What can I possibly say about Saturday’s game except – thank you Carlos Lee, for hitting a homer early on so we didn’t get shut out.
Lessee – Figgy is good n lousy and last night, lousy Figgy showed up. He did indeed get a few unearned runs – CJ scooped up a ball, double pumped and didn’t get the out. But Figgy threw a whole lot of pitches in the dirt and Castro didn’t block 2 of them and one of em led to a run. And Jim Edmonds hit a homer that went 316′ – clanged offn the LF foul pole a couple feet north of the yellow line, and all I can say is – too bad no chicken sandwich for that one.
But the opposite field homer to Jay Bruce into the RF bullpen was definitely no cheapo, and he was very lucky to get away with only 3 ER in 4.1 IP because he really wasn’t fooling anyone.
And, by the way, Pence needs to remember to hit the cutoff man. He fielded Rolen’s RBI single with men on first and third. Instead of hitting the cutoff man, he tried to throw out Votto, who is a GOOD runner at third, and waaaaayyy overthrew the ball, which went about 10′ to CJ’s right – no way he could get it AND tag out Votto – and Sanchez, playing short, was the cutoff guy and he looked as if he was in fact expecting the throw – which would have kept Rolen at first, not that it ended up mattering, but this has been a habit of Pence this year.
With only a 4 run lead, I was very surprised to see Mills send in Henry Villar, who, if yall remember, just finished AA and threw 102 innings with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP – actually, i was very surprised that he was promoted at all, but hey, with this Organization, youneverknow.
But anyway, his outing consisted of 2 straight walks, a single, a balk, a sac-fly and a HBP. 2 runs, no outs. It wasn’t more because Chacin came in, faced a RIGHTY (goodness gracious!!!) and bailed his butt out.
Good news is that Wesley Wright FINALLY got to pitch after sitting for over 2 weeks and he got 4 straight outs with 3 Ks – and then he naturally got pulled for a righty. Paulino followed, immediately gave up a homer to Drew Stubbs which sailed through the first archway in left, but then got the next 5 outs.
Del Rosario, the guy we picked up on waivers from the Reds, immediately showed why the Reds didn’t want him no mo – groundout, single, single, K, double, single, groundout – and 2 runs.
Good news is that Brian Esposito, age 31, finally got his first ML PA – got 2 of em, actually, a groundout and a flyout to the warning track in right – but hey, a ML AB after 10 years is a ML AB. He’s one of zillions of catchers who are great at catching but can’t hit a lick – JD said that Roy-O said he really liked throwing to him this spring. Blowouts are good for stuff like this.
Today is noteable for this being Michael Bourn’s 28th straight day he has reached base. Which is teh kewl.
The Astros scored 3 runs off Travis Wood, and then CJ homered off reliever Jordan Smith, which turned out to be very fortunate because Matt Lindstrom was massive suckage again today – he got 2 popflies to right, gave up a double to Joey Votto off the LF bullpen wall – WHY would anyone throw a FB right down the middle of the plate to the NL MVP (and yes he SHOULD be)???!!! and he gives up an RBI single on a low inside FB which goes right up the middle, then ANOTHER FB right down the middle – seriously, groin high, mid plate and Ramon Hernandez hits it into the Crawford Boxes.
sigh
Melancon gets the final out then Brandon Lyon does his usual get 2 outs, then make it, uh, interesting, giving up 2 singles before getting Joey Votto to pop out – and yes I WAS surprised that Mills didn’t pull Lyon and send in Abad, who was already warmed.
youneverknow.
2 week road trip time – 4 games in DC, then 3 games in Pittsburgh, day off, then 3 games at the GAB (my Gawd, I almost wrote Riverfront), then a day off, then we finish off the season with a 3 day series with the C*bs.
Tags: Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, MLB
let us not forget to mention Quintero who was the real hitting hero who knocked in the first 2 runs with a nice single and took second on the throw in and then third on a throwing error and then scored the 3rd run of the game on a short SF.
Way to go Q.
Also just a little jibe, i have got to mention Bourn’s second base running blunder in about a week when he took off for third on a hard grounder to the shortstop and was thrown out by a mile. The other day he was thrown out by a mile at third base trying to go for third from first on a sharp single to leftfield.
Just thought it was worth mentioning since Pence would have been chastised for it has you never fail to nail him on every little thing he does wrong. Bourn has made Quite a few blunders this season, but luckly his great speed has bailed him out on so many of them.
sceptor,
you are right, i should have mentioned Q – but this is what happens when you are trying to write a quick summary.
and you are ALSO right about bourn and obviously misjudging that grounder to short. he HAS had problems with deciding when to go – reading ground balls off the bat, reading flies to shallow OF from his position at second. this is the third time this MONTH, if i am counting right. and i am including the time he should have scored from second on a double to left center and the time he should NOT have run from 3rd on a single to shallow left…
wicked smile
but at least he throws to the cutoff man…
yes he does
not so wicked of a smile