Houston at Philadelphia

Houston at Philadelphia

This is Missed It. Houston at Philadelphia, Tuesday, September 8, 84 and partly cloudy at Citizens Bank Park, with the Astros. You missed it? Here's the whole game, as it happened.

Pregame

It's Houston Astros at Philadelphia Phillies, and we've got a ballgame on our hands. The Astros are on the road, looking to make some noise in enemy territory. We don't know who's on the mound yet, but we know what's at stake: every game matters, and we're here to take it to the Phillies. Let's get this one going.

Innings 1-3

Top of the first, and we're underway. The Astros send four batters to the plate, and we come away empty. Score stays zero-zero. The Phillies answer with three of their own, and they don't get anything either. It's a quiet start, but that's about to change in a big way. Top of the second, and here we go. No outs, bases empty, and Daulton Varsho steps in. He rips a line drive to right field, and Bryce Harper can't get to it. Varsho is on second with a double, and the crowd is starting to feel it. That's the spark we needed. The tension is building, and you can feel something coming. Next up, Yainer Diaz. He takes a swing and sends a line drive to right field again, Harper again. Diaz singles, and Varsho moves to third. Now we've got runners on the corners with nobody out, and the Phillies are in trouble. This is exactly the kind of start we wanted. Christian Walker steps to the plate, and the moment is huge. Two on, no outs, and the crowd is buzzing. Walker gets a pitch he likes and launches it to left center field. That ball is gone. Varsho scores, Diaz scores, and Walker trots around the bases. It's three-nothing, and we are rolling. The dugout is alive, and the Phillies are reeling. One out later, there's a runner on base. Cam Smith is on after a walk, and Jeremy Peña comes up. Peña doesn't waste any time. He smokes a sharp line drive to left field, and Brandon Marsh can't track it down. It's a double, and Cam Smith scores from first. Four-nothing, and we're pouring it on. That was a dagger, and the Phillies know it. The Phillies send three batters to the plate in the bottom of the second, and they get nothing. Score stays four-nothing. Top of the third, we send five batters up, but we can't add on. The Phillies get three more outs in the bottom of the third, and we head to the fourth with a four-run lead. This is exactly where we want to be.

Innings 4-6

Top of the fourth, and Cam Smith leads off. No outs, bases empty, and he's already been part of the action. Smith gets a pitch he can handle and drives it to left center field. That ball is out of here. Solo homer, and it's five-nothing. That's a big swing, and the Phillies are feeling the pressure now. We're not letting up. The Phillies send four batters up in the bottom of the fourth, but they can't push anything across. Score stays five-nothing. Top of the fifth, we get five batters to the plate, but no runs. Bottom of the fifth, the Phillies go down in order, three batters, nothing doing. We're still up five-nothing, and the game is in our hands. Top of the sixth, we go quietly, three batters and done. And then, bottom of the sixth, the Phillies finally wake up. One out, bases empty, and Justin Crawford steps in. He lines a double to right field, and Cam Smith can't make the play. Crawford is on second, and the Phillies have life. The crowd is starting to stir. Kyle Schwarber comes up next, and he grounds one to right field. Crawford scores from second, and it's five-one. The shutout is gone, but we're still in control. Then Trea Turner steps in, and he doesn't miss. Turner launches a fly ball to left field, and it's gone. Schwarber scores, and just like that, it's five-three. The lead is down to two, and the Phillies are right back in this thing. That was a punch, and we felt it.

The Stretch

So here we are, five-three, and we've got a ballgame on our hands. The first half turned on that Jeremy Peña double in the top of the second. That was the moment we broke it open, four-nothing, and it felt like we were cruising. But the Phillies fought back in the sixth, and now we need to steady ourselves. We've got the lead, but we can't afford to give them any more chances. We need to lock it down, get some outs, and put this one away.

Innings 7-9

Top of the seventh, and we need a response. One out, bases empty, and Daulton Varsho steps in. He's already had a double tonight, and now he's looking for more. Varsho gets a pitch he likes and drives it to right center field. That ball is gone. Solo homer, and it's six-three. That's a huge swing, and the Phillies are deflated. We've got our cushion back, and the dugout is fired up.

The Sequence

Bottom of the seventh, and the Phillies are trying to answer. No outs, two on, and Brandon Marsh steps in. He rips a sharp line drive to right field, and Cam Smith can't get to it. Alec Bohm scores, and Bryson Stott moves to third. It's six-four, and the Phillies have runners on second and third with nobody out. This is the moment. The game is on the line. J.T. Realmuto comes up, and the tension is thick. He hits a liner, and it's right at Jeremy Peña. Peña snags it, steps on second, and doubles off Brandon Marsh. Double play. The rally is dead, and the Phillies are stunned. That was the play of the game. We got out of it, and the lead is still two. Top of the eighth, we go down in order, three batters and done. Bottom of the eighth, the Phillies send five batters to the plate, but they can't score. We're still up six-four, and we're three outs away. Top of the ninth, we get four batters up, but we can't add on. It's still six-four, and now it's up to our defense to close this out. Bottom of the ninth, and the Phillies have one last chance. No outs, bases empty, and Bryson Stott steps in. He grounds one to left field, and Taylor Trammell can't make the play. Stott is on first, and the crowd is on its feet. The tying run is at the plate, and we need an out. Edmundo Sosa comes up, and he doesn't waste any time. He drives a fly ball to center field, and Daulton Varsho is tracking it. It's deep, and it's off the wall. Stott scores, and it's six-five. The lead is down to one, and the Phillies have a runner on second with nobody out. This is it. This is the moment. But we hold. We get the outs we need, and the game is over. Six-five, and we walk out of here with the win.

Wrap-up

Final score, Houston Astros six, Philadelphia Phillies five. We came into their house, we took their best shot, and we walked out with the win. That's what this team does. We bend, but we don't break. And tonight, we didn't break. We're headed home with a good feeling, and that's all we can ask for. Go Astros.

Outro

That was Houston at Philadelphia, from the Astros side. This has been Missed It. Every game, both sides, at missed it dot net. Produced by James Barrett.

Houston at Philadelphia

This is Missed It. Houston at Philadelphia, Tuesday, September 8, 84 and partly cloudy at Citizens Bank Park, with the Phillies. You missed it? Here's the whole game, as it happened.

Pregame

Houston Astros at Philadelphia Phillies. It's a showdown here in our own ballpark, and the air is thick with anticipation. We've got a full night ahead of us, and the Phillies are looking to make a statement against a tough Houston squad. The Astros are in town, and we're ready to give them everything we've got. Let's get this one started.

Innings 1-3

Top of the first, and the Astros are up. They send four batters to the plate, but our guys hold the line. No runs cross, and the score stays at zero-zero. We're back in the dugout, and it's our turn. Three batters, quick work, and we're back on the field. Nothing doing in the bottom of the first, and we're still knotted up at zero. Now the top of the second, and this is where things start to get interesting. Daulton Varsho steps in with nobody on and nobody out, and he rips a line drive to right field. Bryce Harper gives it a chase, but it's down for a double. That's a momentum swing right there, and you can feel the energy shift. Then Yainer Diaz comes up and pokes a single to right. Varsho holds at third, and now we've got runners at the corners with nobody out. This is a jam, and we need a big pitch. Christian Walker digs in, and he doesn't miss. He launches one to left center field, and it's gone. Three-run homer. Varsho scores, Diaz scores, and just like that, it's three-nothing Houston. The crowd goes quiet, and we're in a hole. But we're not done yet. With one out and a runner on, Jeremy Peña steps up and smokes a sharp line drive to left. Brandon Marsh gives it everything, but it's by him. Cam Smith scores, and it's four-nothing. That's a big play, and it stings. Bottom of the second, and we need to answer. Three batters come up, and we can't get anything going. Still four-nothing. Top of the third, the Astros send five to the plate, but we hold them. No runs. Bottom of the third, three more batters, and we're still scoreless. Four-nothing Houston, and we've got work to do.

Innings 4-6

Top of the fourth, and Houston is back at it. Cam Smith leads off with nobody on, and he gets a hold of one. Fly ball to left center, and it's out of here. Solo homer, and it's five-nothing. That's a big play, and it feels like the mountain just got taller. We need to find a spark, and fast. Bottom of the fourth, four batters come up, but we can't push anything across. Still five-nothing. Top of the fifth, Houston sends five to the plate, but our guys bear down and keep them off the board. Bottom of the fifth, three batters, no runs. We're running out of time, and the frustration is building. Top of the sixth, three batters for Houston, and we get them out. Now it's our turn, and something finally clicks. With one out and nobody on, Justin Crawford steps in and laces a double to right field. Cam Smith tracks it, but it's down. That's a notable play, and it gets the crowd stirring. Then Kyle Schwarber comes up and pokes a ground ball to right. Crawford scores, and we're on the board. Five-one. The energy is back, and we're not done yet. Trea Turner steps in with Schwarber on first, and he doesn't waste any time. He launches one to left field, and it's gone. Two-run homer, and just like that, it's five-three. The place is rocking. We've cut the lead to two, and we've got life.

The Stretch

We're at the break, and it's five-three Houston. The first half turned on that Jeremy Peña double in the top of the second. That was the play that broke it open, the one that made it four-nothing and put us on our heels. But we've clawed our way back. Trea Turner's homer in the sixth changed the feel of this game completely. We're within striking distance, and the momentum is ours. We need to keep this energy, keep the pressure on, and find a way to finish this thing.

Innings 7-9

Top of the seventh, and Houston is trying to take the air out of the building. With one out and nobody on, Daulton Varsho steps in and gets a pitch he likes. He sends it to right center, and it's gone. Solo homer, and it's six-three. That's a big play, and it stings. We had the momentum, and now we're chasing again. Bottom of the seventh, and we need an answer. With nobody out and two on, Brandon Marsh steps in and rips a sharp line drive to right. Cam Smith gives it a run, but it's down. Alec Bohm scores, and Bryson Stott moves to third. It's six-four, and we've got runners at second and third with nobody out. This is our chance. But then J.T. Realmuto steps in, and he lines one right at Jeremy Peña. Peña snags it, steps on second, and Brandon Marsh is out. Double play. The air goes out of the building. That's a momentum swing, and it hurts. We had them on the ropes, and now we're back to square one. Top of the eighth, three batters for Houston, and we get them out. Bottom of the eighth, five batters come up, but we can't push anything across. Still six-four. Top of the ninth, four batters for Houston, and we hold them. Now it's our last chance. Bottom of the ninth, and we're down to our final three outs. Bryson Stott leads off with nobody on, and he pokes a ground ball to left. Taylor Trammell gives it a chase, but it's down for a single. That's a momentum swing, and the crowd is on its feet. Then Edmundo Sosa steps in and gets a pitch he can drive. He sends it to center field, and Daulton Varsho is tracking it. It's down. Stott scores, and it's six-five. We've got a runner on second with nobody out, and we're one hit away from tying this thing.

The Sequence

This is where it all gets decided. Bottom of the seventh, and we're down six-three. With nobody out and two on, Brandon Marsh doubles to right, scoring Alec Bohm and moving Bryson Stott to third. It's six-four, and we've got the tying run at the plate. But then J.T. Realmuto lines into a double play, shortstop Jeremy Peña to second baseman Jose Altuve, and Brandon Marsh is out at second. The rally dies right there, and we're left with just the one run. Top of the eighth, three batters for Houston, and we get them out. Bottom of the eighth, five batters, but nothing across. Still six-four. Top of the ninth, four batters, and we hold them again. Now it's the bottom of the ninth, and we're down to our last chance. Bryson Stott singles to left, and the crowd is roaring. Edmundo Sosa doubles to center, and Stott scores. It's six-five, and we've got a runner on second with nobody out. The tying run is at the plate, and the winning run is in the on-deck circle. This is it. This is the moment we've been waiting for. But we can't get the hit. We can't push the run across. The game ends with the score at six-five, and we come up just short.

Wrap-up

Final score, Houston six, Philadelphia five. We gave it everything we had, and we came up one run short. That bottom of the seventh, that double play, that's the one that got away. We had the momentum, we had the chance, and we couldn't finish. It hurts. It hurts a lot. But we fought, we clawed, and we never gave up. That's what this team is about. We'll be back. We'll get them next time.

Outro

That was Houston at Philadelphia, from the Phillies side. This has been Missed It. Every game, both sides, at missed it dot net. Produced by James Barrett.