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Second Chance World Series

Discussion in 'Houston Astros' started by bobrek, Apr 6, 2020.

  1. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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  2. Nick

    Nick Contributing Member

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  3. The Beard

    The Beard Contributing Member

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    I don't pay for espn + so can't see the results, but that 98 team was certainly built to win it all. Big Unit was damn near unhittable, and Hampton/Reynolds were strong for 2 and 3. We simply had no chance facing Kevin Brown so even if the pen didn't crap the bed in game 4, having to face Brown the next day would have been about like if the Mets had to face Scott again in a game 7 in 86
     
  4. awc713

    awc713 Member

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    I’m assuming they’ve slotted us for the Saturday afternoon game, and morning game if that were an option.
     
  5. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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    Simulator has them beating the 1957 Cardinals:


    (No. 1) 1998 Houston Astros beat (No. 16) 1957 St. Louis Cardinals 4-3
    Stan Musial in the Astrodome? The Man facing the Big Unit? Sure, why not? That's what this tournament is all about. As it turned out, Musial hit a quiet .259 in the series, driving in just one run. Randy Johnson threw a complete game and struck out 14 over his two outings, as the top-seeded Astros survived a tight series and a topsy-turvy seventh game.

    Game 1: Astros 7, Cardinals 3. Moises Alou's two homers and four RBIs were more than enough to back Randy Johnson's complete-game win.

    Game 2: Astros 6, Cardinals 5. Jeff Bagwell drove in three, but it was Dave Clark's pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth that provided the winning margin for Houston.

    Game 3: Cardinals 5, Astros 4. Stan Musial singled, doubled and scored twice, and Hoyt Wilhelm picked up the four-out save as the Redbirds staved off a 3-0 hole.

    Game 4: Cardinals 3, Astros 1. Larry Jackson went seven strong innings, and Wilhelm threw two perfect innings to pick up his second save of the series.

    Game 5: Cardinals 6, Astros 5. Houston grabbed an early lead on Bagwell's two-run homer off Vinegar Bend Mizell in the first, but St. Louis chipped away at Johnson and completed its comeback by scoring a run on Sean Berry's throwing error in the seventh.

    Game 6: Astros 7, Cardinals 4. Mike Hampton pitched into the eighth and stroked three hits at the plate as Houston forced a Game 7.

    Game 7: Astros 9, Cardinals 6. Alou homered, reached base five times and drove in three as Houston survived a wild Game 7 that saw several lead changes in the early innings.

    MVP: Bagwell, Astros (.480, 1 HR, 10 RBIs)

    Key stat: Billy Wagner saved Houston's last three wins without giving up a run.
     
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  6. The Beard

    The Beard Contributing Member

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    Thanks for posting! Interesting to read

    It surprises me that Bagwell hit so well in the playoffs, but doesn't surprise me at all that Hampton got three hits lol
     
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  7. Nick

    Nick Contributing Member

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    The 98 lineup was also very prone to striking out a bunch against elite power pitchers... other than Alou, the rest of the lineup all had similar tendencies.
     
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  8. The Beard

    The Beard Contributing Member

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    Bagwell struck out at pretty much the same rate as Alou, and walked more

    We did strike out a lot or a team that was only middle of the pack when it comes to power
     
  9. Nick

    Nick Contributing Member

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    Would be interesting to see their advanced stats vs. power pitching, K-rates at balls in/out of zone, how they faired at pitches 95mph+, etc. Would have also benefited from better lineup sequencing.

    The 98 team desperately needed a Lance Berkman-type switch hitter (as opposed to Bell). By the time that nucleus got him (2001), Biggio/Bagwell were on the decline. Would be downright illegal if they had a guy like Altuve at the top of the lineup.
     
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  10. The Beard

    The Beard Contributing Member

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    Yea that team was about two hitters from being as good as any that year. And if those two were Altuve and Berkman......
     
  11. Nick

    Nick Contributing Member

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    Just being Astros-centric, since that's what everybody is most familiar with. They were prone to struggle against right-handed elite pitchers due to the makeup of their most right-handed lineup. Berkman would have obviously helped neutralize that... not a coincidence that he was largely their best overall hitter in their 2004 and 2005 post-seasons.
     
  12. The Beard

    The Beard Contributing Member

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    Yep, and a guy like Altuve would help with that also, right handed but he rips rhp

    Bagwell was so important to that team and he had huge splits vs lhp/rhp

    And yea would be very interesting if we could see today's advanced stats on that group
     
  13. desihooper

    desihooper Contributing Member
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    '98 'stros take on the '98 Padres in Round 2.

    Astros get revenge winning in 7 games with Game 7 going 16 innings. Of course Kevin Brown made 3 starts for the Padres....

    (No. 1) 1998 Houston Astros beat (No. 9) 1998 San Diego Padres, 4-3
    The 1998 Astros won 102 games, the only 100-win season during all their years in the National League. They took on the Padres in the NL Division Series. The Padres won 98 games that year, but Houston had a run differential of 140 runs better than that of San Diego, so it appeared to be a mismatch. But it's baseball -- and the postseason -- so the Padres knocked out the best team the Astros had fielded to that time in four games. After Randy Johnson had throttled the NL to the tune of a 10-1 record and 1.28 ERA after Houston acquired him at the trade deadline, San Diego beat him twice in October, even though he allowed just three earned runs in 14 innings.

    This tournament is about second chances, but for most of our entrants, it's not so literal. Houston is the one team that had an actual virtual chance to knock out the team that knocked them out in real life. And they did. Eventually. Johnson was great in the series, allowing just three earned runs in 16 innings, though the Padres did beat him in one of his two starts -- a reverb from '98. But it all came down to a Game 7 that was a jarring echo of Houston's famous 16-inning, Game 6 loss to the New York Mets in the 1986 NLCS.

    This clincher also went 16 frames, but it wasn't the same kind of teeter-totter affair. Both offenses were throttled for the most part. But as Bruce Bochy elected to keep Trevor Hoffman in his back pocket for a save situation, Houston finally broke through when Tony Eusebio drove in Carl Everett with a single off Mark Langston to end it. Twenty-two years later, the NL's Astros have their revenge.

    Game 1: Padres 4, Astros 3. Kevin Brown outpitched Jose Lima, and Hoffman picked up his fourth save of the tournament.

    Game 2: Astros 6, Padres 0. Johnson went the distance, tossing an eight-hitter and striking out nine.

    Game 3: Astros 3, Padres 0. Mike Hampton hurled Houston's second straight shutout.

    Game 4: Padres 3, Astros 1. The Padres drew even behind Brown, pitching on short rest, another save from Hoffman and Ken Caminiti's two RBIs.

    Game 5: Astros 4, Padres 2. It was Lima Time, as the mercurial righty went the distance, backed by homers from Richard Hidalgo and Sean Berry.

    Game 6: Padres 4, Astros 3. The Padres forced a seventh game thanks to a strong eight innings from Alan Ashby and a solo homer from Greg Vaughn.

    Game 7: Astros 2, Padres 1, 16 innings. Brown threw seven shutout innings before Houston got the tying run in the eighth off San Diego reliever Donne Wall.

    MVP: Mike Hampton, Astros (1-0, 0.53 ERA over two starts)

    Key stat: Through two rounds, Houston starters have a 2.86 ERA.
     
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  14. The Beard

    The Beard Contributing Member

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    Brown dominates us but we still win the series. Unit and Hampton with back to back shutouts.

    See, this is how it was supposed to happen in 98. If only they played games with computers and not on the field, we would likely have 3 titles (98, 17, 19)

    Thanks for posting!!
     
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  15. msn

    msn Member

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    I daresay '86 as well.
     
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  16. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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    Disappointing to see that Alan Ashby came out of retirement to beat the Astros:

    Game 6: Padres 4, Astros 3. The Padres forced a seventh game thanks to a strong eight innings from Alan Ashby and a solo homer from Greg Vaughn.
     
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  17. Astrodome

    Astrodome Member
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    Game 6 - alan ashby pitched a gem lol
     
  18. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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    Hey...I'm the old guy. I should be five minutes behind you. :)
     
  19. Astrodome

    Astrodome Member
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    I was busy reading all of the spoilers and then i posted. When i refreshed I noticed i was slow as molasses.
     
  20. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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    Pretty sure the Padres chat board is exploding wondering why Trevor Hoffman didn't come in for a 2 inning save in game 7. At most he pitched 1 inning the previous game and probably didn't pitch game 5.
     
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