Did somebody fact check this?
I’m actually a bit surprised by this. but the more I think about, the more I think it shows Espada is also “1 of 1”. This says every other manager in the history of baseball has either 1) pulled a guy in the first inning before he gets to that point when he thinks his team still has a chance to come back and win or 2) says “f it. Bullpen is toast. I’d forfeit if I could, but you’re wearing it until your arm falls off” and the guy at least gets through the first. The fact that he didn’t do #1, and decided to do #2, before bailing on that idea is not great. (But granted, his hands were tied. I get at some point you have to cut bait and go get him).
I will use this opportunity to reminisce on the only other Astros game that I can remember being this bad (worse) in the first inning. 7 year old me actually remembers where I was listening to Milo on the radio and blown away that a team could give up 2 TDs (with the extra points) in the first inning.
August 3, 1989 at Riverfront. Starter (Jim Clancy) didn’t get an out giving up a leadoff walk and then 6 straight hits, all who would eventually score…(including a 3 run jack by Papa Griffey), before Art yanked him for Bob Forsch. Who proceeded to give up hits to 10 of the next 11 batters (only out of those 11 was the pitcher, Tom Browning) before retiring the leadoff and 2nd guy in the order on their THIRD plate appearances in the inning for the final 2 outs of the inning.
add it all up, we go to the 2nd:
Astros 0 0 0
Reds 14 16 0
(Epilogue: tip of the cap to the Big Bopper who, after all that, led off the top of the 2nd and smashed the first pitch he saw from Browning over the left field wall). (And lol at Browning getting the complete game on 87 pitches.)
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN198908030.shtml
https://www.mlb.com/video/reds-1989-14-run-1st-inning