1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
Astros	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	2	5	0
Phillies	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	3	5	0

2006 Multi Ad PCL Top Prospects # 23		2006 Bazooka # 209

It wasn't the first time the 2006 Astros had watched an opposing pitcher flirt with a no-hitter. Carlos Zambrano had toyed with a no-no against Houston earlier in the year, and it seemed like more than a few times, the Astros had waited til the fifth inning to notch their first base hit. But the vibes for anyone watching seemed especially bad as the Labor Day matinee at Philadelphia continued. Adam Everett lined out to start the sixth, and Ausmus meekly popped out, and then it was a pinch-hitter at the plate, and not the Astros' second-half ace, Roger Clemens. Cripes. From bad to worse. Clemens gone in a close game, and looking at the ingame box, it was starting to weigh down on us Astrofans that Cole Hamels was perfect through 5-2/3 with 7 strikeouts. And let's be honest, the rookie pinch-hitter chosen had a reputation for the whiff himself. Charlton Jimerson had smacked a few home runs during his minor league career, it is true, but he also had amassed a statistical record that showed he was ridiculously easy to strike out. Before his first major league at bat against Hamels, Jimerson had put together 2378 minor league at bats, and had struck out in an astonishing 854 of them. For those without their calculator handy, that works out to nearly a 36% strikeout rate. So it certainly seemed as if the perfect game would continue. But instead, Charlton Jimerson surprised us all. On a 2 - 1 pitch, he simply unloaded. 440 feet to dead center, to some place they call "The Ashburn Alley." Absolutely crushed. Phillie cenbterfielder Shane Victorino didn't even move. Goodbye perfect game, goodbye no-hitter. Goodbye shutout, goodbye Philadelphia lead, goodbye Phillie momentum. This tale would be better if the Astros had won, but unfortunately, they lost in extra innings when Dave Borkowski gave up a 2-out solo homer in the tenth inning. But there seems little doubt that Jimerson's was the most dramatic of all first atbat homers in Astro history. Philadelphia Phillies AB R H RBI Jimmy Rollins, SS 5 0 1 0 Shane Victorino, CF 4 1 0 0 Chase Utley, 2B 4 1 1 1 Ryan Howard, 1B 2 1 1 1 Pat Burrell, LF 3 0 0 0 Joe Thurston, PH 1 0 0 0 Rick White, P 0 0 0 0 Jeff Conine, RF 3 0 1 1 Chris Coste, C 3 0 0 0 Abraham Nuñez, 3B 3 0 0 0 David Delucci, PH 1 0 0 0 Chris Roberson, LF 0 0 0 0 Cole Hamels, P 2 0 1 0 Randall Simon, PH 1 0 0 0 Ryan Madson, P 0 0 0 0 Matt Smith, P 0 0 0 0 Jose Hernandez, PH/3B 0 0 0 0   Philadelphia totals 33 3 5 3     Houston AB R H RBI Craig Biggio, 2B 4 0 0 0 Chris Burke, LF 4 0 1 0 Lance Berkman, 1B 4 0 0 0 Jason Lane, RF 3 0 0 0 Dan Wheeler, P c 0 0 0 0 Trever Miller, P 0 0 0 0 Mike Lamb, PH 1 0 0 0 Chad Qualls, P 0 0 0 0 Humberto Quintero, C ss 0 0 0 0 Aubrey Huff, 3B/RF 4 1 2 1 Willy Taveras, CF/RF 0 0 0 0 Eric Bruntlett, CF/RF 3 0 1 0 Adam Everett, SS 0 0 0 0 Brad Ausmus, C 3 0 0 0 Orlando Palmeiro, PH 1 0 0 0 Dave Borkowski, P 0 0 0 0 Roger Clemens, P 1 0 0 0 Charlton Jimerson, PH 1 1 1 1 Russ Springer, P 0 0 0 0 Morgan Ensberg, 3B 1 0 0 0 Houston totals 33 2 5 2