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8/26/12: Astros Support 2 Straight Loss To The Mets By “Considering” Starting Pitcher Edgar Gonzalez

Sunday, August 26th, 2012

Might as well have kept Galarraga if all you want is awfulness.

Fernando Abad threw 4 innings of 1 run ball, managing his first Loss as a starter – I’m so PROUD of him, which apparently has guaranteed him a rotation spot for the rest of the year. Francie-poo pinch hit for him with bases loaded 1 out top of the 5th, but Steve Pearce came through and hit into a nice double play to end the threat of runs.

Today, Lucas Harrell made a shameful attempt to win, throwing 7 innings of 2 hit 2 walk ball, giving up only a solo homer to Ike Davis. Altuve, who had the day off, led off the 9th with a single, stole second, Marwin Gonzalez hit a ball down the LF line that was just fair to tie the game. After Brett Wallace lined out, Ben Francisco hit a ball to shallow right and Marwin tried to score from second – could NOT believe StopSign Dave Clark actually waved him around, but he was positively out at the plate – Shoppach blocked the plate and Marwin did NOT get his hand in under the tag. He was mad, he was out, and he was tossed out.

Then Francie-poo broke The Rules and brought in The Closer in a tie game on the road (don’t ask me what that is supposed to be a nono but apparently it is) and Wilton strengthened the bonds of team unity by serving a cookie to Ike Davis who promptly sent it into the RF stands. So I’m sure Francie-poo will hear it from those who thought that he shoulda done the send some righty to face David Wright, then pull him and send in the LOOGY to face Davis. But hey, your closer is suppsoed to be the best reliever on the team. If HE can’t get the heart of the lineup out, well, he sucks.

So anyway, apparently there is Some Concern about innings limits for our young pitchers and Luhnow is talking bout going to a 6 man rotation and calling up Edgar Gonzalez, a 29 year old righty who pitched most of the year in the Mexican League, and 1 game at AAA OKC – former Diamondback, whose last respectable year, as a starter/long reliever, was 2006 when he posted a 113 ERA+ over 42.2 innings. No I am not kidding. Next year, 2007, he had a 95 ERA+ over 102 innings, again as a swingman. You don’t wanna hear the rest of his numbers, because they are all bad.ERA in the majors over 325 IP is 5.90 with a 1.57 WHIP. No I am not kidding. His AAA numbers aren’t much better.

I don’t know about all yall, but I’d rather watch Roger Clemens lose than Gonzalez. I’m really getting a kick out of the old buzzard who will just not say die. Of course, all the writers are screaming how he just wants to pitch in the majors to push his Hall eligibility back 5 years, but hey, they can just not vote for him 5 years later, what’s the big deal?

Day off, then San Fran comes to town. I miss Barry Lamar. Then it’s Cincy. I know it’s gonna be tough maintaining that death grip, but I appreciate the boys tryin so hard. Still at only 40 W, and I understand the tremendous pressure they are under to lose. Sometimes they forget themselves and do stuff like make good plays or hit em where they ain’t, but it’s so tough to remember, it’s only ONE game they can win and still achieve that Sacred All Time Loss Record. I checked, by the way, and On Aug 26, 2003, the Tigers had won only 33 games – and they won 5 of their last 6 to reach 43 wins – and they almost made history too.

It’s true that the all time Road Loss record is still within the Stros’ grasp, but hey, that’s like the Sacred All Time Pinch Hits Record (now held by Lenny Harris, ah do believe.) I’m not even sure it’s still Lenny Harris, as Matt Stairs just might could have caught up.

 

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Posted in Fernando Abad, Lucas Harrell | 6 Comments »

8/24/12: Lyles Beats Mets So Magic Number Is Up To 1

Friday, August 24th, 2012

It’s been a looooooong week for the Gray family, so we-uns all went out for Vietnamese food because really, Mami was just too darn tired to cook and Husband didn’t want chickens from the Kroger again. Like I said, it’s been a looooooong week. So we got back and Husband sez, please Baby, tell me you are NOT turnin on the (swear word) game, I’m just not in the mood to watch another loss and yes I know ALLL about The Sacred All-Time Loss Record. So we watched Bugs Bunny instead, laughed (instead of cringed), so I didn’t get to check the game till late.

And well, that magic number is down to 1, as it seems that Jordan Lyles cares more about his own personal Win record than maintaining Team Unity. Yes, the Astros are now at 40 wins, and managing to lose all but 1 game now seems a forlorn hope, and that we will simply go down as yet another bridesmaid besides the 03 Tigers and the 04 Diamondbacks. We could try to push that number as close to 120 as possible, but unfortunately, close but no cigar ain’t gonna get us nowheres.

Jordan gave up 3 hits, 2 walks, 1 HBP and 1 run, on a homer to David Wright that juuuuussst made it to the very bottom of the foul pole in right. He was pulled after 6 innings, 91 pitches, and Wesley Wright came in and was allowed to face 2 rightys. Yes, you read that right, allowed to face 2 rightys. I don’t know what the world is coming to.

Froddy came in to start the 8th, got 2 outs, then gave up a walk, and it was David Wright up. So Froddy was actually pulled for The Closer. Yes, friends and neighbors, you read that wright. The closer was sent in to get out the opposition’s best hitter with 2 out 1 on in the EIGHTH inning. You know, NOT the correct designated inning for The Closer. Why on earth you would send in your best pitcher to get the best hitter out I do NOT understand. What a concept. I mean, I remember Phil Garner using Brad Lidge in the 8th back in 04, and I think that Jose Valverde was called in to get a hitter or 2 out in the 8th inning back in 08, but really.

Best part of the game, though, is Jordan Lyles driving in what turned out to be the winning run with a double to left, scoring Brandon Barnes. Who, by the way, is a pretty good center fielder. I wish he’d hit more – I’d love to see him succeed. The most amazing sight of the game, however was seeing Steve Pearce actually throw out David Wright at second. I didn’t think the guy could actually throw to the correct fielder, let alone make any sort of GOOD throw. Hey, miracles happen.

By the way, Roger Clemens is starting for the Skeeters today, not the Astros, although it sure has been talked about plenty and is actually getting national coverage – Will Roger Come Back Again???!!! It’s Fernando Abad, no, I’m not kidding, starting. Good Lord. Yes, I’m talking about the lefty reliever who was good in 2010 until they decided he should play all winter as a starter and he was too tired to stand, let alone pitch, when he came back in 2011.

We’re facing RA Dickey, the knuckleballer. This should be fun. Dickey is 15-4 (on a BAD team) with a 2.82 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. This month, he gave up 5 runs/ 6 IP to Cincy and lost, 3 runs/7 Ip to San Diego and lost, 3 hits, 1 solo homer to Colorado (ND) and a CG 1 run win over Miami. He hasn’t had an ERA over 3 since May.

Dickey, of course, is a righty. Will be interesting to see if Francie-poo packs the lineup with leftys, just like Millsie-poo did.

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Posted in Jordan Lyles | 14 Comments »

5/2/12: Chris Johnson Hits 2 HR, Gets 6 RBI And It’s A Wandy-erful World

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

My favorite kind of game – my favorite players absolutely ROOL and Astros Win!!!

Wandy started off kind of shaky – threw a ball, then the leadoff hitter hit a ball off the scoreboard – JD hasn’t learned yet how to play that scoreboard – he jumped at it – bad jump, and ball bounced off the scoreboard and the runner foolishly decided to try for third and even JD managed to throw a decent throw to CJ to get the runner. Wandy shrugged and got the next 2.

Bottom of the first, Schafer drew a walk to reach base for the 24th straight game, then stole second, but got stranded.

2nd – Wandy gives up a walk, gets 3 easy outs. Bottom of the inning, Clank out, then Lowrie singles up the middle, Bogu gets an IF single which goes kind of in between the mound and third and Wright can’t throw him out. Then CJ goes to 2-2, no swinging at any pitches out of the zone, and hits a sinker into the mid Crawford Boxes for his first homer of the year!!!!! BOUT TIME!!!

Astros 3 Mets Zippo

Then Castro singles, Wandy sac-bunts, Schafer walks, but Altuve and JD strand them. 2 LOB. Cmon guys, every time I go braggin on yall, somehow, your bats ain’t comin thru, you know what I’m sayin.

3rd – Wandy goes 1,2,single,3 out – 33 pitches. Astros up –  Clank flies out (he isn’t hitting the ball well when he does hit it) then Lowrie doubles to the LF bullpen fence opposite field, Bogu pops out. CJ up, lays off the high FB, then hits a curve to the Conoco Pump for his second homer. His first 2 homer game!!!!! Castro flies out to the RF bullpen – hit very solidly but Torres made a very good catch.

Stros 5 Mets 0

4th – Wandy walks David Wright, who steals second (is Castro EVER gonna throw ANYONE out?) and Torres drives him in.

Stros 5 Mets 1

Wandy lines out, Schafer Ks and Altuve grounds out 5-3.

5th – Schafer comes out – sore left ribs and Justin Maxwell is in. Wandy gets easy grounder to second, tough grounder to 3rd – solid play by CJ who has really REALLY improved his fielding this year – he’s making sure he plants himself right BEFORE throwing, which was really his weakness before. He never did miss that many he should have gotten to. Then Ruben Tejada hits a popfly to right, Bogu tries to catch it on a slide – hard to tell if he slid too soon or got caught on the turf, but the ball doesn’t end up in his glove and Tejada wisely stops at second this time. But he’s stranded on another groundout.

Stros up – Schwinden out – he really wasn’t that bad – lots of ground balls and a couple of curves that CJ hit out. Manny Acosta, mopup man, in. Julio Daniel grounds out 6-3. Clank hits a liner to right. Then Lowrie goes 3-2 and bounces a single to right (can you believe he’s outhitting and outslugging Tulowitski???!!!) Bogu hits the ball to the RF corner and Carlos trots home and it’s men on second and third.

AND CJ hammers a FB inside to left to drive in Lowrie for SIX RBIs!!! You’d think it was HIS birthday!!!

AND Castro hits a liner to right to drive in Bogu and CJ goes to third. Then Wandy takes a ball, fouls one off, then screws up the bunt (sac, not squeeze – WHY???) and Thole makes a great diving catch of the popup. Maxwell Ks looking at Ball 4 leaving men on first and third. But that’s Ok because it’s

Astros 8 Mets 1

6th – Hairston hits a double off the scoreboard – makes an odd turn off to the stands – wasn’t JD’s fault this time, and he is heading to third, but barely makes it back to second to beat the throw. Nieuwenhuis singles to right, men on second and third one out. But Wandy Ks Torres and gets Ike Davis to groundout to Altuve.

Altuve and JD groundout (cmon guys!!!!! what’s with this out stuff???!!) then Clank singles to right again, but Lowrie grounds out.

7th – Wandy back out, 10 pitches, 3 easy outs – he’s at 90 pitches and lookin good.

Acosta out, Ex-Stro Tim Byrdak in (and he’s still a good lookin man). Bogu Ks. CJ singles to left and he is now 4 fer 4 and his average is up to .313!!!! but Castro GIDP. (Deshaeis says that this is CJ’s 3rd 4 hit game in the ML – I thought he’d had more than that, especially in 2010, but no)

8th – Wandy is out. It’s not OK to let guys who are cruising finish games after 7 innings. David Carpenter is in. He gets an out, then David Wright triples off the top of the RF bullpen (the el cheapo Mets are most likely going to let him leave – incredible how many Mets fans are angry with Jose Reyes for “leaving” when he wasn’t offered ANY sort of contract at all) but Hairston and Nieuwenhuis strand him there.

Frank Francisco in – he’s the guy who the Rangers traded to Toronto last year for catcher Mike Napoli and did that turn out to be a BAD trade for the Jays. Lowrie out, Marwin Gonzalez in – and Marwin pops up. Justin Maxwell singles on a pop bloop to right, then Altuve smacks a single to left. Men on first and second. Julio Daniel Ks swinging (BAD day) then Clank flies out to the warning track at the 404 sign. 2 left on base, but that’s OK because Astros still 8-1.

9th – Abad in to mopup and he starts off facing a righty, Andres Torres, who Ks looking at a FB down the middle – he wears the sombrero today, as well as driving in the only run. He gets leftys Davis and Thole out – manages to actually get 3 straight outs in 1 inning – actually he manages to actually get outs!!!!! and it’s the Astros first series sweep this year!!!!!

Saint Looey is comin in for the weekend and we start off with Lucas Harrell vs Kyle Lohse, who is seriously kicking ASS this year. He’s started 5 games, thrown 6 to 7.1 innings every single game, won all but one and he went 7 innings and gave up no runs in that one. He’s thrown 33.1 innings, given up 22 hits, 2 HR, 6 walks, 21 K and 6 runs for a 1.64 ERA and 0.84 WHIP.

You know he was a 29th round pick? Of the C*bs? Traded to the Twins in 99 for Rick Aguilera and Scott Downs. I didn’t even remember that he was traded to Cincy in 06 for some crappy minor leaguer, was with them in 07 and then traded to Philly late in the year for some crappy pitcher. He started pitching for the Cards in 08 had a 112 ERA+, was hurt part of 09 and 10, had a 109 ERA+ last year and is looking like Sandy EFF Koufax this year. I mean the 61-65 Koufax. Because he looked like the pre-ace Koufax before that. Who would have believed that he’d be by far outpitching Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright this year?

Then again, who would have thought that Chris Johnson would be outhitting Albert Pujols this far into the season? Who would have thought that Brian Bogusevic would be outhitting Albert Pujols this far into the season?

It’s baseball and youneverknow…

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Posted in Bogusevic, Chris Johnson, Wandy Rodriguez | 8 Comments »

5/1/12: Astros Win Their First Series Since Opening Day

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

Well, yesterday, Bud Norris threw 5 superb innings, then suddenly couldn’t get anyone out and blew a 3 run lead. But Jed Lowrie drove Schafer in for the 4th run and the ol WB slammed the door. I like how Luhnow is already loudly denying that he is shopping Myers. Yeah. surrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre.

And tonight, J Happ managed to hold on for 6.1 innings – was actually surprised to see him go back out to start the 7th after 107 pitches, 6 H, 3 W, 3 ER. Well, no I wasn’t – he was facing a lefty and you know how Millsie-poo is about the lefty righty thingy. Last night he changed pitchers for 7 consecutive batters – I just HATE that. TLR, the curse that will not die.

Anyway,

Altuve and his .404 OBP (he’s better than Schafer, but hey, the 8 hole is lonely) led off with an IF single then Jed Lowrie, batting second, served Chick Fil A to the 4000 folks (announced butts in seats 17,958 – sure doesn’t look it) who made it to the park. Julio Daniel singled thru the 5.5 hole, Clank, back in the lineup, popped up then Matt Downs, playing 3rd for CJ, went and GIDP.

Second inning, Bogu singled, Maxwell playing for Schafer also singled, then Chris Snyder hit the first pitch he saw, a high inside FB, onto the tracks above the Crawford Boxes.

Happ didn’t let a runner past first until the 4th when he gave up a double, a walk, 2 singles and 2 runs. To my surprise, the Mets pulled Niese (the pitcher) after only 2 innings for a pinch hitter with men on second and third. I was really surprised because managers almost never pull an unhurt pitcher who has only given up 5 runs over 2 innings – partly because of the fact that there are so few genuine long relievers these days. But Happ pulled together to strike out the pinch hitter, so it stayed Stros 5 Mets 2.

5th inning, Happ gives up a single, a walk and an RBI single to make it Astros 5 Mets 3, Of note in the bottom of the 5th was Bogu hitting the ball opposite field again for another single. And more surprising, he got caught stealing the second night in a row. Here and I had been braggin on what a great baserunner he is…

6th inning, Happ gets 1,2,3.  In the bottom of the inning, Maxwell walks on 4 pitches. Snyder GIDP. Happ singles, Altuve walks. Pitching change from Miguel Batista (he’s been pitching for like almost as long as Jamie Moyer, seens like) to righty Ramon Ramirez, who promptly walks Lowrie on 5 pitches, then walks Julio Daniel on 5 pitches, RBI walk (his second this year) then it’s Clank up, bases loaded. And he pops it up. Astros continue to not hit with bases loaded no matter HOW many outs.

7th – Happ gets Niewenheis (he’s a FINE lookin man – looks like Eric Christian Olsen on NCIS LA) out for the 4th time, then Wilton Lopez gets 2 quick outs.

8th, Wilton still in, gives up a single to David Wright, then a GIDP. Ike Davis, he of the sub-Mendoza line BA is up and he is pulled for Wesley Wright because Davis is a lefty. Are you seriously telling me that Wilton EFF Lopez can’t get leftys out? Please.

And so the Astros win 6-3!!!!! For my birthday!!!!!

And tomorrow afternoon is Wandy vs Chris Schwinden, RHP who is a 22nd round pick of the Mets in 08. Came up last year, threw 4 unremarkable games. He’s started 1 game this year in Colorado and, well, let’s say him n Coors aren’t best buds – gave up 2 homers, 1 walk, no K, 5 ER over 4 IP. He has a decent record at AAA – 30 GS over 168 IP (not much over 5 IP/GS) 3.70 ERA, 1.25 WHIP.

Would be nice to get our first series sweep.

Feels weird to be seeing Mets and not be boooing Carlos Beltran, but hey, the Cards will be here this weekend, so I’ll be able to fit it all in. Hope Lance is off the DL – I still luuuvvv the boy.

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Posted in Chris Snyder, J.A. Happ, Jed Lowrie | 11 Comments »

5/15/11: Brad Mills Leaves A Flustered Aneury Rodriguez In To Give Up 7 Runs

Sunday, May 15th, 2011

Just as I suspected, Brett Wallace was benched against the lefty and Clank played 1B.

long silence

I don’t know whether this benching stuff is Mills’ idea or whether or not he is obeying orders from Fast Eddie. I can’t blame a man for obeying orders – see Phil Garner/Saint Biggio 2007.  I can’t blame Mills for having to play with whatever players Fast Eddie says he’s gonna get – and I know there have been more than a few Mills wanted that he didn’t getand vice versa.

But I DO blame Mills/Arnesberg for the massive, inexcuseable mess that was the 5th inning.

First, the playing Clank at 1B instead of Wallace. Really, there is absolutely positively NO excuse for this. First, Wallace CAN hit leftys. Second, Wallace is supposedly the first baeman of the future. Third, I can understand wanting to give Jason Michaels a start – but this is not a reason to bench Wallace instead of Clank. Clank is a old, fading outfielder with an untradeable, onerous contract – it’s not less stupid to play him rather than sit him, as the money is ALREADY speant.

Now, Aneury had a no hitter going after 4 innings – at 45 pitches. Looked great. Aneury, if all yall remember, is a 23 year old Rule V. So first hitter in the 5th, Jason Bay, pops up a pitch RIGHT on the mound. I know all about the pitchers aren’t supposed to field unless they are Brandon Backe/Wandy ex-position player types. But a popup ON THE MOUND should be the pitcher’s call. AND this one was on the 3B side, sort of, and Clank called off CJ – what the HECK is Clank doing going over to get that ball???!!! let alone calling off CJ – and CJ steps aside, remembering the Adam Everett Debacle and Clank promptly trips and the ball drops.

Aneury is OBVIOUSLY All Shook Up – and like, WHERE is the pitching coach? He has a hard time finding the strike zone on the next hitter and when he does, it’s a FB down the middle for a single, then a double inside the LF line scoring both runners. No outs, man on 3rd, TIE GAME.

WHERE IS THE PITCHING COACH? WHY isn’t anyone getting up in the pen?

Next batter, RBI single, no one out, Mets 3 Stros 2 – so NOW Arnesberg comes out – but STILL no one up in the bullpen. They are gonna leave this poor kid in to get killt.

Then a sac bunt, a 4 pitch walk (and Ball 4 was clearly strike 1) – and STILL they leave him in. There is a time for learning and just watching Aneury – his body language is NOT good. He is clearly emotional, not focusing. Yes, I know the bullpen sucks, but this is ridiculous.

Finally, a flyout – men on first and 3rd. And then they double steal second and home – and Reyes goes to third on the throw home. He walks the batter, then gets The Jackal swinging.

4 runs, 36 freaking pitches. Aneury has lost his stuff, lost the game.

I damm near fainted when I saw him coming out to start the 6th. You GOT to be kidding me.  This asfer the Astros get out on 12 pitches (counting the double that was hit.)

First pitch, Jason Bay singles. Aneury tries to pick him off, but the throw, uh, gets away from Carlos and Bay trots into second. Aneury ends up walking the hitter. Cmon, this is enough – but noooooo. No Arnesberg, no nothing. Aneury throws a FB down the middle and it goes for a 3 run homer.

NOW he gets pulled, but only because the next hitter is a lefty and you can send in Abad because it no longer matters if he gives up any runs.

So the question is – does it make a rookie starter a better pitcher if you leave him in to rot, especially when you can’t be bothered to even so much as try to settle him down? How does him giving up 7 runs in 1+ innings help him? Where were all the Veteran Presences?

I don’t know how much yelling I can do about the insistence on playing Clank – but I don’t think that the manager/coach handled Aneury very well at ALL.

Don’t ask me what happened after Abad came in – I no longer cared - stopped watching - the game was really already OVAH. Well, you can ask. Looking at the box score, I see that Abad, Del Rosario, Escalona and Valdez all pitched hitless, scoreless innings. Valdez even pitched TWO!!! I thought that was against the rules or something.

sigh

We’re off to face Atlanta for a 2 game series – and the Astros have not done well there even when we were a GOOD team. Tomorrow, the “ace” and his 5+ ERA face Tommy Hansen, RHP, who was a 22nd round (imagine that) draft pick of the Braves in 05. Did better than anyone expected, I think, and he’s absolutely shut DOWN the Astros the 3 times he’s faced us – 23 IP, 11 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 18 K. Yes, that’s a 0.78 ERA.

And this year, he started 8 games over 46.2 IP, hasn’t given up more than 3 runs in any GS: 2.52 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, .213 BAA.

The team is announcing the sale tomorrow – and I STILL have not gotten ANY verification that Bud has approved Jim Crane as an anowerr – let alone approved the sale. All we can do is pray it doesn’t go through…

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Posted in Aneury Rodriguez | 9 Comments »

5/14/11: Astros Knuckle Down, Hit 3 HR, Beat Mets

Saturday, May 14th, 2011

RA Dickey threw 44 pitches in the first inning, and looks like the knuckler didn’t knuckle real too much – lots of pitches high up in the zone and the Astros batted around, scoring 4. Michael Bourn led off with a triple almost to the Hill – just right of the RF bullpen – was kind of hoping it would be an inside the parker, but Hairston got on it too fast.

Clank got his 2000th career hit, a single, then scored when Chris Johnson, who has finally got his batting average back up to his weight, singled him home.

Second thru 5th inning, Dickey threw more knucklers up in the zone, but not in the middle of the plate, and although he gave up a hit/inning, there weren’t any walks or runs. But in the 6th, Bill Hall hit an opposite field homer on a knuckler waist high into the RF bullpen. Q grounded out, then Matt Downs, pinch hitting for Happ, who LOWERED his BA to .462, hit a PH homer into the Crawford Boxes. Clank hit  homer of Igarishi into the Crawford Boxes to lead off the 7th.

And that was 7 runs for the Astros, and fortunately THIS time, the bullpen held. With THIS pen, when it’s only 7 runs, youneverknow…

Happ pitched fine – 5 hits (1 HR) 3 walks (2 in the first inning) and 2 ER over 6 IP.

Tomorrow afternoon, it’s Aneury Rodriguez vs lefty Chris Capuano, our old frenemy from the Brewers who thrashed the Astros last month. Wonder if Brett Wallace is gonna get benched so that Jason Michaels, sucking just as much AFTER the DL as he did BEFORE it will get a start in left. Wouldn’t be surprised. I better not see him trying to play CF.

And speaking of #5 hitters – remember how I remarked that poor ol Figgy got royally screwed by the umps more than a few times? Jonathan Scippa, a guy who knows how to do excel stuff with the Pitch Fx looked at what happened with pitches out of the strike zone getting called strikes and pitches IN the strike zone getting called balls – and Figgy got the worst ball/strike calls in the NL. And this is with Quintero catching him, too – so no blaming Towles for not framing pitches – like I’ve said, I’ve never thought Q was as good at framing pitches as Towles is. But check it out.

Time for computer generated ball/strike calls. I’m tired of the really terrible umpiring – it’s gone downhill lightning quick since Sandy Alderson stopped being in charge of umps. And I’m not just talking about th CB Bucknors neither – it’s getting to be all of them.

And did everyone read all about all the hoo-hah about Bartolo Colon’s repaired shoulder? Apparently, the doctors used some kind of stem cell treatment and possibly injected HGH into the joint to help healing!!!! DID you get that??? Physicians treating a specific surgical reconstruction/repair used a medication which helps, or could help, promote growth of cartilage to regenerate the tissue!!! Isn’t that simply TERRIBLE? I mean, a PHYSICIAN using  MEDICATION to help to heal a patient under his direct supervision??? They doctors deny using such a terrible dangerous drug – why heaven forbid that they should use that one specific medication to help an athlete heal his injuries.

This stupid stuff has gone too far with the HGH being this terrible cheating stuff. Why is it standard of care good medicine to inject cortisone into a joint to help heal it but cheating to inject HGH into a joint to help heal it? Now exactly WHY is it terrible for physicians – not athletes going to drug dealers – orthopedic surgeons treating athletes – to use legal medications to repair damaged joints/tendons/ligaments? This medication is being used for the purpose it actually HAS in the body – to grow new tissue.

And speaking of physicians, I also read that Bryce Harper, the Nat’s pheenom first rounder from last year apparently had lousy vision and after going to a, like, you know, EYE doctor, he got contact lenses and is now hitting over .400. Don’t team doctors like check, like you know, stuff like, EYESIGHT on each player every year seeing as how you know, like you know SEEING the ball is kind of important if a hitter wants to you know, like HIT IT?

Sometimes I just can’t believe this stuff.

All I can say is that they need to have women team doctors. Because we don’t never listen to no man sez – oh yeah, I’m fine, no prob. Lift my arm over my head? You mean, like, you know, the hand above the head? Do I hafta? Ida wanna, Does it hurt? Nah, I just don’t happen to wanna right now. None of this idiotic bullstuff about – well, he SAID he wasn’t hurt he SAID he can see fine he SAID his leg don’t hurt no mo he SAID no prob with his wrist/elbow/shoulder/side/back/whatever. And we know how to use a scale and measuring stick too – and Wandy wouldn’t be no 192 lbs (hopeless giggle)/5-11 no mo.

I have no further info on the team sale at this time – and I’m not gonna assume that Crane is gonna be the next owner until I hear that Bud has signed the papers. And I’m still wanting to know why the Houston media refuses to do ANY research/stories on Crane and/or Postopolous. Probably, they just flat out couldn’t care less seeing as how they are gonna write the same old whatever crap. I expected better of Justice, but I guess I was wrong. He’s thrown in the towel too. Guess he’s hoping to get back into that expensive dining room. Hard to believe that it was only 6 years ago that houston wa a rabid baseball town and now they get maybe 10K people on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

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Posted in Carlos Lee, J.A. Happ | 1 Comment »

5/13/11: Bud Norris Gives Up 2 Too Many Homers And Loses

Friday, May 13th, 2011

I would have called this – in which Clint Barmes and Jason Michaels continue to suck, but they are Fast Eddie’s boyz, so they’ll be stayin – but I was too disgusted.

Bud Norris was sharp – they couldn’t touch him through 6 innings, but in the 7th he gave up a homer to Jason Bay on a FB straight down the middle (and yes it went into Crawford STREET, not the Boxes) – and he also threw 22 pitches. His teammates helped him out by getting 1,2,3 popups on 8 pitches. And when Bud went out to start the 8th, he clearly looked tired. Of course, Mills didn’t trust Lopez and Melancon to get the 6 outs, so he sent Bud out.

He looked tired – went to 0-2 on Justin Turner, then he fouled off a couple, then Bud hung a slider and it went for a single. He kept trying to pick him off, and finally got Pridie to fly out to left. I was HOPING that Mills would pull him when Collins sent in a lefty – I had this bad BAD feeling, but you know you can’t trust a righty to get out a lefty, even if it is your setup man or closer – and Mills left Bud in to pitch to Martinez and he threw a FB right down the middle and it went over the RF fence.

Mills STILL didn’t pull Bud. I knew that was it and we were gonna lose again and sure enough, he walks Reyes. NOW he pulls Bud. In comes Fulchino and promptly gives up the game losing homer to David Wright. NOW he sends in Lopez. Big deal.

Bill Hall gets his butt kicked for making the last out at home in the 6th during a rally – Bourn hit a ball to the first baseman who threw home. Clank gets his butt kicked trying to score from second with NO outs (wasn’t running on contact) on a single to shallow left. I guess Dave Clark lost his tiny mind and sent him. Hello, it’s CLANK, not Bourn.

Same leaving men on base all through the game. Same Clank popping up with MOB.

And all I can do is pray that Bud refuses to let the sale to Crane, who doesn’t have very much money and will be leveraged to over his head – go through. If he lets this sale go through – just forget “improvements” to the team because there won’t be any money and the payroll will have to be cut and we are just gonna be the Pirates or worse for the next 20 years. And no, there is nothing in the farm (I looked and it is depressing) and no, there won’t be any signing of good prospects because CRANE DOESN’T HAVE ANY MONEY.

Justice has lost it if he thinks that Crane will be anything but Bob Short.

Yes I’m depressed.

Tomorrow is J Happ vs knuckleballer RA Dickey. We beat him earlier this year when he threw knucklers that didn’t, but he killed Astro in both games. He hasn’t pitched near as well this year as he did last year – ERA is 4.50/WHIP 1.55. But this IS the Astros so we will surely manage to find SOME way to screw it up

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Posted in Bud Norris | 20 Comments »

4/21/11: J Happ Is David Wright’s Slumpbuster As Mets Stomp Astros

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

For 2.1 innings, J Happ was so good and so sharp, I thought he just might could be headed for at least a shutout, if not a no-hitter. I figured that maybe the wind – looks like it’s like 20 MPH out there and I checked weather.com – it was 47 at gametime – was moving the ball and the hitters were too cold to swing. Hey, I was feeling cold just watching them – and for some reason, I was remembering the WS at Chi-town, not a real too good premonition, you know what I’m sayin.

Terry Collins, the Mets manager, who has a history of being not exactly liked by his players (so I hear tell, yet another manager that B&B managed – hahahaha – to get rid of) wanted to get hisself thrown out of the game to fahr upp da boyzzzz, so he went and made a total ass of himself screeching at Doug Eddings, the HP ump for missing a call (you might as well scream at a cat for not coming when she’s called) – dropped foul tip wasn’t dropped, he says – Eddings ignores him goes back to call pitches and Collins gets in his face and Eddings sez – sigh – do you WANT to get thrown out? Well, OK. And Collins was right about dropped foul tips mattering – but I’m getting ahead of myself…

Anyway, Mike Nickeas, their rookie catcher just called up from AAA, somehow turned on a knee-high inside slider and hit it INTO the wind over the LF wall. THAT reminded me of Bradley Aweseomeness doing the same at Wrigley, breaking up a Greg Maddux shutout. Ahhhh, pleasant memories. Anyway, then 2 outs and at the end of 3 innings, Happ has 5 Ks and NO walks – unusual for him and 40 pitches.

Meanwhile, Capuano is lethal – gave up a LONG double to Pence in the first inning, so there’s no worry about getting no-hit, but in the 3rd, Happ singles (he did better than moren a few Astros hitters), then Bourn walks, but Angel Sanchez, slumping (anxiety about Barmes coming back as The Hitting Savant and taking his job???) lines into a DP and there’s the end of that. Too many DPs for the Astros lately.

Fourth inning – what’s good is that Chris Johnson really hits the ball hard to the CF wall for a double. What’s bad is that he was stranded. What’s worse is that Happ started to go to pieces. He’s only gone to one 3 ball count in the first 3 innings, and then he started to lose command (cold fingers?) He needs 8 pitches to get out the suckulous Pagan and his .150 BA. Then it’s David Wright, who has has FINALLY struck out on the 8th pitch foul tip, only Quintero DROPS THE BALL. So Happ throws a FB down the dead center middle of the plate and David Wright hits the ball 400′ into the wind over the fence to break an 0fer 20 (min, he WAS getting on base and had like 8 walks during that time) and this is NOT a good sign. Jackal goes to 3-2 and singles up the middle – this, by the way, is not because of Eddings not calling balls/strikes well. Jason Bay hits a popup to right that Pence misses (he had a BAD night) which bounces over the wall for a GR double. Then JA throws a WP and I mean WILD – like 3 feet to the right of Q’s glove and Jackal trots home and Bay scoots to third. Davis hits a sac-fly. At least it wasn’t a 3 ball count, right?

Mets 4 Stros Crap

I was a little surprised to see Happ go out for the 5th – he didn’t seem to have much in the 4th. He goes to an 8 pitch 3-2 count on Nickeas before getting a FO. Then he gives up a solid double to the PITCHER, who is like 36 years old. Is it time to come out? Then a 3-2 walks to Reyes on 6 pitches. He looks BAD. He goes to 3-2 on Pagan. David Wright is coming up and yeah, he’s had a 6 game dry spell until earlier, but hey, even UNCLE had a bad 10 games straight and you KNOW I wasn’t even thinking in my wildest dreams that he was finished. I’m thinking – cmon Millsey-poo, time to go get the boy, he ain’t got nothin. And sure enough, he gives up a solid 2 run double to left center on a meatball.

NOW Millsie comes and gets him. What’s with all the guys getting girlie names or else doing the LiLo thingy? Can’t we get some REAL nicknames? Like, say, Manitas de Piedra (hands of stone) or Pies en Fuego (Firefoot) or something really imaginitive like guante del oro (Glove of Gold?)

Anyway, Enerio Del Rosario comes in and gets the out, but hey, this game is OVAH and the only real question is – are the Astros gonna get shutout?

Nothing in the 6th except a walk to Clank (and a throw over to keep him close – he has this – like whaaaaaa???? look) but in the 7th, Brett Wallace doubles, then Matt Downs singles to left. Remember that Brett Wallace runs like a grrrl pregnant with twins. So anyhow, Bay picks up the ball, makes a bad throw to Wright and Wallace chugs across the plate. But that’s all she wrote, as Quintero GIDP.

Aneury Rodriguez comes in to mopup in the 8th. He gets Willie Harris to FO on a 3-2, walks Wright, Ks the Jackal (hehhehheh) then – you won’t believe this – Bay hits a popup near the line in shallow right center. Wallace, Downs and Pence converge, Pence calls for it, but he makes a lousy run for it and the ball clanks off his glove and rolls all the way down into the corner and Bay comes all the way around to score after Wright, as Pence makes a lousy throw to Downs, who can’t collar the ball well, then drops it. Not that it mattered. Aneury goes to 3-2 on davis, then throws a high FB on the outside corner which Davis hits a GOOD 450′ to dead center onto the concourse. That’s one of the hardest hit balls I’ve seen this year – reminds me of the homer that Berkman hit to dead center waaaaay high up on the wall at whatever they are calling the DBax stadium.

Taylor Buchholz pitches again, the 8th and 9th, and again I am reminded that he is one of the few pitchers who ever made me go – WOW – when I first saw him pitch. He’s still good, even if he can’t start anymore and hasn’t got his old velocity.

We’re now off to Miller Park, where Nelson Figueroa will opposae Yovani Gallardo, who always kicks Astro butt.  Actually, not always – record shows he’s 7-2, which means that somehow, we’ve beaten him twice. Checked it out – Wandy beat him both times; 2-0 and 6-4 (yeah he gave up SIX runs over 5 IP) but he was nails last year. He’s had rough going this year, so I would bet he’s really licking his chops now…

Saturday, we face Shaun Marcum, RHP and his 1.90 ERA, who came from the Toronto Organization. Astros have never faced him. Toronto traded him for a minor leaguer, don’t ask me why: his ERA+ over the past 3 years in the AL East facing Yankees/Rays/RedSox lineups half the time is 108, 125, 114. And he has hurt for part of that, too. BBref says his closest comp is Yovani Gallardo. Just wonderful.

Rubber game on Sunday, Wandy faces ex-Stro Randy Wolf, who is 2-2 with a 3.18 ERA. Wandy has always had a tough time at Miller park – a 5.97 ERA over 60 IP in 11 GS. Note that he did very well there last year in his 2 games – 1 ER over 6.1 IP and 1 ER over 7 IP.

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Posted in Brett Wallace, J.A. Happ | 6 Comments »

4/20/11: Hunter Pence Homers To Beat Mets

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

Actually, it was a pretty exciting game, even if it was between last place teams.

RA Dickey threw a lot of knuckleballs, which usually moved all ovah the place – first inning, 3 strikes to Bourn, Sanchez GO, Pence walks, Carlos FO.

Then Bud made things, uh, INteresting. Reyes singles, is almost thrown out leaning off first, then promptly steals second, Thole Ks swinging (Bud had  GREAT fastball), David Wright walks (he either walks or Ks these days), Jackal hits a nubber that Bud gets a glove on enough that no one can get (Bud’s fielding was lousy) and it’s bases loaded. Lefty Ike Davis Ks (so much for Bud can’t get leftys out) then Bud hangs a slider to Angel Pagan and I mean that baby was there, that baby was FAT, that baby was hit to the warning track in right, where Pence snagged it and that baby woulda been a granny at the Box. But 26 pitches gone, it’s still zip-zip.

Second inning, Brett Wallace doubles to left, CJ hits an IF dribbler that neither the pitcher or the 2B can get, so 2 on no out. Hall GO – ball hit too weakly for a GIDP, then Towles walks. So Bud’s up, bases loaded, and Dickey throws a WP and Brett Wallace beats the throw home because for some reason, Thole weakly underhandes the ball to Dickey – Wallace is SLOW – I don’t get it – so 1 run is in, then Bud hits a RBI single up the middle and JR scores from second. He can easily outrun BOTH Wallace and Sanchez and he’s a catcher!!! Then Michael singles to left and CJ scores!!! But then Sanchez and Pence both K swinging.

Astros 3 Mets 0

Can Bud hold on and not do his usual thingy where he can’t find the plate for an inning????

Willie Harris pops out – the ball heads to the stands at the RF line between home and first and Bill Hall calls for the ball and does a Jeter thingy, catching the ball as he goes head-first into the stands, slamming into some kid reaching for the ball (got him a Web Gem – they LIKEY that stuff) and looked like he really hurt his ribs or stomach or something, but he came back into the game after a few minutes delay. Murphy Ks and Dickey GO. Only 12 pitches this inning.

Third inning – 2 outs, then CJ hits a ball almost right over the first base bag that goes into shallow right and neither Davis nor Beltran can get it and Chris hustles into second with a double. I’m glad he’s getting hits, but he hasn’t really squared up any pitches solidly in quite some time. Hall Ks, stranding him. What a surprise. I’m sorry he’s doing so lousy – he was one of my favorite players when he was with the Brewers – but his last good year as a starting regular was years ago and unlike Fast Eddie, I wasn’t expecting miracles.

Bud gives up a single to Reyes (again) who steals second (again) gets Thole to FO, Wright Ks, swinging, then the Jackal doubles into the LF gap, scoring Reyes. Ike Davis hits a slow roller to third – CJ makes a nice play, but Davis is too fast. Pagan flies out to Carlos, who makes a very nice running catch.

He’s STILL doing his best in the field – I can hardly believe it either, but he is.

Fourth inning – Stros go 1,2,3. Mets go 1, single, 2,3 – with Bud FINALLY getting Reyes out.

Fifth inning – Sanchez FO, Pence out on 3 straight strikes, staring, but Thole can’t catch the last one and Hunter reaches first on a passed ball. Carlos GIDP to Wright on the VERY NEXT PITCH!!! grrrrrrrr.

It was GIDP night for BOTH teams, and – but I’m getting ahead of myself…

Bud gets 2 swinging Ks, gives up a double to that dratted Jackal – Pence had to come forward to get the ball, and it popped out of his glove – then Davis popped out to JR.

Sixth inning – Brettt Wallace singles (his BA is now up to .293), then 2 pitches later, CJ GIDP 6-4-3. Here we go with the GIDPs again. grrrrrrrr. Downs, who replaced Hall, who is out with an “ankle injury”????? flies out to mid center.

Bud’s at 87 pitches – only has a 2 run lead. Pagan grounds out. Willie Harris bloops one into shallow right for a double. Then Bud hangs a slider – absolutely mid plate, juicy, fat, succulent, and Daniel Murphy hits it over the RF fence. One hung slider too many = goodbye W for Bud. Dickey GO, Reyes singles, naturally, then Thole flies out to Carlos who runs HARD to just barely catch the ball at the wall.

Tie game – and Bud is at 106 pitches. Someone else is gonna hafta win/lose…

7th inning: JR is HBP – he broke his 6 game hit streak, but he reached twice and score once. Pinch hitter Joe Inglett – you won’t believe this – makes an out. Bourn hits a somewhat slow ball to the second baseman, who bobbles it – no one is out, and for some reason, it’s a hit, not an E4. Don’t ask me to explain THAT one. Then Angel Sanchez GIDP right to David Wright, who steps on third, then throws out Sanchez by 20+ feet.

Third (swear words) ground into double play in 3 (swear words) innings.

Melancon comes in, can’t find the plate, walks David Wright with 5 straight pitches. Jackal grounds to second – can’t turn the DP. But Ike Davis does – grounding to CJ, who turns a very nice 5-4-3. Darn that boy – if he could just work on not getting excited and making sure he sets before throwing/doesn’t throw when he can’t make an out – he’s actually very good.

8th inning – Pence turns on an inside knuckleball and POW, ball gone over the LF fence. Feels good after all those humiliating swings at air. Carlos, Brett and CJ gone on 6 pitches.

But Astros lead 4-3.

Fernando Abad comes in (must be getting tired – he’s getting used a LOT) and Pagan draws a 10 pitch walk. Willie Harris Ks, Murphy singles to left – so there are men on first and third, 1 out. Geez – here we go again. Righty Justin Turner comes in to PH and out goes Abad and in comes Valdez. And then – Turner Ks swinging. Towles drops the slider – which doesn’t go far – and Pagan, who was already halfway home when the pitch was thrown, is out at the plate as Valdez tags him.

DOUBLE PLAY!!!! This time, it goes the Astros way. What goes around comes around.

Our old friend Jason Isringhausen, now pitching mopup with a much slower fastball and a lot more cut stuff, gets 1,2,3 out.

Brandon Lyon comes in with a 1 run lead to protect. And Jose EFF Reyes singles to right. Oh jeez – my blood pressure. I was gonna duck out and close my eyes, but naturally, kids want to see the end (yes I’m a bad Mami) and I have to Set A Good Example Of Cheering For Your Team No Matter What – so Josh Thole bunt pops up the first pitch to Lyon and Reyes, who had been running on contact, was doubled off first . HAH!!!!! Wright flies out to Pence, Melancon wins and we FINALLY beat Dickey.

We’ve FINALLY won 2 in a row!!!!! And we’ve FINALLY won a series!!!!! Tomorrow is JA Happ vs our old friend (from the Brewers) Chris Capuano, who got hurt in 07, missed 08 and 09 with umpty surgeries, and cme back last year, mostly as a reliever. He was pressed into service as a starter with the Mets this year because of suckage/injuries and has so far, um, not done real too well. He’s a lefty, and I hope this doesn’t mean that Bourn and Wallace will be pulled out as usual. Why can’t Mills pull out the guys who suck instead of guys who hit?

In other news, MLB took over the Dodgers because Frank McCourt is broke and can’t meet payroll, so you KNOW they’ll force him to sell – and so looks as if we’re gonna be stuck with Drayton/Tal/Fast Eddie for a good while longer as bigbux buyers will be clawing each others’ eyes out to get the Dodgers (then the Mets are gonna be next – not sure how THEy are gonna meet payroll with the attendance starting to look like the Marlins…)

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Posted in Bud Norris, Hunter Pence, J.R. Towles | 5 Comments »

4/19/11: Ace Wandy Beats Mets

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

Wandy was teh awesomeness – had everything working great – gave up 3 hits – one a flyball to right that Pence trapped, a 380′ homer that would have been at most a double off the LF bullpen wall at home (yeah, to The Jackal) and soft little bloop to left – three walks and 7 K. And yeah, I will confess that he got by with a little help from his friend Kerwin Danley who, uh, had an, INteresting strike zone – Lots of pitches IN the strike zone called balls, LOTS of pitches out of the strike zone called strikes. Wandy was juuuust a little bit luckier than Niese with the calls, but Niese wasn’t the slam the door guy the Stros faced the previous 2 times. 

Astros got lucky too, because Pence and CJ did nothing, Bill Hall took the sombrero again, leaving too many guys on base as usual – and screwed Wandy out of a 2 out RBI single when he didn’t take off at the crack of the bat, run fast enough or slide well enough to avoid the tag.

In the first, Bourn led off with a single, then Sanchez, who has been slumping over the Padres series, sac bunted him, then Pence walked, and Michael took off for 3rd when Carlos Lee (laughing like heck) showed bunt, easily beat the throw, then scored when Carlos singled. CJ grounded them to second and third, then Hall Kd. I thought fer SHER he’d be leading the NL with Ks, but Pedro Alverez and his gut are ahead – and also, his .486 OPS is worse than Hall’s .565 – believe it or not. Wandy gets 1,2,3 out.

Niese worked out of trouble all night – in the second, JR Towles (still batting 8th) walked, Wandy screwed up the bunt, Bourn walked, then Sanchez grounded out for the 3rd out. Wandy gets 1,2,3 out plus the double that Angel Pagan got from that trapped ball to right.

In the 3rd, Pence GO, Carlos singled, then CJ hit into what SHOULD have been a 5-4-3, or at LEAST a 5-3, but the Mets 2B screwd up the catch and throw, so CJ was safe, but Carlos tried to chug into third and was tagged out by Wright, who beat him to the base - although I gots to admit it was a great slide. So with CJ at 2nd, Bill Hall Kd on 2 swings at pitches waaay out of the zone – both Unca Charlie, looked like. Wandy gets 1,2,3 out – and they’re swinging and missing.

In the 4th, Brett Wallace singles, then JR doubles him home with a drive to deep left center. Wandy again screws up the bunt, JR is out at 3rd. Then Michael Bourn GIDP – yes, seriously – 1-6-3. Ball was hit so hard he didn’t have a chance to beat it out – close, but no cigar. Meanwhile, Wandy walks the first hitter on 5 straight balls (remember what I said about the ump), strikes out David Wright and Jackal, walks the next hitter, then gets Pagan with an almost K – balls drops in front of home and JR throws him out. 2 walks – 2 Ks – that ball is MOVING.

In the 5th, Sanchez draws a 9 pitch walk, then Hunter beats out a 5-4-3 GIDP ball, but Clank doesn’t. Wandy gets 1,2,3 out.

6th inning – CJ lines out to right – the Jackal making a great catch (feels strange to talk about him playing RF, but he IS 34 already – time flies) then Hall singles (of course, there’s no one on), Brett Wallace grounds him to second, then JR is IBB and Wandy singles up the middle only to watch Hall get out and his RBI vanish. Wandy goes back out, gets 1,2,3 out. AH LUUUUUVS that boy!!!!

7th inning and Wandy clinging to a tenuous 2 run lead with Astros leaving gobs of MOB – the Astros get lucky. Bourn bunts out, Sanchez walks, Pence Ks, then Carlos hits a fly ball to the LF wall, which the LF inexplicably doesn’t catch and it goes for a 2 base error – and Sanchez, lead footed as he is scores from first standing up. CJ grounds to third – except for that one fly ball, he has NOT looked good at the plate.

OK, it’s a 3 run lead, with Wandy at 92 pitches. And the Jackal hits a 1-1 outside changeup into the LF stands. Peachy. He either strikes out or homers vs Wandy. There goes the shutout and now there’s only a 2 run lead. Davis Ks on 2 strikes and a ball. Pagan pops out, Hairston walks, Justin Turner, the new second baseman, hits one of those soft bloop pops that falls for a single, then Arnesberg goes out to Wandy, who tells him to leave cuz he’s gonna get the last out, and Chin-lung Hu (remember him from the Dodgers? All glove, no bat – made Everett look like ARod) Ks and Wandy struts off the mound.

Absolutely awesome outing – 116 pitches, 72 K – 12 swinging.

Astros luck continues in the 8th. Bill Hall Ks (of course) Wallace singles, JR singles to right, Joe Inglett Ks (what a surprise) on a FB down the middle, then our old friend Tim Byrdak comes in and gives up a single to Michael, loading the bases. In comes a righty to pitch to Sanchez, and he promptly balks (bobbles the ball in his hand after he had come set) in Brett Wallace. Terry Collins goes out to screech, but it WAS the right call – VERY clear. Then Sanchez singles in JR and Bourn. Hunter Ks. He didn’t have a good night at ALL.

Stros 6 Mets 1

Astros luck continues – Abad goes out to pitch as I hold my breath. Reyes shoots a grounder to third and CJ, rushing the throw, bounces it and Brett Wallace doesn’t grab it so Reyes is safe. CJ didn’t have a good night at ALL. Thole Ks – interestingly enough, Reyes doesn’t even try to steal – which matters because next David Wright hits into a perfect 6-4-3, only Bill Hall drops the ball, but Doug Eddings, the 2nd base ump (one of the 3 worst umps in the ML) calls Reyes out, saying that Hall had possession of the ball and dropped it – which he didn’t. I mean, have possession – just a bad BAD call, but it went in our favor, fortunately, because then Beltran FO to Bourgeois in left. So CJ’s error didn’t score and a BAD call went our way.

Ex-Stro Taylor Buchholz, now a Met after umpteen shoulder surgeries pitched the 9th. The spectacular stuff he had the first day I saw him back in 06 was gone. He has replaced his dazzling FB with some kind of cut FB which is mid 80s and a nice curveball – no more slider. Another pitching career ruined by having a guy go out and throw when his shoulder is hurt. Now he’s a mopup reliever.

Fulchino went in to mopup and gave up a grounder double just inside the 3B line into the corner, then got 1,2,3 out.

Tomorrow, it’s Bud Norris vs RA Dickey, the knuckleballer. Let’s hope good Bud shows up.

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Posted in Wandy Rodriguez | 12 Comments »

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