Hey, it’s his first double in over a month – went 400′ to right center – I HAD to lead off with that. AND he drove in 2 runs without grounding out, I’ll go for that.
Lance also got his own self tossed by the 3rd base ump in the 8th for arguing a checked swing call – first time I can EVER remember him getting tossed. Lance isn’t a guy who argues balls and strikes and if he argues, he’s right. Which he was. Anyhow, I sure hope this getting tossed/arguing stuff is Lance’s exit to the Road To Recovery.
And speaking of recovery, Luke Scott is heating up – he went 3 fer 4 with a double and 2 run opposite field homer. It is time to end the stupid platoon thingy and give the job to the guy who earned it last year and should have been the full time RF from Opening Day.
Wandy pitched adequately – giving up 4 hits, 1 walk, 7 K and 1 ER over 5 IP. He needed 30 pitches to get through the 4th inning and this time, I can’t yell at Phil for pulling him – Wandy looked tired. And Palmeiro managed to squeak a ball by the SS for a hit, so it wasn’t entirely hopeless.
I still don’t understand batting Loretta, a singles hitter, 5th and batting Pence, who has a SLG over .600 second. Pence is going to come up after Biggio, who, as usual, can’t hit rightys away, the pitcher and Everett/Ausmus. Who is he going to drive in? It’s RUNS we need, not guys on base.
And speaking of guys on base, Jason Hirsh no hit the Stros for 4.2 innings, so there were NO guys on base. Pence left guys on base twice, Loretta left guys on base with 2 outs twice.
The bullpen shut things down.
So how bout the guys we traded away? Hirsh was decent – pitched pretty well until the third time through the order, which is what I seem to remember from last year – gave up 2 BB, 4 K, 4 H over 6+ IP. And Willy, who the Houston columnists are missing so much? He grounded out and struck out – didn’t beat out any IF hits or steal bases and he still doesn’t come forward to catch balls. He’s NOT Kenny Lofton.
I STILL think it was a dumb trade and I STILL think the guy we’re gonna regret the most is Taylor Buchholz…
Tags: Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, MLB, Rockies
Lance got tossed to end the 8th, not 7th. Lance has been sent to the showers a few times over his career. He’s like Oswalt, every so often something will really set him off and then he just lets it go. Remember last year he got tossed after a close play at first where he banged his helmet at the umpire’s feet.
Not one word about the successful hit-and-run Garner called with Palmeiro PHing for Wandy and Everett on first…..That was an important moment in the game.
Oops. It’s way too early and I need more coffee.
If Wandy can get his act together in the first couple of innings, he could become a cog on the pitching staff. I worry about his lack of composure at times on the mound, but he’s demonstrated some growth in that department since last year by not giving up and allowing big innings at the slightest traffic on the basepaths.
Lidge has returned to his beastly self. He deserves to close. All the fans and media who called for his head on a spike right above Garner’s and Purpura’s need to start mea culpa-ing fast and often. Idjits. There’s a reason Lidge is highly coveted by many teams and the front office knew it. Garner made the right move with Lidge and gets no credit for it.
Taylor Buchholz is a nobody. He’s a has-been prospect and nothing more. I loved Willy T, but he wasn’t the centerpiece in that trade. It was all about Hirsh and Jennings. The jury’s still out on that trade. Personally, I’ll take the proven pitcher who can give you 200 IPs over the ballyhooed prospect.
Cheap prospects under club control sound great on paper, but more often than not they don’t live up to their billing. Everyone’s favorite GM Gerry Hunsicker got hosed on the Wagner trade.
saul -
you’re right – sorry it was a typo i didn’t catch.
- grinning
i had forgotten bout the helmet throwing.
i would say that roy is a LOT more of a redass than lance. it’s just that roy is so quiet seeming.
but they both men and like my mama sez – if its got testicles, its got temper…
will -
i count the hit and run working about every 1 in 5 or 6 times. this is the second time this year it has worked. ONLY the second time.
agree about wandy.
- i was relieved to see ausmus catching him. PROPS FOR PHIL!!!!!
- besides him improving with emotions on the mound, the OTHER thing he has done is cut waaaaaaaaaayyyyy down on the walks because he’s quit that nibbling and he’s throwing the changeup for strikes
- agree about lidge closing.
not sure that the organization does though.
i got NO idea what they want to do with him – i just pray they don’t get hosed in a trade again.
- agree that hirsh was the key player in the jennings trade. and most everybody agreed with you about getting the proven 200 innings eating – their story changed when jennings went on the DL.
and of course there are the people who don’t care about buchholz or hirsh – for them it’s all about willy taveras and his bunt singles. they weren’t about to even give the burke experiment a chance.
and agree that philly got the better end of the wagner trade. i guess they thought they could turn duckworthless around and astacio could be taught not to throw strike 3 down the middle. or something.
we’ll see what happens with buchholz… and hirsh…
lisa
I disagree with putting Lidge back in the closer’s spot. They did that last year. He was successful as a setup man so they moved him back in to close, and he sucked again. He seems to have finally settled in as a setup man…I say leave him where he’s most comfortable.
And Will, I would agree with your assessment of taking a proven pitcher over the ballyhooed prospect, except for three things. 1) It was actually a proven pitcher and a totally UN-ballyhooed prospect for TWO ballyhooed prospects and a player that has proven his ability to play in the Major Leagues. You have to take the WHOLE trade into account, not just the parts you want to.
2) To call Jason Jennings proven is too generous. The only thing he’s truly proven is that he can rack up innings. If you look at his work in Colorado in its entirety, he was quite mediocre.
3) Buchholz isn’t a nobody. And anyone who says that has no clue what they’re talking about.
By the way, Lisa, I’m not sucking up to Willy by any means, but you didn’t mention that he did knock a double. He was one of the two leadoff doubles that got stranded by Wandy’s pretty good pitching last night. Still throwing too many pitches, but it was nice to see him working out of jams, on the road, in Colorado.
Sure, willy hit a leadoff double and he got his fool self thrown out at THIRD on a ground ball right IN FRONT OF HIM! Stupid stupid stupid. He waits at 2b for Adam to throw to 1b and then he scoots to 3b if he can. this is exactly the type or idiotic baserunning that kills a team. Base stealers need to succeed 80 percent; he is about 60. His doent have baseball smarts, he has no power, no batting eye, and im glad he is gone. we are much better off.
oh, and while it’s true that Hunter stranded runner, he hit two laser beams to 3b — either one of them could have easily been a double. He crushed those two pitches. He was not fooled at all.
Steve, they could have been doubles, but they weren’t. At this level, they pretty much want you to be able to get base hits. If a pitcher gets an out, even a hard-hit out, that means he did his job and the batter didn’t. That’s all there is to it.