GAMES 58-61: Rocky Mountain High

GAME 58 - June 7: Rockies 5, Astros 1
GAME 59 - June 8: Astros 4, Rockies 3
GAME 60 - June 9: Astros 6, Rockies 2
GAME 61 - June 10: Astros 5, Rockies 4

This was a really big week for baseball lovers, with the 2010 Draft and Stephen Strasburg's ML debut competing with the Astros four-game series in Denver for my attention. I have to talk about Strasburg first, since everyone else is talking about him, from Jason Stark to David Letterman. I'm sure if I Googled, I might even find a congratulatory quote from President Obama. So here's my take...

I have a confession to make. If it had been the Astros playing the Nationals last Tuesday evening, I would have had to cheer for the Nats. I can't help it. With all the hype about Strasburg over the last year -- and especially in the last week or two -- it was such a setup for disappointment. Instead, it was an incredible pitching performance by a young man who's only one month older than my youngest daughter. It was not just an amazing start for a rookie -- it would have been a fantastic game even for an ace. While the 99 MPH fast ball and the 14 strikeouts in 7 innings garnered most of the headlines, I think I was most impressed with Strasburg's curveball. How was a kid like that throwing those nasty curves, with most of them coming in for strikes? No, actually, I was even more impressed with his composure. He just didn't seem to be fazed by it, and once or twice, he even allowed himself a small smile. I think the kid was having fun. I don't think that I'm going to change my allegiance from the Astros to the Nats, but I do plan to start watching more Nats games -- every five days when Strasburg is pitching. What a treat.

With the 2010 Draft taking place the same week, Strasburg's debut raised one idea in my head. I've been claiming that the Astros are going to turn this sinking ship around and start winning lots of games (and come back to win the Pennant - might as well be totally optimistic). But what if they don't? Would it really be so terrible to be absolutely, positively the worst team in the Major Leagues, if it meant that you could get the first pick in the first round of next year's draft? If you lucked out and there was another Strasburg to be had by the lucky first-pick team? And if you had, say, a spare $15 mil laying around to sign him with. Just a thought... Not a serious one - I get the impressing that players like Strasburg come along once in a decade (or a generation!), not every year. But somebody out of every draft is going to turn out to be a future superstar. If we're going to have a crappy season, may as well go all the way.

Now about this week's Astros games...

The Astros went to Denver with high hopes, anxious to keep their winning streak going. They got off to a  disappointing start to the four-game series against the Rockies, with another no-run-support game for Wandy. After pitching 7 innings, giving up 3 runs on 9 hits and 3 walks, with an unusually low 2 strikeouts, Wandy ended up earning the loss, his 8th of the season. It wasn't that the Astros didn't get any base runners -- they had 9 hits and 3 walks to work with. But they only managed to turn them into a single run, scored in the ninth inning. Too little, too late.

The rest of the series went much better. Each of the games was close, but the Astros managed to prevail at the end. The only one that doesn't look close was Game 3, whose 2-2 tie ended in the tenth inning with a two-out grand slam from Carlos Lee. It was the second night in the row that Lee had saved the game with his bat. In the eighth inning of Game 2, El Caballo had blooped a single into left to give the Astros their go-ahead run. While his batting average is still abysmally low (.224), it's creeping up. More importantly, Lee is starting to hit for power and to get RBIs, and is looking more like a Caballo than a Cabro all the time.

The Astros starting pitching was excellent in Denver, despite Mile High Stadium's reputation for being a big hitters ballpark. All of the Astros starters pitched quality starts. Moehler threw 8 innings on Tuesday night, giving up 3 runs in the first inning, and then shutting down the Rockies through the eighth. On Wednesday, Paulino had another terrific game, giving up only 2 runs and striking out 7 in his 8 innings on the mound. Due to the Astros' late-inning heroics in both these games, neither of them got a decision. On Thursday afternoon, it was Roy O's turn to shine. After two consecutive less than stellar starts, he was due for a nice game and he got it -- giving up 2 runs on 4 hits in 7 innings. This time, however, the Astros didn't have to play come-from-behind, and Oswalt managed to eke out a rare win. He's only got a 3.16 ERA with 11 quality starts this season, but unfortunately that only translates into a 4-8 record.

The outcome of this trio of wins is yet another series win for the Astros, pushing their record in June to 8-2. More importantly, they are no longer the worst team in the league -- not even tied! They are not even in last place in the Central Division - on a 5-game losing streak, that honor goes to the Pirates. The Astros now are ahead of two teams, and within half a game of the Brewers. So things are looking up, heading to New York for a weekend series against stiffer competition -- the Yankees.

All this good playing, amazing defense, clutch hitting, and good pitching may end up backfiring against the Astros long term, if it means that they don't get low picks in next year's player draft. The team had three picks the first day -- two in the first round, and one after for not resigning free-agent Valverde. They first picked a couple of high school: Delino DeShields Jr (a Michael Bourn type speedy outfielder whose Sr was a major league player for years) and Mike Foltynewicz (a hard-throwing right handed pitcher). They then selected a college-aged switch-hitting third baseman, Mike Kvasnicka, for their third pick. Supposedly these guys want to sign and play, and the Astros hope not to repeat the fiasco of the 2007 draft. I don't know much about these guys, or about any of the many other youngsters drafted in the rest of the week. Getting to know more about them will be something fun to do in the off season, in preparation for seeing new faces next March at Spring Training.

Time to shut down for the Sabbath. Hope to come back 25 hours from now to find that I have my choice of two Astros wins over the Yankees to watch tomorrow night. One can always dream.

Shabbat Shalom!