Roy O aggravated his sore ribcage but pitched seven strong innings, Mike Lamb hit a seventh inning go-ahead yak off of Stros-killer Ben Sheets, and Brad Lidge pitched two innings of brilliant relief to lead the Stros to a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Brew Crew at the Juice Box on Friday night.
The game ended on an incredible play. The Brewers’ Chad Magruder led off the ninth with a pinch hit single off of Lidge and was on second with two outs when Scott Podesednik lined a single to right on a 3-2 count. With the near capacity Juice Box going nuts, Bags cut off Lance Berkman‘s throw from right field as Magruder stopped at third. On an absolutely magnificent play, Bags flipped the ball to Jeff Kent, who had snuck behind Podesednik, who had rounded too far at first base. Kent got Podesednik in a run down toward second base, but alertly stopped and started crossing the infield toward Magruder when Magruder started toward home plate while Kent was running at Podesednik. When Magruder took off for home, Kent threw to catcher Chavez, who ran Magruder back toward Lamb, who finally made the the tag on Magruder for the third out and the win. The Juice Box crowd was going bonkers.
The win was the Stros fourth in the past eight games following their 12-game winning streak. The Stros ended their night one and a half games behind the Giants in the NL wild-card race, who are playing the Padres in a late game. The Cubs also won on Friday night to remain in between the Giants and the Stros in that race, and the Marlins lost on Friday night to fall 4.5 games behind the Giants in the wild card playoff race.
Oswalt (18-9) now who leads the National League in wins and improved to 9-1 in 13 starts since July 17. He allowed one run and eight hits in seven innings, but his ribcage ribcage injury — which has been bothering him for most of the season — flared up again in the eighth. Lidge replaced Oswalt with a man on second and no outs, and worked out of the jam, and then participated in the wonderful chaos described above in the ninth. It was Lidge’s 23rd save in 27 chances.
Sheets (11-12) was brilliant in the loss, striking out nine and not walking a batter as he hurled his fourth complete game of the season. Other than Lamb’s yak, Berkman’s run scoring double in the fourth was the only other major hit that Sheets allowed.
Pete Munro (4-6) takes the hill for the Stros on Saturday night against the Brewers’ journeyman Gary Glover (1-0) as the Stros try to keep pace with the Giants and Cubs.