Well, it’s true. Actually, Adam hit a ball today that almost left the park and that’s better than anything I’ve seen Lance hit in 3 weeks.
I have NO idea what is wrong with that boy but until he starts hitting, and I don’t mean piddly singles up the middle, this team is going to keep sinking.
Chris Sampson pitched well enough to lose. Again. 3 runs in 6 innings. Garner pulled him after the 6th – he’d thrown only 69 pitches, but I guess Gar figured he’d get killed the 4th time through the lineup – he started warming up the relievers after the 4th inning. Sampson gave up some very well hit balls on sinkers that didn’t sink.
No runs scored because of bad defense/plays not made that should have today.
I can’t really blame Phil for telling guys to steal – this is a team that is not hitting for spit and you HAVE to manufacture runs SOMEhow. Lance got CS to end the first, and Pence didn’t pull of his end of a bizarre double steal in the second. Pence wasn’t much of a base stealer in the minors, not sure if he’d ever stolen home before. That was just strange and one of Phil’s odder ideas and he has a LOT of odd ideas.
Qualls came in to relieve and gave up 2 runs – he wasn’t sharp at ALL – this is what happens when you let your relievers go too long between appearances. And those turned out to be the deciding runs because Carlos Lee hit a 2 run homer in the 8th that would have been the game winner.
Lamb should NOT be leading off – he’s been slumping as badly as Everett and Ensberg and Berkman these past 3 weeks.
Sigh
And no one has noticed, but Pence is hitting almost exclusively infield singles – he’s pulling everything to left. He hasn’t gotten a single ball in the air since we left the Box.
And you want to talk about bizarre unexplainable things Phil does? How about taking Pence out, shifting Berkman to center and sending Palmeiro out to play right in the 8th? Good God. Just because it didn’t cost us any runs doesn’t mean it was a good idea.
And by the way, would one of you readers who is male please explain to me how a “leader” gets guys to hit? I keep hearing this on the post game show, but no one has explained it to me yet. If “leaders” are what a team needs to get guys to hit, why have a hitting coach?
sigh
Roy goes tomorrow against Livan Hernandez. It really would be nice to not get swept again.
Tags: Houston Astros, MLB
Gar said in the postgame that the reason for the double-switch was that Lidge still can’t pitch. Brad thought that maybe he could go, but Gar decided to hold him out. The switch would have allowed Wheeler to also pitch the ninth, had the Astros scored.
crystal,
i mean, if you want to take out one of the 2 guys in the lineup who has been hitting and replace him, try lane – unlike berkman, at least HE can play center
Personally, I’m just tired of Garner having certain people that he just has absolutely no faith in. He’s never had any faith in Chris Sampson, it goes all the way back to last year when he was trying to make him into a long reliever while trying to make Albers and Nieve starters. He’s never had any faith in Sampson, and it was never more evident than tonight. Warming up pitchers from a depleted and worn out bullpen in the fourth inning even though Sampson’s pitching a solid game?
And you’re right – that double switch made absolutely no sense. They’ve got Lane on the bench and they bring in Palmeiro as a defensive sub? I’d rather have Quintero in the outfield right now than Palmeiro.
By the way, adding to Garner having no faith in Sampson, there’s only been one game this year in which Sampson has thrown 90 pitches or more. Woody Williams has thrown 90 pitches or more in NINE starts, FIVE of which have seen him throw more than 100. So, can anyone explain to me why Woody Williams is given a chance to try to power through when he doesn’t have his best stuff, but Sampson isn’t?
well he wanted sampson as a long reliever – like borkowski and sampson is proving him wrong
it’s just another case of a guy being set up to fail – like luke scott, chris burke, jason lane
phil got his BAD points too.
i was REALLY shocked to hear pitchers were warming up at the end of the 4th.
unless sampson was sick or hurting, that was a dumbass move
And GArner keeps going for Rick White.. wtfffffffffffffffffffffff
He pulls Oswalt out and calls White.. WHERE THE **** IS CHAD QUALLS?
I want Garner’s head, i hate him so much… it’s just to painful to watch..
- this is reminding me of his love affair with dan F miceli
3 years ago a brewer fan told me what to expect from phil. and he has been dead right every thing he has said.
the obsession with platoons, the obsession with the lefty/righty, the obsession with the hitnrun, the obsession with moving players all over the field and loving to play guys out of position, doing fine as long as it is a mostly winning team where stupid stuff he does doesn’t show up.
‘ve never been a phil fan.