I was gonna title this – Tommy Hanson tells cops – gee officers, I don’t know what happened. I got pulled leading 1-0 in the 9th after giving up no walks, 5 piddly singles, NO hard hit balls and 99 Ks and a whole lot of stunned, dazed looking Astros faces only to watch Rafael Soriano give up a single to Kaz Freaking Matsui, then a double off the wall to Lance “Limp-bat” Berkman, an IBB to Clank “slowern cold Mo Lasses” Lee and then had to watch while Prado and Escobar stood like statues with thumbs up butt while they watched a Miggy Tejada GIDP ball roll slowly past them into center field to allow the winning run to score standing up – and then everything goes blank, officers, and next thing I know Prado and Escobar and the pitching coach there on the ground looking like Beetle Bailey after Serge gets through with him…
But I thought it was a little long, even for me.
Wandy pitched great. As usual. He gave up 1 lousy run on a walk, a groudout, then a single up the middle, but shut the Braves DOWN – 3 hits, 2 walks (both to Escobar), 6 K.
And for some reason, Coop pulled him after 7 innings, 85 pitches after he struck out 2 swinging and got a weak grounder in the 7th. He didn’t even look tired. But the bullpen is tired and overworked, Wandy looked great and the reason for pulling him is???? He couldn’t pitch 2 more innings because????? We needed to waste Wesley and Valverde because????
This is one of many reasons that Coop is not a good manager. I get so tired of people making excuses for him.
Wandy has yet ANOTHER no decision. It’s not that I am this big proponent of Wins as a judge of pitching excellence, but unfortunately arbitrators are and Wandy should get more credit than he does.
And I’m not making any excuses for the lousy performance of the Astros hitters. OR their stupid GIDPs – 2 of em, by The Usual Suspects. The Astros DID get a man to second – Lance who singled, then stole a base, but Clank grounded out. It would have been the GIDP trifecta, but unfortunately, there were 2 outs and Lance had ALREADY stolen second.
Good news is that Chris Johnson got to play, but only because Blum hurt himself breaking up a DP and Keppinger has a sore back. He didn’t get a hit, but MAN, what an arm – startled Lance. Announcing his Presence With Authority.
As for Valverde and his suddenly changed birthday – Ed Wade said something about um, er, oh, paperwork, mistake or something, no big deal (like what he said about Miggy.)
Valverde channelled Sgt Schultz to Jose Ortiz of the Chron and says – I know NOTHHHHHEENKKKK…. In fact, he doesn’t even know what he wrote on his very own website (July 24, 1978.) And I really appreciate Jose giving me and Tim the props.
And tomorrow, Roy Oswalt faces Derek Lowe. Derek is a well known ground-baller, so maybe tomorrow we can try to set the year’s records in GIDPs.
I heard in Coops postgame interview that Wandy complained of a tired arm and thats the reason he did not return. I was thinking the same thing, 85 pitches…. come on.
Carlos Lee looks old enuff and big enuff and slow ’nuff to play in those senior softball tourneys. Anyone checked his age lately?
Wandy said he would have been okay to pitch one more but felt like his fastball didn’t have its usual “pop”. I think maybe he was worried about not being able to shut them down next inning and wanted to give us the best chance to win.
well, he’s from panama and so that is different – guess they have a much tougher time with the lying
and jose had better check his birthday on HIS OWN WEBSITE
http://www.papagrandellc.com/ (look under the biography section)
because it is still listed as july 24,1979. guess he entered that wrong by mistake, hunh?