Lidge blows save as Astros lose to Pirates
Just as Roy Oswalt was about to start the 2007 season with an impressive victory Monday night, the ghosts of late 2005 and parts of 2006 appeared in the form of another deflating blown save by Brad Lidge. Lidge gave the Pittsburgh Pirates life by letting Xavier Nady tie the score with a two-out, solo home run in the top of the ninth. Jason Bay took care of the rest in the 10th inning with a two-run home run off Chad Qualls, spoiling opening night for the Astros in a 4-2 loss at Minute Maid Park.
One of the traditions She Who Endures My Myriad Eccentricities and I have created is going to the Astros’ Opening Day. I love Opening Day. There’s excitement in the air, possibilities abound…and then Brad Lidge comes in and blows a save after Roy Oswalt pitched brilliantly for 8+ innings. It’s like death and taxes- inevitable, predictable, but still fun if you go into it with the right attitude. After all, it’s Opening Day….
OK, so it was a frustrating end to a great game…much as the Rockets managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against Utah the night before. We scored free tickets to that game, so twice in two night we got to see Houston teams choke down the stretch. Yeah, we’re feeling a tad snakebit….
Still, it’s only one game, and all it really means is that the Astros won’t go undefeated that year. The sad part of it was that the largest crowd in the history of Minute Maid Park- 43,803- left in a state of stunned disappointment.
Cue the “Trade Brad Lidge!!!” chants in 3…2…1….
(On a brighter note, my Minnesota Twins did win their opener by beating Baltimore 7-4. Ah, life is good….)
Outside of the game, I do have one very real complaint about the evening. Don’t get me wrong; I love Minute Maid Park. I’ve been to numerous stadiums around the country, and I’ve yet to find a better place to watch a baseball game. So why does the food SUCK so badly? If you want to gorge on fatty, fried foods and empty calories, you’ll think you’re in piggie heaven. Unfortunately, for those of us who might want some healthier options…well, they’re really aren’t any. And for those of us who might not eat beef, the only real option is cheese pizza or hot pretzels. I like DiGiorno pizza, but the cheese pizza at Minute Maid is topped with a vaguely cheese-like substance that’s unlike any other edible substance found on Earth. The last time I saw something of that consistency, I was using it to caulk a bathtub.
Memo to Drayton McLane: you’ve got a multi-million dollar playpen for your multimillionaires to cavort in…yet your concession menu is straight out of East Bummfuk Elementary School. What gives? Other stadiums pride themselves on the quality and selection of their food…couldn’t we at least have something that isn’t fried, overprocessed, and condemned by the American Heart Association as a threat to arteries everywhere? Jeebus, I’d settle for a Subway- SOMETHING that at least gives fans a healthier option.
I understand that ballpark food is going to be ridiculously expensive. How else is McLane going to pay the ridiculously inflated salaries of his ballplayers? I might be able to accept the outsized prices if the food was at least of decent quality. I’m not after a four-star Zagat rating, but can I at least get something besides beef, french fries, and nachos that look like refugees from a Wes Craven film?
Houston has a top-notch, world-class baseball stadium with. Unfortunately, there are Rookie League teams that have better concession menus. Jeebus…you’d think we’d be able to get a turkey sandwich somewhere….
