2004 Astros: World Series or Bust

[Astros02]

The only person I updated was Biggio, he's now a 2 star player. His ratings are 53/59/34/38/45, nothing special, he just had a lucky month. By the way, an update on Carlos Hernandez with the Angels, he immediately filled the #4 spot and in 3 starts is 1-1 with a 4.20 ERA in 21.1 innings pitched.

If you have any suggestions to make it more interested my ears are open.

[Astros02]

Reds vs. Astros (Part 2)

Game 2: Tim Redding (2-0, 2.82) vs. Brandon Claussen (0-1, 7.20)

Craig Biggio's 2500th hit wasn't enough to save the Astros from the Reds bats. Tim Redding finally had a bad start, as he allowed 5 runs in 5 innings of work. Jason Larue hit a grand slam in the 7th, killing any chances the Astros had of coming back.

Reds 10, Astros 5
W: Brandon Claussen (1-1)
L: Tim Redding (2-1)
PoG: John Vander wal 2-3, HR, 2B, 5 RBI, R

Game 3: Roy Oswalt (0-2, 2.78) vs. Jose Acavedo (2-1, 3.00)

Roy Oswalt pitched a gem, going all 9 innings allowing 5 hits and 1 run. The Astros offense rewarded him by crossing the plate 6 times, and even Oswalt got to add one to the scoreboard.

W: Roy Oswalt (1-2)
L: Jose Acavedo (2-2)
PoG: Roy Oswalt 9IP, 5H, 1R, 10K, 1BB

Game 4: Paul Wilson (2-1, 4.97) vs. Andy Pettitte (4-0, 4.64)

The Astros had 11 hits, but only scored 1 run as they lost their 3rd game in 4 days. The Reds also had 11 hits, but were able to capitalize on them, scoring all their runs in the first 3 innings. Andy Pettitte had a disastrous start, pitching 1.1 innings and allowing 7 runs.

W: Paul Wilson (3-1)
L: Andy Pettitte (4-1)
PoG: Felipe Lopez 3-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2R

EDIT: Didn't realize it was a 4 game series.

[Astros02]

The Astros, desperately trying to improve their catcher position, made a trade with Kansas City today. The details are as follows:

Kansas City gets :
C Raul Chavez
P Mike Gallo
$200,000 cash.
Houston gets :
C Kelly Stinnett

Stinnett will replace Ausmus as the starter against right handers. Ausmus got off to a great start, but has since fallen to a .220 average.

In other news, the Astros called up Dave Veres and prospect Taylor Buchholz to add depth to the bullpen, while sending down seldom-used Orlando Palmeiro.

[Astros02]

Pirates vs. Astros

Game 1: Odaliz Perez (2-1, 5.29) vs. Andy Pettitte (4-1, 6.03)

The Astros continue to show they're not invincible, losing by 7 to the Pirates. Andy Pettitte continued his bad pitching performance this year, allowing 9 runs in 4.2 innings. The only bright spot for Houston was Taylor Buchholz, who pitched the rest of the game in relief for Pettitte, allowing 2 hits and no runs. On the Pirates side, Odalis Perez went 8 innings, allowing 4 hits and 2 runs, while Craig Wilson went 3-5 with a homer.

Pirates 9, Astros 2
W: Odalis Perez (3-1)
L: Andy Pettitte (4-2)
PoG: Craig Wilson 3-5, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R

Game 2: Kip Wells (0-2, 6.32) vs. Roger Clemens (3-0, 3.15)

The Astros bounced back from a big loss with a big win. Kelly Stinnett, recently traded to the Astros, proved his worth, going 2-4 with a homer in his first start. Lance Berkman also had a great game to lead the Astros to the win. Roger Clemens went 5.2 innings allowing 5 runs, but still came away with the win.

Astros 11, Pirates 6
W: Roger Clemens (4-0)
L: Brian Meadows (1-2)
PoG: Lance Berkman 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, R



Game 3: Oliver Perez (NR) vs. Wade Miller (3-2, 4.94)

The game was a pitching duel until the 6th inning, with both teams being shutout through 5. Craig Wilson broke up the tie in the top of the 6th with a 2 run bomb, but the Astros regained the lead promply in the bottom of the inning with 2 run homers by Jeff Bagwell and Richard Hidalgo, Bagwell's going 466 feet. Adam Everett sealed the deal in the 7th with a 3-run dinger and the Pirates didn't score again.

Astros 7, Pirates 2
W: Wade Miller (4-2)
L: Oliver Perez (0-1)
PoG: Adam Everett 3-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R

[Rcubbies911]

can u post some of the big trades around the league. I noticed Odalis Perez was a Pirate.

[Astros02]

Sure thing.

4/16
Trade between Pittsburgh and Los Angeles :
Los Angeles gets :
RF Raul Mondesi
Pittsburgh gets :
P Odalis Perez

4/27
Trade between Texas and Anaheim :
Anaheim gets :
1B Herbert Perry
Texas gets :
P Jarrod Washburn
2B Alberto Callaspo
(I'm confused too)

5/2
Atlanta gets :
1B Travis Hafner
Cleveland gets :
P Trey Hodges
CF Jeff Francoeur

[Astros02]

I figured I might show you guys what's going around elsewhere, so here it is.

Monday 4/5/2004 :

CLE: Coco Crisp hits for the cycle against Minnesota!


Sunday 4/11/2004 :

PHI: Bobby Abreu crushes 3 homers against Florida.


Monday 4/12/2004 :

American-Player of the Week:
CF Coco Crisp (CLE)!
He batted .571 in 21 AB, with 1 HR and 8 RBI.
National-Player of the Week:
RF Brian Giles (SDN)!
He batted .650 in 20 AB, with 5 HR and 13 RBI.


Thursday 4/15/2004 :

COL: Larry Walker gets his 2000th career hit!!


Monday 4/19/2004 :

American-Player of the Week:
SS David Eckstein (ANA)!
He batted .406 in 32 AB, with 3 HR and 10 RBI.
National-Player of the Week:
RF Sammy Sosa (CHN)!
He batted .500 in 26 AB, with 3 HR and 7 RBI.


Friday 4/23/2004 :

NYA: Javier Vazquez pitches a 2-hit shutout against Boston!!


Monday 4/26/2004 :

American-Player of the Week:
DH David Ortiz (BOS)!
He batted .464 in 28 AB, with 3 HR and 8 RBI.
National-Player of the Week:
1B Jeff Bagwell (HOU)!
He batted .500 in 22 AB, with 4 HR and 16 RBI.


Friday 4/30/2004 :

CLE: Omar Vizquel gets his 2000th career hit!!


Friday 5/1/2004 :

American-Pitcher of the Month:
Barry Zito (OAK)!
He had a record of 5-0 in 5 games started, with an ERA of 1.17 and 1 shutouts.
American-Batter of the Month:
Jose Guillen (ANA)!
He batted .387 in 93 AB, with 4 homers and 20 RBI.
National-Pitcher of the Month:
Carlos Zambrano (CHN)!
He had a record of 3-0 in 4 games started, with an ERA of 1.65.
National-Batter of the Month:
Ken Griffey (CIN)!
He batted .329 in 82 AB, with 11 homers and 31 RBI.


Sunday 5/2/2004 :

ANA: Bartolo Colon pitches a 3-hit shutout against Minnesota!!


Monday 5/3/2004 :

American-Player of the Week:
RF Vladimir Guerrero (ANA)!
He batted .600 in 25 AB, with 2 HR and 13 RBI.
National-Player of the Week:
RF Larry Walker (COL)!
He batted .500 in 22 AB, with 4 HR and 12 RBI.


Wednesday 5/5/2004 :

SEA: Freddy Garcia pitches a 3-hit shutout against Minnesota!!
SEA: Rich Aurilia hits 3 homers against Minnesota.


Thursday 5/6/2004 :

Barry Bonds hits a 516-foot homerun!!

Standings

AL East

New York (A) 18-11
Toronto 15-13
Baltimore 14-15
Boston 12-18
Tampa Bay 11-17

AL Central

Kansas City 16-11
Minnesota 15-12
Cleveland 14-15
Detroit 11-17
Chicago (A) 10-17

AL West

Seattle 17-12
Oakland 16-12
Anaheim 15-14
Texas 14-14

NL East

Montreal 19-10
Atlanta 17-10
Philadelphia 13-14
New York (N) 12-16
Florida 10-18

NL Central

Houston 22-7
Cincinnati 18-11
St. Louis 15-14
Chicago (N) 13-16
Pittsburgh 11-17
Milwaukee 8-20

NL West

Arizona 15-12
San Fransisco 14-15
Colorado 13-14
San Diego 13-16
Los Angeles 12-15

[Astros02]

Astros vs. Braves

Game 1: Roy Oswalt (1-2, 2.40) vs. Paul Byrd (3-3, 4.72)

Kelly Stinnett once again proved his worth, going 3-4 with a triple and 2 RBI, backing up Roy Oswalt's pitching performance. Oswalt pitched 7.1 innings allowing 2 runs on his way to his second win of the season. Andruw Jones provided half of Atlanta's offense, hitting a solo homer in the 7th to start Atlanta's scoring, but it wasn't enough.

Astros 4, Braves 2
W: Roy Oswalt (2-2)
L: Paul Byrd (3-4)
S: Octavio Dotel (7)
PoG: Kelly Stinnett 3-4, 3B, 2 RBI, R

Game 2: Tim Redding (2-1, 3.86) vs. Mike Hampton (1-1, 5.40)

Jeff Bagwell hit his second grand slam of the season, and Tim Redding dominated Atlanta hitting, pitching seven and allowing one run, but that wasn't the news of the day. 2B Jeff Kent will be out a week after injuring his shoulder due to a throw to first in the 7th. "I was washing my truck", Kent joked with a reporter afterwards. The Braves started the scoring, getting 1 in the bottom of the first, but the Astros were quick to respond. They scored 4 in the 2nd off of former Astro Mike Hampton, who had a horrible performance. He only allowed 3 hits, but walked 9 on his way to being yanked after the 4th inning. He reached the 100 pitch mark as well.

Astros 9, Braves 3
W: Tim Redding (3-1)
L: Mike Hampton (1-2)
PoG: Jeff Bagwell 1-5, GS, BB, 4 RBI, R

Andy Pettitte (4-2, 7.38) vs. Horacio Ramirez (2-0, 3.14)

Andy Pettitte continues his mighty struggle, allowing 6 runs in just as many innings, raising his ERA to 7.60. The only bright spot for the Astros was Mike Lamb, who came up with his first hit of the season, giving a lucky fan a souveneir in the 7th on a pinch hit home run. For the Braves, J.D. drew and Chipper Jones both had 4 hits driving in 2 each. Horacio Ramirez went 6 innings allowing 2 runs.

Braves 10, Astros 3
W: Horacio Ramirez (3-0)
L: Andy Pettitte (4-3)
PoG: Chipper Jones 4-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

[Astros02]

With Andy Pettitte's struggles, manager Larry Dierker decided it was best to let Andy rest up. "He's just not hitting his spots, and is a liability out there. I'm going to let Taylor (Buchholz) start a game in his place to see how he does." Pettitte is 4-3 with an ERA of 7.60 in 8 starts.

[Astros02]

Marlins vs. Astros

Game 1: A.J. Burnett (2-0, 2.39) vs. Roger Clemens (4-0, 3.74)

Abraham Nunez's RBI double in the top of the 6th was all the Marlins needed, as they shutout the Astros 2-0. A.J. Burnett went 6, allowing 3 hits, as his counterpart Roger Clemens went 7, allowing 5 hits and 2 runs.

Marlins 2, Astros 0
W: A.J. Burnett (3-0)
L: Roger Clemens (4-1)
S: Armando Benitez (6)
PoG: A.J. Burnett 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 7 K, 2 BB

Joe Roa (NR) vs. Roy Oswalt (2-2, 2.40)

Joe Roa got a rude awakening, giving up 4 runs on a Biggio leadoff HR and a Bagwell 3 run HR, before the first out was even recorded. In the 4th Biggio hit a 2 run bomb, and Roa was promptly yanked. The Astros big inning was the 6th, where they scored 6 runs to put the game out of reach. Roy Oswalt pitched 7.2 innings of 4 hit, 1 run ball.

Astros 12, Marlins 1
W: Roy Oswalt (3-2)
L: Joe Roa (0-1)
PoG: Jeff Bagwell 3-5, HR, 2B, 6 RBI, 2 R

Game 3: Carl Pavano (0-3, 3.51) vs. Taylor Buchholz (0-0, 0.00)

Buchholz didn't pitch any better than Pettitte had been, allowing 6 runs in only 4 innings. The Astros never did get close after that, only scoring 3 runs. Richard Hidalgo hit a home run, but it didn't help.

Marlins 7, Astros 3
W: Carl Pavano (1-3)
L: Taylor Buchholz (0-1)
PoG: Carl Pavano 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 3 K, BB

[Astros02]

Randy Johnson suffered a major injury in the 7th inning against the Phillies, tearing his rotator cuff muscle. Sources say he may retire, but it's up in the air right now. Johnson was 2-4 with a 4.28 ERA before the injury.

[Astros02]

Outfeilder Jack Cust was claimed off waivers by the Astros, as they sent IF Eric Bruntlett to AAA to make room. This move caused many rumors to abound. With Richard Hidalgo and Craig Biggio set to be free agents after this season, will someone be traded to make room for Jason Lane in the outfeild? A hidden camera caught an angry Richard Hidalgo confronting 18-year old GM Preston Puryear in his office.

*The film rolls, and Hidalgo is seen angrily pointing fingers, and sticking some up. There are subtitles, as the voices are muffled due to the low-quality camera*

Hidalgo: Are you planning on trading me?
Puryear: Woah woah woah, hold on Dalgy.
Hidalgo: Dalgy? Don't call me Dalgy! I demand an answer.
Puryear (obviously shaken up): N..no, I just needed some depth.
Hidalgo: Don't lie to me, I know you're not resigning me. If you're going to trade me, trade me!
Puryear: I'm not going to trade you unless you and your agent demand too much money for an extension, now please, get out of my office.
Hidalgo: Look kid, don't tell me what to do.
*The GM presses something on his desk, and security takes Hidalgo away.*
Hidalgo: Don't trade me, or I'll make you pay!

*Preston picks up the phone and dials a number, presumably to security*
Puryear: Don't let anyone hear about this.
*He puts down the phone and holds his head in his hands, obviously concerned about the whole situation.*



Let me know how you guys liked that, I figured I'd put an interesting twist in.

[Astros02]

Mets vs. Astros

Game 1: Steve Trachsel (1-3, 3.45) vs. Wade Miller (4-2, 4.50)

Jeff Bagwell added another highlight to his hall of fame career, hitting a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 9th. The score was 3-1 going into the 7th, but Todd Zeile hit a homer to bring the score back to even. No one else reached base until Bagwell came up to bat. Wade Miller made few mistakes in 7 innings, but didn't get the win. Richard Hidalgo was benched in favor of Jason Lane, who went 1 for 3.

Astros 4, Mets 3
W: Fransisco Rodriguez (2-0)
L: David Weathers (3-2)
PoG: Wade Miller 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 10 K

Game 2: Tom Glavine (1-3, 3.51) vs. Andy Pettitte (4-3, 7.60)

Richard Hidalgo's benching wasn't a one-time thing, as Jason Lane once again took his place. At the same time, Andy Pettitte made his return to the rotation, and he didn't dissapoint. He went 8 innings only allowing 2 runs, but ended up with a no decision. The Astros scored runs in the 4th and 5th innings, but that's all they got. The Mets put up scores in the 4th, 8th, and 9th, and the Astros didn't have another miracle in stock like they did the day before.

Mets 3, Astros 2
W: Orber Moreno (3-1)
L: Brendan Donnelly (1-1)
S: David Weathers (7)
PoG: Cliff Floyd 2-4, HR, RBI, 2 R

Game 3: Jae Weong Seo (2-2, 5.45) vs. Roger Clemens (4-1, 3.59)

Richard Hidalgo was on the bench for a third straight day, with rumors about him flying through the clubhouse. Jason Lane filled in nicely, going 1-4 with a HR, which turned out to be the only Astro's run of the game. Mike Piazza got the scoring started in this one with an RBI single in the top of the first, and then continued with a 3-run bomb in the top of the third. The Mets scored 3 more in the 6th to run their lead to 7-0, and it was in the bottom of the 7th that Lane hit his homerun. Cliff Floyd hit a homer in the 8th to cap off the scoring.

Mets 8, Astros 1
W: Jae Weong Seo (3-2)
L: Roger Clemens (4-2)
PoG: Mike Piazza 2-4, HR, 4 RBI, R

[Astros02]

Astros vs. Marlins

Roy Oswalt (2-2, 2.08) vs. Carl Pavano (1-3, 3.35)

Richard Hidalgo returned to the lineup, along with Jeff Kent. Hidalgo lead the Astros to a 4-2 win, hitting an RBI triple in the second and an RBI double in the 6th. Roy Oswalt was excellent on the mound, allowing only 2 runs to cross the plate in 7 minutes.

Astros 4, Marlins 2
W: Roy Oswalt (3-2)
L: Carl Pavano (1-4)
S: Octavio Dotel (8)
PoG: Richard Hidalgo 2-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI

Game 2: Wade Miller (4-2, 4.40) vs. Dontrelle Willis (1-2, 5.08)

Dontrelle Willis dominated the Astro's bats, shutting them out on 3 hits in 8 innings. Toby Borland finished the game with a 3 up, 3 down 9th inning performance. The Marlins got all the offense they needed in the first, with Mike Lowell hitting a solo shot to leftfield. He drove 2 more in in the 3rd, and the Marlins also added one to the scoreboard in the fifth.

Marlins 4, Astros 0
W: Dontrelle Willis (2-2)
L: Wade Miller (4-3)
PoG: Dontrelle Willis 8 IP, 3 H, 9 K, 0 ER

Game 3: Andy Pettitte (4-3, 6.79) vs. Brad Penny (3-1, 4.12)

The Astros stayed cold, even though every starter had a hit. Mike Lowell was once again the force behind the Marlins bats, going 1-3 with a homer and 3 RBI. Brad Penny held the Astros to 3 runs in 8 innings. The Astros looked primed for a comeback, but Adam Everett hit into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded in the 9th.

Marlins 6, Astros 4
W: Brad Penny (4-1)
L: Andy Pettitte (4-4)
S: Armando Benitez (9)
PoG: Mike Lowell 1-3, HR, 3 RBI

[Astros02]

Preston Puryear would not confirm that he has agreed in principle to a trade that would send Richard Hidalgo, Morgan Ensberg, Octavio Dotel, and Brandon Duckworth to the Marlins in return for Miguel Cabrera and Mike Lowell, and cash. This seems due to Morgan Ensberg's .192 average and Richard Hidalgo's high contract demands.

(Do you guys think this is a fair trade?)

[steveman211]

I think the Marlins would be hard pressed to trade their budding young star, Miguel Cabrera for anything.

[Astros02]

The Astros completed a trade today, sending 3B Morgan Ensberg, RF Richard Hidalgo, CL Octavio Dotel, a 2004 second round pick, and MR Brandon Duckworth to the Marlins in exchange for 3B Mike Lowell, RF Miguel Cabrera, and cash.

Reasons for this trade, player by player:



RF Richard Hidalgo
Hidalgo is making 8.4 million this season, and didn't want a lower salary on his exstension. He was batting a decent .275 with 5 HR and 28 RBI, but the Astros didn't want to keep him around, and as has been their tradition, they traded him so he wouldn't be lost with nothing in return.

3B Morgan Ensberg
Possibly a future star, he was batting only .192 with 8 HR and 21 RBI. His salary wasn't too much of a concern, as he was up for arbitration, but management felt a change was needed.

CL Octavio Dotel
He's one of the main guys that made the deal for the Marlins. I really didn't want to get rid of him, but I have a deep bullpen that can sustain the loss. The Marlins may be unhittable in the 8th and 9th with Benitez setting Dotel up.

MR Brandon Duckworth
I only used him in blowouts, as he has a 5.82 ERA. His replacement from AAA should do just as good or better.

2nd rounder
I'll pick a player for them and send him to them for a dollar.

Now for the players I got in return.

3B Mike Lowell
A proven star, Lowell will make the lineup even scarier. He's got an OPS hovering right around 1 so far this year.

RF Miguel Cabrera
This kid's gonna be a star. He's only 21, and has much improvement ahead of him. He's having a bad year so far, hitting only .218, but will probably improve that as the season goes along.


All around, this seems like a good trade for both teams. I lowered my payroll while keeping my team good, and the Marlins improved their bullpen and got very suitable replacements in the field.

[Astros02]

Astros vs. Reds

Game 1: Roger Clemens (4-2, 4.22) vs. Aaron Harang (3-3, 2.79)

Roger Clemens pitched 5 2/3 innings before allowing a hit. The only 2 runs he allowed were off a Corky Miller homerun in the bottom of the 8th, but that was all the Reds needed. Aaron Harang went 7 2/3 innings without allowing a run, and Danny Graves and Ryan Wagner kept the Astros bats silenced.

W: Danny Graves (3-0)
L: Roger Clemens (4-3)
S: Ryan Wagner (9)
PoG: Aaron Harang 7.2 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 6 K

Game 2: Tim Redding (3-1, 3.34) vs. Brandon Claussen (1-2, 8.31)

In a wild 14-inning game, a Jeff Bagwell solo shot in the top of the 14th put the Astros in the lead for good. The Astros seemed to have the game won in the bottom of the 9th, starting the inning up 4-1 with new closer Brad Lidge coming in. He proceeded to walk Corky Miller, give up a single to Ryan Freel, walk Felipe Lopez, hit Willy Mo Pena with a pitch (which scored a run for the Reds), Walk D'angelo Jiminez (walking in another run, and walk John Vander wal (walking in the tying run). Fransisco Rodriguez came into the game with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with no outs in a tie game. He may not be the player of the game in the box score, but this may be the relief appearance of the century, as he struck out Ken Griffey and Austin Kearns, and forced Adam Dunn to ground out, forcing the game into extra innings. There were no more hits until Jeff Bagwell's homer.

Astros 5, Reds 4
W: Brendan Donnelly (2-1)
L: Mike Matthews (0-3)
PoG: Tim Redding 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K



Game 3: Roy Oswalt (4-2, 2.13) vs. Paul Wilson (5-1, 3.20)

The Astros got a major scare in the 6th when Roy Oswalt held his arm in severe pain after a bad pitch that Ken Griffey hit out of the park. An MRI revealed a pulled bicep muscle, which will keep him out for a month. As for the rest of the game, the Astros offense finally had another big game, lead by Craig Biggio, who hit 2 homers for 4 RBI. The Reds scored 5 runs off of Roy Oswalt in 5 innings, but that's all they got, as Jeff Bagwell, Mike Lowell, and Lance Berkman hit homers to help the Astros to 12 runs.

Astros 12, Reds 5
W: Roy Oswalt (5-2)
L: Paul Wilson (5-2)
PoG: Craig Biggio 3-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI

Game 4: Andy Pettitte (4-4, 6.91) vs. Jose Acavedo (2-3, 5.01)

The injury bug found the Astros for the second day in a row, as Jeff Kent pulled an abdominal muscle while running the bases. He's out for at least a week, maybe two. His replacement, Jose Vizcaino, filled in brilliantly, going 3-4 with 2 RBI and 3 R. Kelly Stinnett had his 4th home run of the season, as the Astros offense scored more than 10 runs for the second straight day. Andy Pettitte continued to dissapoint, giving up 6 runs in 8 innings. Brad Lidge redeemed himself, pitching 1.2 innings for the save.

Astros 11, Reds 6
W: Andy Pettitte (5-4)
L: Jose Acavedo (2-4)
S: Brad Lidge (3)
PoG: Jose Vizcaino 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R

[Astros02]

Chicago Cubs vs. Houston Astros

Game 1: Kerry Wood (2-1, 3.14) vs. Wade Miller (4-3, 4.59)

Kelly Stinnett, who signed an extension worth just over 1 million dollars each of the next 2 years before the game, was the only bright spot for the Astros as he went 2-4 with a home run. The Astros bats, which have been dissapointing the past few weeks, continued their struggles, getting only 1 run off of Kerry Wood and one off of Kent Mercker in mopup duty. The Cubs, on the other hand, were pounding the ball all night. Youngster Corey Patterson lead off the game with a home run, and Derek Lee, Todd Walker, and Alex Gonzales added multiple-run bombs later in the game. Kerry Wood was amazing, giving up 5 hits and 1 run in 8 innings while striking out 11.

Cubs 8, Astros 2
W: Kerry Wood (3-1)
L: Wade Miller (4-4)
PoG: Kerry Wood 8 IP, 5 H, 11 K, 2 BB

Game 2: Mark Prior (3-3, 3.10) vs. Roger Clemens (4-3, 3.99)

In his second complete game of the year, Roger Clemens showed a side of himself that hadn't been seen before. With the Astros up 1-0 in the bottom of the third, Clemens knocked the ball into the stands for a 341 foot homerun, bringing the crowd to their feet. Clemens just grinned in the clubhouse, looking somewhat surprised at his power. He wasn't only good at the plate though, as he went all 9 innings allowing 3 runs for his 5th win of the season. Mike Lowell hit a 3-run blast in the bottom of the 4th, giving the Astros all they would need to outscore the Cubs, who's runs came in the 7th and 9th innings.

Astros 7, Cubs 3
W: Roger Clemens (5-3)
L: Mark Prior (3-4)
PoG: Roger Clemens 9 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 5 K, 0 BB Batting: 1-2, HR, RBI, BB, R

[Astros02]

I just started another solo league for fun and the same exact trade for Odalis Perez happened, just 11 days earlier.