Astros vs Cardinals Series Thread

[BronxBomberz]

After a long Spring Training season that preceded a seven-game road trip, the Astros are anxious to return to Houston for an extended period of time. Their last trip home lasted just two days, so staying put for a week is a welcome change.

Because they started the season on the road, the Astros' game Monday isn't so much "Opening Day" as it is the "home opener." Still, the club has a slew of activities planned as it rings in a new season at Minute Maid Park.

Minute Maid Park gates will open at 3:00 p.m. CT on Monday, with the on-field portion of the pregame ceremonies beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Festivities begin with the Opening Day Street Festival at Halliburton Plaza, adjacent to Union Station on Crawford Street. The Opening Day Street Festival, hosted by Clear Channel, will run from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. CT and is free to the public.

One of the highlights of the festival will be a lunchtime Astros pep rally from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m., featuring Chairman and CEO Drayton McLane, Hall of Fame Broadcaster Milo Hamilton, manager Cecil Cooper and new players Miguel Tejada, Jose Valverde, Michael Bourn, Jose Cruz, Jr., and Geoff Blum.

The pregame ceremonies will feature a presentation of an oversized American flag held and displayed by members of the 2007 5A Texas state champion baseball team from Cy-Fair High School. The U.S. Navy Leap Frogs will parachute into Minute Maid Park before the game. The lead "jumper" will present general manager Ed Wade with the first-pitch ball, and the pitch will be thrown by Wade to Cooper.

A modest Wade joked that he received the first pitch honors through "default."

"I imagine they made the offer to 25 other people to throw out the first ball and they all turned it down," he said. "I was volunteered."

The first 40,000 fans to Minute Maid Park on Opening Day will receive a schedule magnet presented by Continental Airlines.

The national anthem for the home opener will be performed by Texas-based country singer Jack Ingram. Ingram is a 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards "Top New Male Vocalist" nominee and is a 2008 CMT Music Award Nominee for "Wide Open Video of the Year."

The Astros in Action Foundation, in conjunction with Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center and ARAMARK, is hosting the annual Opening Day Blood Drive at Minute Maid Park. The blood drive will run from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Union Station Conference Center on the third floor.

The blood drive is open to all fans, and attendance at the Opening Day game is not required to participate. Donors will receive an Astros T-shirt and a ticket coupon good for up to eight half-price tickets in selected sections for the Astros' series with the San Diego Padres April 21-22.

Pitching matchup
HOU: LHP Wandy Rodriguez (0-0, 7.20 ERA)
Rodriguez will pitch the home opener looking for his first win of the season. The left-hander took a no-decision on April 2 against the Padres after yielding four runs over five frames. Rodriguez performs well at Minute Maid Park, as evidenced by his 6-3 record and 2.94 ERA at home last year. He made two starts against the Cardinals in '07, going 1-1 with a 2.40 ERA. He yielded four runs over a combined 15 innings. Lifetime versus St. Louis, Rodriguez is 1-4 with a 6.59 ERA over six games.

STL: RHP Todd Wellemeyer (1-0, 1.80 ERA)
The story for Wellemeyer remains the same: he's effective, but he needs to be more efficient. His first start of 2008 was much like a lot of his starts from 2007, as Wellemeyer tossed five good innings but threw too many pitches to be brought out for more than that. He's got the stuff to put hitters away, but his command is iffy at times. He's made three career relief appearances at Minute Maid Park, and the numbers aren't pretty -- a 14.54 ERA in 4 1/3 innings.

Tidbits
Lance Berkman, who strained a neck muscle running the bases in Chicago, would like to play Monday, but the fact that it's the home opener adds no extra incentive. For him, it's just another day at the ballpark. "For the players, it's more of a pain in the rear, [because of] the [pregame] ceremonies and stuff like that," he said. "It's really just another game. We've already played seven of them by that point, so it's not like any great extra incentive." ... Cooper, on the other hand, is more fired up for the home opener. "You wait a week, so there's a little buildup," he said. 'We're excited to get home, to have the fans yelling and cheering for us."

The Official Site of The Houston Astros: News: Astros plan festive home opener

[love_that_reefer]

Tejada wins it on a walk-off two run shot to RF. He also made a run saving play at SS in the top of the ninth to keep the game tied. Berkman and Lee had back to back homers. Wandy Rodriguez pitched a beauty.

[BronxBomberz]

Wow, let's see if they can keep it up