Lucky Glove, Golden Boy

I watched the Astros-Pirates game last night with a couple friends of mine. We were baffled a few times during the game (the barbeque smoke blowing around from center field, Mark Loretta getting thrown out at the plate), but none so much as the HBP so not a hit by pitch as to bring back banished memories of Jermaine Dye and the grand slam that followed. My sister, not a baseball fan, was quite amused by the replay and McLouth playing off the injury like a pro.

I don't think I like Brad Ausmus more than when he's angry.

However, the most important part of this game wasn't the win, or even the spectacular, heart-in-your-throat ending of a dropped third strike and the temporary inability of Ausmus to track it down with the runner on third bearing down on home plate -- it was the fact that Brad Lidge got two strikeouts with the bases loaded.

He's back, my friends. He is back.

In other news, Jason Kendall didn't start today.