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3/16/13: The Real Prospects Play A Spring Training Game: Astros vs Strasburg

Sunday, March 17th, 2013

Watched the game on the replay on mlb.tv (Nationals announcers, who, by the way, are awful – one of em is a former player, who, whoever he is, will NOT shut up, like EVER, because I wanted to get a look at Correa and Singleton. Not sure how Singleton, who is serving a 50 game suspension for drug use, was allowed to play, but whatever.

Also, because this is a National League BASEBALL game without no stinkin DH!!!!!! YESSSSSS!!!

Lucas Harrell threw 4 innings of no hit ball against the Nationals – their real lineup, not minor leaguers. Impressive. AND only 49 pitches. Guess he was pulled because he hasn’t pitched much and had been sitting out with a groin strain. He must have been ordered by Bo Porter not to, for any reason whatsoever, move that bat off his shoulder, because Strasburg threw him 3 FB right down the middle, and although Lucas twitched, he didn’t move. Poor guy.

- No Jose Altuve – Jake Elmore (the guy we picked up on waivers from the Dbax – didn’t hit there, isn’t hitting here) was at second. He CAN field, however. Too bad he can’t play short or third.
- Brett Wallace was at third (shudder) and fortunately, he didn’t get a single ball hit to him
- Carlos Pena was at first
- Marwin Gonzalez at short – this team is gonna figure out WHEN that he can’t play any other position?
- Trevor Crowe in left
- Rick Ankiel in center
- Fernando Martinez in right

Which reminds me – I have heard tell that absolutely positively Chris Carter, lead feet/glove and all,  and Rick Ankiel are going to be on the 25 man. Period. At least Ankiel can catch and throw. And run.  I’m hearing that the starting OF absolutely WILL be Carter, Maxwell and Fernando Eff Martinez. Sigh

Anyone here wonder why Billy Beane would dump a 30-40 homer a year guy plus a young, supposedly stud starting pitcher for a crappy middle reliever and a utility IF?

Where was I? Oh yeah.  Strasburg started for the Nats – went 5 1/3, faced 21 guys, struck out 8. He has 3 very good pitches – his FB, which he located well except for 1 pitch to Ankiel which was right down the middle and got promptly swatted over the LF fence, a deadly slider, and a changeup. Three A+ pitches = ace pitcher.

It’s an all lefty lineup, except for Elmore, because we all know Strasburg can’t get leftys out. Roll eyes. Trevor Crowe is the only guy who is apparently seeing the ball well – gets a solid single and a double to center. Bad baserunning, he can’t decide whether or not to commit for third, dances a little too far off second, and gets picked off. He’s too old to make that kind of stupid mistake.

Wesley Wright and Hector Ambriz pitched the scoreless 5th. Wesley faced only LaRoche, gave up a single. Wesley is not having a good spring.

Sixth inning, stuff happened.
- Singleton in at first for Pena
- Domingo Santana (an actual prospect who gets no pub) in right for Fernando Martinez (who left the game for a sore/pulled something)
- Robbie Grossman in CF for Ankiel
- Correa at short for Marwin
- Marwin at third for Wallace (remember I keep saying what a bad idea it is to have him there)

Correa, the #1 pick in last year’s draft, is not getting very much national media attention. It’s not like he’s Harper or Strasburg or Price. (Year before was pitcher Gerrit Cole, who certainly doesn’t get Strasburg hype – probably because he’s not ready for the majors immediately after getting out of college. 2007, the Rays picked Tim Beckham, who hits like Jake Elmore. Stat geeks don’t ALWAYS get it right neither). I am not counting whatever Houston media idiot compared him to Alex Rodriguez, who was ML ready at age 19 and in the majors for good at age 20, posting a 1.045 OPS. In 1996, yet. Correa might could turn into Tulowitski, which would be beyond awesome, but he ain’t no ARod, who, drugs or no drugs, is a once in a lifetime sort of player. But I digress.

Where was I? Oh yeah…

Josh Fields, the 27 year old Rule V righty is pitching. First time I’ve gotten to see him pitch. He has an interesting over the top 89 MPH fastball which appears to be tough to pick up, and a Wandy type curveball, which he located pretty well.  (You know that Wandy pitched 6 innings of 2 hit no walk, no run ball for the DR vs PR yesterday in the WBC thingy. Ah LUUUUVVVV mah Wandy…)

Anyway, Josh is one of those guys who needs the corners because he doesn’t have an overpowering FB. So Snyder walks (yes, Chris Snyder, looks as if he has a decent chance to be the Nat’s backup catcher). Denard Span hits a routine, dead easy popup lazy flyball to center, and Grossman BADLY misplays the ball, runs the wrong way, loses it in the sun, bobbles it, throws it so poorly that Snyder, and you know he runs like a pregnant girl, who wasn’t even to second, and dances about when he reaches second, is easily able to get to third on the lousy throw. No errors on the play, either the missed catch of bad throw, neither. Poor Fields.

Then Werth hits a shallow flyball to right for out #1, and Snyder has no chance of getting home. Span might could have challenged the arm, but Snyder isn’t that dumb. Harper walks. Then, something interesting happens.

Chad Tracy, a lefty pull hitter, hits a ball right to Singleton, playing first, who plays the ball 10 – 15 feet in front of the bag. Now, you have bases loaded, a double play ball, and an incredibly slow runner at third and a very fast runners on first and second.  What do you do? Singleton chooses to throw to home, not second (Correa is there to catch the ball) so Snyder is out. Corporan handles the ball well, BUT
- Singleton has not gone back to first to cover – INEXCUSABLE
- Fields has not gone to first to cover – INEXCUSABLE
- Elmore has not gone to first to cover – can’t see where he was because cameras don’t show

so, because of fielding effups, instead of a GIDP, we have bases loaded 2 outs. I had heard Singleton has a lead glove for a first baseman, and I guess so. Even Brett Wallace woulda had that play.

LaRoche pops up the next pitch between third, home and the mound. Everyone rushes near the pitch, Marwin puts out his glove, and drops it. Run scores, bases loaded. Like I keep saying, Marwin has NO business anywhere but short. Corporan actually had the best chance at that ball, and should have called off everyone else. But it was a high popup, not one of those low dribblers/bloopers that no one can get, and it SHOULD have been caught. You shouldn’t make the pitcher try to make plays like that – Brandon Backe woulda gotten that, but he was originally an infielder and he was a super fielding pitcher.

Tie game, blown save for poor Fields, who should have been out of the inning LONG ago. He then gives up a solid single to left for Desmond and another run is in. Espinoza flies out.

Astros behind 2-1.

Craig Stammen, former starter, turned into a reliever after
1 – stinking at starting
2 – hurting himself
pitches 2 shutout innings.

Bottom of the 7th – change pitcher catcher to Edgar Gonzalez and Rene Garcia, who has spent the last 3 years at high A and still can’t hit, even at Lancaster. Also, Marwin is removed from third, fortunanately, and Jose Martinez, who killed the ball at AA last year, and can play second and short, is in.

First hitter hits a grounder to Correa, who handles it nicely, and fires to first – a little off line. He has a rifle for an arm. Snyder pops out to Jose Martinez, who handles this one fine – calls for it early, and CATCHES it. Span gets a bunt single and Werth hits an easy FB to right.

8th – in comes Drew Storen, 8th inning guy when team is ahead. But it’s not his day. Solid single to right from Jose Martinez, then Trevor Crowe, then Carlos Correa hits the first pitch through the 5.5 hole for an RBI single. Singleton hits a fly ball to deep center for out #1 and Crowe goes to third. Robbie Grossman Ks. Domingo Santana up, Correa easily steals second. Runs fast, too, not a Carlos Lee trot down the line when no one is thinking about him – type steal. Rene Garcia hits a single to left and 2 runs score.  Pitcher’s spot up, so in comes a pinch hitter, right?

No. This is Spring Training, and you see managers do stuff they wouldn’t nevah do in a regular season game. Gonzalez has obviously been given very strict orders not to take the bat off his shoulder, as he stands there holding the bat loosely.

9th inning – in comes Henry Rodriguez, who the Nats tried out at closer for a short while last year. He’s one of those guys who throws a FB 100 MPH and expects to strike out every guy every time. But he was too wild, and also, major leaguers can hit that kind of stuff. So they got him to control the FB a little better and told him to use breaking stuff too. Jake Elmore reaches when the Nats RF drops the ball, then steals second. But Jose Martinez flies out, Trevor Crowe Ks and Carlos Correa pops out.

And in comes the closer, right? Nope. He’s off at the WBC. Edgar Gonzalez is left in to finish up. How about that?! He gets a K, a pop out to Elmore, solid single to left from Snyder and a groundout to Elmore – nice play. He’s got some range, and a good arm too.

Wonder if they are still determined to keep Tyler Greene as the starting SS and Marwin as the utility IF. Probably. Greene is an ex-Card, even if he is a terrible fielder and doesn’t hit as well as Adam Everett.

Whatever.

Anyway, Correa looks raw and promising. Santana – nothing stands out. Singleton, well, needs to work on fielding and he didn’t hit today. Martinez and Garcia are filler, not prospects, although I sure prefer Martinez as the utility guy – at least glove wise. But he’s gotta hit AAA pitching first.

Bud Norris pitches today – he’s been AWFUL so far, says he’s “working on stuff.” OK. Better be working on dealing with your past troubles of suddenly losing control and having a Bad Inning he can’t seem to pitch himself out of.

Oh yeah – to nobody’s surprise, Cisnero (who had a snowflake’s chance in hell of making the 25 man, no matter HOW he did, which was 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER), Cosart (who they even gave a start to – 7 IP over 4 G – 7 ER), Oberholzer (7 IP over 4 G, 8 H, 1 HR, 3 BB, 5 K, 3 ER) and  Seaton (2.2 IP, 3 hits, 3 R/0 ER) were cut.

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Posted in Astros baseball, spring training | 10 Comments »

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 »

8/8/12: Altuve Has His 39th Multi-Hit Game And Brandon Barnes Has His First ML HIT

Wednesday, August 8th, 2012

Galaragga was not bad for 5 innings, except for giving up a run on a balk and a 2 run homer to the opposing PITCHER. He clearly ran out of stuff in the 6th, loaded the bases with 2 walks and a single, and Xavier Cedeno came in and got 1,2,3 out. Man am Up Set – you wouldn’t believe the bet I just lost – Husby is smirking.

Stros scored 2 runs in the first on a Jose Altuve lead off double and 2 singles, out then left 2 on with 1 out – the usual. Then again in the 4th with a single, balk, WP and sac-fly.

So at the end of 6, Stros are losing 3-2.

7th inning – in comes Chuckie Fick – I forgot Batting Practive God was still on the team. Good. Here’s my chance to get back at Husby – I’m saying 3 runs, he’s saying 1. Here we go: Double, WP. Man on third, groundout, no score. Another groundout no score. And what shoulda been the 3rd out, but Downsie-doo makes a terrible throw and it’s a run scored and 2 base error. Missing CJ yet? OK Nats, make my day!!! IBB, good, put more runners on, great idea. Rats, an out and Husby wins again. This is putting me in a Bad Mood.

Stros go 1,2,3 – no contest. I sure would like Brandon Barnes to get a hit.

8th – Chuckie Fick back out. I’m going for no runs, Husby is going for 2. Chuckie gets 2 outs, then a walk, then an out. OK, I get one back.

It’s gonna be Drew Storen, most likely, and I’m not holding my breath here. Nope – Gio is at 83 pitches and his manager is letting him stay in. Imagine that. So it’s out, out, HBP, IF single, then pinch hitter Chris Snyder, hitting .174, grounds out. That’s pathetic.

9th – Wellwellwell, it’s Rhiner Cruz and Millsie-poo is letting him face a lefty. I can’t understand that. Because he gets him out. It’s something that Millsie=poo has a hard time with. Then he gets his 2 rightys out.

So OMG, Gio is being allowed to finish the game. No closer automatically being sent in because it is that Magical 9th Inning. Whoa. What a concept. AND BRANDON BARNES GETS HIS FIRST ML HIT!!!! It’s a single, but hey, it’s a start. He’s grounded to second, scores on a Ben Francisco single. 2 outs, It’s up to Altuve. And he singles and gets to second on the throw!!! Men on second and third, 2 outs.

And it’s Downsie-doo up. Can’t get a bet established here because we BOTH insist that he’s gonna make the last out. Which, of course, he does. I’m SO tired of his worthless ass. Can’t hit, can’t run, can’t field. He’s the epitome of the 2012 Astros.

And the Rox have won 2 in a row and are up to 40 losses. YESSSSSSSSSS!!! Hey there boys, winning is contagious, keep it up. Meanwhile, we maintain a stranglehold on 35 wins and are firmly in last place by only 5 games and it’s precarious – all we’d need is one little ol win streak and there would go Our Big Losing Season.

Tomorrow is Jordan Zimmerman, in contention for the Cy Young, vs Lucas Harrell, in contention for being a decent pitcher on a fershtt team.

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Posted in armando galarraga | 5 Comments »

8/7/12: Brandon Barnes, Welcome To The Astros

Tuesday, August 7th, 2012

I would have said welcome to MLB, but that’s in name only. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 05 draft, was never a “prospect” but he kept on keepin on and here he is. Health insurance for life, too – just one day in the bigs is all you need.

Anyway, Barnes is a CF – Mary Jane Schafer went on the DL with a separated shoulder – more like a sucking suckage. He started at AA this year because of all the failed first rounders the Astros had gathered from other Organizations (hello Fernando Martinez) and killed the ball with a .984 OPS, so was promoted to AAA and had a .860 OPS over 235 AB, outplaying the AAAA lifers. He played pretty much CF exclusively, had 2 assists and 3 errors in 170 chances. Pretty good. He had his time split between AA and AAA in 2010, had a .739 OPS. The Organization appeared to be big on Jacob Goebberts, but he has suck, I mean suNk into oblivion.

A guy who was supposed to be minor league roster filler, and here he is. I love guys like this and I hope he killz the ball so we can get rid of Schafer.

Jordan Lyles pitched 7 OUTSTANDING innings of 2 hit, 3 walk, 2 run ball. The mistake to Danny Espinoza was a FB mid plate just above the knees and it went into the RF stands. Just ONE little mistake cost him a W, as the Astros had given him a lead on a 2 run CBox homer by Ben Francisco. So all he got for his great game is a stinking no decision.

Whoa – what do I see? Jordan was at 109 pitches, and I thought he was finished, but no – Millsie-poo sends him out for the 8th. Why WHY was he sent out there? Did Millsie-poo really think that Washington, with their great bullpen, wouldn’t send in a PH? Seriously WTF – did he think Lyles had another inning in him? Cmon. Naturally, he gives up a single, THEN is pulled. Oh – he had to stay in to face a RIGHTY pinch hitter because we know that our righty bullpen, I mean lefty bullpen relievers can’t get out rightys. I mean leftys. Or either one.

Where was I?

Wesley Wright is sent out, gets his 2 leftys, gets pulled, natcherilly, and Froddy is sent in to face Ryan Zimmerman and gets him. At least Jordan won’t get a L he didn’t really deserve.

So the question is – can the Astros manage once more to score against the Washington relievers? Ho ho and Ha ha, (as Daffy Duck says to Porky Pig in “Robin Hood Daffy”. I know, I’ve never REALLY grown up – I still think it’s HILARIOUS. Then again you knew something is wrong with me when you realize I’m STILL watching this stupid team…)

Anyway, LHP Michael Gonzalez in – Snyder and Wallace makes outs, then Altuve gets an IF single to third, then steals second. But Marwin pops out and strands him. Same ol, same ol.

9th – Froddy is back out. Can he sustain his incredible streak of 2 games played in without giving up ANY run? And he gets 1,2,3 out. Really. Truly.

It’s RHP Ryan Mattheus. He gets Francisco and Maxwell. Can Steve Pearce hit a walk off? No, it’s a 4 pitch walk. It’s lefty PH Scott Moore to replace Downsie-doo (him belly flopping over Pearce and Wilton is an image seared in my mind – how the heck he even got another day PT I don’t know, but hey, we’d lose with him or without him, as the saying goes, so why pay some younger, maybe gonna be better player? WP and Pearce is on second. Cmon there boy, let’s get a hit and win this thing NOW. But nope, it’s an IBB after the WP. Barnes has already been pulled, so he can’t be the HEro.

So it’s Bogu in to PH and I want SO much for him to win this ballgame for us. But no. Another groundout.

We’re now in extra innings and the Astros are ofer extra innings this year. Not real too surprised, are we, given that we are last in hitting and pitching in the NL. Probably in the ML.

10th – in comes Wilton – hey, the closer in a tie game in the 10th. He’s in to face the 7th, 8th and 9th hitter. Which I don’t get, but hey, I’m not the manager. Two outs, then a double to PH Chad Tracy, who I didn’t even know was still in the majors. I see he was in Japan last year, and this year, as had 55 AB over 37 games with a 112 OPS+ or .795 OPS, whichever you prefer. But Wilton strands him.

It’s lefty Tom Gorzellany to face Snyder, who walks (HE ain’t gonna be stealin no nothin) and again, it’s Lucas Harrell in to pinch run. And no, HE ain’t gonna be stealin no nothin neither. Wallace is BUNTING??? Are you *($!ing KIDDING ME??? Well, I guess a sac bunt woulda been better than K’ing at a pitch 2 feet outside. Cmon Jose, giterdone. Nope, a 6-4-3.

Now what? We’ve been thru Wesley, Froddy and Wilton.

11th – It’s Mickey Storey!! Cmon kid!!! And he gets em 1,2,3!! YAYYYYYYYY

Gorzellany gets Marwin, then, he’s out and it’s righty setup man Drew Storen in to face Francisco and Maxwell. And he gets em both with Maxwell swinging at a pitch in the dirt. That’s what happens when you get homer happy/

Now what? Will Mickey get another inning? I’m not sure that’s a good idea, but youneverknow…

12th: And yeah, he’s back out. Morse doubles, is pinch run for, and then a sac bunt. Man on 3rd, no outs. And Espinoza drives him in with a dribbly single that Mickey just misses, which hits the second base bag, takes a funny turn and Marwin can’t get it. There’s your ballgame. He gets the next 2 outs without trouble, but afraid he’s in for a L, poor boy.

And sure enough, it’s closer Tyler Clippard. Pearce singles, Moore pops up, PH Julio Daniel Martinez Ks and then Corporan walks. So it’s up to Brett Wallace, who has failed every time in the clutch. And he makes a tremendous effort but Bernadina makes a great leaping catch against the LF wall of bullpen and Astros lose, as usual.

Colorado is beating the Dodgers right now. GO ROCKIES!!!!!!!

Tomorrow it’s Armando Galarraga vs Gio Gonzalez.

In case you’re curious, Chris Johnson hit 2 homers tonight – a 2 run and a 3 run. J Happ started his first game for Toronto, gave up 4 runs in 4 innings and lost. What a surprise.

 

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Posted in Brandon Barnes, Jordan Lyles, mickey storey | 8 Comments »

8/6/12: The Astros Lose Because Of 2 Fielders Making Errors On A Bunt

Monday, August 6th, 2012

I swear to GAWD they find more ways to lose every DAY!!!

Dallas Keuchel kept giving up these piddly singles, 12 of em, in fact, but you CAN get singled to death – he lasted 6 innings, more than Edwin Jackson did, in fact, and gave up 4 runs, 3 earned, because Brett Wallace dropped the popup that shoulda been the first out.

Marwin had hit a homer in the first, so the surprise of being shutout or no hit had gone, and in the middle of the 6th, the Nats led 4-1, which pretty much means game OVAH.

But then Altuve led off with a single, stole second, Marwin grounded him to third and Edwin Jackson was pulled for lefty Gorzellany (who we know from years with the Pirates/Cubs) who gave up a sac fly to Brett Wallace – making up a little for the out that wasn’t made. Then Silvah Hammah (Justin Maxwell) Hi Yo Silvah, AWAYYYYYYYY, tripled to the RF bullpen and Steven Pearce, pinch hitting for lefty Scott Moore, singled him in.

Suddenly, it’s 4-3 and Julio Daniel is up and I don’t know whether or not to root for him to drive in the run, or at least get a hit, or remember that the Astros have to stick to the game plan of 3 or fewer wins/month to break the all time record. And he grounds out and I don’t know whether to feel disgust or relief.

But then, as usual, after Xavier Cedeno gets 2 leftys out and Mickey Storey gets his righty after walking his first righty), Millsie-poo sends up righty Ben Francisco to PH for Mary Jane Schafer, so the Nats manager naturally sends up a righty, who gets him, Corporan, and pinch hitter Bogu out. I think we now clean out of pinch hitters, so we’ll have to beat Drew Storen/Tyler Clippard with the lineup already there – which I seriously doubt.

I just absolutely HATE all this platoon crap. ESPECIALLY with the younger players who aren’t AAAA filler guys.

And holy moly, Froddy gets 1,2,3 out when he starts an inning – second day in a row. WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND HERE?

Next inning, Stros load the bases, 2 out, and sure enough, no runs as Julio Daniel lines out to center.

Wesley Wright gets 3 outs (with a HBP in the middle.) NOW the bullpen is working?

In comes Tyler Clippard, The Closer. He gets Downsie-doo swinging. I’ve given up asking why he’s on the roster – just like Jason Useless Michaels the past few years. So he hits Corporan with a pitch and Lucas Harrell pinch runs. Don’t you like it when our best starting pitcher gets sent in to pinch run? Bogu walks – it’s not HIS fault Clippard hasn’t thrown a strike. Then Jose Altuve DOUBLES OFFN THE SCOREBOARD and it’s a tie game. Marwin Ks. And it’s Brett Wallace. It’s hero/goat time.

And naturally, being a good Astro he Ks swinging, leaving men on second and third.

So it’s extra innings time and you DO know what happens to this team in extra innings this year, right?

10th – Wilton Lopez gets 1,2,3 out. Craig Stammen gets Maxwell, Pearce and Julio Daniel. Oh man, you know who is left, right? hahahahaha

11th – Wilton Lopez comes back out and then I miss the fun because I hear #2 son, in the kitchen, suddenly yell a Word He’s Not Supposed To Yell and out I go to find out that Jana Brattain Dog has had diarrhea all over the floor and I have to take her outside and wash her off – (and she’s staying out, too) and clean the floor and next thing I know, Roger Bernadina has singled and then Kurt Suzuki, who hits like Matt Downs, has bunted and somehow, Steve Pearce has screwed it up and the ball is in right and somehow Bogu, normally a great fielder has screwed it up and Bernadina has scored the go ahead run so by the time that Wilton has gotten the other 3 outs, Stammen has come back out and all we’ve got left is Downsie-doo, who naturally gets out, and Snyder, who swings after fouling off a bunch.

So it’s Bogusevic, the Goat. Who I wanted so much to succeed this year, and like everyone else, hasn’t. And it ends up being Altuve who makes the final out as the Astros, as usual, lose an extra inning game – the 11th this year.

 

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Posted in Bogusevic, Dallas Keuchel, Jose Altuve | 6 Comments »

4/19/12: Bud Norris Drives In 2 And Beats Nats To Avoid Sweep

Thursday, April 19th, 2012

OK, so that isn’t quiiiite fair, but hey, pitchers hitting and driving in runs is teh absolute KEWL.

The funny thing is that Bid didn’t throw an ace start, as Wandy and Lucas Harrell did before him, but Bud had great run support, which he certainly needed seeing as how he threw an unmoving FB right down the middle to Ryan Zimmerman with 2 on and he would have been down 3

except for the fact that tonight, the guys hit. Schafer struck out swinging on 3 pitches, then Jose Altuve hammered a ball off the far RF fence for a triple, then JD hit an infield single to short

Stros 1 Nats 0

then Clank singled, then Brian Bogusevic, getting to play bcause Travis Buck pulled something owie, crushed a ball to the RF scoreboard and cruised into third, scoring JD and Clank – and Clank was lucky to score because fer SHER the relay beat him, but the catcher dropped the ball and there was the run.

Stros 3 Nats 0

So then Matt Downs, who hadn’t done anything all year except for ground out weakly, was playing while CJ was sitting, and he hit a 3-2 pitch, a nice fat one up and mid plate, to the left center fence, and trottted into third while Bogu scored.

Stros 4 Nats 0 (no I’m not kidding and ther’s only 1 out)

Then Jason Castro singled to right to drive home Downs.

Stros 5 Nats 0

But then Marwin Gonzalez, playing short while Lowrie sat this one out, flied out and Bud popped out.

Good thing that the Astros scored all those runs in the first because except for a single by Bogu in the 3rd, the Astros didn’t do one more thing agaisnt Jackson.

Meanwhile, Bud got 1,2,3 in the first, then in the second, gave up a single, then a WP (Castro catching, what can I say), then a single to left and slow running Adam LaRoche scored because JD made an absolutely terrible throw. He’s Clank V2 out there, except he hustles more.

And in the 3rd, The Pest Part 2 gets one of those bloop hits to start off, then a strike called ball, then a pitch right down the middle sent to the wall of the RF bullpen and it’s men on second and third, then a midthing inside FB over the LF fence and after 4 pitches, 3 runs in.

Stros 5 Nats 4

Then a 4 pitch walk to Adam LaRoche. Then a 3 pitch swinging K, single, popup and a 4 pitch swinging K. He had one on in the 4th, got 1,2,3 in the 5th.

Then the Nats pulled Jackson after 5 innings, 89 pitches – not sure why because really, the Astros hadn’t done anything for 4 innings. But it worked out great, because our old friend, lefty Tom Gorzellany, who we know from all those years with the Pirates and Cubs, came in and he didn’t have good stuff. He came in having pitched 5.1 innings, 3 hits, no runs.

Bogu singled, Downs hit into a 6-4, Castro singled, then Marwin ROE off Zimmerman’s glove – not sure why that was called a hit, because it sure looked like an error to me. And then Bud came to bat. The infield comes in, expecting the bunt, and Bud hits the ball over the drawn in IF and he drives in Downs and Castro!!!!

Then Jordan Schafer singles to center and for some reason, Clark holds Marwin, bases loaded. Then Jose Altuve smashes a ball to the left center field fence, 2 runs score, then JD hits a comebacker to Gorzellany, whom has the ball clank off his glove, runs after it and gets it in time to get JD who really runs slowly – not If he had gotten that ball cleanly, he would have had Schafer picked off third, easy. Instead, he wandered home and then Clank ground out.

Stros 10 Nats 4.

Bottom of the 6th, Bud Hitter is back out, gets Bernadino to hit into a 3-1, only the ump calls him safe – and it wasn’t very close. So Bud gets back to work, gets a flyout, then Pest, Jr gets a single (a real one) then Bud gets a flyout and a popup.

It wasn’t a good outing for Bud – 10 hits, 1 homer, 2 walks, 6 K, 4 ER – but sometimes, you get lucky when you aren’t good.

Gorzellany came out for the 7th – damm, the boy is takin it for the team – got a groundout, then Matt Downs hit a GR double to the LF bullpen and Castro – 3rd hit tonight – singles him home.

I do believe this is Castro’s first 3 hit game in the majors. YOU GO BOY!!!! BA almost up to his weight!!!

Wilton Lopez gets 1,2,3 in the 7th. David Carpenter gives up a single, but gets the other 3 outs and Brett Myers mops up 1,2,3 in the 9th.

All told, Stros have 17 hits, no walks/HBP, no GIDP and go 9 fer 12 with RISP. Bout time.

We’re home for the weekend – that’s all, to face Ell Lay. It will be J Happ vs our old pal, lefty Ted Lilly. And Teddy LIKEY pitching at the Box – he’s 4-2 in 9 GS, 53.2 IP, 50 H, 11 HR (remember that game where the Astros had 5 solo homers against him and STILL lost???!!!) and a 3.02 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and a .243 BAA.

The Dodgers are 10-3 and Matt Kemp has been invincible. And Baltimore is leading the NL East. It’s baseball and youneverknow…

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4/18/12: In Which The Nats Walk All OVAH The Astros

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

Second night in a row we had great starting pitching. Last night, we got beat by 2 plays that should have been made, but weren’t. Tonight, it was all about the balls.

Lucas Harrell pitched great for 6 innings – 2 hits, 3 walks, no runs, clinging to a 1-0 lead (more on that later). He started off the 7th just fine – got a groundout, but then left up a ball to Ankiel, who hammered it for a double. He then got called for a balk – don’t ask me why because he sure as heck didn’t move his foot off the rubber and it was a man on 3rd, 1 out. So Broakie trotted out to talk him down, and he got a swinging K. 2 outs, no worries about run scoring grounders, but Harrell couldn’t get the job done, threw a breaker that didn’t and the ball was hit down the LF line and in trotted the run.

So out went Lucas with a man on second, 2 outs, in came Froddy and up came The Pest V2 (Lombardozzi) and the suddenly changing strike zone. So it’s ball 1, then strike 1 at the top of the zone which has been a strike all night, is ball 2. Then it’s ball 3. 2 called strikes then a ball in the dirt which almost gets away (HEY, Castro blocked a ball!!!!!!) and it’s men on first and third 2 outs. Then a popup and we have a tie game.

Lucas can’t win, but then again, he can’t lose neither. 6.2 innings of 1 run ball and all you get is a no decision.

He didn’t pitch as well as Wandy did last night, but still – he gave up a double in the first. Then in the second, a walk then stolen base then advance to 3rd on a swinging K on a dropped ball that had to be thrown to first – heads up baserunnung by Werth, then an IBB and it’s men on first and third for Ryan Zimmerman, but he grounds out to Marwin Gonzalez, playing second. Guess it’s Altuve who needed a rest (?!) along with JD Martinez, who had been ofer Washington. Justin Maxwell, who couldn’t manage to catch that double last night was in left.

Then it was a 1,2,3 3rd and 4th, then a leadoff walk and 1,2,3 5th and 6th – well it was single, FO, GIDP.

And that, my friends, SHOULD be enough to get you a W, but

Froddy came back to start the 8th after Jason Castro and Schafer had gifted him with the go ahead run - walked the leadoff guy on 5 pitches (and sorry, but ball 4 was strike 2 – seriously, it’s been a strike all night) then a single to right and it’s men on first and second, no outs and it’s not like they are the Astros.

So in comes Wesley Wright to get Adam LaRoche out and he goes to 0-2, then throws 4 straight balls, so it’s bases loaded. And to repeat, they aren’t the Astros. So in comes Rhiner Cruz, who goes to 3-2 on Werth, then Strike 3 is called ball 4 and in trots a run. You notice this is 3 walks in 4 PA, which is NOT good. Then Rick Ankiel hits a bullet to Altuve (now at second and Marwin is at 3rd and CJ is out) who throws home, but Ankiel runs fast and beats the throw back to first. Bases STILL loaded, 1 out. And he throws a FB down the middle to Ramos who sends it to DEEP center and even slowpoke Adam LaRoche has no trouble trotting home.

Nats 3 Stros 2.

Next guy flies out.

No Brad Lidge tonight, it’s a guy named Henry Rodriguez who gets Maxwell, Clank and Bogu. Guess it’s closer by committee.

Astros had 6 hits, no walks and went 1 fer 7 with RISP. Nats went 1 fer 9 with RISP, but then again, the Astros and the HP ump gifted them with all those walks, and an RBI is an RBI whether it is a walk or a single to short.

Both Jason Castro and Marwin hit doubles off the fence, and there were 3 singles and a bunt, but hey, this is not exactly hitting.

Bud Norris faces the well traveled Edwin Jackson tomorrow. The guy is only 28, but he spent 03-05 with the Dodgers, 06-08 with the Rays, 09 with Detroit, who traded him at the end of the year to the Dbax, who traded him at the deadline to the White Sox. He started 2011 with the White Sox, who traded him to the Cards at the deadline and he signed as a FA with the Nats this year.

This year, he threw 5 innings of 3 run ball against the Cubs and a 2 hit 1 run complete game vs the Reds. He’s done well vs the Astros in general, but this year’s team has so little in common with the teams he’s faced in the past that it’s hardly worth mentioning.

It would be nice to not get swept, so let’s hope Bud brings his ace game (pretends he’s facing the Cards).

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Posted in Lucas Harrell | No Comments »

4/17/12: Wandy Loses 1-0 Because Of A Popup That Should Have Been Caught

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012

Wandy pitched GREAT – gave up exactly 3 well hit balls, 2 of which were caught and one that went for a double. Unfortunately, right after the double, he gave up one of those popups to lefty Adam LaRoche that goes to shallow left and both JD and Lowrie pulled up to let the other get it and neither got it and the only run of the game scored.

Wandy gave up only 3 other singles and NO walks, but he isn’t striking out a lot of guys. He threw only 87 pitches over his 7 innings, was pulled for pinch hitter Jason Castro, who ground out. Snyder isn’t hitting and Castro isn’t hitting. YET. But of course, they get a lot more rope than Bogusevic who didn’t even get 2 weeks before being replaced with Travis Buck – hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.

Where was I? Wandy – he looked great and if it wasn’t for Lowrie – who SHOULD have caught that ball, he could have kept on pitching. He FINALLY pitches a great game and all he has to show for it is a L because his teammates went ofer 6 with RISP – and this includes the 9th, when Brad Lidge, closing, gave up a double, then a walk, then got both Clank and CJ to flyout to deep center, and got Travis Buck to groundout. At least they weren’t swinging at balls – especially CJ, who hit a good fastball on the nose and all he got for his trouble was out.

Man it feels weird rooting against Brad Lidge, even after all these years, and he was traded after the 07 season. He wasn’t even supposed to be so much as the setup guy this year for the Nats, but their closer, Drew Storen, got hurt and I guess their setup guy ain’t closin so it’s what’s left of Lidge’s arm/elbow and shoulder.

Back to Wandy – he, in my opinion, looked a lot more comfortable pitching to Snyder, who is a lot better at blocking balls than Castro.

At this point, the only Astros who are still hitting are Altuve, who has been glued to the #8 spot, CJ and Buck. You can’t win with that. And this streak of ofer with RISP had best come to a quick end.

And tomorrow, it’s Lucas Harrell who threw 7 innings of 3 hit shutout ball vs the Rox and 4 crappy innings vs the Marlins – 7 hits, 4 walks, 4 runs. Let’s hope it’s the first Lucas who shows up – and his sinker had best be working this time.

We’re facing righty Jordan Zimmerman, who has thrown 2 games, 7 innings each, 1 ER in each vs the Cubs and Reds. We beat him up in his only start against us last year, but last year is last year and this year is this year and this year, he’s lookin good – 14 IP, 9 H, 2 walks, 7 K.

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Posted in Wandy Rodriguez | 2 Comments »

4/16/12: In Which Mills Leaves Weiland In To Sink

Monday, April 16th, 2012

I didn’t get to see this game because it wasn’t broadcast here in Houston and I simply refuse to listen to Milo or his awful sidekicks. I know that baseball teams get mucho dinero from the cable companies who have broadcast rights, but why on earth it pays more to block fans from seeing the game another way when the cable company doesn’t want to broadcast the games, I do NOT get.

Which is probably why guys like Crane are rich and people like us are poor.

Strasburg certainly looked better than he did the last time the Astros faced him in his debut year. He’d only thrown 60 pitches at the end of 5 innings, giving up 3 singles and 3 K. Weiland, meanwhile, wasn’t awful except for giving up a run because of a botched sac bunt by the utility infielder, a guy named Steve Lombardozzi – and remember that name, because he David Ecksteined this team all game. Oh yeah – and a homer to Wilson Ramos.

I would bet that the pitch was a fat one, and the days of just checking Gameday are gone forever. It’s important to MLB that people like me aren’t able to quickly check out stuff like that. It’s not that the data is gone because it is broken down thoroughly into each component on Brooks, so stat geeks who actually KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING can really use data like that and idiots like me have to stare at 10 – 15 graphs/AB trying to remember what each one showed in trying to figure out what the pitch looked like, where it went and how it was hit/not hit.

sigh

It’s got to be about the money because it always is, but I can’t understand how on earth keeping fans like me from the old Gameday screens makes money. But it must. Because I would bet that most people are like me and find it is just too much trouble and have no idea how to collate the graphs into one image. I’ve got to stop grousing about this – it’s just one more thing that is driving me away from the game.

Where was I?

Oh yeah.

So the Astros finally get to Strasburg in the 6th – Schafer, who immediately started massivedly sucking the minute I said I thought I was wrong about how he would do in the bigs (don’t ask how many times he’s struck out to end the inning with 2-3 men on base) managed to hit a single, then so did Lowrie, who has sucked since his first game, and JD Martinez, who picked up his first major league Golden Sombrero tonight, got himself a 9 pitch walk. Bases loaded, Mr. RBI up, he hits a fly to shallow center, but it’s not Mary Jane, it’s Rick Ankiel and he fires a bullet home and no score. Travis Buck, who now appears to be the starting RF, Ks – didn’t take real too long for Bogusevic to be displaced, did it?

So Chris Johnson, who has kept up his BA but not his SLG, hits an opposite field single and 2 runs score and game is tied. Jason Castro gets out and strands 2.

So far, we sure nuff haven’t seen real too much hitting from our catchers, hunh?

So Weiland is back up, and he hasn’t been what you might could call good. He gets a K, a single, a flyout. He gives up a 5 pitch walk to a guy barely hitting MY weight, then a 6 pitch walk to load the bases. And it’s The Pest, V2, Lombardozzi, who is up. And sure enough, the guy Weiland couldn’t get out all night doubles (he’s now 4 fer 4) to bring in 2 runs. Then Ryan Zimmerman, who is GOOD, is up and sure enough, he singles and drives in 2 more.

So NOW Millsie-poo yanks Weiland. Well, maybe he’s supposed to be letting the kid learn to work his way out of trouble. So far, he looks like the pitcher the Red Sox fans wanted to lynch last September, not the guy who looked sharp in Spring Training.

Wesley Wright gets the last out and Brandon Lyon pitches 2 scoreless, when it doesn’t matter. He gave up asingle to Zimmerman, then a long fly ball to deep center to Adam LaRoche, and only a good relay throw from Altuve (got a strong arm for a second baseman) nabbed Zim at the plate and prevented yet another run – it’s not like Lyon is pitching well.

7th inning, Altuve doubles, pinch hitter Maxwell singles, then Schafer, Lowrie and JD all strike out.

8th inning, Travis Buck doubles, then CJ hits a ball to center that for some reason Ankiel doesn’t catch – still not sure if it is a triple or a 3 base error on Ankiel, and Schafer, then Altuve strand him.

Astros been stranding unbelievable numbers of guys – yesterday, they were ofer with guys in RISP. Ridiculous.

9th, JD makes the last out, swinging, with Lowrie on second.

These ARE my Astros, all right.

Tomorrow, it’s Wandy vs Gio Gonzalez, another good, cheap, very young guy Billy Beane got rid of for more prospects in his never ending effort to make sure his team continues to suck so no one will watch and then, like the Marlins, the owners can move the team and get taxpayers in a bad economy to buy them a new stadium so they can get a nice TV contract and make the team worth more even though fewer fans will be able to actually, you know, SEE the games.

Gio is a lefty, has never faces the Astros, and has pitched 2 games this year – the first, he gave up 4 runs over 3.2 innings to the Cubs, and in the second, he threw 7 innings of 3 hit no run ball against the Reds, who for some reason, aren’t doing that well this year. Join the club, guys.

I wonder if Jason Maxwell, the righty, is going to get a start in center or RF, seeing as how they are facing a lefty and we know that Millsie-poo loves those platoons.

Oh yeah – seeing as how this was CJ’s day, I should mention that he has stolen 2 bases this year. Imagine THAT!

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