News
Astros, Nats finish up suspended game
Houston (41-42) at Washington (24-58), 6:05 p.m. CT
By Jason Grodsky / MLB.com
07/08/09 6:59 PM ET
HOUSTON -- Before the Astros can start their four-game series against the Nationals on Thursday, they have to finish their last series against Washington, which has been on hold for more than two months. The Astros and Nationals will resume a suspended game beginning at 6:05 p.m. at Minute Maid Park. The game originally started on May 5 in Washington but was suspended because of a downpour in the nation's capital. The game will resume in the bottom of the 11th inning, with the score tied 10-10 and the Nationals at-bat with one out and a runner on first base. Even though the game will be in Houston, Washington will be the home team, and could potentially earn a walk-off win on the road. The biggest issue facing the Astros will be knowing who is eligible to play in the game. "We'll have to know who's going to be available," manager Cecil Cooper said. "I've got both lists of who I'll have and who they have, and you have to try to be ready for that. Other than that, I don't know what you can prepare for." All position players and pitchers who were used and removed from the game on May 5 won't be eligible to play. That means no Carlos Lee, Jason Michaels, Roy Oswalt, Chris Sampson or Tim Byrdak. Players who are currently on the roster, but were not when the game was originally suspended, will be eligible to play, and players who were in the lineup but aren't currently on the active roster will have to be replaced in the same position and batting order. The Nationals will have to use a pinch-runner for Elijah Dukes, who was on first when the game was postponed but is no longer with the Washington organization. "We're going to have to hit if we get through that inning," Cooper said. "The next inning, the fourth or fifth hitter is our pitcher, so we have to make sure we have the right guy out there so we don't waste a guy." LaTroy Hawkins was the pitcher on the mound when the game was suspended, and will continue his outing when the game resumes on Thursday. Hawkins pitched a scoreless inning of relief on Monday for Houston against Pittsburgh in his last appearance on the mound. When asked if he would send a long reliever to resume the game, Cooper said he would prefer to have one of his late-inning pitchers begin the game, especially with the pitcher's spot due up fifth the next inning. "We want to treat it as an extra inning, tie-score kind of deal where you have your closer or late-inning guys out there," Cooper said. "[Our pitcher] is the fifth hitter, so you want someone who is short-term and it won't be a long man, unless all our short-inning men pitch [on Wednesday] and aren't available. That's why you can't plan anything until the day of." If that isn't enough confusion, the Astros skipper is also wondering if Houston will have to make a quick uniform change once the game ends. "I'm curious as to know if we'll have to wear our grey uniform and then switch back over to our whites," Cooper said. "Think about, what do we do? Do we wear our whites when we go out so we don't have to change, or do we have to switch." Houston hasn't hosted a suspended game since June 13, 1999, when the Astros and Padres suspended a game because of the health status of Astros manager Larry Dierker, who had suffered a seizure. That game was suspended in the middle of the eighth inning with the Astros leading, 4-1, and was resumed on July 23 in Houston. While the Astros are looking to come out victorious in the suspended game, they are also hoping for a quick outcome, so they don't have to use a lot of pitchers before they start their regularly scheduled game. "It's a concern if we all of a sudden have a crazy game where we have to use everybody [in the bullpen]," Cooper said. "We just have to play the game in front of us like it's the most important game and then worry about the next one and see how it all pans out." The regularly scheduled 7:05 p.m. game will start on time, unless the suspended game ends after 6:45 p.m. If the suspended game ends after 6:45 p.m., there will be a 20-minute break between games. Russ Ortiz will take the mound in the regularly scheduled game, officially beginning the last series before the All-Star break. Pitching matchupHOU: RHP LaTroy Hawkins (1-2, 2.41 ERA)
Hawkins was on the mound for the Astros when the game was halted by rain on May 5 and will have a chance to continue his outing when the game resumes. The Astros reliever will begin the suspended game with one out and a runner on first in the 11th inning and the score tied 10-10. WSH: TBD
The Nationals have not said who will be on the mound when the resumption of this suspended game from May 5 begins. Joel Hanrahan was Washington's pitcher when the game was suspended, but he has since been traded to Pittsburgh. Tidbits
Fans with tickets to the regularly scheduled 7:05 p.m. game on Thursday will be admitted to the suspended-game continuation, as no separate tickets will be sold for the continuation game. Gates at Minute Maid Park will open at 5 p.m. ... The last suspended game in the big leagues was Game 5 of the 2008 World Series. ... The last time Houston was involved in a suspended game was on July 30, 2004, at Cinncinati. That game was suspended in the top of the sixth inning in a 2-2 tie, and Cincinnati won, 3-2, when the game was resumed the following day. On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio• Gameday
• Official game notes On television
• FS-H HD On radio
• KTRH 740, KLAT 1010 (Español) Up next
• Thursday: Astros (Russ Ortiz, 3-4, 4.11) vs. Nationals (John Lannan, 6-5, 3.45), 7:05 p.m. CT
• Friday: Astros (Roy Oswalt, 5-4, 3.81) vs. Nationals (Scott Olsen, 2-4, 6.04), 7:05 p.m. CT
• Saturday: Astros (Mike Hampton, 5-5, 4.16) vs. Nationals (Craig Stammen, 1-4, 4.88), 6:05 p.m. CT
Jason Grodsky is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
