first pitch: 5:00 p.m., PT
television: Fox
matchup: Freddy Garcia (14-8, 3.87 ERA) vs Brandon Backe (10-8, 4.76 ERA)
We said Game 3 would be close, and it was. But in the end, it came down to the Astros’ inability to cash in on 11 12 walks and former Padre Geoff Blum homering in the 14th inning in his first World Series at-bat.
The Astros now find themselves on the brink of elimination, to regurgitate an overused phrase, and they’ll need the performance of a lifetime from Brandon Backe to keep the series and their championship hopes alive. The pitching matchup in Wednesday night’s game looks like a mismatch, but Houston fans can take some comfort in knowing that Backe has done his best work this year at home. The flip side, unfortunately, is that Freddy Garcia has pitched very well on the road in 2005.
I hope the Astros are able to extend the White Sox a little bit. This has been a fun series and I’m not quite ready for the season to end. If Blum and Scott Podsednik can be heroes for the Pale Hose, then why not someone unexpected from the other side? I’ll go with Orlando Palmeiro. Yep, he’s going to win it for the home club in Game 4. I don’t know how, but he’ll find a way.