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

    by easong on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 05:36:06 PM PDT

  •  Was that Ray Nagin? (none / 0)

    For the life of me, the guy who reached over and touched the baseball on Hudson's hit down the left-field line, turning what would have been a single into a ground-rule double, appeared to by Mayor Ray Nagin.

    -9.13, -8.56

    Support Irony. Torture Rumsfeld.

    Hail Eris.

    by Transmission on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 05:37:11 PM PDT

  •  Braves fan here (none / 1)

    Good luck against the Cards.  Man, well deserved trip to the NLCS.

    I only wish (if we HAD to lose) that the Rocket had been the one to belt out a walkoff homer, but a storybook game anyway.

    by red clay dem on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 05:39:00 PM PDT

  •  Chris Burke (none / 0)

    Burke is from my home town.

    Go Cards!

    Hillary Clinton 2008
    http://kydem.blogspot.com

    by dsolzman on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 05:44:40 PM PDT

  •  That's okay I was shouting in my house too! (none / 1)

    What a game, its almost unreal! When Backe gave up several runs early on, I figured they had thier work cut out for them. But I didn't expect the game to unfold into an epic drama. That was the most instense game I have ever seen.

    I like to drink beer and read blogs.

    by LeftistIndependent on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 05:45:32 PM PDT

  •  Watched the whole damn thing. (4.00 / 3)

    Just like I did in 86', the last time the Astros played a long game in the postseason.  At least this one came out right.  Longest friggin' game I ever saw.  86' was more exciting though because each team kept scoring.  This one you were just waiting for the first pitcher to blink.  

    If you are a stats monger, you gotta look at this great box score.

    Just look at all the Astros position changes.  I've never seen a box score that large before.

    I got rambling all on my mind.

    by Zergle on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 05:48:20 PM PDT

  •  As a Neutral Observer (none / 1)

    Giants' fan who doesn't care who represents the NL so long as they beat the goddamn Yankees, should they get to the Series, I pick the Cards in 5 over the Astros. But I'll be rooting for the underdogs anyway. Go Astros.

    The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

    by easong on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 05:50:32 PM PDT

    •  Brower (none / 0)

      As a Giants fan, I figured the Astros had it won when Atlanta brought Brower in to pitch. He blew a lot of games for the Giants before they released his sorry butt.

      by stuckinlodi on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 10:36:09 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Brower (none / 0)

        Know what you mean. But he held his own in the 17th (or was it the 16th?) leaving it took the rookie to eat crow. Way to go Braves, 14 devision championships in a row, one Series. That's going to live in the record books a long long time.

        The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

        by easong on Mon Oct 10, 2005 at 07:14:29 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  •  Once again, the Braves break my heart n/t (none / 1)

    by jj32 on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 05:54:56 PM PDT

    •  Dude, the Braves pwned the 'Stros for so long ... (none / 0)

      ... that I have little sympathy.  Sorry man, but ... "In de face!!"

      i am jack's complete lack of surprise -- fight club

      by bustacap on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 05:59:09 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Go ahead & gloat, y'all (none / 0)

        Braves fans are used to this shit, & we're kind of numb to it.  Same shit, different year.  The Cards would have cleaned their plows, anyway.  Nobody's going to stop them now --certainly not the Astros.

        by MHB on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 06:06:46 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  With due respect to my Braves (none / 0)

          and to my upthread declaration that I'd be rooting for the Astros, St Louis is probably the best baseball city in America, at least in the NL (now that I've picked that fight, I'll walk away slowly)....

          I do, however, think Atlanta is starting to "get" it.  

          "No ... human ... would stack books like this."

          by socratic on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 06:29:48 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

    •  I keep going back and forth... (none / 0)

      Fifteen years of broken hearts and one World Series victory is a hell of a lot better than most teams get.  Even a couple more World Series wins probably wouldn't look as good as "the powerhouse Atlanta team that dominated the NL East for [fifteen, and more] years."

      Still, now I have to figure out how to get a refund from Ticketmaster.

      "No ... human ... would stack books like this."

      by socratic on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 06:26:37 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  I knew they wouldn't get far (none / 1)

    with a bullpen that makes FEMA look competent.

    by MHB on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 06:01:10 PM PDT

  •  Poor, poor Braves (none / 0)

    I always have a soft spot for the Braves.  They probably had their weakest squad this year.  I know they were weak in 2001 too but that year the Braves were just really old and injured and tired.  They needed new energy.  I'm sure you will see the Braves back in the playoffs soon enough.  This run they've been on since 1991 is incredible.  

    Build the Wilshire Subway!

    by SoCalLiberal on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 07:04:51 PM PDT

  •  Two amazing things (none / 0)

    First, the game.  Second, that someone who must be a Houston-area resident is a member of the Kos community.  Go 'Stros, then!

    Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (Who will watch the watchers?)

    by The Crusty Bunker on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 07:13:44 PM PDT

    •  Are you kidding? (none / 0)

      There's lots of progressives here in Houston ... we're just outnumbered by wingnut rednecks by about a 2.75:1 ratio.

      i am jack's complete lack of surprise -- fight club

      by bustacap on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 07:23:34 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  You must not read here much. (none / 0)

      There are lots of us Houston Kossacks.  And we are happy ones tonight!  Even if we are emotionally drained after that game.  Who woulda ever thought Roger would be a relief pitcher?  Darn good one too.  And glad to see my favorite, Brad Ausmus, homered to tie it up.  Not only is he cute and intelligent, he can hit home runs too!  Go 'Stros!!!!!!!!!

      by Freakinout daily on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 08:48:13 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Braves Got SCREWED! (none / 0)

    The pathetic umpires gave the Astros SIX OUTS in the 8th inning!  SIX OUTS!   Every one of the calls was the wrong call!  Pretty much the entire series went that way.  Almost every close call in the series went the Astros way.  It's pretty hard to win when you have the umps against you.

    Persistance pays off

    by thinkingman on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 08:17:44 PM PDT

  •  It's Becoming Clearer Now (none / 0)

    An Astros-White Sox World Series.

    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    by hypnyx on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 09:06:40 PM PDT

  •  I do hate the Astros (none / 0)

    I'm still waiting for Roger to take a roids test as I've always suspected if anyone in MLB was a roids user it was definitly the Rocket.

    Still now that the Braves are out, I'm gonna root for the team who's the biggest outsider in the bunch, the White Sox. As any team who ends the playoff hopes of the Red Sox is my new favorite team.

    Obama for President

    by BryanLVPA on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 09:21:24 PM PDT

  •  It was a great, great, game. (none / 0)

    But I look forward to the hated Cards kicking the Astros' tails, then losing to the Chicago White Sox in the World Series.  As a Cubs fan, that would be the sweetest possible outcome!

    by Lawyer to Capitalists on Sun Oct 09, 2005 at 10:28:11 PM PDT

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