Husband is sitting comfortably on the couch, watching Astros Live with Alyson Footer and Patti Smith. Husband would watch every game without moving if he got to watch them announce the entire game, instead of Brownie and JD – unlike a lot of men, he LIKEY females who are knowledgeable about the sport they are discussing. And, to be accurate,what Husband likes the VERY most about the Astros is Alyson Footer, who he thinks is teh HOTTT as well as teh SMARTTT. He isn’t real too impressed with Ms Smith, whose main job is to talk to people in the crowd and ask a few ballplayers some dumb questions at the end of the game, but he sure LUUUUVVVVS Alyson.
I don’t mind. Not only does she know baseball, but she hasn’t blonded herself out and expanded upon her mammaries. Besides, if I objected, I would probably have to throw out my poster and bobbleheads of Bradley Awesomeness.
And speaking of awesomeness, Mr. Wand-erful has now thrown 5 consecutive QS and boasts a 1.69 ERA. Might could I remind folks that 2 of those QS have come on the road. Might could I also mention that 4 out of 5 times he has pitched, he has been featured on BBTN’s “That’s Nasty.” AND might could I remind folks that I am proud to have been a Wandy fangrrrrrl since 2005. I say it LOUD, I say it PROUD.
The Magic Wandy had a shaky 1st inning – walked Willy T on 5 pitches (yeh, Willy T), then gave up a single (reached out and hit a good pitch on the outside corner), then a run on a GIDP on that exact same pitch on the low and outside corner, then a double, then a steal of 3rd, then a GO. 18 pitches, 8 balls. But the curve was already nasty.
He pitched 1,2,3 out efficient innings in the 2nd and 3rd, Votto led off the 4th with a 7 pitch walk, but Wandy quickly got the next 3 outs with 10 pitches. He got 3 outs on 1 pitches in the 5th, too, ending up with a 3 swinging strikes K of Astro Killah Micah Owings. Hehhehheh.
He needed 14 pitches for the 6th – got an out, then a double, then an out, then an advance to 3rd on a WP, then an inning ending grounder.
Out he went for the 7th, got an easy popup, then gave up a single to Ramon Hernandez, then another single off the LF wall to Darnell McDonald (who had already gifted the Astros with 2 UER) and Ramon Hernandez, one of the 3 slowest runners in the majors, decided, for some unknown reason, to try to go from first to third (and this is like me trying out to play defensive tackle in the NFL in terms of pure suicide/stupidity) and even Carlos Lee and his soggy arm had him thrown out by 15 feet at the VERY least.
Ramon he need to go on the video for that country song “What was I thinkin? I musta been drinkin.”
So with 2 out and a man on second instead of 1 out, men on first and second, Wandy easily got the last out. And actually, I would bet that at 98 pitches, if the Reds had gotten 3 outs in the top of the 8th, the Wand Man would have been right back out on the mound.
As it was, the Astros were up 8-1 bottom of the 8th and with Wandy having been pinch hit for, Geary went out, left a meatball over the heart of the plate and Laynce Nix promptly deposited it over the LF wall. He then got 3 quick outs. Wesley Wright went in to mopup the 9th and had a bit of trouble – gave up a leadoff homer to the slumping Brandon Phillips, walked the next hitter, gave up a screaming liner to second, then a long flyout to deep center, then a game ending flyout to the LF wall.
Bad news is that Lance is still having very bad ABs and appears to be looking for the walk. He is having weak grounders and a lot of limp flyouts to opposite field.
Good news is that Ivan Rodriguez hit 2 balls with authority – a homer that went around 410′ to straightaway center (and would have been out at home) and a double high off the LF wall. And, might could I add, he got Willy T out on one of his patented bunt for a hit in front of the moung – threw him out by a half step.
Michael Bourn is still appearing to have been Bourn again – he reached on error, stole a base, then walked and scored, then walked and stole another base. Unfortunately, he ended his night by striking out on a 3-2 count with 2 on. He went to a 3-2 count on 3 of his 5 PA and took 26 pitches in all – over 5 pitches/PA. This is most definitely heading into leadoff man territory and he has improved greatly since last year. He’s lucky that he’s Ed Wade’s pet, or he never would have had the chance. At least with THIS team.
Kaz went 3 fer 5 with 2 RBI, 2 runs scored and 2 stolen bases. AND he made a fine leaping catch and turned an excellent DP.
Carlos only had 1 hit, but it was a double over Willy’s head to deep center and it scored 2 runs – and of course, he threw out the incredibly dumb Ramon Hernandez.
Miggy hit the hardest hit ball I’ve seen him hit all year – went for a double to right center, and he scored a run. And didn’t GIDP.
Pence was ofer, didn’t hit any balls very well.
Geoff Blum went 2 fer 4 and scored a run. He’s hitting .328 overall, but only .183 with RISP and only .143 with RISP, 2 out. Over 70 PA, he’s only driven in 4 runs and he’s GIDP twice.
Tomorrow, it’s Edinson Volquez vs Felipe Paulino, the re-match.
Moehler and Backe are still rehabbing, still needing to throw longer and longer starts, and if Paulino pitches as he did in his first start and not his second, it will be MUY interesting to see what happens when either Moehler or Backe is ready to pitch in the bigs. Also, right now, Valverde has FINALLY been put on the DL so that his leg can heal and Fulchino has been recalled. It might could be that Paulino would take that spot if Valverde is still out when either starter is ready.
Youneverknow…
Tags: Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros
lisa i really get amused at how you belittle some of the players accomplishments of players you don’t like.Like on pudge’s 410 ft. homer last nite making a comment it would not have been a homer at MM, but i grant you would not have made that comment if it were berkman, bourn, or towles.first of all we were not at MM secondly it didn’t go to straightaway CF, it went somewhat right of that and would have clearly sailed over the 404 ft. marker, and pence did hit one ball extremely well when he hit a hard liner that the 3b snared.You take this favoritism to extremes lisa, and you seem to enjoy by your rhetoric players that you do not like very much when they do poorly. I believe that any impartial reader would definitely see that.
I took that to mean it would have out (of the park) at home, too. Maybe that’s not what she meant, but that’s how I read it.
_Gone_ out of the park, I meant. Sorry.
i see what i said about pudge’s homer wasn’t clear, sorry.
i did mean it would have gone out of the park at home too. best i can tell from the trajectory on hittrackeronline, right over the fence at the edge of the restaraunt