Ortiz didn’t deserve what happened. He pitched GREAT, gave up 6 hits – 4 singles, a double and a solo homer – NO walks and 5 K and 2 GIDP and 2 runs. He was cruising in the top of the 8th, got the first out, after cruising through the 7th getting 3 quick outs on 8 pitches. For absolutely no reason I can think of, Coop pulled Ortiz in favor of Tim Byrdak.
WHY???
Ortiz is at 90 pitches, not tired, throwing well. I mean, he just had him hit in the bottom of the 7th, and then pitch to 1 guy in the 8th???
Is this Coop’s usual unspeakably stupid crap about the lefty/righty thingy? Who knows? Why not let Ortiz finish the game? WHY won’t the reporters EVER ask Coop questions like that???
And with 2 out, and a 1-2 count, Valverde decided to replay the Brad Lidge Albert Pujols debacle and goodbye ball game. Yep, Inge sent that ball over the railroad tracks, just like Uncle (proving yet again that you don’t have to be a large man to hit a ML fastball a LONG LONG way…)
So, with no further ado (with apologies to R Kelly) what I think I just might could have heard Mr. Lidge say to Mr Valverde:
“But you are not alone
Though I’m not there with you
Though we’re far apart (Thank God)
And you got took over the tracks
But you are not alone
Earlier tonight
I thought I heard you cry
Oh NOOO, not AGAIN
The second in 3 GAMES
I can hear your prayers
Your burdens I understand
Everyday I sit and ask myself
How did that pitch get away
Let me whisper in your ear and say
Like, dude, you are SOOOO screwing up your trade value
Throwing mid plate belt high FB
They get hit far away
And you’ll be there to stay…”
Of course, I should also note that the Astros were darn lucky to get 3 runs off 6 hits, a sac fly and no walks.
sigh
Valverde has given up 4 homers over 16.1 IP (17 games), saved 6, blown 4 (and lost 2 of those.)
Oh. By the way, the Cards went out and traded for Mark DeRosa, who is REALLY good and can play bout any position except pitcher and catcher. And all they gave up is a crappy middle reliever. We could have offered them Maysonet and Towles, seeing as how Cooper and the Astros regard them as about as good as a bucket of warm spit – something they should be reserving for Michaels and Kata.
Gerry Hunsicker would have been ALL ovah that. Of course, he wouldn’t have been signing/using the likes of Kata and Michaels in the first place, neither.
We’re off to play the Peavy-less Padres and game times will be starting at 9, so no writeups until the next day. Sorry. I GOT to get to bed earlier these days because I got to get up when it is a nice, frosty 75 degrees out to get stuff done because you know you GOT to be back inside before 9 AM.
Tags: Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros
I just read that the Astros have a tough roster decision coming up with Mike Hampton coming off the DL. Really? The only excuse they had was that Moehler has put together three straight solid starts. One was against the D-Backs (second-worst record in the NL), one against the Royals (third-worst record in the AL) and one against Minnesota (one game over .500 in arguably the worst division in baseball). And his ERA is still over 6.00. Doesn’t seem like a tough decision to me.
If they weren’t obsessed with lefty on lefty, they could also consider sending down Wesley Wright. Not a lot of teams would have use for a guy who has 18.2 innings in 22 appearances and an ERA of 5.30. Not much of a specialist, if you ask me. Only the Astros could spin a shortage of good pitching into a roster dilemma. lol
it is a SERIOUSLY difficult decision for coop. you know he would prefer to keep any Proven Veteran over a Young Player, but unfortunately, the YP is a lefty
actually, hampton has been teh sukc against every team that isn’t pittsburgh
That’s a very good point. I was only talking from the perspective of Mike Hamton’s being put back in the rotation being a given (because it is). BUT, you can’t even give me a very good reason why he NEEDS to be in the rotation. You ignore his games against Pittsburgh, which have been his only decent starts all year, and his ERA is Moehler-like.
By the way, if you wanna talk about a pitcher that’s had good starts lately…give it up for ROY-O! 2.40 ERA in his last four starts, and that’s even with giving up 5 earned against the Twins. 3.71 ERA on the month, and has allowed just one run in four of his last six starts. AND has pitched at least 7 innings in four of his six starts this month.
Moehler, who has two quality starts this month, a 5.54 ERA and has pitched more than six innings just twice all year, needs to go. It’s a no-brainer for anyone besides Cecil Cooper, and maybe his sensei, Phil Garner.