Kendall Update

Being as the Cubs are in Houston and I'm watching the Astros play, I'll update for each of his at-bats. His last trip to Houston saw him playing left field and hitting a home run. Let's hope that doesn't happen tonight.
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E-4
This is not Chris Burke playing second. This is Craig Biggio. Eighth error of the season for the oft-benched on the road Not-So-Killer B.
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Kendall vs. Wandy Rodriguez
Top 2nd: takes a ball (1-0), takes a strike (1-1), takes a ball (2-1), foul (2-2), foul (2-2), foul (2-2), takes a ball (3-2), popped out foul (catcher).
Top 4th: takes a strike (0-1), takes a ball (1-1), takes a ball (2-1), takes a ball (3-1), takes a ball (4-0) walk.
Top 7th: takes a strike (0-1), takes a ball (1-1), takes a ball (2-1), takes a ball (3-1), takes a strike (3-2), pop out (shortstop).
Kendall vs. Chad Qualls
Top 8th: Strikeout.

Then there was a passed ball which was scored as a wild pitch.

2998, 2999, 3000, 3001, 3002...

Craig Biggio not only made his 3,000th hit into an RBI in last night's game against Colorado, he got thrown out by former teammate Willy Taveras trying to stretch it into a double. If it was any other player on any other day, Houston would be throwing a conniption over the poor baserunning skills employed that ended the inning. Even the first base coach, Jose Cruuuuuuuz, fell into the trap that is a milestone game. He sent him on an outfield arm he knows very well!

That was Biggio's third hit of the night, and if he'd stopped there I still would have been impressed. But the game went into extras after a couple of well-placed home runs (these after Chad Qualls -- you guessed it -- gave up the lead on a two-run home run) and Biggio had more chances to bat than I would have liked (on any other day). He ran out the grounder on two outs in the eleventh to start the patented Astros rally (wait until all chances are squandered before changing your mind about wanting to win the game) and advanced to third on Hunter Pence's double, the softest ever hit in the history of baseball. Berkman was HBP ("You're supposed to hit Biggio!") and Carlos Lee, definitely "not a deer" and probably the only guy in the NL this side of Prince Fielder who could get thrown out at first on a single, made his lack of speed a moot point with a moonshot into the Crawford Boxes.

A little excessive, I say, but why not have a grand slam to end it? I'll take that any day over the game inning double play, quit often hit into by Not A Deer himself.

Mr. 999 and Where'd our bullpen go?

Far more impressive than 3,000 hits to me, a fairly new baseball fan, is that 999 of Craig Biggio's 2,997 hits have been for extra bases. Not only that, but he has more doubles than any other right-handed hitter in history.

At the risk of sounding blasphemous (his career is as long as my younger sisters' lives), what's so great about Craig Biggio? Consistency? This season, he's consistently mediocre. With the spotlight on his march to 3,000 his inadequacy at the plate becomes the center of attention. Or does it? The Houston Chronicle, on the front of its sports page, proudly proclaims that Biggio went 1-4 last night. He led off the third inning with a single to nab his 2,997th career hit. The next article over talks about how we need to trade everyone.

The Astros went on to lose 5-11 with a 9-run sixth for the Brewers both the loss for Wandy Rodriguez and the nail in the coffin for the bullpen. In 2005, Houston had Clemens, Oswalt, Pettitte, Lidge, Ensberg, Lane, Berkman, Taveras, need I go on? In 2007, Houston has Oswalt, Pence, and Brian Moehler as its steadiest arm in the 'pen.

Jason Lane, can you still pitch?