Read the Diamondbacks side (the whole game, score included)
Arizona at Houston
This is Missed It. Arizona at Houston, Saturday, September 5, with the Diamondbacks. You missed it? Here's the whole game, as it happened.
Pregame
It's Arizona Diamondbacks against Houston Astros, and we are on the road in Houston tonight. Two teams that know how to grind, and we're here to see which one blinks first. First pitch is moments away, and the Diamondbacks are looking to make a statement early.
Innings 1-3
Top of the first, and we're underway. Four batters for Arizona, and we go down quietly. No runs, score stays zero-zero. Houston comes up, three batters, and they don't do anything either. We're still tied at nothing. Top of the second, and this one starts to breathe a little. Arizona gets something going, two runners on with one out. Tim Tawa steps in, and the moment is there. The count works deep, and then Tawa swings and misses. Strike three. The inning dies right there, and you can feel the air go out of the dugout. Two on, one out, and we couldn't cash in. Houston answers with three batters of their own, nothing doing. Still zero-zero. Top of the third, four batters for us, and we can't find a crack. Houston comes up in the bottom half, and this is where the game starts to turn. No outs, a runner on, and Taylor Trammell digs in. He gets a pitch he likes and drives it on a line to right field, Corbin Carroll chasing it down. It falls in for a double, and Yainer Diaz motors to third. Two on, nobody out, and Houston is threatening. Cam Smith comes up, and the crowd is buzzing. He gets under one, pops it up to first baseman Tim Tawa in foul territory. One out, but the runners hold. The tension builds, and then it breaks. Two outs, bases loaded, and Isaac Paredes steps to the plate. He takes a swing, and the ball screams to right field. Corbin Carroll can't get there. Yainer Diaz scores, Taylor Trammell scores, and Yordan Alvarez moves to second. It's two-nothing Houston, and the roof feels like it's caving in on us.
Innings 4-6
Top of the fourth, and we need an answer. Three batters, no runs. We're still down two. Houston comes up, three batters, and they go quietly. We're still in this, but the clock is ticking. Top of the fifth, and something finally stirs. One out, a runner on, and Lars Nootbaar digs in. He gets a pitch he can handle and rips a sharp line drive to right field. Cam Smith can't cut it off. Tim Tawa rounds third and scores, and Nootbaar is standing on second with a double. We're on the board, one-two. The dugout is alive again. But Houston answers right back. Bottom of the fifth, one out, bases empty, and Cam Smith steps in. He launches a sharp line drive to left field, Max Kepler giving chase, and it's a triple. Smith is standing on third, and the pressure is back on us. Jeremy Peña comes up, and he hits a ground ball to shortstop Geraldo Perdomo. Perdomo fires to third baseman Nolan Arenado, and Cam Smith is caught in no man's land. Out at third. The rally is dented, but not dead. Two outs, two on, and Isaac Paredes is back at the plate. He hits a fly ball to second baseman Ketel Marte, but center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt gets a glove on it and can't hold it. The ball deflects, and Jeremy Peña scores. Yordan Alvarez moves to third. It's three-one Houston, and that one stings. Top of the sixth, three batters, no runs. We're still down two, and the game is slipping.
The Stretch
Here we are at the break, down three-one. And the play that turned this half on us was Isaac Paredes's two-run single in the bottom of the third. Bases loaded, two outs, and he found the gap. That's the one that put us in a hole we've been digging out of ever since. We got one back in the fifth, but Houston answered right away. We need the bats to wake up, and we need the bullpen to hold. This game is far from over, but the next few innings are going to tell us everything.
Innings 7-9
Top of the seventh, and this is where we find out what we're made of. One out, a runner on, and Ryan Waldschmidt draws a walk. Tim Tawa moves to second, and now we've got two on with one out. Lars Nootbaar steps in, and he's already got a double tonight. He gets another one. A line drive to right field, Cam Smith can't get there, and Tim Tawa scores. Ryan Waldschmidt to third. It's three-two Houston, and we are right back in this thing. The dugout is roaring. But we can't keep it going. Geraldo Perdomo pops out to third baseman Isaac Paredes. One out away from a real rally. Gabriel Moreno comes up, and he's swinging. Strike three. The inning ends with two on, and we leave them stranded. We got one, but we needed more. Bottom of the seventh, and Houston goes down in order. Four batters, no runs. We're still down one, and the tension is thick.
The Sequence
This is where the game is decided. Top of the eighth, no outs, bases empty, and Ketel Marte steps to the plate. He's been quiet all night, but he's due. He gets a pitch and he doesn't miss. A fly ball to right field, and it just keeps carrying. It's gone. Home run. Tie game. Three-three, and the bench erupts. We are back in this thing. Bottom of the eighth, and Houston wants to answer. One out, bases empty, and Jose Altuve digs in. He hits a line drive to right field, Corbin Carroll chasing, and it falls for a double. The go-ahead run is standing on second. Daulton Varsho comes up, and he gets a pitch he can drive. He flies out sharply to center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt. Altuve holds. The threat fades, and we get out of it. Still tied. Top of the ninth, three batters, no runs. We can't push one across. Bottom of the ninth, and Houston has a chance to walk it off. No outs, bases empty, and Yainer Diaz singles on a ground ball to center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt. The winning run is on base. But we bear down. Three batters come up, and we get out of it. Still tied, and we're heading to extras. Top of the tenth, and this is it. One out, a runner on, and Gabriel Moreno steps in. He's been struggling tonight, but he gets a pitch he can handle. A line drive to center field, Daulton Varsho coming in, and it drops. Ildemaro Vargas scores from wherever he was. It's four-three Arizona, and we have the lead. Bottom of the tenth, three batters, no runs. We close it out.
Wrap-up
Final score, four-three. We came back from two down, tied it on Ketel Marte's homer, and pushed one across in the tenth. Gabriel Moreno, the guy who struck out with two on in the seventh, came through when it mattered most. This is the kind of win that builds something. We're going home happy tonight, Diamondbacks fans. That one's ours.
Outro
That was Arizona at Houston, from the Diamondbacks side. This has been Missed It. Every game, both sides, at missed it dot net. Produced by James Barrett.
Read the Astros side (the whole game, score included)
Arizona at Houston
This is Missed It. Arizona at Houston, Saturday, September 5, with the Astros. You missed it? Here's the whole game, as it happened.
Pregame
Arizona Diamondbacks at Houston Astros. That's the whole table tonight, and honestly, that's all we need. We've got the home whites on, the crowd is buzzing, and it's time to see what this ballclub can do against a tough Arizona squad. First pitch is moments away, and we're ready to go.
Innings 1-3
Top of the first, Arizona comes up and they send four batters to the plate. Nothing doing. No runs, no damage, score stays at zero-zero. Then we come up in the bottom half, three batters, and we go down just as quietly. It's a feeling-out process early, both teams feeling each other out, nobody wanting to give an inch. Top of the second, Arizona gets something going. One out, two runners on, and Tim Tawa steps in. The tension is real, you can feel it in the crowd. And Tawa strikes out swinging. That's a momentum swing right there, folks. We dodge a bullet, the inning fizzles out, and we come back up. Three batters, no runs, still zero-zero. Top of the third, Arizona sends four more to the plate, and again, nothing. They're knocking on the door but they can't get through. Then comes the bottom of the third, and this is where things start to cook. No outs, a runner on, and Taylor Trammell steps up. He doubles on a line drive to right fielder Corbin Carroll, and Yainer Diaz motors to third. Now we've got something brewing. The crowd is on its feet. Cam Smith comes up, no outs, two on, and he pops out to first baseman Tim Tawa in foul territory. Okay, okay, deep breath. Still no outs, still two on, just one less bat. Then the inning keeps rolling, and before we know it, it's two outs and the bases are loaded. Isaac Paredes at the plate. This is the moment. He singles on a line drive to right fielder Corbin Carroll. Yainer Diaz scores. Taylor Trammell scores. Yordan Alvarez moves to second. Just like that, it's two-nothing, and this place is rocking. That's how you break a game open.
Innings 4-6
Top of the fourth, Arizona sends three batters up and they go down in order. No runs. We come back up, three batters, no runs. It's a quick inning, a reset, but we still hold that two-nothing lead. Top of the fifth, Arizona starts to chip away. One out, a runner on, and Lars Nootbaar singles on a sharp line drive to right fielder Cam Smith. Tim Tawa moves to third. Now they've got something going, and you can feel the momentum shifting just a little. They push one across, and it's two to one. We still lead, but it's tighter now. Bottom of the fifth, and we answer right back. One out, bases empty, and Cam Smith triples on a sharp line drive to left fielder Max Kepler. A triple, folks. That's a statement. Then Jeremy Peña comes up, one out, a runner on, and he reaches on a fielder's choice out, shortstop Geraldo Perdomo to third baseman Nolan Arenado. Cam Smith is out at third. Ouch. That stings. We had a run sitting right there and it gets cut down at the plate. But we're not done. Two outs, two on, and Isaac Paredes steps in again. He singles on a fly ball to second baseman Ketel Marte, deflected by center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt. Jeremy Peña scores. Yordan Alvarez to third. It's three to one, and we've got our cushion back. That's a big play, a huge answer after Arizona tried to claw back. Top of the sixth, Arizona sends three up, three down. No runs. Bottom of the sixth, we send three up, three down. No runs. We take a three-to-one lead into the stretch.
The Stretch
So here we are, three to one, and we've got to feel good about where we stand. The play that turned this half was Isaac Paredes's single in the bottom of the third, bases loaded, two outs, and he laced it to right field. Two runs scored, and that gave us the breathing room we needed. Arizona answered with one in the fifth, but we came right back with one of our own. The message is clear: every time they push, we push back harder. We need to keep that edge, keep the pressure on, and close this thing out.
Innings 7-9
Top of the seventh, and Arizona is not going away quietly. One out, a runner on, and Ryan Waldschmidt walks. Tim Tawa moves to second. Now they've got two on and one out, and you can feel the tension ratchet up. Lars Nootbaar steps in, and he doubles on a line drive to right fielder Cam Smith. Tim Tawa scores. Ryan Waldschmidt to third. It's three to two, and suddenly this is a one-run game. But we're not done yet. Geraldo Perdomo comes up, one out, two on, and he pops out to third baseman Isaac Paredes. Big out. Then Gabriel Moreno, two outs, two on, and he strikes out swinging. Huge. We escape with the lead intact, three to two, but it's getting dicey. Bottom of the seventh, we send four batters up and we can't push anything across. No runs. We're still up by one, but Arizona is breathing down our necks. Top of the eighth, and this is where it gets painful. No outs, bases empty, and Ketel Marte steps in. He homers on a fly ball to right field. Just like that, it's tied, three to three. The air goes out of the building for a second, but we're not done. Bottom of the eighth, one out, bases empty, and Jose Altuve doubles on a line drive to right fielder Corbin Carroll. There's our spark. A runner in scoring position, one out. Daulton Varsho comes up, and he flies out sharply to center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt. Altuve can't move. Two outs now, and we can't bring him home. The inning ends, still tied at three. Top of the ninth, Arizona sends three up, three down. No runs. We've got a chance to walk it off. Bottom of the ninth, no outs, bases empty, and Yainer Diaz singles on a ground ball to center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt. There's a baserunner. But we can't push him across. Four batters, no runs, and we head to extras, still tied at three.
The Sequence
The game is decided here. Top of the tenth, Arizona comes up with a runner on, and Gabriel Moreno singles on a line drive to center fielder Daulton Varsho. Ildemaro Vargas scores. It's four to three, Arizona. Our hearts sink, but there's still a bottom half. Bottom of the tenth, we send three batters up. Three batters, no runs. The game is over. Arizona takes it, four to three.
Wrap-up
Final score, Arizona four, Houston three. We had the lead, we fought back, we tied it, and then we couldn't close it out. It's a heartbreaker, plain and simple. We had our chances, and they just slipped away. We'll take this one on the chin, and we'll be back tomorrow. That's all there is to say.
Outro
That was Arizona at Houston, from the Astros side. This has been Missed It. Every game, both sides, at missed it dot net. Produced by James Barrett.