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ALL Four 2012 Division Series Last 5 Games And The Cards Win

Friday, October 12th, 2012

Orioles lost because CC Sabathia remembered how to pitch.

Giants beat the Reds in 3 away games – amazing how many teams won the away games this year. WHAT home field advantage?

Justin Verlander pitched like Justin Verlander does when he is ON and the Athletics couldn’t do a darn thing about it.  Wonder how much is gonna be left of that team by April 1. Maybe half?

And those darn Cardinals just will NOT die. No Lance Berkman, Matt Holliday “hitting” like a SS, a SS hitting like Matt Holliday, Yadi Molina not hitting anything. And, of course, Carlos the Jackal doing his usual (except for bottom of the 9th 2 out 3 pitch K 2006) postseason thing. By now, he has like THE highest postseason OPS like evah. Too bad it wasn’t with us. Can you imagine how much better we’d have been in 05 with him instead of Willy Taveras?

Where was I?
Oh yeah, the game.

Tonight’s heroes? You’ll nevah guess.

I really should have gone over to Mama’s – Husband was right. I mean, my phone is bout wore out from all the talktalktalk – more than if we were watching the game, I suspect.

Adam Wainwright was not exactly an ace tonight – he started off the game – double, triple, home run. Pitches all up, middle of the plate, curve not curving. He appeared to wright himself, finished the inning with 3 Ks, looked OK in the second, but in the 3rd, there he went again – homer, double, K, homer.  Matheny yanked him, sent in Joe Kelly, who got the outs.

At the end of the 3rd, I said – that’s it, Gio is cruising, the Cards are toast. I don’t THINK so, said my Mama. They aren’t Astros, you know. It’s funny – one of my baseball buddies said something like – I absolutely HATE the (swear words) Cardinals. No matter which washed up pitcher or crappy minor leaguer they pick up or call up, they all suddenly turn into Babe Ruth/Brian Doyle ’77/Pedro 99 and they only have a few wins over .500 and have NO business in the playoffs and here they (swear words) are again.

So even though I felt gloomy, I wasn’t ready to shut off the TV and find something else to do. Husband shrugged – he knows it is October and he KNOWS what is gonna be on TV in October.  He sat down to watch it with me, said – who you gonna root for – Nats or Giants? I told him prolly Giants, because of Hunter Pence. Our guys have to leave Houston in order to get a Ring.

Fourth inning, Gio walks the Jackal, then Matt Holliday hits (for once) a double, and there goes the shutout. Craig, Molina and Freese strand him.

Joe Kelly gets 1,2,3.

Fifth inning, Gio, uh, does not look like any sort of ace. NOT the ump’s fault – actually he did a good job tonight – only 4 missed pitches I can see. Descalso doubles, Kozma singles, pinch hitter Shane Robinson walks. Bases loaded, no outs. Jon Jay pops out. The Jackal is up – Descalso scores on a WP, then the Jackal walks. Matt Holliday grounds out into a 1-2, then Allen Craig walks in a run, and Yadi Molina takes 2 balls, then stupidly swings at ball 3 and flies out. Only 2 more runs, but it’s

Nats 6 Cards 3

Trevor Rosenthal comes out, throws 100 MPH heat, gets 1,2,3. Too bad he can’t/doesn’t throw more than 1 inning.

6th – Craig Stammen gives up a single, gets 2 outs, then Sean Burnett gets the last out. Righty Mujica comes in, gets Morse and Desmond to groundout, gives up a single and a walk, then PH Roger Bernadina Ks.

7th – Edwin Jackson relieves. He walks Jon Jay, then Carlos the Jackal hits a grounder to the RF corner and it’s men on first and third, no out. Matt Holliday grounds 6-3 and Jay scores. Craig Ks (he had a lousy game, yes) Yadi walks, David Freese up for Hero Time, but no, he Ks swinging.

So, says Husband, you think your Mama gonna root for the Tigres, seeing as how the Cards are done for? YOU ask her, I said. I mean, It sure looks like it’s over because it will be Clippard and Storen – maybe they’ll get to Clippard, because he’s looked VERY tired the past few weeks. Youneverknow.

Nats 6 Cards 4

Mitchell Boggs comes in and gets Werth, Harper and Zimmerman.

8th – Sure enough, it’s Clippard and he gives up a leadoff homer to Descalso. But then he gets 3 outs, so it’s

Nats 6 Cards 5

Chipped away a little, but not quiiiiite enough, unfortunately. They should have scored more runs int he 5th – I mean, bases loaded, no outs and only 2 runs??!! And in the 7th, too. Ah well.

Closer Jason Motte is in – no complaints, seeing as how Boggs just got pinch hit for and the other relievers are used up and Eyechart has been teh sukc. So naturally, he gives up 2 straight singles. Then a FC from Desmond and it’s men on first and third for Espinoza, who has had like 1 hit this series, and he pops up. Chad Tracy pinch hits and pops up too. So there is ANOTHER run – just what the Cards didn’t need to give up because they’re now back to 2 runs down and it’s

Nats 7 Cards 5

9th – In comes Drew Storen to slam the door SHUT. He faces the Jackal, who doubles. Holliday grounds out again. Allen Craig Ks. Now – remember how I said that the HP ump had done such a good job? Well – you remember the one strike away thingy from last year, right? Well – THIS time the one strike away is the strike that got away. Storen throw a perfect slider just above the knees down the middle. It gets called ball 1. Yadi swings and fouls one at his shoulders, then takes ball 2 in the same place. He fouls off a good FB, then takes 2 outside pitches for a walk. David Freese is up for Hero Time. But again Storen doesn’t get that strike call on the slider at the knees mid plate and Freese also walks.

Bases loaded again. And, by the way, Storen did have those 2 pitches not called strikes, but in both cases, he threw 2 more pitches waaayyy outside the zone, NOT close.

And Storen is facing the bottom of the lineup, the #7 hitter. Adron Chambers comes in to pinch run for Yadi and ain’t real too much left on the bench. Matheny is pulling out ALL the stops.

So Descalso comes in, swings at the first pitch and hits a ball into the 5.5 hole – Desmond can’t get hold of it in time to prevent 2 runs from scoring and WE HAVE A TIE GAME!!!!!!

It’s Pete Kozma, the #8 guy. Descalso takes off for second on the first pitch – which is a slider at the knees, mid plate, only this time it’s called a strike. Kozma takes strike 2. He lets 2 balls go by, then hits a FB belt high on the outside corner into right and 2 runs are in

AND THE CARDS LEAD 9-7!!!!

Jason Motte hits for himself and strikes out swinging on ball 3, which is neck high.

Jayson Werth flies out. Bryce Harper Ks, swinging at a pitch at his neck. Perfect climb the ladder sequence. Ryan Zimmerman pops out and

THUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHH Cardinals are going to the NLCS to face the Giants and Mike Rizzo is going to face an absolutely relentless press who is going to blame the whole failure on the shutdown on Strasburg and not on Werth hitting .238, Harper hitting .130, Adam LaRoche hitting .176 and Espinoza hitting .067. Also, wasn’t Strasburg who made all starting pitchers not named Detweiler uck-say. Gio Gonzalez is probably going to win the Cy Young and he threw 2 not ace quality games. To be nice about it.

AND, youneverknow, maybe Strasburg would have stunk it up in the playoffs – he didn’t look real too good by the end of his season. But Rizzo just might could be a leeeeetle bit overconfident about the team winning all these playoffs with Strasburg in the future. I COULD point out the 90s Braves, who won ONE WS. I could point out the Phils, who won ONE WS. I could point out ALL those Billy Beane Athletics teams which can’t nevah seem to get past round 1.

It’s baseball and youneverknow.

GO TIGERS!!!!!!

And Giants and Cards – well, I’m rooting for Hunter Pence to get a Ring. Lance already has his.

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Posted in 2012 NLDS, Carlos Beltran | 10 Comments »

10/8/12: RootRootRoot For Nats/Cards/Giants/Reds

Monday, October 8th, 2012

I don’t have a dog in this fight. Again. So, except for the game (Athletics vs Tigers) that was shown on the MLB network, WHICH IS NOT PART OF BASIC CABLE SERIOUSLY WTF???!!! I have kind of just rooted for the batter or pitcher or fielder, depending on who I happen to like more at any given second. Feels weird.

I do, however, have a cat in this fight – my Daddy’s cat, Louis (named after Saint Louis, who won last year). Louis is a Red (flamepoint) Siamese who is kind of like Curt Schilling, run his mouth all the time, got an opinion on everything and can’t stand to be ignored. If you are watching TV, you KNOW Louis gotta be watching it with you, gotta get a MRRRRRROOOWWWWWRRRRLLLL in there if you disagree with the AAAAAAARRRRRRRROOOOWWWWW.

Husband and I have been together almost 13 years now and he has long since accepted that if baseball is on, it’s gonna get watched, Astros or no Astros – he knew what he was getting BEFORE we got married. My Mama had told my Daddy about Her n Baseball, but he figured she probably looked up scores every now and then or had a crush on Mickey Mantle or something and by the time he found out what baseball FAN really meant, well, it was love her/love her baseball. As Bud Selig and Jim Crane have sold us Astros fans down the river, Mama last year switched her loyalty back to the Cards, her girlhood team. But somehow, even though she won’t admit it, it’s hard to have the same kind of love for some other team that we did for our Astros.

So this afternoon, Mama got baseball fever and had to leave work early and I switched out with gf for getting kidz, and we sat down to watch Cards vs Bryce Harper and the Nats, Game 2. Jordan Zimmerman, who has looked like a AA pitcher against the Cards pretty much his whole career (good for us) vs Jaime Garcia, nails at Home this year.

So Jaime starts out with 3 straight balls and it’s a 7 pitch 3-2 walk. Then Bryce Harper, fortunately swinging at balls, has a 7 pitch K. Ryan Zimmerman grounds out – nice 2 pitches, then Adam La Roche is up. Strike 1 and Strike 2 are called Ball 1 and Ball 2. Mama and I look at each other. I hate this – the ump figures that if the pitcher can’t find the strike zone, he ain’t getting no calls on the black. So naturally, LaRoche walks, but Michael Morse thoughtfully grounds into a 4-3. Great – 1 inning, 2 walks, 24 pitches. Jaime better straighten up.

Ryan Zimmermann comes up to pitch. Strike 1 is off the plate. Great – one of those – I don’t GOT no stinkin strike zone – type games. Jay Ks looking, Carlos the Jackal grounds out. Matt Holiday is up – fouls off the high inside pitch, then then next pitch down the exact middle of the plate – I mean, seriously – the EXACT middle of the plate – is Ball 1. Holliday had like ZERO excuse for letting THAT one go by. And he grounds out next pitch.

Got this feeling it’s gonna be a long ballgame. Mama and I have a big pan of mac-n cheese. LOTS of creamy gooey cheese. MMMMMMMMMMMM. Also, teriyaki chicken strips, nice n crispy. Grrls night out – can’t beat it. (Yes, I left food at home for starving Husband and Kidz. I swear all 4 of em got this bottomless pit.) Susanna (Mama’s BFF) texts she’ll be there by the 3rd inning at the latest save some mac-n-cheese. FAT chance. hahahaha

Oh yeah, the ball game.

2nd – Jaime back out. First pitch, Desmond singles. Espinoza up – same horsepoopoo with the strike zone – Ball 1,2,3 are clearly in the strike zone and pitch #4, just a little lower than 2 and 3, is called Strike 1. Desmond just misses pitch 5, right down the middle for a foul, then ball4 really IS way inside and it is walk #3. Jaime looks, uh, frustrated. Kurt Suzuki (catcher – he came over from Oakland) is kind enough to swing at ball 4 (yet ANOTHER 3-2 count). Pitcher up, hits the first pitch to right for a RBI. Carlos the Jackal, playing RF, throws off line, a little late, and the run is in. I still can’t get used to him not playing CF. Old, too many injuries, but my GOD he was SO good when he was young. I still remember 2004, because I hadn’t seen anyone play CF at the Box like he did. Jayson Werth flies out and Bryce Ks on pitch #8 – he’s having a leeeetle trouble with the curveball – he needs to tell JoBu where to get off. And he needs to quit rubbing his eyes because his mascara is smearing all over his face.

Man this game is taking a LONG time. Allen Craig up – hits an IF single to third. Yadi hits a slider that doesn’t to center for a single. David Freese, last year’s WS hero (next to Allen Craig) doubles in Craig. Descalso singles to right. My God – this is looking like the conga line in Baseball Bugs. Out trots the pitching coach, tells Zim to trust his stuff, throw strikes – you know, the usual. He gets Kozma swinging. (Oh yeah – discussed the Infamous IF Kozma bullstuff call with Mama and Susanna, who Know The Rules. They inform me that the call was actually correct IF you look at it as  ”the SS was camped under the ball” and NOT correct if you follow the spirit of the rule, which is to prevent the IF from purposely letting the ball drop for a DP – seeing as how Kozma couldn’t have thrown anyone out HAD he caught that ball.)

Then – HOLY SPIT – Jaime Garcia is out of the ballgame – no I am not kidding – 2 innings and he’s gone. Not that he was doing well, I’d bet he’s hurting. But anyway, Skip Schumacher is up to PH and he gets a 7 pitch 6-3 RBI. Desmond doesn’t even try to throw home. Jon Jay hits a ball to left – Descalso scores before Morse throws Jay out at second. Hard to tell if he was trying to stretch it into a double or trying to draw the throw to allow Descalso to score from second.

But it doesn’t end up mattering because it’s Cards 4 Nats 1

Jordan Zimmermann is throwing his usual crappy game against the Cards. I know, youneverknow, like Joe Saunders.

3rd inning: it’s Lance Lynn. I guess he’s long man – I didn’t understand why on earth he wasn’t one of the starters, seeing as how he’s been pitching lights out, but I guess it’s the senority thingy or something. Chris Carpenter ain’t who he was, but his manager/old catcher can’t see him relieving.

Anyway, Lance gets 2 Ks, a single and a GO on 16 pitches. He’s throwing strikes and getting hitters to swing at pitches out of the zone – something Jaime wasn’t doing. Zim comes back out – gets 2 quick outs, gives up a homer to Allen Craig to second deck LF (not quite Big Mac Land – I like that the sign is still up. Roids or no roids, he really entertained the masses, tsktsking current sportswriters included.) then gave up a single and got another GO.

Cards 5 Nats 1

Daddy comes in, looks at the remains of the Mac-n-cheese and teriyaki strips, goes into the kitchen to scrounge his own dinner. Louis trots after him, hoping to get scraps. It’s a PITA watching TV here. Because Husby-do is allergic to cats (it’s the hair) I have to wear this stupid paper catsuit (hahaha) – you know – the kind that you wear over your clothes when you go into the operating room where they do C-sections, and put one of those stupid paper caps over my braids. Louis finds this very amusing and he loves to wait until I’m not looking, then come up behind me and rub his face on my neck because he knows I’m going to have to go wash it off. If I keep watching him, he’ll purr and pat that stupid paper thingy with his paw, telling me – you just wait sista, I’ll be all OVAH you with cat lick. MWAAAAHAHAHAHA  MRRRRRRRRRRRWWWWOOOOOORRRRRRRRRR

Damm, it’s already an hour and a half and we’re just starting the 4th inning. In case all yall wondering how we are reacting to what the announcers are saying, we cut the sound after the like 5 zillionth time we heard about The Shadows Affecting The Game. That was like, after, like, around 20 minutes, or 3 hitters.

Lance Lynn back out. Espinoza thoughtfully bunts out. Why he’s bunting when he can hit, I don’t know. Suzuki is called out on 3 straight pitches – he’s NOT happy because the first 2 were inside. But it’s this – constantly changing strike zone thingy – that seems popular this postseason. (The strike zone that Verlander got in game 1 was Eric Gregg deja vu all ovah again.) Jordan Zimmerman is out – not surprised because he was awful and the Nats are already behind 4 runs and Lynn is lookin good. PH Roger Bernadina walks, does not try to steal a base, I guess because Jayson Werth might could get IBB. And Jayson Ks swinging at ball 3.

Setup man Craig Stammen, RHP, is in. Descalso takes strike 1 off the plate, ball 1 in the dirt, then hits the next FB right down the middle barely over the wall into CF, right next to the RF bullpen. He hit 4 homers this YEAR!!! Kozma walks – and this one is legit. What happens next is teh kewl. Lance Lynn sac bunts, Stammen fields it, throws offline to second instead of taking the sure out at first, and Kozma goes to third. MUCHO kewl. It’s not called an error, but it is a mental, um, effup. And in keeping with mental effups, Danny Espinoza boots an easy 4-3 by Jon Jay and Kozma scores. Really.  CarlosBeltran is up, Jay takes off for second after a couple of pickoff throws. Carlos walks on 5 pitches WAAAAYYYY out of the zone – even for Marvin Hudson.

Stammen is yanked, in comes Christian Garcia, RHP, who gets the next 2 outs without allowing any more runs.

Cards 7 Nats 1

5th – Lance Lynn back out. Gets Bryce Harper swinging. Harper looks BAD – trouble is that with this guy, youneverknow when he is gonna figure it out and make YOU look BAD. Lance is throwing too many pitches out of the zone, comes in waaaay too much, gives up back to back homers to Ryan Zim and Adam LaRoche. He then gets Morse and Desmond 1 pitch apiece.

Christian Garcia back out. Yadi takes a 7 pitch walk. Man, this sure is a “moneyball” game with all these walks – not that I blame the hitters, mind, because swinging at pitches out of the zone is not a smart idea. But between all the time it takes for the pitcher to get the ball and throw the darn thing, and all the walks, it makes the game too much like one of those icky DH containing games with Yankees/Red Sox in it. Well, not so much Red Sox these days, yeah, I know (and speaking of Red Sox, apparently Larry Lucchino, having completely failed with HIS hand picked manager Bobby V, is gonna pick the manager again his own self. Not sure why he doesn’t trust his handpicked GM to get the job done, but there you go – Drayton McLane all ovah again.)

Where was I?

Oh yeah. The game. David Freese takes a 5 pitch walk and yeah, Ball 4 was RIGHT on the black. It drives pitchers crazy because they can’t guess whether or not the EXACT same pitch will be called a ball or strike. But Descalso GIDP and Kozma Ks.

6th – RHP Joe Kelly comes in and gets 3 outs on 8 pitches. There haven’t been ANY innings with 3 outs on less than 16 pitches, so far. Jon Jay makes a great catch on Espinoza’s flyball, after starting to cut the wrong way. I didn’t think he was gonna get there. I don’t guess the Cards are missing Colby Rasmus after all.

Mike Gonzalez (yeah, the guy who used to close for the Pirates) LHP comes in. He gets PH Shane Robinson – so we’re gonna have the – each reliever gets an inning – thingy instead of letting Kelly pitch a couple. At least they aren’t pulling pitchers in the middle of innings for endless leftylefty matchups. He gets 2 outs on 4 pitches, then Carlos Beltran remembers 04. He takes a couple of inside pitches, fouls off 4 pitches, then hits one over the LF fence. Holliday takes 2 balls and a called strike, swings at something at his ankles, then gets called out on a pitch waaay inside at his elbow.

Time for robot umps. This is ridiculous.

And then I get a call from Husband asking me to get the kidz because he’s still at work (and starving) so I miss the rest of the game. Which is a shame because Edward Mujica, mopup guy, comes in, gives up a single to Werth, a double to Bryce Harper (remember I said about him suddenly remembering how to hit) and a fun play in which Ryan Zim flies out to Holliday, who makes a lousy throw, which Descalso retrieves, and they catch the aforementioned Bryce Harper gettin a leeeettle extra greedy, tryin for third and he is O-U-T out. So all the Nats end up getting is 2 runs, and they needed more and youneverknow, they just might could have. It always helps when the opposing team is thoughtful enough to get their own selves out.

Cards tack on 4 more runs in the 8th and Carlos the Jackal hits another homer.

So the series is tied up at 1-1 and they’re off to Washington where it will be Chris Carpenter vs Edwin Jackson, who got absolutely KILLT in his last start against Saint Looey a few weeks back, giving up 9 runs over 1.1 IP.

You know, lots of people were going on and on and on about Strasburg, how he was feeling fine, he should have kept on pitching, the way the Nats decided to do his schedule was dumb, look at the Braves and Kris Medlin. Lots of good it did the Braves, hunh? But If the Nats get beat by the Cards, you KNOW we won’t be hearing the end of it for, goodness knows how long. Until the Nats win a WS, prolly.

It turns out I was right and Jaime WAS hurt – he went and got his shoulder MRId – something is hurting and he had missed all that time on the DL earlier this year. He may not be back, and Lance Lynn just might could be starting when they go on the the NCLS. You notice I said WHEN. Louis told me so.

Some wonderful news, the Orioles beat Andy Pettitte and the Yankees. I love it when the Yankees lose.

Tomorrow, it’s San Fran vs the Reds. Yesterday, I watched Tim Lincecum pitch in relief. His FB topped out at 90. Whoa. The Athletics are gonna have to come back from the dead at Detroit tomorrow night. I doubt it. But their ending should send their owner into ecstasy, so he can explain that once more, his team can’t compete without a new taxpayer financed stadium in some other city. Like the economy, especially in California, can hand out a zillion dollar stadium to a zillionaire.

Some things never change.

 

 

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Posted in 2012 NLDS | 17 Comments »

9/9/12: Astros Win Road Series Against Second Best Team In The Majors

Sunday, September 9th, 2012

Funny that this team has won exactly 2 road series all year long and both of them have been with a division leading team – the White Sox in June and the Reds now. And what IS it with all this winning stuff? Edgar Gonzalez beats Johnny Cueto??? Weird stuff happens is all I can say.

Missed most of Bud Norris’ start Saturday, and he wasn’t Good Bud, gave up 2 solo homers, then managed to get into the 6th – Bruce hit a double, then Votto was IBB. I get IBBing Votto to face Todd Frazier, who likes to GIDP. But when Bud walked Todd Frazier, all I could think was – it is now time for Bud to go, seeing as how this is always when he loses it – sure enough, he gives up a single to Hanigan.

Bases still loaded, 1 out, and in comes Froddy, who actually IS good at stranding inherited runners. So Valdez hits into what SHOULD be a nice 1-2-3 DP, at LEAST a forceout at home. but Froddy makes a bad throw and the ball gets by Castro (ahem) and 2 runs score.

Not that it mattered because, as usual, the Astros didn’t give Bud any run support. And once Bud gave up the second homer, there went the ball game. Bud’s bad luck is starting to remind me of Felipe Paulino a couple years back. The guy just COULDN’T catch a break.

And today, Edgar Gonzalez pitches 5 innings of 2 hit, 1 walk, 1 run ball – the run is on a triple to center that Jordan Schafer (yes, he’s out there again, don’t ask me why) gets a late break on, dives to catch, and misses. Then Edgar had to come out of the game after 5 because he got a blister on his toe. And Mickey Storey pitched 2 scoreless, Wesley Wright pitched 1 inning (and got left in to face rightys!!!) giving up a single, and Wilton-ie finished up, giving up 2 singles, but stranding both runners. Gave me heart failure, just about.

Matt Dominguez has now hit game winning homers offn Aroldis Chapman and johnny Cueto, both big time Cy Young candidates. He’s having himself a great September – reminds me of Luke Scott in 06, JR Towles in 07, CJ in 09. Domie-poo doesn’t have great minor league numbers, but, like, who cares. Youneverknow, maybe he’ll improve in the majors. It DOES happen, you know.

Remember back when we used to have a good baseball team, and it would be toward the end of the year, and we’d HAVE to win most every game and we’d somehow manage to lose to some nobody AAA guy, or the Pirates, or whoever else was in last place? Reds are getting that now. They’d better watch out because Saint Looey ain’t lyin down and they are only 2 games behind the controversy enmeshed Nats for the lead in the NL.

Of course all yall know about all the screaming/yelling going on about Stephen Strasburg, the Not A Real Man pitcher who was shut down for the year. Lots of former players are screaming about how kidz need to get offn they lawns why way Back In The Good Old Days, pitchers went in the the manager’s office and threw temper tantrums DEMANDING to pitch and we all know that those managers back then just caved in.

We ALL knew, BEFORE THE YEAR STARTED, that the Nats had talked with all these stat sorts and doctors about 23 year olds coming back from TJ surgery and had decided that they were gonna shut Strasburg down when he reached around 160 innings, as they did with Jordan Zimmerman last year. Strasburg knew it, I knew it, every media person on the planet knew it. It’s not like it was htis huge secret.

But, you see, didn’t nobody care because nobody thought that the Nats were gonna be real too particular good. The media in DC cares only about what some football player ate for breakfast, so there really wasn’t any media attention there, and seeing as how the Nats aren’t the Yankees or Red Sox or Cubs, the ESPN media didn’t care real too particular much neither. Morse was out, Espinoza was out, Drew Storen, the closer was out, and the Nats got dismissed.

Then, something happened: the Nats not only weren’t losers, they won and won and won and actually have had the best record in baseball for about a month, now. So naturally, there has been endless talktalktalk about How Terrible It Is That The Sissie-poos At The Nats Aren’t Letting Strasburg Be A Man And Pitch, Injuries Be Damned (because who knows who will get injured when.) Right?

The media is screaming at Mike Rizzo, the GM. They’re hounding Strasburg, who has exactly ZERO to say about getting shut down, they’re hounding and hassling every other guy on the team. (Now they know how Barry Lamar felt when the media was smothering him when he was going for the season home run record, number 600, number 700, the all-time record…) It’s a wonder that the guys can even concentrate on the games when every question is being hurled at them – do you think you can win without Strasburg – over and over and over and over and over and over.

What do I think?

Well, Mike Rizzo thinks that what is best for the team/fans is to have a team that competes eery year (sound familiar) and they want a healthy Strasburg every year, as long as they can keep him away from the Yankees/Red Sox/Dodgers/Angels. Getting in the playoffs helps increase fan interest and ticket sales. Winning the pennant doesn’t really increase it much over that, but winning the World Series sure does, unless you’re the Marlins.

It is in Strasburg’s best interest (da money) to be healthy as long as possible to get the best contracts possible. It’s in the team’s best interest to sell the most tickets possible. It’s in the team’s best interest to portray themselves as being interested in the player’s health and well being more than anything else.

As for the players themselves? Well, I sure have heard a whole lot of players talk as if what really matters to them more than anything is that Ring. Barry Lamar said many times that he’d trade in all his trophies for just one Ring. How many times have you heard a player say something like – it’s my last chance at a Ring, I have to go for it.

These days, with all the teams in the playoffs, it’s really REALLY tough to win the pennant, even if you are the best team (remember the 116 win Mariners who got eliminated 1st round?) Sometimes, even the best team has a bad 3 games. Look at the Reds getting beat twice this weekend by the worst team in baseball – by at LEAST 10 games. The winningest team in the League doesn’t win the pennant, they win Home Field Advantage – big deal.

And sometimes, just sometimes, everything falls into place – no one is hurt, everyone is playing great and things just click. Remember the 05 Astros? The 07 Rockies in September?

You just can’t assume that everything will all be the same next year, that players will live up to their projections, assumed stars won’t suck, that no one will get hurt, that Bad Luck won’t happen.

Unless he’s hurting or the team is positive that his mechanics really ARE wrong and it’s a red warning light, I wouldn’t have shut down Strasburg. Yes, I know that keeping him is no more guarantee of winning than benching him is of losing. Yes, I know that it is always safer to shut down a pitcher than to not, for the simple reason is that a guy can get hurt at any time. Yes I know that stats say this and that. But winning the WS, especially when no one expected you to get to the playoffs and everything is clicking NOW?

Unless the Nats win the WS, they are certainly gonna be a target of endless media/ex-player scorn for a long LONG time. Unless, of course, they win the WS next year, and the next year, and the next year – as long as they have Strasburg.

Life is full of “if onlys” and I’m remembering that all those great Maddux/Smoltz/Glavine Braves teams won exactly one WS. And that all those excellent Phils teams won ONE WS. and that all those powerhouse As teams of the late 90s/early 200s didn’t even win ONE pennant. And even the Yankees have only won one WS in the past 10 years.

Look at this poem that David Groveman of mets360.com posted (without attributing it to its real author, Robert Frost) about deciding which path to take at the fork of a road (check it out, it’s GOOD).

He stood there lookin
Couldn’t decide which to take
Seeing as how he couldn’t see where either was ending up
And knowing that once he started down one path
He would have set in motion a course that wouldn’t be reversed,

He SAYS he took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference.

Then he stops right there. What KIND of difference? Good, bad, just the freedom of not doing what most everyone else had done, regardless of what happened at the end of the path? Because Rizzo is sure nuff taking that path less traveled by and it sure WILL make all the difference. He best hope for his sake, more importantly for Strasburg’s that the difference it makes won’t deprive the 2012 Nats teammates of a WS Ring that they would otherwise have won.

 

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Posted in Bud Norris, Edgar Gonzalez, Matt Dominguez | 8 Comments »

9/7/12: The Astros Beat Aroldis Chapman!! I Don’t Believe It – The Astros Beat Aroldis Chapman!!!

Friday, September 7th, 2012

This was even better than Brian Bogusevic’s walk off homer last year against Astro killer Carlos Marmol.

Lucas Harrell pitched OK – 4 walks (1 IBB to Votto, a sound decision) and 7 hits, 3 earned runs over 6 IP, and he was on the hook for yet another loss due to crappy run support. And Jose Altuve, the best hitter had long since left the lineup with a pulled muscle – rib?

Homer Bailey had pitched 6.2 good innings, giving up 5 hits and a walk, working around 2 errors, and giving up only 2 runs on his only bad pitch of the night – a homer to dead center for Justin Maxwell.

Then lefty Sean Marshall mowed em down. Then righty Jonathan Broxton mowed em down.

Then it was the second best closer in the NL (sorry Kimbrel of the Braves is the best – over half the batters facing him have struck out. Not even Brad Lidge or Billy Wags did that) and his 100 MPH FB.

I almost shut the game off, told Husband – cmon boy, it’s just another 5 minutes, how could that matter? You wanna bet on whether he gets 3 Ks on 9 pitches? After all, it’s the bottom of the lineup – Snyder, Greene and some pinch hitter. Husband rolls eyes, sighs, sits down.

So Snyder fouls out to the catcher. Then mirabla dictu (it’s French and means, you ain’t gonna believe THIS) Greene hits the ball awkwardly and hits one of those popups into shallow right that can’t no fielder get. Then pinch hitter Julio Daniel Martinez does the same thing, only to left. Hey, this kind of stuff happens, remember The Mariano getting singled to defeat by Luis Gonzalez Game 7 WS 2001?

And then folks, then, it’s Matt Dominguez, not known for either power or average in the minors. And Chapman throws him two belt high 98 MPH fastballs and Dominguez hits the second one over the left center fence. No I am not kidding. That is the first home run Chapman has given up since June 24 – also the first blown save/loss since then. And to the worst team in baseball having one of the worst seasons since the beginning of the 162 game season. Actually, since the beginning of the lively ball era. How humiliating.

But hey, it’s baseball and youneverknow and even the really good ones have off days where little popups fall in and then you get mad and figure some crappy AAA hitter can’t hit no 98 MPH FB. But like Barry Lamar once said – it ain’t the speed, it’s the motion and guys can hit a straight flat FB even if it IS 98 – 100 MPH and that FB was bout as straight and flat as flat can be and it was GONE.

Matt gonna treasure that like JR Towles treasures the 2 homers he hit offn Pedro Martinez in the same game.

Wilton Lopez gave up an infield hit to short, then got a GIDP. Then a single to Brandon Phillips that he couldn’t get, then a groundout to short.

And the Astros lose the race to 120 by getting their 43rd W. Third W in September. What is it with these guys, don’t they have no pride? And they’d better stay on their toes and miss  balls because the C*bs are keeping up with our suckage, they looked worse than BAD to the Nats (including their little temper tantrum in the 5th where they made fools of themselves throwing at Bryce Harper who hadn’t done anything not OK. Well, except hit. And run. And field. And make them look like Astros.)

And hat tip to Chris Snyder for the DP in the 5th – Lucas had loaded the bases AGAIN, 1 out. Todd Frazier up – he had thoughtfully GIDP to take Lucas out of a bases loaded jam in the first. So Frazier hits the ball back to Lucas, who throws home to get the lead runner. Snyder is gonna throw to first, but then notices that Ludwick is way too far off 3rd and he throws to Dominguez, who tags Ludwick, who has slipped trying to get back. VERY nice. Really good fielding, very heads up, something we haven’t seen much of this year.

Tomorrow, it’s Bud Norris vs Bronson Arroyo. Bud, if I’m not mistaken, has the best home ERA in the NL  of all starting pitchers at 1.90. We all know that no matter HOW he pitches, he can’t buy a W – none since May, when he got hurt. Arroyo has kept his foot on Astros’ necks this year (not sure what happened to him last year, but youneverknow…) so hopefully, the boyz will win one for Bud.

OMG

What am I SAYING???

Old habits die hard…

p.s. Coco Cordero is now officially out for the year with a, um, a strained/sprained ERA. I mean toe. I mean shoulder. I mean back. Or something…

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Posted in Lucas Harrell, Matt Dominguez | 9 Comments »

9/2/12: Bud Norris Pitches 6 Scoreless Innings Of 3 Hit Ball And Naturally The Bullpen Blows His Win

Sunday, September 2nd, 2012

Astros resume their losing ways, seeing as how Wilson Valdez wasn’t around to help em out. Bud pitched great, left leading 1-0 (on a Bogu RBI groundout that should have been a GIDP 4-6-3. What on earth happened to his beautiful swing? He’s been hitting everything, and I mean EVERYTHING on the ground for 2 months now. He’s been messed up BIG time.) New guy Jose Valdez gave up a single, but got the next 3 outs.

Ambriz came in for the 8th, got an out, gave up a walk, then a single. Then naturally you pull him for lefty Xavier Cedeno, who came in and hung a curve to lefty Jay Bruce and it was POW gone and a tie game. So sorry Bud. Then he gives up a single and gets yanked.

In comes Wilton-ie, the Closie-poo, and he immediately gives up the game losing double, than an insurance RBI double.

Game ovah, the Astros are finished and they know it. They do nada against Jonathan Broxton (the ex-Dodgers closer who just lost it last year, started the year with the Royals, then got traded to the Reds at the deadline) and naturally did absolutely nothing against Aroldis Chapman, naturally. I feel sorry for the guy – if there wasn’t any really outstanding NL starter, he’d sure nuff be in line for the Cy Young, like Gagne was, 10 years back. Also, I have this feeling that if he ever wanted to be a starter, he’s out of luck.

Where was I?

Oh yeah – too many outs at third. Crappy baserunning by Jason Castro on a grounder to the pitcher. Caught stealing by Bogu. And Fernando Martinez got picked off third – not entirely his fault because it was supposed to be a squeeze, but Dusty was a step ahead and ordered a pitchout and Fernando was halfway to home and his only chance was to run like heck for home and home he made it ahead of the relay. Anyway, it was too bad because had he stayed put, he would have scored on the homer.

Not much good to say about pretty much anything, unfortunately.

And we’re off to face the Pirates and we’re sending Edgar Gonzalez, fresh out of the Mexican League, after being a terrible ML/minor league starter. The Pirates are starting one of their AAA pitchers, seeing as how there really isn’t any reason to start an actual major leaguer against the Astros.

Tuesday, it’s Jordan Lyles vs Wandy and yes I WILL be wearing my Wandy shirt. Yes, I’ve kept it. Yes, I’m keeping it. I know all yall want to know if I kept all my Astros shirts/memorabilia when we moved. Yes, I did. It was my team since I can remember. Just because they’ll be gone in a few weeks doesn’t mean I don’t love what they were and don’t want to remember the good times we had along with the bad. I pulled out my t-shirt with the World Series roster on it, just to remember, and had a good cry, then packed it along with all the other stuff in the family time capsule. I kept the Astros onsies the twins wore as newborns, too. Along with the Astros shirts we dresssed them in the year we had season tickets – 04, when we (and they) seldom missed a game.

They really WERE the Good Old Days. I know they’re gone forever, but I still don’t want to forget.

That’s the thing about The Good Old Days. When they are happening, you don’t take it seriously enough, you don’t seriously think it won’t or can’t last forever and after you’ve finally accepted that it’s ovah, you regret not treasuring what you had when you had it.

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Posted in Bud Norris | 3 Comments »

9/1/12: Wilson Valdez Pulls A Buckner To Gift Astros With A Walk-off Win

Saturday, September 1st, 2012

Missed the Friday game – forgot to record it and haven’t had time to mlb.tv it yet but I see that Fernando Abad kept to the fine Astros tradition of suckage by giving up a 3 run homer to Jay Bruce on a fat one down the middle after the Astros had managed to hit 2 solo homere back to back to tie the game. After the Bruce homer, as usual, the boyz packed it in. Not that I blame them.

In the news – Luhnow has hired Kevin Goldstein, who is a BLOGGER. Yes friends and neighbors and 2 dozen remaining Astros fans, you read that right. He first worked for Baseball America talkin bout prospects, then moved to Baseball Prospectus, doing the same thing. He has been given the job as head of pro scouting – meaning, I guess, that the Astros want the same dishy stuff on other teams prospects that he’s been writing up for BPro. All my statty friends are all agog. We’re like Billy Beane 10 years later, I guess, only without Hudson, Mulder and Zito.

I still can’t figure how this here team is gonna be competitive for years. The new CBA basically doesn’t allow spending for prospects, foreign or domestic and got rid of all the compensation picks – well, practically all of them. Unless a team gets lucky, REALLY lucky 3 or 4 years in a row, I don’t see how any team could get itself out of the basement. Then again, I DO know that spending on, and apparently getting, good prospects sure nuff doesn’t guarantee success. See Royals, KC.

Also, I keep reading that next year’s payroll is supposed to be 50 mill. Not sure where on earth THAT figure comes from. The only arb eligible players are Crystal Lowrie and Bud Norris. And won’t neither one of em make more than 1 or 2 million. Everyone else is minimum wage. I don’t even see 20 mill. I supposed they’ll have to do something about getting a bullpen whose members can do these things called getting outs and not giving up runs. I supposed they’ll have to hire a bunch of el cheapo FA because good players aren’t gonna come to a last place team. And also because teams have begun doing the John Hart thing of giving long contracts under market value to young players and there aren’t really any top FA any more.

Which reminds me – I keep hearing about how wonderful it is for the Astros to have shed all that salary and all I can say is, like why? It’s not like they’re spending it on DIFFERENT or BETTER players. And they certainly aren’t acquiring more major leaguers and they have already shed the 2 fringe guys they DID get, Ben Francisco (traded for the PTBNL to the Rays) and Steve Pearce. And it’s hard to win facing ML teams without ML players.

Which reminds me – the game. Lucas Harrell gave up 1 run in the first on 2 singles and a sac-fly. He started off the second with the giving up 2 singles again, but got a nice GIDP from the pitcher to end the inning and from there, he just sailed through 5 more innings without much of any trouble – a double here and there and a walk. Trouble was that he didn’t get run support as Astros hitters managed just 3 hits and a walk off Homer Bailey (man he luuuuvs seeing the Stros – almost got his ERA under 4). Justin Maxwell hit a ball off the end of the bat which just made it over the RF fence 340′ is still a homer, to tie the game.

They didn’t get anything going until the 8th – got men on first and second with 1 out, but Paredes, then Greene stranded em.

Hector Ambriz pitched 1,2,3 – got Brandon Phillips on a checked swing K and MAN was Brandon ANGRY – not that I blame him, it was a horsestuff call and he HAD checked his swing, but for once, it went the Astros’ way.

In the 9th, Francie-poo reverted to the ol LOOGY thingy using Xavier Cedeno to get Jay Bruce, then bringing in Wilton-ie to get the rightys. Yes, The Closah in a tie game in the 9th, but this is at home, which makes it OK for some reason.

So then, because it’s a tie game in the 9th and an away game, Dusty Baker sends in Sean Marshall instead of Aroldis Chapman – not a bad idea as he’s suppsoed to face 2 leftys and a crappy righty. So Wallace grounds out and Maxwell Ks, then pinch hitter Matt Downs (yes, Downsie-doo is back, along with Mary Jane Schafer) doubles. So Marshall IBBs Dominguez (seriously, the setup man and his 2.98 ERA can’t get out Matt eff Dominguez? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?) to face Jordan Schafer. Who can’t hit leftys. Or rightys, for that matter. So Brandon Barnes and his sub Mendoza bat bravely comes up to pinch hit, 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, winning run on second. And is promptly hit by pitch.

So it’s bases loaded, and Jose Altuve, who is supposed to have had the night off, but was brought in to pinch hit in the 8th after all the pinch running substitutions, is up and it’s hero/goat time. And Jose has failed to drive in the winning run without fail (a True Astro) and sure enough, he hits a dead easy grounder at the second baseman, who lets the ball go RIGHT through his legs like Bill Buckner, and there goes the ball game.

Astros win game 41. Which means they can’t win even ONE more game in September if they Want That Sacred All Time Loss Record. At this point, The Media is convinced that we have the #1 pick in the 2013 draft locked up, even though the Cubs are only 10 games behind us and a whole lot of things can happen in September – remember 2004, when we won all but 4 games to get the WC on the last day? Remember last year when the Red Sox and Braves both collapsed like a popped balloon?

It’s baseball and youneverknow.

Oh yeah – Jose Valdez, the pitcher (and his 4.90 ERA at AAA) has been called up – Juan Abreu, one of the guys we got in the Bourn deal last year and his 6+ ERA have been let go.

Tomorrow afternoon, it’s Bud Norris – hope his blister is healed, vs Bronson Arroyo, who we beat back in June. Yes, beat. We won some games in June – before we decided that losing was teh kewl and went 3 fer July and 5 fer August. That’s an amazing suckage, 8 fer 56. Almost unprecedented.

Anyway, AAA should be over soon – the OKC team is 1.5 games behind Albuquerque and has been decimated by the Astros calling up most of their AAAA guys, so their chances of actually winning anything in the postseason isn’t good. But youneverknow. I hope they call up JB Shuck – I like the guy and I’d rather watch him PLAY than watch Fernando Martinez miss easy catches and strike out a lot. But that’s me.

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Posted in Jose Altuve, Lucas Harrell | 20 Comments »

7/25/12: Coco Cordero Loses The Second Game In A Row

Wednesday, July 25th, 2012

He didn’t just get unlucky in Toronto with a few balls that sneaked through. And here in Houston, I’ve watched him for 3 games and he has nothing. I knew he was going to go back tonight for a save because The Geenyuss Jeff Luhnow had brought him here to close, and I knew Millsie-poo had no choice in the matter. The Astros had a 1 run lead and I just knew he was gonna blow it again. He barely threw a pitch in the strike zone – first one got hit for a double. Brandon Phillips fouled off a few before walking. 2 on no out.

Husband looked at me – betcha they hit 3 runs before he gets pulled, he said. I didn’t know whether to take the over or under, so I figured Heisey would hit a 3 run job then Cozart would hit one out too before Stubbs could get back up. So I took the over. And, like my Astros, I lost. Only the tying and the losing run, then he got pulled for Abad, who let another one score. Husby feels too sorry for me to gloat but not to sorry to collect.

The SOB threw exactly TWO good pitches – curve balls that actually you know, like, curved.

Sigh

And this after Bud Norris pitched his first ace game in like forever – 5 hits, 1 walk, 7 K, 1 run. His teammates didn’t do spit for him. What a shock.

Enerio Del Rosario, fooling around with a new delivery, came in for the 8th and I had a little bet with husbay about how many runs we were gonna give up – we’re gonna have to pick a number and do the over/under thingy because this arguing about who came closest to the correct number thingy is silly. Anyway – what do they call the guy? Enerio-ie, Nerie, Dellie, Rosarario-ie, Rosie? walks the first guy on 4 straight balls, then gets the next guy to hit into what should have been a DEAD easy 1-6-3, only Marwin drops the ball and the ump for some reason, gives an out call even though Marwin was 3 feet from the bag – ridiculous. For some reason, the Reds don’t protest. So Enerio-ie is yanked, in comes Xavier Cedeno-ie? Ex-Zayvie? to face Jay Bruce, who singles. In comes Fernando Rodriguez to Save The Day, but Snyder, in for Corporan, drops a pitch and it’s a double steal. So Ludwick is IBB, bases loaded, then a single to right – one run scores and Bogu guns down the second with a perfect bullet to home.

Will someone PLEASE explain Luhnow’s LUUUUVVV of the crappy Jordan Schafer, who has a noodle for an arm? Put Bogu in center and keep him there plz. Thx.

I hate BBTN – they’ll show Josh Ex RedSox Reddick gunning down a runner at third, but will they ever show any of Bogu’s great throws? Oh, noooooooooo.

In comes 7th inning guy Logan Ondrusek, who gives up a double down the LF line (Rolen can’t move like he used to) to Altuve, who, by the way, had his 35th multi-hit game, going 3 fer 4 with a walk, a SB. Wonder what Luhnow is gonna get for him – probably is gonna pay his salary for the next 5 years in return for more minor leaguers.

Which reminds me – I don’t have a problem with rebuilding. But it’s kind if like the 3 little pigs – these guys they got remind me of the house of straw – not even the house of sticks. AND the other team got a major league player without paying TOO? Luhnow ought to look at the Marlins – that is how you do it, you get the OTHER team to pick up the salary.

Where was I?

Oh yeah. Then CJ hits his second hard liner of the day, unfortunately, again, right at someone. Then Scott Moore hits a double into the RF corner. Then teh kewl happens.

Julio Daniel hits a Little League homer – a double to the LF bullpen wall – the fielder makes a terrible throw and JD goes to third, and then there’s a terrible throw to third, which goes into the bullpen and Julio trots home with the go ahead run.

and you know The Rest Of The Story.

Pirates here for the weekend and Dallas Keuchel goes tomorrow.

No word yet on how long this crappy “closer” is gonna be kept.

Paul Clemens and his 6+ ERA got sent back down to AA – remember how he was so fer sher gonna be here by now, just like Brett Oberholzer and his 6.44 ERA were gonna be here by now, too. Jose Cisnero, who actually is pitching very well and getting no pub because he wasn’t someone they spent millions of dollars to trade for, got promoted as did pimpee Jarred Cosart, who has pitched well in 5 of his last 6 games.

WHERE THE HECK IS JASON STOFFEL? WE NEED RELIEVERS WHO GET, LIKE, YOU KNOW, OUTS!!!

Jake Buchanan and his 5 ERA/1.50 WHIP also got promoted from AA to AAA.

You wanna bet that Armando Galarraga gets called up for Saturday? It’s gonna really hurt seeing Wandy in a Pirates uni on Sunday. you know, even with all these years with the Astros, Wandy never had a shirt or jersey with his name for sale in The Shed. No respeck.

sigh

Oh, and Luhnow – with all these supposed planned roster moves, you mind getting rid of Schafer – I promise you, nobody else wants him, and Downsie-doo? And Corporan is better than Snyder, too.

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Posted in JD Martinez | 4 Comments »

7/25/12: Lucas Harrell Is Excellent, Coco Cordero Sucks And Astros Lose

Tuesday, July 24th, 2012

Just found out that the Astros are paying the Pirates 12 mill to take Wandy. Jeezus – that’s next year’s salary. For the Pirates’ 8th ranked prospect – the AA OF, not center fielder. And the 2 A ball leftys. 12 effing million.

Well, they’ll have a payroll made up of pre-arb guys next year.

Yeah, I know – ooooooh, all the A ball prospects who are gonna be on the team in September. We already GOT a team full of A ballers. Yeah, I know – these are YOUNGER A ballers.

Jose Altuve had his 38th multi hit game. We should get tons of A ball guys when we trade him and then we can have Jimmy Paredes. Yeah, I keep hearing that Altuve is high up on the trade list. Right next to, believe it or not, Chris Johnson. Of course, Altuve also got CS and failed to turn a 5-4-3 DP, which led to a run scoring. But he’s the best player we got left on the team. Jeez.

Marwin Gonzalez didn’t have a good night neither – getting thrown out at third on CJ’s bloop popup to CF, hitting into a 3-6-3 DP.

CJ had 2 lucky singles – that bloop pop into center and an infield squibber off Aroldis Chapman that wasn’t fielded well. Sometimes you’re good, sometimes you’re lucky.

Justin Maxwell hit a 2 run homer into the Crawford Boxes and reached on error – but he’s certainly better than Jordan Schafer, whose time really REALLY has gone. Couldn’t even lay down the bunt. He’s hitting his ML averages in BA/OBP/SLG, his SB% is 74 and he’s not a particularly good fielder. He’s striking out 95/325 PA. Cmon – at least Bogu can field really well. And run bases better. And don’t bring up Michael Bourn (who, by the way, is 11th in the entire NL in offensive WAR) and his first year and low BA because Michael stole more bases and was a Gold Glove out there – he NEVER dogged plays the way that Mary Jane does.

sigh

As for Coco Cordero – please. He can’t close his eyes. We faced him for like 3 YEARS before we ever beat him. I know who he WAS. And who he IS is cooked. 1 run lead – long flyout, single, 2 run homer = BS/L, groundout??!!, walk, WP (and yeah, it really was and not another passed ball the umps blame the pitcher for), another walk, RBI single. Crappy stuff, crappy location – and it wasn’t the ump (except for one ball 1 that shoulda been strike 1). Call up one of those million dollar A ball pitchers we just traded for.

Bud Norris goes tomorrow. He better pray that he gets a 15 run lead.

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Posted in Jose Altuve, Wandy Rodriguez | 5 Comments »

7/23/12: Chris Johnson Has A 4 Hit Game AND A WEB GEM

Monday, July 23rd, 2012

We’re 2 fer 15 in July – thought I’d say SOMEthing positive in the headline and trust me on this, there ain’t real too much positive to say.

Wandy didn’t have any decent stuff when he came out for the first, but kept the damage limited. Groundout, single, bloop popup single behind second that naturally nobody managed to catch. Then an RBI single to left and a lineout.

Reds 1 Stros 0

Astros go 1,2,3 in 10 pitches.

2nd: Wandy comes back out – groundout, walk, K, flyout on 15 pitches.

Chris Johnson, leading off, singles to center. Hey, we won’t get no hit!!! Then Ben Francisco, playing LF, singled to center, but right in front of Stubbs and it’s men on first and second, 1 out. Schafer pops up to third. Snyder, batting .175 (and they groused about Towles and Quintero?) Wandy pops up leaving bases loaded. I was hoping for a granny, but hey, the Astros don’t hit for spit with bases loaded so why should Wandy be any different?

3rd: Single, swinging K and a stolen base, Ludwick hits a ball to the LF bullpen, Francisco ambles out to get it – reminding me of Clank and that’s not any sort of compliment. Then K, walk, pitch down the middle for a RBI single, men on first and third. Wandy’s having a tough time throwing strikes, hard to hit strikes and the curve doesn’t look real too good. Hanigan walks on 4 pitches. Jeezus. It’s like it’s 06 again – and it’s not the ump not giving him anything – those pitches are not in the strike zone. He better get the *(^&*#! pitcher out now. And he Ks, leaving bases loaded.

Reds 3 Stros over

Altuve reaches out for a bad pitch, grounds to short. Uck. Marwin and Moore K swinging.

4th: Wandy looks sharper: 3-2K, 2-2K, single, groundout.

Luhnow has joined Brownie and JD, talking about how much they think of the great prospects they got in the trade from the Jays and White Sox and Marlins. He sounds exactly like Ed Wade. These guys all say the exact same thing about how “excited” they are and what a great job their scouts have done. Yeh. The one thing he does say that DOES interest me is that he stated that the Astros have freed up enough money for next year’s payroll that they don’t HAVE to trade Wandy. Keep a guy getting paid 10 mill? Yeah, surrrrrrre…

Back to Brandon Barnes – the Astros drafted him in the 6th round of 05 – he’s one of OURS – putting it all together this year, at age 26. He had a .938 OPS at AA in 14 AB, and a .925 OPS in 184 AB at AAA. He’s the ONLY guy who Luhnow himself started talking about. Brownie brought up Wallace and Paredes and Hessman (34 year old AAA lifer) and Luhnow said – oh yeah, we’ll see them sometime or other this year. Well, I think that tells up plenty bout what they think of Wallace. Why on earth they prefer Downs, I don’t get.

shrug

CJ singles again, this time to right. Jasom Maxwell flies out to almost the exact same place in right. Francisco singles to left again. Schafer grounds out to first, as Luhnow is praising AAA center fielder Brandon Barnes, saying he’s a major leaguer. they IBB Schafer and it’s Wandy with bases loaded 2 outs again. And he pops up again, leaving bases loaded.

I do NOT wanna hear how this is what the DH is for.  The pitcher being a lousy hitter is part of what baseball IS. Just like you don’t have the batting practive guy come in and pitch to guy in a slump in the middle of a game. Or let some LOOGY face the tough lefty then the same pitcher comes back in.

5th: Frazier hits an easy GB to Altuve, who drops it. And after that missed catch from Marwin yesterday (called just an error yesterday which started Lyles on a fast downhill slide into ickiness. I SWEAR I typed this a second before Brownie said exactly that.) Rolen flies out. CJ makes a fantastic diving catch on a liner. Then a groundout.

Altuve singles up the middle. Marwin hits this pop bloop just behind 3rd that spins into the corner and it’s men on second and third no outs. At least today we’re hitting the #)*(@!ing ball.

Latos apparently landed wrong on his left foot, trainer out, he’s going to go back. Just as I’m thinkin he tripped over those stupid long pants, Brownie says it. The guy is reading my mind, TWICE. Scares me.  Moore with a RBI groundout. HEY! We won’t get shutout!!!! We’re the worst hitting team in the majors, but surprisingly, we haven’t been shut out very much. RBI double off the RF bullpen fence for CJ. Maxwell singles to center – it’s a flyball, not a grounder so CJ can’t score and it’s men on first and third, 1 out.

Pitching coach out. Latos tells him to get lost. Francisco Ks swinging as Maxwell steals second. They IBB Mary Jane to get to Snyder. giggle. And Snyder pops up. THIRD time we’ve left bases loaded tonight.

Reds 3 Stros 2

6th: Cairo ROE – CJ bobbles the ball, a sharp bounced ball. 3 easy flyouts. Francisco really reminds me of Clank out there. sigh

Reds have the best bullpen in the NL and second best in the ML. Great. Jose Arredondo, RHP out. Bixler into pinch hit, grounds out. Altuve grounds out. Marwin walks and is then caught stealing. What is this with Marwin? He’s not a base stealer, never has been!

7th – We’ll see how the bullpen does NOW. Wilton Lopez out. Groundout, single thru the 5.5 hole. Rolen doubles him in. Single to center, men on second and third. Groundout to third, Rolen out in a rundown. Jay Bruce up to PH, Wesley Wright in – and he better not let these 2 runs score like he did last night. But he gives up a single and in trots 1 run, men on first and third. Enerio Del Rosario came in, gets a flyout to left – Francisco makes a diving out.

Same ol suckumongous bullpen

Reds 5 Stros 2

Lefty Bill Bray in. Moore grounds out. CJ singles. A FOUR hit game!!! Same LeCure in. Maxwell Ks, Francisco lines out.

8th: Enerio Del Rosario back out. K, double off the scoreboard, steal of 3rd, RBI single.

Jeezus this is tiresome.

RBI double off the LF bullpen. This new sidearm delivery ain’t workin. The pitches are either way the heck off the plate, or nicve and fat. Then a K ???!!! then a walk. Enerio out, Abad in.

Hanigan hits a liner to Maxwell in left, now, he gets it, and throws home – he’s got an arm like Juan Pierre – the throw dribbles up to the plate and the run scores. Pathetic.

Reds 8 Stros 2

Le Cure back out. Schafer Ks swinging on a pitch in the dirt. Snyder singles – NOW???!!! Whatever. Bogu walks. Altuve walks. Bases loaded, 4th time tonight.

Lefty Sean Marshall in: Marwin hits into a FC, but the run scores. Hey!! Whaddaya know – we actually managed to get a run in with bases loaded. Miracles happen. Downsie-doo in for Moore. Like that matters – and it takes 9 pitches to get him out, but Downsie he goes. Why he’s still on this team I don’t know.

9th: Abad back out. Cozart singled. K, then a nice diving catch by Francisco in left. Ludwick, a righty is up, so Abad gets pulled, We’re losing 8-3 and we need to waste a pitcher? sigh. In comes Rhiner Cruz. Double to left for Ludwick, men on second and 3rd. Frazier lofs an easy FB to center.

Marshall back out. Cj makes an out forst time today. Maxwell pops up. JD Martinez in to PH. He singles a bloop over short, goes to second on DI. Schafer Ks.

Can we please have an end to the Schafer Experience, the Matt Downs Experience and at least TRY some of the minor league relievers? Like NOW????!!!

Tomorrow, it’s Harrell vs Mike Leake (and who knows which Mike we’re gonna see – the ace or the BP guy? youneverknow)

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6/3/12: Jordan Lyles Breaks 8 Game Losing Streak And Wins First Game Of The Year

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

Watching Lyles:

First thing I note is that Jason Castro doesn’t catch borderline strikes in a way that gets strike calls, which is why guys who take borderline pitches get the Ball call. This, after reading an article – I forget exactly where, that Jose Molina keeps getting work because of the way he catches the ball – glove motionless and pointed in the correct direction to get a strike call – doesn’t move the glove at ALL. Whereas Castro allows downward or outward velocity to move his glove in that direction.

Ump is not calling outside strikes.

And he doesn’t allow ANY first inning hits or runs !!!!

JASON CASTRO CATCHES A RUNNER STEALING!!!!! I won’t mention that it was a bad jump and a worse slide. Just the fact that he actually threw the ball to Altuve accurately is worth props.

And a nice 8 pitch second with a popup to CJ, a lineout to Marwin Gonzalez (Lowrie getting the day off – haven’t heard about any owies, but youneverknow) and an easy 6-3 groundout.

Before I forget, Chris Johnson had THREE walks in the Saturday game. Yes, you read that right. And he draws a 7 pitch walk in the second – yes, you read that right. Brett Wallace hits a single up the middle – and JD is right, he HAS changed his stance significantly. He’s holding the bat differently, his head is different and his stance isn’t near as wide. Let’s hope it works. Castro hits a fly ball to deep center and CJ, who took 3rd on the single up the middle, trots home. Marwin grounds out.

Astros 1 Reds 0

Now, the thing is to KEEP the lead, seeing as how this has been a significant problem, especially in the past 8 games.

3rd inning: Miguel Cairo (this is his 17th year in the majors – really) popsup, Hannigan grounds out and Arroyo singles off the scoreboard on a hanging slider. Then he throws a FB right down the middle and Cozart hits it out into the concourse behind the CBoxes. Cain’t do that.

Stros now lead the majors in homers given up. This FB down the middle stuff to get a called strike is not a good idea.

Stubbs flies out. Have a feeling that Paul Janish is never getting his SS job with the Reds back, even after his broke bone heals…

Reds 2 Astros 1

Jordan Lyles leads off with an IF single to short. Schafer grounds into a forceout and Lyles is out. Altuve grounds into another forceout. Fernando Martinez – hitting 3rd (are you kidding me?) looks absolutely foolish against all those breakers Arroyo throws, but doesn’t have a chance to completely strike out because Jose Altuve is caught trying to steal – after like a zillion pickoff throws.

4th: Votto singles to left on a 3-2 pitch. Phillips hits a grounder right to Altuve at second, but Altuve makes a bad throw – not an error even though it was – and there’s only 1 out. Plays not made never shows up as stats, which is kind of a shame. Bruce pops out to JD Martinez. Heisey flies out to Schafer on a 3-2 pitch, which was up but moved enough off the middle that Heisey got under it a little.

Fernando Martinez grounds out to Votto – he either can’t run fast or he just doesn’t run fast. JD Martinez gets robbed by Brandon Phillips. CJ lines out to Phillips. Man I hate have to write out all the names – two OF named Martinez, 2 players named Fernando, 2 players named Rodriguez, a player named JD and an announcer named JD.

5th: Cairo grounds out, Hanigan singles up the middle – pretty good inside FB, but still too high. Arroyo hits an 0-2 pitch straight to Altuve for an easy 4-3 GIDP.

Jordan is at 75 pitches after 5 innings. 4 hits, 1 walk, 1 K, 1 really bad pitch, 2 runs. Pertty darn good.

Brett Wallace hits his second single in a row, goes to third on Jason Castro’s long single off the RF wall. Brett is supposedly running faster, but this is like saying that David Eckstein is a little taller than Jose Altuve. Marwin singles up the middle on a chest high FB and it’s

Astros 2 Reds 2

Jordan Lyles bunts Marwin over – no squeeze – men on second and third, 1 out for Schafer. And he hits a fly ball to the RF bullpen, Castro scores and it’s

Astros 3 Reds 2

Jose Altuve pops out to right. Now, to KEEP the lead again.

6th: Cozart flies out, Stubbs singles, Votto Ks (!!!!!) Stubbs steals second (but it was very close and the throw was even better than the one that nailed Votto) and walks Phillips on 4 pitches – like I said before, forget an outside strike on the black. Jay Bruce pops out to left. 92 pitches. I’m wondering if he’ll get another inning, seeing as how the relievers have not been firemen but arsonists.

Fernando Martinez up and he Ks looking – they’re pitching him inside, which looks like a very smart idea. Julio Daniel flies out to right. CJ doubles to right but Arroyo gets Wallace swinging on a 2-2 slider – vicious, down and away – great pitch, can’t blame Wallace for THAT one.

7th – Lyles back out – YOU GO BOY!!! Chris Heisey Ks on a very high curve – was really not a strike, but the ump is calling high pitches as strikes so you gotta go with the ump. Cairo and Hanigan ground out.

And Jordan is at 101 pitches – 7 IP, 5 hits, 2 walks, 3 K and one bad pitch down the middle = 2 ER. ERA is FINALLY under 5 – and it’s an awesome job.

Arroyo back out. Jason Castro Ks on a nasty breaker. Marwin hits a single off the top of the RF wall – he isn’t fast, and the way Bruce played the ball, I doubt even Michael Bourn would have made it to second. Jason Maxwell in to PH and he hits a hanging curve over the tracks over the Crawford Boxes – woulda been out of the park if the roof was open.

Whoa.

Astros 5 Reds 2

Arroyo gone,  lefty Sean Marshall in to face lefty Schafer, who Ks swinging on a neck high FB. Altuve flies out.

OK – now we’ll have to see if the bullpen can manage to hold a 3 run lead THIS time.

8th – Wilton Lopez out. Todd Frazier, Ph for the pitcher, up. He fouls off like 7 pitches, then doubles right down the LF line. Cozart fouls off a bunch, then he hits a dribbler just past the mound, decides at the last minute not to field it after chasing it halfheartedly, so it’s men on first and third, no out and Drew Stubbs is up. But he swings and misses at a perfect 3-2 sinker and he says one of those Bad Words, which I can’t hardly blame him for.

Joey Votto up, swings and misses the first 2 pitches, takes 2, fouls one, then sends one to the RF bullpen, who throws it great to Marwin, who makes a bad throw into the bullpen way – so Frazier scores and Cozart is given 3rd on the 2 base error by Marwin.

Stros 5 Reds 3.

Brandon Phillips up, but he grounds out 3-1.

Now that run scored was entirely Wilton’s fault – he most certainly should have made that play on Cozart, then Frazier wouldn’t have even been at 3rd to score. Again, plays not made aren’t seen in stats, but Lyles had better hope that the Ol WB is up to keepiing a 2 run lead.

Or maybe the Astros can score some more runs again.

Sean Marshall still pitching, as lefty Fernando Martinez is up, but he doesn’t look any better swinging against Marshall than he did against Arroyo. Fernando Martinez has been tabbed to be the regular right fielder with Bogu getting benched and all I can say is that he certainly doesn’t look real too good with the bat. Wonder how long this is going to last.

Logan Ondrusek comes in to pitch to Julio Daniel and CJ. Julio reaches on error on a tough hop to third – Frazier didn’t make a great throw, but really, I think it would have taken a Web Gem play to have gotten that out. I guess it’s an error because Julio Daniel is so slow. CJ goes to 3-2, which he’s been doing a lot looking, but Ks on a curve. Brett Wallace got hit by one too many pitches inside. Jason Castro hits a single to left and it’s bases loaded – I’d guess that if it was Schafer on second, he might could have been sent, but Clarkie-poo, as we all know, loves to throw up that stop sign. Marwin strands em. If I was more statly abled, I would love to check and see how many times NOT sending the runner on 3rd has cost us the game – and seeing as how only 2 guys have been thrown out at the plate, I would guess it is a lot.

9th – Jay Bruce flies out, Heisey pops up to CJ, Ryan Ludwick Ks and

Jordan Lyles wins his first game of the year and breaks the Astros 8 game losing streak!!!!!

Yessssssss!!!

As a side note, Jim Deshaeis said, during the broadcast, something vague about Bud Norris and a hip flexor. I seem to remember something or other about Bud and a hip something from his rookie season, and Bud spent a month or so on the DL. Bud is the kind of guy who doesn’t like to come out of games or admit something is wrong, but if he looks as bad on Tuesday as he did his past 2 games, well, he’d better go let whatever heal up before he ruins his career.

Of course, there’s all the draft talktalktalk and stories about how the Astros didn’t take Derek Jeter with the first pick, but took Phil Nevin, who I guess wore Goth Makeup or something, but didn’t learn how to play ML ball well until long after the Astros had dumped him in disgust.

I love the look-back stuff, but I would remind folks that Derek Jeter was developed by the Yankees farm – who knows what would have happened with the Astros. I would also remind folks that Jeter didn’t look like Mr. Star Person in his 1995 callup, and that by 95, Drayton McLane owned the team and he wasn’t exactly keen on calling up minor leaguers, especially if they didn’t hit like Albert Pujols when they first were called up. I would remind folks that the reason that Jeter got the starting SS job in 96 was because the Proven Veteran the owner had signed was injured.

I seem to remember that in the mid 90s, the Astros were very enthused about Ricky Gutierrez and the veterans clamored for Tim Bogar. By 94/95, the Astros already had a very veteran heavy team, and Jeter may not have even gotten himself much of a chance,

Youneverknow… Sometimes, you are good, sometimes you are lucky and sometimes you’re good n lucky…

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