Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros, the short porch in left, the silly hill in center, and H.W. and the Mrs. firmly ensconced behind home. Astros' righty (and flat-brimmed starter) Shawn Chacon gets Felipe Lopez looking at a two-seam strike three for the first out of the evening, and Chacon gets Cristian Guzman and Ryan Zimmerman in order for a scoreless first. Miguel Tejada gets the Houston fans in the right field stands excited, but Austin Kearns catches the last out of the first just a few steps onto the warning track. 

Nick Johnson reaches out and pokes an outside pitch into the Crawford Boxes in left for a 320 ft. HR and an early 1-0 Nationals lead. Paul Lo Duca doesn't strike out, but he does ground into a DP the way only a catcher can. 1-0 after one and a half. Lance Berkman doubles off the outfield wall in center, but inside the painted yellow home run line, it's yellow and winds around and over and in the corner it's marked, but steps up...ahh forget it, Berkman doubled. El Caballo, Carlos Lee doubles off the wall in left...UGH!!...for a run-scoring double. 1-1 ballgame. Shawn Hill walks the number eight hitter, catcher J.R. Towles, to bring up Shawn Chacon, who singles to left to load the bases, but Hill gets Michael Bourn swinging to end the second. 

Wily Mo Pena is caught twisting in the wind, and he has a fly ball off Kaz Matsui's bat glance off the top of his glove as he backpedals towards the wall...Lance Berkman hits a one-out single under Felipe Lopez's glove at second, scoring Matsui to give Houston a 2-1 lead. Berkman swipes a base off Lo Duca. Shawn Hill walks Carlos Lee. Hunter Pence grounds to Guzman, to Lopez, to Johnson, inning ending DP. 2-1 Astros. 

The Discerning Eye of Nick Johnson works a one-out walk in the fourth. Austin Kearns hits a two-out single, Lo Duca doesn't strike out, he grounds out. 2-1 'Stros after three and a half. Hill walks the #8 hitter(Towles) this time through too, allowing the opposing pitcher, Chacon to lay down a sac bunt. Hill tries to pick off Towles, but the ball gets away allowing Towles to take third. Hill buckles down on the mound and gets Bourn again to end the fourth. 

Wily Mo Pena hits a dribbler up the middle of the infield to start the fifth. Hill gets down the sac bunt. Felipe Lopez gets hit by a pitch, but he was trying to swing, and followed through for strike three. Cristian GUZZZZZZMAAAN doubles off the base of the wall in left for a game-tying RBI double. 2-2 Ryan Zimmer....THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! RBI double off the left-center arches, Guzman scores. 3-2 DC. Nick Johnson gets the intentionals. Milledge?... lines one to right....Zimmerman 'rounds third...Hunter Pence comes up throwing, and...NAILS Zimmerman at the plate. 3-2 middle of the fifth. Hill does it himself, pitching, fielding, throwing to first to get the first two outs of the fifth, but Lance Berkman singles to right to bring up El Caballo...who lines a single to left. Hunter Pence hits a broken bat single to right, and it drops in...Berkman scores. 3-3 game after five. 

Two pop foul outs start the sixth for the Nationals. Wily Mo Pena strikes out to end it. Shawn Hill issues a one out walk to the opposing pitcher, and that's all for Hill on the mound in Texas. (5.1 IP, 8 hits, 3 ER, 4 walks, 3 K's.) Jesus "Everyday" Colome on in relief...and walks the first batter he faces, Michael Bourn. Kaz Matsui beats out the back end of his own DP grounder to keep Houston alive in the sixth. Miguel Tejada rips one...right into Felipe Lopez's glove. 3-3 after six. 

Aaron "Pinchin'" BOOOOOONE HITS ONE ONTO THE TRAIN TRACKS!!! Pinch hit home run for Aaron Boone. 4-3 Nationals lead. Ryan Zimmerman hits a two-out single up the middle. Johnson gets more intentionals. Outside, outside, waaayyy outside, Lastings Milledge down swinging, as per the scouting report. Stand up and stretch...Lance Berkman rips one that Lastings Milledge can't get under, as he twists in the wind and has it go off his glove for a double. Berkman steals third. Rivera walks Hunter Pence. Rivera tries the fake to third, to first, move and BALKS in a run? Berkman scores. 4-4 game. Rivera walks Ty Wiggington. J.R. Towles flies out to center for the second out. Hunter Pence grounds back to the mound. Tied after seven. 

Austin Kearns takes the first pitch of the eigth to left for another cheap home run off Doug Brocail. 5-4 Nationals after seven and a half. Luis "Set-Up" Ayala comes on to pitch the bottom of the inning, Wil Nieves on to catch. Michael Bourn tries to bunt, but Ayala cuts him down. Kaz Matsui grounds out to second. Ayala saws off Tejada and the ball drops into short center. Lance Berkman's fifth hit(5 for 5, 4 R, 1 RBI, .353 AVG)...of the night is a single to center. Tejada to third. El Caballo at bat...lines to right...Kearns dives forward and misses it...two runs score. 6-5 Astros after eight. 

Houston closer Jose Valverde comes on to close it. Felipe Lopez grounds out to short. Guzman grounds to second. Zimmerman rips one...right into Jose Cruz Jr's glove in left to end it. Houston steals one. 6-5 final. 

Nationals now 14-19.