“We can’t all be smart and good looking like Brad.”
That has to be one of my favorite all-time quotes about Brad Ausmus. Lance Berkman was joking around about the catcher after he got one of his rare homeruns Wednesday night to give the Astros a 2-run buffer in a 6-3 win against the Giants.
After his homerun, the Astros dugout played an appropriate practical joke on Ausmus to give him a piece of his own medicine. All of the players sat on the bench and didn’t even acknowledge his first HR of the season. A few minutes later, they clapped him on the back as he was putting on his catcher’s gear.
It’s playfulness like this that makes me think the Astros are going to be okay. If you have a losing record, you don’t joke around. But the Astros have been playing so well lately that they are happy and it shows. There’s a zing in their step as they approach home plate.
And don’t look now, but Brian Moehler pitched another solid game. He’s not an ace and he never will be, but he sure has filled in nicely in a pinch.
I still feel like we are walking on eggshells. Even though we are 1.5 games out of first place, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. They can’t possibly keep playing like this all season. We can’t keep pulling good starts out of the bullpen.
I would feel so much more comfortable if we had another starter, but I don’t know if I want to mess with the chemistry on the offense. They seem to be having so much fun, you’d hate to see that change. Plus, I wouldn’t want to gouge the minor league teams either. They are just starting to recover from the last time we traded them away.
I will keep my fingers crossed and hope that the Astros can keep opening some eyes around the league.
NOTE: Early game today at 2:45 pm, so get your Gameday Audio ready to roll.
