It was kind of funny – the re-do, I mean. Greinke pitched today because, having thrown 4 pitches yesterday (besides warmup) he wasn’t exactly tired. But the game started out the same with Jordan Schafer getting on base, this time with a clean single, and Altuve driving him in with a double. 1 run scored, no outs.
Lyles pitched 7 really good innings, giving up a solo homer to Rickie Weeks for 1 run, then a double to the LF bullpen to Braun and an RBI single to Aramis Ramirez in the 6th. He threw 7 pitches, was steady at 99 pitches with the Astros leading 3-2. Greinke is gonna be the first starting pitcher to lose games in which he started 2 days in a row since like 40 something years ago and for ONCE, the Astros are gonna be in the news for something besides suckage.
Anyway,
we’re talking about a 1 run lead here folks, and you KNOW this team’s bullpen is not exactly steady. Bottom of the lineup coming up and Millsie poo is gonna play matchups again because Lyles isn’t veteran enough to demand the ball.
So you can guess the rest. Wesley Wright comes in, walks Aoki (he’s good at that – both Wesley and Aoki, actually) and Nyjer Morgan sac-bunts. Ryan Braun up, can’t let him face a lefty. So in comes ex-setup man Lyon, who has been teh sukc lately, and naturally, he immediately gives up the game tying hit to Ryan EFF Braun. Sorry Jordan – you pitch great for once, you got nothin to show for it. Braun steals second and third while Aramis is at bat, but both he and Corey Hart K.
Tie game. Oh jeez. And while the ol WB allows a single, then a walk, he doesn’t give up the tying run and if the guys don’t win in the bottom of the 9th, well, the Astros have not won ONE single extra inning game this YEAR.
Froddy comes in – oh jeez NOOOOOO. He’s been flogged near to death and you KNOW it is OVAH. He walks Nyjer Morgan – not a good idea – and sure enough, he’s on second with the very next pitch. So Braun is IBBd. I really can’t fault that no matter HOW much I hate the whole idea of free passes. Aramis Ramirez walks after a strike and a foul. Bases loaded, no outs. And Corey Hart then hits this little nubber just past the mound toward the middle, no one can really get it right and the run scores. Game ovah, but there are 3 more outs. Weeks singles to right, one run in, no outs – no one is gonna run on Bogu. Froddy Ks the next 3 batters, but it’s a lil too late to do the right thing now. Walks kill.
Jon Axford, the closer, comes in and gives up a single to Snyder and another single to 8-Mill, then Schafer sac-bunts (my GOD I hate giving up outs when the team only has 3 of em left) and Altuve Ks staring and Scott Moore Ks swinging at a curve in the dirt.
And the Astros have the worst record in the major leagues firmly in hand going into the break.
Oh yeah – our Futures game star last year was Jose Altuve. This year, Jonathan Singleton represents, and he went 3 (singles) fer 4 with a walk, a CS, an RBI and 2 runs scored. I did watch a couple of innings and I’ll say this – the difference between AA (which most of the guys are) pitchers and fielders – and ML pitchers and fielders is like the difference between a 12 year old an an adult. One of the reasons I don’t like minor league ball, the other being the (swear words) DH.
Last Futures Game I watched from start to finish was the 2004 game we went to – and the place wasn’t even 1/3 full – times change. That year, we sent Willy Taveras and Chris Burke – ain’t even 10 years, they’re both out of baseball. I was really impressed by pitchers Jose Capellan (who ended his very unremarkable career as a reliever with the Astros AAA club in 09) and Felix Hernandez (right on that one) and was completely unimpressed by Matt Cain (VERY wrong) and by David Wright’s glove (he got better). I see that Prince Fielder was there, but he didn’t grab my attention, and I thought Robinson Cano and Dioner Navarro were the complete and total sukc. Right on one, wrong on the other. Some guys became huge stars, others like Kyle Sleeth didn’t make their way out of AA – although Sleeth had his 3+ mill signing bonus to keep him warm at night.
You really, REALLY just don’t never know…
Tags: Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers
Folks are pinning everything on Mills. I don’t think Crane will be as responsive to fan input as Drayton was. I think booing Mills would accomplish no more than giving the booer some kind of release.
Mills is in an impossible situation. He’s managing a bunch of little kids, and these little kids are presumably the best in the system (probably with the exception of Brett Wallace). The best they have make mistakes the manager can’t do anything about.
When he brings in FRod, what do we know that Mills doesn’t? For all we know it’s orders from above. Maybe other teams are scouting him and see his fastball, the same one Mills knows can be effective.
What more can Mills and Brocail (or any possible replacements) do as far as coaching relievers other than say, “You there, pitch better!“
wags
i don’t expect mills to make chicken salad out of chicken poopoo but i DO expect him to not use 6 relievers per game, completely exhaust them, because he KNOWS there aren’t any others at AAA
but you’re right, he might have right next to zero to say about who does/doesn’t play, when and where.
i don’t know how pitching coaches do things other than to look at motion and release and repeatable delivery
and yeah, i don’t think that crane cares real too much about fan response to anything or he wouldn’t have moved to the DH league, losing most of the fans remaining. he figures that he’ll keep getting the usual crowd of people who wander in and don’t know/care anything about baseball, and the corporate writeoff seats that are almost always empty. you don’t need actual FANS to make money.
Yeah, Braun, Kemp, Bonds, Clemente are/were IBB exceptions.
Great honest disclosures on 2004 Futures game talent scouting. I remember having my doubts about Fielder, and Capellan was a Top Prospect in everyone’s book. Probably would have drafted him before the Prince (wince).
Lisa: Would you remind me of why you don’t like the concept of the DH?
Largely because there’s no strategy involved in the DH rule. In the AL, you’re assured of someone who can hit in place of the pitcher. In the NL you aren’t. So you have to juggle your pitchers’ ability with the chance of pinch hitting for them with a decent hitter. Most pitchers can’t hit for moose hooey.
In the AL, the managers are relieved of such managerial burdens.
It’s no accident why the AL is considered the JUNIOR circuit. It is an haven of managers who otherwise wouldn’t cut it in the NL.
zagger
because i believe that the DH is the exact opposite of what the game of baseball is all about – that everyone has strengths and weakness and must take his turn – 9 guys vs 9 guys. i know i’ve written about it before, and am going to write about it again at the end of the year.