This team hasn’t won a road series since like a year ago.
Let’s see – 2 out of 3 times, the hitters hit well enough to overcome lousy relief pitching. None of the 3 starters pitched great. Wandy wasn’t the previous 2 games terrible, but he wasn’t the same guy who just shut it DOWN the first 2 months – 3 ER/5.1 IP – 9 hits, 1 walk, NO HR.
Jordan Lyles pitched great for 4 innings, but got go himself so rattled by 2 errors to start off the 5th inning that he just couldn’t – shall we say – get a grip, and with Chris Sale, who by the way, is REALLY good, on the mound, that was the end of the game right then and there – all that was left was for Rhiner Cruz and Wesley Wright to give up lots more runs. We have an 8 man bullpen and they’re all very tired.
I should note that something is very wrong with Rhiner Cruz – he didn’t pitch between May 31 and June 7 – he’d given up runs in 3 of 16 appearances. In his 2 June appearances, he’s given up NINE runs over 1.2 IP. Both games were total blowouts, and he contributed mightily to them. I know that there is some kind of virus going around the team, and maybe he’s sick, but he could hardly throw the ball on Saturday
Lucas Harrell pitched decently yesterday – went out to start the 8th inning (see my previous sentence about tired bullpen) but gave up a single after an out and Wilton Lopez gave up a 2 run homer to let it score.
What was really remarkable was the numbers of homers flying out. I remembered The Cell being the Coors of the AL (next to Rangers’ Ballpark) but 13 homers over 3 games is unbelieveable.
Game 1, Bogusevic, Lowrie and Brett Wallace hit homers. Sox had none.
Game 2, Sox hit 14 singles and a solo homer, 3 walks, 2 ROE and a sac -fly. Lowrie had a solo homer
Game 3, Astros had FOUR homers: Wallace, Maxwell, Altuve and JD martinez. Adam Dunn, Paul Konerko and Orlando Hudson all hit homers, only 1 off Harrell.
Speaking of Brett Wallace – he’s played the very best I can ever remember him playing. This time, he doesn’t seem to be on a short leash – I mean, choke collar. Every other time, seemed that management couldn’t WAIT to bench him against leftys and replace him with Carlos Lee the second he had any struggles. He’s playing better Up Here than he did at AAA. He looks like a different guy and there just might could be life in the guy yet. Only thing he still can’t do is run fast.
I wonder what they’re gonna do with him. We all know they’re DESPERATE to dump Clank and save at least a couple mill, seeing as how the draft basically doesn’t give compensation for other teams signing FA any more. But they have pimpee 1B Jonathan Singleton at AA and you know they don’t want to waste him or trade him.
I would guess that there is a possibility that they would trade Chris Johnson – was gonna say how incredibly much better he has been with the glove this year, and he is, in spite of the 2 errors he made in the last 2 days that led to runs. but that is just because he was felling so sick, right? Anyway, he’s a LOT better than other Ml third basemen out there and there is definitely trade interest. Not sure that Brett Wallace has the glove to play third, but then again, there are more than a few guys at third who don’t have the glove to play third. And please don’t bring up Jimmy Paredes (literally) because he absolutely stinks with the glove.
And while we’re on the subject of stink, someone needs to explain to me why Jonathan Villar is the Astros’ 4th best prospect when he can’t hit and can’t field. And has anyone noticed how we never hear Jio Mier and Junior Deshields being loudly pimped any more?
Day off today, then we’re off to San Fran – I absolutely hate those late start games.
Tues: Bud Norris vs Madison Bumgardner, LHP: faced him twice last year: lost one at the Box – 7 R/6.2 IP and won the other in San Fran with 1 run/6.1 IP. This year he’s pitched 12 games over 80 IP with 74 H, 18 BB, 62 K, 8 HR, 29 ER/33 R, 3.26 ERA. 1.14 WHIP.
Since coming up in 09, Bud has pitched only once vs the Giants, and that was in San Fran 2 ER/7 IP with 3 hits and 1 walk.
Wed: J Happ vs Matt Cain, RHP (one of those great pitchers who Just Doesn’t Know How To Win). Matt was a first rounder in 02 and has been worth every penny he’s ever been paid – he just hasn’t had nearly enough run support. Faced him once last year – great pitchers duel betwen him and Bud – gave up 2 ER/8 IP and their bullpen eventually lost – right after ours almost lost. Faced him twice in 2010: won the first game with 3 ER/6.2 IP and lost the second game with one of his 3 bad games that year – 7 runs/2.2 IP. (By the way, you talk about great post-season pitcher – zero earned runs over 3 games).
This year, he’s pitched 12 games over 86 IP: 65 H, 18 W, 82 K, 7 HR: 23ER/ 27 R: 2.41 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP (!!!!!)
J Happ has pitched 2 games vs the Gaints since being called up in 08. Really. 2 starts, 6 innings each, one at San Fran – 4 H, 4 W, 2 R at Phone Park last August.
Thurs: Wandy vs Barry Zito (who, as usual, is starting off the year well. Well, hadn’t remembered that he missed almost all of last year) so Astros haven’t seen him since 2010 – he won one game with 3 ER/7 IP and lost the other with 5 ER/4 IP) and it will be interesting to see which leftys get to start.
Wandy, believe it or not, has never pitched in San Fran and has only faced the Gaints 4 times since being called up in 05. Really. He’s thrown 4 games over 23.2 IP with 26 H, 12 BB, 18 K,1 HR, 9 ER/16 R. Last faced them last August at home, 5 H, no runs/8 IP. Of their current roster, only Angel Pagan (.215) and Ryan Theriot (.297) have had more than 10 AB against him. Aubrey Huff is 3 fer 7.
Tags: Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros
