Russ Ortiz did a GREAT job – threw 7 innings, scattered 2 walks and 5 hits. Unfortunately, he got no help from his teammates OR his manager who started Darin Freaking Erstad instead of Berkman and sent crappy Matt Kata and Jason Michaels up to pinch hit instead of Maysonet, who hasn’t had so much as a PH AB in 8 days. Manager sure has a problem with “young” players, meaning he doesn’t want to play them.
Greinke wasn’t exactly unhittable, but when you have Erstad hitting 6th (you have a guy hitting his season HIGH of .140 hitting 6th, now WHY?????!!!!) it ain’t to hard to pitch out of jams.
sigh
It’s Luke Hochevar (1st pick in the 06 draft) and his 6.61 ERA tomorrow. He’s been extremely erratic – gave up 7 R in 4 IP vs the Dbax last start, but threw a 3 hit CG against the Reds the start before. And I would like to see Roy go all Wandy at home this time.
Oh yeah
TAYLOR JUNGMAN ROOLZ!!!!!
GO TEXAS!!!
Tags: Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals
Gotta give Coop a pass for not starting new papa Puma, who had the day off, and most likely pinch hit as a favor to the team. :>|
Erstad, who was more familiar with Greinke than most of the Astros, was probably the only choice to play 1st, unless maybe Backe is starting to take grounders there. I bet Coop misses Blummie big time, as his DL stint is really hamstringing the team. (Not to elicit sighing and moaning, but Brad A. would have been a decent option in this situation . . . )
I don’t see why Maysonet has been relegated to Doomsday Bench Hell, other than Drayton wants his money’s worth out of Kaz while he’s still alive and kicking.
Also, this might have been a nice time to bat Ortiz higher than 9th.
I won’t crush him for starting Erstad, because Berkman probably was due for a night off. But, you’re right about batting him 6th. Baffling. The Astros were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, and one of those 0s was Erstad in the first. He also grounded into a double play, and…WHAT!?…did Coop seriously have him trying to bunt for a base hit? If he’s gonna play Erstad, he needs to have them behind Pudge and Mastui. Who knows what happens if we have their 3-for-8 with someone actually on base?
Thanks for the shoutout to my Longhorns. That was a great performance by Jungman. And it sure took the LSU-loving commentators long enough to mention that he was having a GREAT game. I think the first positive thing I heard about him was the 7th or 8th inning. Hope they can pull it out tomorrow.
coop and wade are sick and eaten up with the DUMB ARSE. if coop is not going to play our best bench player, maysonet he might as well send him back to RR so he can play some baseball before he forgets how.
wags,
hard to believe that a SS/3B like keppinger is incapable of playing first base. even freaking loretta played there a couple of times.
the grousing is not that berkman got a day off.
the grousing is that erstad and michaels are being kept on this team and that cooper seems to hate rookies incredibly more than dusty baker had the rep of hating.
i would like to see a reporter with the nads to ask coop why maysonet has been benched and why a TERRIBLE bat like kata is being used instead. i’m sorry that ed wade didn’t step in about towles and maysonet like he did with bourn, but maybe he only has his little pets exempt from the rookie bashing
austin.
grinning
i am an equal opportunity booster or any baseball team/player from the state of texas. so if it was (shudder) T A&M, i would be rooting for them too.