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It was nine o'clock in the morning when I threw up the first time.
"James! Dude, you need a doctor?"
Tony Barron banged on the bathroom door.
"Is it food poisoning?"
I threw up again. Rinsed my mouth out with cold water and came out of the bathroom.
"Dude, you okay?"
"Man, I am scared to death."
"What?"
"This is like a homecoming game for me. This is the team I grew up watching. I been to the Astrodome as a kid to see them play. I have almost an entire school district from two counties coming."
Aw...crap...I just made it in time to throw up again.
"Dude..."
"I stunk in Montreal. The Expos beat me like a red-headed stepchild. But, I can understand. Just one game. Put it behind me."
I sighed and washed my mouth out again.
"I can't pitch like that tonight. Not here. Not tonight."
I didn't eat the whole day. I knew the slightest bit of food would come back up.
I called my parents and Beth and told them I would not see them until after the game. I made up an excuse that the team wouldn't let me.
Fact is, I really thought my last resolve would crumble if I saw them before the game.
"You're a mess James," Santiago told me during warmups.
"I know. I need you, tonight, Bennie."
"I got you, James. But you have to bring yourself back down into the atmosphere. You are too wound up."
There was a small crowd for a baseball game in June. Less than 18,500. But that's Texas. They'd get a bigger crowd at the Texas High School Football State Championship.
We hit first. Got a pair of hits in the first but scored nothing. Ozzie Guillen got picked off of first just before Gwynn hit a triple. Costly!
And then we headed to the field. My adrenaline was on supercharge and nothing was bringing it down. Deep breathing. Finger cracking. Pacing.
Nothing was working.
Bennie called for a slider on the first pitch and it was right in the strike zone.
I then fell behind 2-1 but Jerry Browne, the Astros leadoff hitter, grounded to first. I was Edwin Moses, sprinting for the bag and beat Browne, took the throw from Kruk and got the first out.
Deep breath!
Exhale.
My hometown fans were cheering quite loud. The Astros may have been wondering why so many Padres fans were at the Astrodome.
The fastball was erratic though and I walked Bill Doran on seven pitches. Bennie could sense it and was calling a lot of early off speed.
Kevin Bass grounded a 2-2 changeup past second base but Willie McGee threw Doran out at third.
Two away.
Santiago then caught Bass stealing for the third out.
I took a deep breath and settled down a little. My defense has my back tonight, I thought as I came off the mound.
"Now battng, the pitcher, Robert James."
Sunuvagun.
Runners were at the corners with two out. Top of the second. I needed this run but I had to be the one to bring it in.
And I grounded to the pitcher.
Well, crap.
Bennie called more fastballs in the second inning and the Astros went in order, including RJ Reynolds going down on strikes.
The third inning was the same. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball.
Bennie was making pitch hard to bring down my over-hyperness. And it seemed to be working. I ended the third by striking out their pitcher.
Now, I needed some run support.
Jerry Browne battled me to lead off the bottom of the fourth. Nine pitches before a low inside slider just missed the corner for ball four.
Then I battled back from down 3-0 to strike out Doran.
A 2-2 pitch went too far inside and hit Kevin Bass. Two men on with one out.
Dammit!
Santiago kept the pressure up. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball.
Glenn Davis hit the 2-2 low fastball and grounded it down the third base line. Ken Oberkfell snatched the ball, stepped on third and then threw to first for the 5-3 double play!
My defense had done the job again!
Still nothing nothing after four.
Oberkfell drew a leadoff walk in the top of the fifth but Chris Speier grounded into the double play.
That brought me to bat with the bases empty and two out.
Bruce Ruffin threw me three sinkers and I grounded the third one to first.
It was a pitcher's duel between Ruffin and myself.
Who would blink first?
Reynolds led off the bottom of the fifth with a single. Just the Astros second hit of the game. Keith Moreland then grounded into a fielder's choice.
Jody Davis was next.
Fastball. Fastball. Fastball.
Slider!
In Play.
6-4-3.
And the fifth inning was over and there was still no score.
My contingent of fans was getting behind me with each out. Each pitch.
The Astros fans were doing the same for Ruffin.
Who would blink first?
We went down in order in the top of the sixth.
The Astros did the same in the bottom half.
Nothing to nothing after six.
Ruffin was perfect in the seventh.
I answered with the same, striking out Davis to end the seventh.
Seven innings had come and gone.
Zero. Zero.
Each team had just two hits.
But my turn to bat was coming up in the top of the eighth.
They were staying with me.
I again came to bat with no one on and two out.
I grounded a slider to third base but Moreland's throw pulled Davis off the bag and I was on base! Willie McGee then singled to center and I sprinted all the way to third.
This was surreal.
Ozzie Guillen was coming to bat. If he got a hit, I would score the go-ahead run.
In this game!
Of all games!
Ozzie worked the count full and then hit a line drive.
Doran reached out and caught the ball out of the air.
Three away.
Dammit!
On to the bottom of the eighth.
A little bit of my insides had been deflated. I hoped not too much.
I gave up a one out walk in the bottom of the eighth. Jody Davis then hit a 2-run homer. He connected on a low curve on a 1-2 pitch.
Astros led 2-0.
Just like that.
A three-hitter.
And I was going to lose 2-0.
Gwynn grounded out to start the top of the ninth.
But then we got a couple of singles. The Astros had Frank DiPino in and Bennie was batting.
I looked up and watched.
Bennie grounded a 2-2 back to the pitcher but beat out the double play.
Runners were now on the corners with two outs.
Ken Oberkfell got a 2-0 slider and sent it on a drive to right!
Bass on the move.
And caught it to end the game.
The final score was 2-0 Astros.
We all went into the visitor's clubhouse.
I had a seat on a bench and just sat for a while.
I was not ready to see anyone for a while.
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