Eased back into the closer’s role, hunh, Fast Eddie? Hows about eased back onto the DL? He supposedly “feels great” but Lyon’s pitches either aren’t finding the strike zone or aren’t moving real too much. 13 of his 21 pitches weren’t in the strike zone – well, actually 12 because the ump clearly missed one pitch. He gave up a solo homer last night and a 3 run job to Brian McCann tonight, (seems that SOB beat us with a homer in the last inning the last series) and then after giving up a double to Chipper, got pulled for Francosco Rodriguez. Lyon’s ERA is now over 10
Today, we got to watch Jason Bourgeois play LF like it’s supposed to be played, and Bourn and Pence – great gloves, hitting 1,2,3. Bourn scored 1 and Pence 2, as Clank actually hit today.
Actually, Clank is tearing the cover offn the ball this month – he’s 13 fer 35 with 8 (?!?!?!) walks, 4 doubles, 5 RBI, 1 HR. The way he’s going, he just might could be tradeable, youneverknow. Yeah, I know, small sample size, but sometimes, that is all people care about.
And yeah, naturally Wallace was benched.
You wanna know about Lyles. He pitched tolerably well, giving up 3 doubles (one to the pitcher!!!!) a homer and 4 singles, 2 walks and 5 K over 6.1 IP.
I guess I wasn’t too surprised Millsie-poo sent him back out for the 7th after 106 pitches – wanted to give him a chance for that first W. But the first batter ROE4, moved to second on a sac-bunt, then Uggla, hitting like .174, singled, and Escalona came in a rescued him by getting a GIDP.
He doesn’t seem to have WOW stuff, but, like, so what? He’s doing tolerably well and as long as he isn’t getting left in to get the confidence pounded out of him, I’ll take it. Still haven’t heard who is going down when Wandy gets back. Too bad it can’t be Lyon going back on the DL – but he’s earning 5 mill a year, so someone who is actually effective will get shttcanned instead cuz $$$$ talks.
Speaking of pitching, Felipe Paulino is now starting for the Royals after completely failing as a reliever for the Rox. He just started his first game and threw 6.2 innings, giving up 2 ER, getting a ND.
Barmes is still sucking BIG time, but Fast Eddie is determined to have ONE of his Big Bat middle infielder FA stick, so I doubt we’re gonna see him benched for Sanchez or Downs even though that supposed Big Bat sure does need some of that Extendra stuff that Bob is always sending me emails about trying out.
And all yall know that the Giants signed Bill Hall after Freddie Sanchez and Mike Fontenot both went on the DL – now watch him hit like Jose Bautista…
Tomorrow, we face Tommy Hanson, who has started 4 games vs the Astros over 30 IP, giving up 14 H, 3 BB and 5 R/ 3 ER. This year, he has pitched `13 games over 76 IP with a 2.56 ERA/1.06 WHIP and a .195 BAA.
Tags: Atlanta Braves, Braves, Houston Astros, MLB
Lisa, you and I BOTH know, as soon as Jim Crane’s signature is still wet on that bill of sale, Ed Wade’s gonna put up a fire sale sign outside MM Park. So Bourn
Pence, and Wallace…..beware. I had to laugh last week when Ed Wade and Crane had a weekend “chat”, because Wade wanted to ‘splain why he gave Bill Hall and Barmes all that money. Kinda covering up his royal screw up. Speaking
of Hall, he walked at his first at bat, then struck out two more times!! Yeah, the
Giants really got a “gem” there!! I’m still laughing about it! Becky:)
becky,
crane has no money and neither do any of his 30 partners. of COURSE there is gonna be a fire sale. then again, having money doesn’t mean the owner is gonna spend it opn the team. look at miser carl pohlad. look at the atholetics’ lew wollf, who is doing his best to try to completely destroy baseball in oakland – with bud selig’s blessing.
sigh
17 HRs so far this season given up by your favorite FA pitcher. His trade value is plummeting. If EW thinks fast, maybe he could be the gone guy when Wandy returns.
According to radio [Milo], Michaels just made a “blue star” tumbling catch. TV watchers: Was it legit, or a nice finish to a screwed up play?
Lisa said: “crane has no money and neither do any of his 30 partners.”
– It’s really astonishing to me that this point isn’t getting ANY attention from any of the same writers who are obsessed with the Dodgers and Mets. McCourt has been a horrible owner in L.A., but his deal was much better secured than this Astros/Crane deal. McCourt’s deal might have been leveraged, but it was leveraged with actual land and assets that had clear value. If McCourt didn’t raid the Dodgers’ coffers to the tune of $150 million (or more), then the Dodgers would be in fine shape right now, with cash to spare.
Meanwhile, I don’t believe the entire Crane group, combined, is worth the $680 million Crane is paying for the Astros, and Crane — incredibly — said on Day 1 that his group wouldn’t be happy underwriting losses during any rebuilding phase. With the Astros in last place, with a horrible farm system, and with attendance that gets worse by the day, this Crane deal seems like a clear disaster waiting to happen. And yet, no one in the MLB media seems to have noticed.
ann,
nobody gives a flip about the astros – we are so unimportant that there is talk of moving a 50 year NL franchise to the AL so that we can have a rivalry with dallas.
there are no glamour players, houston is a cow town in flyover country and the dodgers/mets are important franchises because they are in cities that writers like to be in/go to. the astros have 1 pennant, no WS, no HOF players (biggio- like, the guy who got hit by pitches and bagwell, the roider – you KNOW he used because houston is a hotbed of steroid use because of all the guys who were here who spread the gospel of use – and besides, males are not capable of gaining muscle weight without shooting up – so yeah, roider?) and if we were contracted, even, like so what?
the entire crane group, best i can find out, which is not real too easy, is not worth 680 mill any more than i am. nobody cares that crane’s leveraging is exactly like the real estate bubble when “values” were based on expected values based on gambling with imaginary shares of stuff that didn’t exist.
nobody will care that crane has said that he is not going to put any money into this franchise – bud and the other owners are fine with it – bud only cares about lowering player salaries and maximizing owner profit – and if that means we have another pirates franchise, like, so what? the only reason anyone talks about the pirates is because they are int he north and in the eastern time zone – and even then, really, the only reason any of the media “care” about the pirates is because they get to write about how they are losers and how it’s all barry lamar’s fault for leaving for BIG money and The EVULLL Barry is really what destroyed the franchise.
anyway, this team is certainly NOT going to get “rebuilt” – look at the lousy farm that fast eddie and gang have assembled after 4 years – and this year’s draft is not exactly any good. unless crane and gang are gambling that the MLBPA will agree to have some low slot levels for prospects so that there will not be “signability” concerns – in return for selling out young guys, they will get some small concession like raising minimum salary 20% or something. you betcher ass there won’t be anything done for minor leaguers – maybe another hundred a week or something – like, you know, big deal.
and still you have to pick good prospects and DEVELOP them and let’s face it – this franchise hasn’t developed hardly anyone for over 10 years – and when they DO develop someone, they play crappy veterans and let young guys rot away in AA/AAA.
STILL
in spite of the fact that this team is last in the majors – and for a very good reason.
MLB only cares that the yankees and the red sox are in the playoffs every year. let’s be real here. bud is even fixing the playoffs to make sure that they pretty much CAN’T miss being in the playoffs every freaking year.
wags,
who besides fast eddie is surprised that the WB has returned to suckage? he wouldn’t THINK of trading away his little petsie-poo. he ran after the ol WB like pepe le pew runs after the cat with the paint stripe down her back (only the ol WB didn’t run real too hard)
milo is senile and he sez whatever the management tells him to – and they LIKEY michaels proven veteran
also,