Birthday greetings to my favorite baseball player of all time, JEFF BAGWELL, from Tel Aviv, Israel!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Happy Birthday, Jeff Bagwell!
Birthday greetings to my favorite baseball player of all time, JEFF BAGWELL, from Tel Aviv, Israel!
Good News, Bad News
Good News: I can access mlb.tv from Israel! I didn't think I'd be able to, but it turns out that the only people who are blocked are those who are too close to the games, not too far away. With my daughter's high speed Internet, I actually get better live video streaming on her computer than on my own at home. Go figure.
Bad News 1: The games, of course, are generally in the middle of the night. A typical 7:05 PM start time in Houston is 3:05 AM here. Afternoon games are prime-time, but there aren't many of those. I might get up early and watch the last couple of innings live - and of course, I can watch the whole game on the archive if I want.
Bad News 2: The Astros have lost every game since I left. I know that I should not take this personally. But remember how they started winning at Spring Training when I got to Kissimmee? Well...
I'm not going to attempt to write up all the games while I'm away. But I will post when I can just to stay in touch.
Here's a few fun things from Israel. I'll post some pictures later... My daughter lives near Shuk ha Carmel (Carmel's open market) in a not-yet-yupped-up neighborhood in Tel Aviv. The produce in the shuk is AMAZING and very cheap. E.g., to-die-for gorgeous sweet fresh-picked tomatoes are 3 shekels a kilo - that's about 37 cents a pound. The olive guy has about 100 types of olives - he filled up a big bag of mixed ones and charged Miry (who is young and pretty) 10 shekels - about $2.50. The beach is a five minute walk from my daughter's apartment. Haven't been swimming yet, but took a long walk on the boardwalk.
There's no professional baseball league in Israel this summer. It fizzled after one season in 2007, and while there's talk of trying it again, there are no local ball games. Someday when baseball is back, I hope to be asked to lead Take Me Out to the Ballgame - in Hebrew of course. There is a Hebrew translation, which was done by my-husband-the-Hebrew-poet (the only Hebrew poet from Lubbock, Texas). I sing TMOTTBG loudly in Hebrew at every game I attend (Spring Training, Nationals Stadium), but of course no one can hear me over the crowd. Once in a while I get a funny look when I sing, "Im lo nenatzeach OY VEY!" (if they don't win, oy vey!"). If you want a copy of the lyrics, just ask.
Off to the art museum... we're going to galleries and concerts and soaking in the cultural scene here in TA. Then I can come back home and return to my normal summer - sitting around watching ball games on the Internet, tweeting at my imaginary electronic friends. :-)
Friday, May 22, 2009
GAMES 38-40: Back to the Cellar After a Bad Brew
May 19: Brewers 4, Astros 2
May 20: Astros 6, Brewers 4
May 21: Brewers 4, Astros 3
It's really befuddling how an Astros team with so much talent could be at the bottom of the heap, but that's where they are after sipping some bad brew from the Brewers. It's so annoying: Houston could have been back at .500 (for the first time since Game 2 of this disappointing season), but they just let the chances slip away in 2 of the 3 very close games of this series.
Here's one take-away for the Astros: If you want to beat the Brewers, you have to score the runs before the ninth inning. That's when Trevor Hoffman takes the mound. Since returning from the DL, he's had about a dozen chances to show how nearly perfect he is, and two of those came in the games you lost to Milwaukee this week.
Game 1 provided Astros fans with a bit of a scare, as yet another pitcher was pulled unexpectedly for an injury. This time it was Mike Hampton, yanked with only 60 pitches, after throwing 4 inning, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks. It turned out not to be anything too terrible - a cut on his finger - and he'll be able to make his next start. There were three things to like about this game: (1) Matsui's stealing home in the first inning, (2) Ortiz's solo homer - first by an Astros pitcher this year, and (3) Fulchino's perfect three innings in relief. Aside from the Hampton scare, there was one thing to dislike about this game: The Astros lost. After those two runs, they couldn't manage to squeak out anything else - Berkman, Lee, Blum, Pudge all finished the game with oh-fers. By the time Hoffman took the mound with the Astros two runs down, the game ended (as the poem goes) "not with a bang, but a whimper."
Game 2 went a lot better, as we've come to expect when Wandy's on the mound. I don't actually mind saying "I toldja so" - I've been saying since Spring Training that this year is Wandy's big one, if he just stays healthy. It was another dynamite performance for our pint-sized lefty: He pitched 7 innings, giving up only one run on a solo homer (his first HR since last August). Six hits, just 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts - low for Wandy. This performance earned Wandy his 5th win of the season, and lowered his ERA to 1.83, second best in the NL.
The game had an odd start: Bourn was finally tasked to lead off, and did so with a hit - only to be immediately called back to hit again. Matsui, who had never come to the plate, was declared out. (The pitch-by-pitch scored it as: "Matsui grounded out to catcher.") Turned out that Coop had told the team of the change in the batting order, but not the ump - the lineup card was wrong. Bourn went on to walk, and scored on Berkman's double.
The Astros hitters rallied for Wandy, scoring runs in each of the first 3 innings and throwing in an extra pair for good measure in the sixth (turned out that they were needed after all). Tejada hit a solo homer to lead off the second. Pence hit a 2-out 2-RBI triple in the third to give Houston a 4-0 lead after 3. Pence led off the sixth with an infield single, then scored on Tejada's double. Pudge's groundout put Tejada on third, and he scored on Wandy's first hit of the season. Wandy actually smiled as he stood on first base - not something you see much of when he's on the field.
Once Wandy was done for the night, the Brewers attempted a comeback. Reliever Arias, who pitched a perfect eighth, led off the ninth with two singles and a walk to load the bases with no outs. That caused Coop to bring in Sampson, who allowed two of the runners to score on a double, and then another of his own, before ending the game with Wandy's win preserved.
Game 3 was the biggest disappointment. I ran home as fast as I could from work so that I could see Oswalt pitch. I will admit that this wasn't his finest start - he gave up only 1 run while he was on the mound, but was in and out of trouble with 10 hits over his 6 1/3 innings. His Astros team mates didn'g give him much room for error: Their measly 3 runs all scored on homers, a 2-run shot by Pence in the second, and a solo number from Tejada in the fourth.
The Astros had another big chance, when Berkman slid into home plate to score in the fifth inning - and was called out by the ump. The Puma jumped high into the air, tossed his helmet, stamped his feet and yelled (looking more than anything like a giant 4 year old having a tantrum). The only thing that he got for his troubles was an instantaneous ejection. Then, of course, Cooper had to jump into the fray to show solidarity, and got himself thrown out also, leaving third base coach Ed Romero at the helm for the fateful decisions in the seventh.
After striking out the first batter of the seventh inning, Oswalt allowed a single and a walk; he seemed a bit gassed after 106 pitches and several high-intensity situations. That was enough for our Cooper Wannabee to pull him. Eight pitches and two pitchers later, Roy O had yet another no-decision. Fulchino hit his batter to load the bases. Byrdak give up a single to Fielder, allowing Oswalt's two runners to score, tying up the game. Corey Hart doubled off Sampson the Astros' third reliever of the inning, scoring the Brewers' go-ahead run.
Wright and Hawkins did a great job of keeping the Astros in the game. Each pitched a scoreless inning, striking out two. But the Astros did not threaten until the ninth. Hoffman gave them a tease, allowing Blum and Pudge to single before shutting down the side. It's probably good that the Astros didn't tie it up in the ninth, if they were going to ultimately lose. Romero had already used up just about the whole bullpen.
I think I almost felt worse about Oswalt not getting a win out of it than I did about losing the game - andthe series. It's ridiculous that the Wiz only has one win for the season a quarter of the way through - what, he's going to end the season with 4 wins? NOT.
This could be my last blog entry for a couple of weeks. I'm going to be on vacation, and I doubt if I'll be able to watch any games. It would be nice if my house/dog-sitters could keep up my blog, but alas, they are not Astros fans.
I'm hoping that by the time I get back, the Astros will be well above .500, and that Berkman will be pushing .300. This too shall come to pass. It's hard to imagine that they could do this without my faithful virtual attendance at their games and my tweeting cheers. One can only hope.
May 20: Astros 6, Brewers 4
May 21: Brewers 4, Astros 3
It's really befuddling how an Astros team with so much talent could be at the bottom of the heap, but that's where they are after sipping some bad brew from the Brewers. It's so annoying: Houston could have been back at .500 (for the first time since Game 2 of this disappointing season), but they just let the chances slip away in 2 of the 3 very close games of this series.
Here's one take-away for the Astros: If you want to beat the Brewers, you have to score the runs before the ninth inning. That's when Trevor Hoffman takes the mound. Since returning from the DL, he's had about a dozen chances to show how nearly perfect he is, and two of those came in the games you lost to Milwaukee this week.
Game 1 provided Astros fans with a bit of a scare, as yet another pitcher was pulled unexpectedly for an injury. This time it was Mike Hampton, yanked with only 60 pitches, after throwing 4 inning, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks. It turned out not to be anything too terrible - a cut on his finger - and he'll be able to make his next start. There were three things to like about this game: (1) Matsui's stealing home in the first inning, (2) Ortiz's solo homer - first by an Astros pitcher this year, and (3) Fulchino's perfect three innings in relief. Aside from the Hampton scare, there was one thing to dislike about this game: The Astros lost. After those two runs, they couldn't manage to squeak out anything else - Berkman, Lee, Blum, Pudge all finished the game with oh-fers. By the time Hoffman took the mound with the Astros two runs down, the game ended (as the poem goes) "not with a bang, but a whimper."
Game 2 went a lot better, as we've come to expect when Wandy's on the mound. I don't actually mind saying "I toldja so" - I've been saying since Spring Training that this year is Wandy's big one, if he just stays healthy. It was another dynamite performance for our pint-sized lefty: He pitched 7 innings, giving up only one run on a solo homer (his first HR since last August). Six hits, just 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts - low for Wandy. This performance earned Wandy his 5th win of the season, and lowered his ERA to 1.83, second best in the NL.
The game had an odd start: Bourn was finally tasked to lead off, and did so with a hit - only to be immediately called back to hit again. Matsui, who had never come to the plate, was declared out. (The pitch-by-pitch scored it as: "Matsui grounded out to catcher.") Turned out that Coop had told the team of the change in the batting order, but not the ump - the lineup card was wrong. Bourn went on to walk, and scored on Berkman's double.
The Astros hitters rallied for Wandy, scoring runs in each of the first 3 innings and throwing in an extra pair for good measure in the sixth (turned out that they were needed after all). Tejada hit a solo homer to lead off the second. Pence hit a 2-out 2-RBI triple in the third to give Houston a 4-0 lead after 3. Pence led off the sixth with an infield single, then scored on Tejada's double. Pudge's groundout put Tejada on third, and he scored on Wandy's first hit of the season. Wandy actually smiled as he stood on first base - not something you see much of when he's on the field.
Once Wandy was done for the night, the Brewers attempted a comeback. Reliever Arias, who pitched a perfect eighth, led off the ninth with two singles and a walk to load the bases with no outs. That caused Coop to bring in Sampson, who allowed two of the runners to score on a double, and then another of his own, before ending the game with Wandy's win preserved.
Game 3 was the biggest disappointment. I ran home as fast as I could from work so that I could see Oswalt pitch. I will admit that this wasn't his finest start - he gave up only 1 run while he was on the mound, but was in and out of trouble with 10 hits over his 6 1/3 innings. His Astros team mates didn'g give him much room for error: Their measly 3 runs all scored on homers, a 2-run shot by Pence in the second, and a solo number from Tejada in the fourth.
The Astros had another big chance, when Berkman slid into home plate to score in the fifth inning - and was called out by the ump. The Puma jumped high into the air, tossed his helmet, stamped his feet and yelled (looking more than anything like a giant 4 year old having a tantrum). The only thing that he got for his troubles was an instantaneous ejection. Then, of course, Cooper had to jump into the fray to show solidarity, and got himself thrown out also, leaving third base coach Ed Romero at the helm for the fateful decisions in the seventh.
After striking out the first batter of the seventh inning, Oswalt allowed a single and a walk; he seemed a bit gassed after 106 pitches and several high-intensity situations. That was enough for our Cooper Wannabee to pull him. Eight pitches and two pitchers later, Roy O had yet another no-decision. Fulchino hit his batter to load the bases. Byrdak give up a single to Fielder, allowing Oswalt's two runners to score, tying up the game. Corey Hart doubled off Sampson the Astros' third reliever of the inning, scoring the Brewers' go-ahead run.
Wright and Hawkins did a great job of keeping the Astros in the game. Each pitched a scoreless inning, striking out two. But the Astros did not threaten until the ninth. Hoffman gave them a tease, allowing Blum and Pudge to single before shutting down the side. It's probably good that the Astros didn't tie it up in the ninth, if they were going to ultimately lose. Romero had already used up just about the whole bullpen.
I think I almost felt worse about Oswalt not getting a win out of it than I did about losing the game - andthe series. It's ridiculous that the Wiz only has one win for the season a quarter of the way through - what, he's going to end the season with 4 wins? NOT.
This could be my last blog entry for a couple of weeks. I'm going to be on vacation, and I doubt if I'll be able to watch any games. It would be nice if my house/dog-sitters could keep up my blog, but alas, they are not Astros fans.
I'm hoping that by the time I get back, the Astros will be well above .500, and that Berkman will be pushing .300. This too shall come to pass. It's hard to imagine that they could do this without my faithful virtual attendance at their games and my tweeting cheers. One can only hope.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
GAMES 36-37: It Ain't Over Till It's Over...
May 15: Postponed (rain)
May 16: Cubs 5, Astros 4
May 17: Astros 5, Cubs 4
One of the things I like best about baseball (besides a bunch of youngish guys running around in tight pants) is the lack of the clock. The game isn't over until the last out. It may look hopeless. FanGraphs might put the win probability at 0. But until the last pitch, anything could happen.
That's why I didn't buy into the idea, claimed in Selena Robert's recent tell-all book, that A-Rod only tipped pitches in games where it didn't matter, where the score wasn't close, where the outcome was already decided. It's not really clear whether the alleged pitch-tipping actually happened (a NY Times statistical analysis claims that it's unlikely), but the whole notion that there is a situation in which the game is "decided," before the last pitch, just doesn't compute for me. The game is never over until it's over - anything can happen right up to the very last pitch.
This weekend's two game in Chicago were a case in point. Saturday's game looked like a typical Houston-getting-shutout bummer, right up until the ninth inning when the Cubs' 4-0 lead disappeared out from under Chicago's closer. After eight innings of scoreless frustration, Berkman hit the first pitch of the ninth into the stands. Carlos Lee followed suit with a solo homer of his own, cutting the Cubs' lead in half. Tejada and Pence singled, then Blum was hit by a pitch to load the bases. That set the stage for Pudge to hit a 2-run single to tie the game. Surprise! It ain't over till it's over.
Back-to-back fly balls by Michaels and Matsui gave the Astros 2 outs. Bourn walked, bringing up Berkman with the game tied, two outs, and the bases loaded. A year ago that would have been an automatic grand slam. This year it was a ground out to end the threat.
But it ain't over till it's over. The Cubs came back in the bottom of the inning to score a run off the Astros' closer du jour, La Troy Hawkins. Nothing dramatic - a walk, a sac bunt, and a single. Game over. Tilt. At least Roy O didn't get stuck with the loss, after his teammates didn't do anything to help him get a second win of the season. (Now a quarter of the way through, the stats would project 4 wins for him in 2009.)
The Astros got payback on Sunday in the final game of the series. In celebration of my dad's birthday, they took a nice fat 6-3 lead into the ninth inning. With Hawkins out after yesterday's game, it was Sampson's turn to play closer. Second batter hit a solo homer, to make it 6-4. Three singles later, it was 6-5 with 2 on and 2 outs, Nail biting time. The count went to 3-2 before the batter, Soto, hit a sharp liner to third - right into the glove of Jeff Keppinger - to end the game.
Notable stats of the game: Pudge hit a solo homer, his 300th career long ball. Mazel tov. Astros Starter Moehler pitched 5 innings, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits, 2 walks, a wild pitch, a hit batsman, and 4 strikeouts. It earned him his first win of the season. Mazel tov. Berkman was 2 for 3 with a double and a single and two walks. His BA is up to .230 - not exactly where it was this time last year (about double that!), but about 50 points over where it was a couple of weeks ago. I predicted a few weeks ago that the Astros would hit .500 when Berkman hit .250. With the Astros at 17-19 (plus the "tie" in DC), we could be at .500 later this week. With a couple of multihit games, Berkman could be past .250 moving up to where he ought to be in the same time frame. Gezhuntheit.
So the Astros and the Cubs split a rain-shortened series in the Windy City. As for the missing game of this series, the Friday afternoon game that was rained out, I have a suggestion: It should be played in the Texas Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, to balance out the Astros' hurricane-plagued "home games" last season that were played up in Milwaukee. Fair is fair, right?
May 16: Cubs 5, Astros 4
May 17: Astros 5, Cubs 4
One of the things I like best about baseball (besides a bunch of youngish guys running around in tight pants) is the lack of the clock. The game isn't over until the last out. It may look hopeless. FanGraphs might put the win probability at 0. But until the last pitch, anything could happen.
That's why I didn't buy into the idea, claimed in Selena Robert's recent tell-all book, that A-Rod only tipped pitches in games where it didn't matter, where the score wasn't close, where the outcome was already decided. It's not really clear whether the alleged pitch-tipping actually happened (a NY Times statistical analysis claims that it's unlikely), but the whole notion that there is a situation in which the game is "decided," before the last pitch, just doesn't compute for me. The game is never over until it's over - anything can happen right up to the very last pitch.
This weekend's two game in Chicago were a case in point. Saturday's game looked like a typical Houston-getting-shutout bummer, right up until the ninth inning when the Cubs' 4-0 lead disappeared out from under Chicago's closer. After eight innings of scoreless frustration, Berkman hit the first pitch of the ninth into the stands. Carlos Lee followed suit with a solo homer of his own, cutting the Cubs' lead in half. Tejada and Pence singled, then Blum was hit by a pitch to load the bases. That set the stage for Pudge to hit a 2-run single to tie the game. Surprise! It ain't over till it's over.
Back-to-back fly balls by Michaels and Matsui gave the Astros 2 outs. Bourn walked, bringing up Berkman with the game tied, two outs, and the bases loaded. A year ago that would have been an automatic grand slam. This year it was a ground out to end the threat.
But it ain't over till it's over. The Cubs came back in the bottom of the inning to score a run off the Astros' closer du jour, La Troy Hawkins. Nothing dramatic - a walk, a sac bunt, and a single. Game over. Tilt. At least Roy O didn't get stuck with the loss, after his teammates didn't do anything to help him get a second win of the season. (Now a quarter of the way through, the stats would project 4 wins for him in 2009.)
The Astros got payback on Sunday in the final game of the series. In celebration of my dad's birthday, they took a nice fat 6-3 lead into the ninth inning. With Hawkins out after yesterday's game, it was Sampson's turn to play closer. Second batter hit a solo homer, to make it 6-4. Three singles later, it was 6-5 with 2 on and 2 outs, Nail biting time. The count went to 3-2 before the batter, Soto, hit a sharp liner to third - right into the glove of Jeff Keppinger - to end the game.
Notable stats of the game: Pudge hit a solo homer, his 300th career long ball. Mazel tov. Astros Starter Moehler pitched 5 innings, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits, 2 walks, a wild pitch, a hit batsman, and 4 strikeouts. It earned him his first win of the season. Mazel tov. Berkman was 2 for 3 with a double and a single and two walks. His BA is up to .230 - not exactly where it was this time last year (about double that!), but about 50 points over where it was a couple of weeks ago. I predicted a few weeks ago that the Astros would hit .500 when Berkman hit .250. With the Astros at 17-19 (plus the "tie" in DC), we could be at .500 later this week. With a couple of multihit games, Berkman could be past .250 moving up to where he ought to be in the same time frame. Gezhuntheit.
So the Astros and the Cubs split a rain-shortened series in the Windy City. As for the missing game of this series, the Friday afternoon game that was rained out, I have a suggestion: It should be played in the Texas Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, to balance out the Astros' hurricane-plagued "home games" last season that were played up in Milwaukee. Fair is fair, right?
GAMES 33-35: Astros Give Up 26 Runs - and Win Series
May 12: Rockies 12, Astros 1
May 13: Astros 15, Rockies 11
May 14: Astros 5, Rockies 3
It's not a good sign when the Astros give up 26 runs in a 3-game series - in fact, it sounds like a recipe for being swept. But when you're playing a mile high, strange things can happen. High scoring games are an every-day event out at Coors Field in Denver, as the Rockies reminded the Astros with a 12-1 win in Game 1. But the Astros caught on fast, and had a big game of their own in Game 2, evening up the series with 15 runs on 24 hits. (Let's not talk about the 11 runs they gave up!) Compared to these slugfests, Game 3 was practically a shutout, with a measly 5-3 score, as the Astros squeaked out another series win.
Game 1 was pretty much of a disaster. The Astros were shutout until the seventh inning, when they scored their only run on three consecutive singles (Pence, Blum, Pudge). All of their 8 hits in the game were singles. Meanwhile, all but 3 of the Rockies' 12 runs scored on homers, including a solo and a grand slam by Ian Stewart. All of the Astros' pitchers were beaten up, Starter Paulino got tagged for 8 runs in 4 innings. He left the game with the bases loaded in the 5th, Rockies ahead 5-0. Brydak promptly gave up the grand slam, dumping 3 of the 4 runs on poor Paulino. Ortiz came in for the last 3 innings, giving up another 3 runs, but they were all gratuitous - fun for the Denver crowd, but with the Astros not scoring, meaningless in the outcome.
By Game 2, the Astros had figured out that the way to win in Denver was to pile on the runs. They scored 15 of them on 24 hits (one short of the franchise record for hits in a game) - and amazingly, none were homers! There were 6 doubles and 18 singles, but nary a home run. (Someone should check on that humidor.) Astros starter Mike Hampton, after his years in Denver, did a little better than Paulino - he gave up 5 runs in 6 innings, only 2 on homers (another by that pesky Ian Stewart). Hampton also has been quite a good hitter in his day, and went 2 for 3 in this game, scoring 2 of the Astros' runs. All of the Astros' starting lineup had a multiple hit game: Berkman was 4 for 4, plus a walk, 2 RBIs and 3 runs. Lee, Tejada, and Pence each had 3 hits, while Matsui, Bourn, Blum, Quintero joined Hampton with 2 hits apiece. Most of the damage came off of Jason Marquis, who allowed 9 runs without making it out of the fourth inning.
Unlike Game 1, however, the Astros didn't really have a sure thing going. They went into the ninth inning with a 15-6 lead. Seven batters later, Geary had given up 5 runs - including another grannie - but could not manage to finish off the inning. With the lead now eroded to 15-11, and that pesky Ian Stewart at the plate, Coop called for his substitute closer. Hawkins did the job - he got the out on 4 pitches to even up the series. Not a save situation, but still a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, after this latest in a series of poor performances by Geary, the Astros finally admitted that he's been pitching injured, with right biceps tendinitis, and put him on the DL. It's amazing that the Astros were using Geary so heavily when he was pitching poorly, costing the team several games as he tried to heroically muddle through. Now Geary will be able to keep Valverde and Brocail company on the DL, while Fulchino has been called back up.
Game 3 was a very different kind of game. With the Astros best 2009 pitcher on the mound (Wandy, not Roy!), the Rockies only managed to score 3 runs, none of them on the homers that had beseiged Houston's pitchers in the earlier games. It was another fantastic start for the pitcher I've been boosting all season -Wandy went 7 innings, giving up 3 runs (1 unearned) on 5 hits and no walks, striking out a career-high 11. No Rockie grand slams in this game - Wandy hasn't given up a home run this season. In fact, he hasn't allowed a homer since August last year. Sampson and Hawkins each pitched a hitless, scoreless inning to help Wandy to his fourth win of the year. His 1.90 ERA is now second in the NL.
The Astros put the first 3 runs on the scoreboard in the first inning, with a lot of little small-ball moves: Matsui hit a bunt single. Bourn followed with an infield single, bumping Matsui over to third. Berkman was safe at first on an error, allowing Matsui to score the first run. Lee's fielders choice erased Berkman, but moved Bourn to third with one out. Tejada struck out, but Lee and Bourn took off on a double steal, landing Lee on second, and Bourn with his first steal of home plate. Pence's single scored Lee to give the Astros a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
More small ball in the xth for the Astros' fourth run: Bourn singled, moved up to third on an fielding error, and scored on a sac fly. The Astros got their one and only homer of the series in the eighth, when El Caballo knocked the first pitch of the inning over the left field wall.
So the series wasn't pretty, but at this point the Astros will take a win any way they can. Since I last saw them in that ugly Stinko de Mayo "tie" game, they've won 5 of 6 games. They aren't at .500 yet, but they also aren't off to as bad a start as the 2005 Astros - and we all know where they ended up: In the World Series. I'm not writing this team off yet.
May 13: Astros 15, Rockies 11
May 14: Astros 5, Rockies 3
It's not a good sign when the Astros give up 26 runs in a 3-game series - in fact, it sounds like a recipe for being swept. But when you're playing a mile high, strange things can happen. High scoring games are an every-day event out at Coors Field in Denver, as the Rockies reminded the Astros with a 12-1 win in Game 1. But the Astros caught on fast, and had a big game of their own in Game 2, evening up the series with 15 runs on 24 hits. (Let's not talk about the 11 runs they gave up!) Compared to these slugfests, Game 3 was practically a shutout, with a measly 5-3 score, as the Astros squeaked out another series win.
Game 1 was pretty much of a disaster. The Astros were shutout until the seventh inning, when they scored their only run on three consecutive singles (Pence, Blum, Pudge). All of their 8 hits in the game were singles. Meanwhile, all but 3 of the Rockies' 12 runs scored on homers, including a solo and a grand slam by Ian Stewart. All of the Astros' pitchers were beaten up, Starter Paulino got tagged for 8 runs in 4 innings. He left the game with the bases loaded in the 5th, Rockies ahead 5-0. Brydak promptly gave up the grand slam, dumping 3 of the 4 runs on poor Paulino. Ortiz came in for the last 3 innings, giving up another 3 runs, but they were all gratuitous - fun for the Denver crowd, but with the Astros not scoring, meaningless in the outcome.
By Game 2, the Astros had figured out that the way to win in Denver was to pile on the runs. They scored 15 of them on 24 hits (one short of the franchise record for hits in a game) - and amazingly, none were homers! There were 6 doubles and 18 singles, but nary a home run. (Someone should check on that humidor.) Astros starter Mike Hampton, after his years in Denver, did a little better than Paulino - he gave up 5 runs in 6 innings, only 2 on homers (another by that pesky Ian Stewart). Hampton also has been quite a good hitter in his day, and went 2 for 3 in this game, scoring 2 of the Astros' runs. All of the Astros' starting lineup had a multiple hit game: Berkman was 4 for 4, plus a walk, 2 RBIs and 3 runs. Lee, Tejada, and Pence each had 3 hits, while Matsui, Bourn, Blum, Quintero joined Hampton with 2 hits apiece. Most of the damage came off of Jason Marquis, who allowed 9 runs without making it out of the fourth inning.
Unlike Game 1, however, the Astros didn't really have a sure thing going. They went into the ninth inning with a 15-6 lead. Seven batters later, Geary had given up 5 runs - including another grannie - but could not manage to finish off the inning. With the lead now eroded to 15-11, and that pesky Ian Stewart at the plate, Coop called for his substitute closer. Hawkins did the job - he got the out on 4 pitches to even up the series. Not a save situation, but still a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, after this latest in a series of poor performances by Geary, the Astros finally admitted that he's been pitching injured, with right biceps tendinitis, and put him on the DL. It's amazing that the Astros were using Geary so heavily when he was pitching poorly, costing the team several games as he tried to heroically muddle through. Now Geary will be able to keep Valverde and Brocail company on the DL, while Fulchino has been called back up.
Game 3 was a very different kind of game. With the Astros best 2009 pitcher on the mound (Wandy, not Roy!), the Rockies only managed to score 3 runs, none of them on the homers that had beseiged Houston's pitchers in the earlier games. It was another fantastic start for the pitcher I've been boosting all season -Wandy went 7 innings, giving up 3 runs (1 unearned) on 5 hits and no walks, striking out a career-high 11. No Rockie grand slams in this game - Wandy hasn't given up a home run this season. In fact, he hasn't allowed a homer since August last year. Sampson and Hawkins each pitched a hitless, scoreless inning to help Wandy to his fourth win of the year. His 1.90 ERA is now second in the NL.
The Astros put the first 3 runs on the scoreboard in the first inning, with a lot of little small-ball moves: Matsui hit a bunt single. Bourn followed with an infield single, bumping Matsui over to third. Berkman was safe at first on an error, allowing Matsui to score the first run. Lee's fielders choice erased Berkman, but moved Bourn to third with one out. Tejada struck out, but Lee and Bourn took off on a double steal, landing Lee on second, and Bourn with his first steal of home plate. Pence's single scored Lee to give the Astros a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
More small ball in the xth for the Astros' fourth run: Bourn singled, moved up to third on an fielding error, and scored on a sac fly. The Astros got their one and only homer of the series in the eighth, when El Caballo knocked the first pitch of the inning over the left field wall.
So the series wasn't pretty, but at this point the Astros will take a win any way they can. Since I last saw them in that ugly Stinko de Mayo "tie" game, they've won 5 of 6 games. They aren't at .500 yet, but they also aren't off to as bad a start as the 2005 Astros - and we all know where they ended up: In the World Series. I'm not writing this team off yet.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
GAMES 30-32: Sweeping the Padres on Madres Day
May 8: Astros 2, Padres 0
May 9: Astros 5, Padres 4
May 10: Astros 12, Padres 5
It's hard to pick the best thing about this weekend's series with the San Diego Padres. Was it the sweep - the first 3-game sweep of the season? Was it the Wizard finally getting his first win of the year? Was it the season high 12 runs in the Mother's Day win? Or maybe Wandy's eight innings of shutout pitching on Friday night?
I think I'll go with the last one. I've been predicting Wandy's Big Year all season, and so far he's been coming through in a big way. Game 1 on Friday night was his best start yet: 8 scoreless innings, just 5 hits, no walks, and 7 strikeouts. It was not at all apparent in the first inning that Wandy was going to have such a great game: With one out he had runners on second and third, and the heart of the lineup coming to bat. A groundball to third - two down. Then Chase Headley hit a long fly ball to center. It looked like extra bases for sure until Bourn snagged it in an amazing over-the-shoulder catch that left him lying on Tal's Hill - with the ball still in his glove. The pattern recurred in the second inning: Runners on second and third with one down. And again Wandy pitched his way out of trouble. After that, however, he did not allow a single base runner until there were two outs in the seventh, retiring 16 batters in a row. He then came back to throw a perfect eighth. The eight scoreless innings pushed Wandy's ERA down to 1.80, third lowest in the NL.
It was slim pickins for the Astros Friday night - their only runs scored on Pence's two-out 2-run single. The Astros only managed to get 5 hits in the game, and 4 belonged to Pence and Lee. Hawkins pitched a perfect ninth for the save. I watched this game late Saturday night after the Sabbath.
Game 2 of the series, on Saturday evening, was even closer. I tuned in after the Sabbath ended, just in time to see the Astros lose a 3-1 lead. Moehler had a good start, throwing 7 innings, giving up only 1 run on 5 hits, 1 walk, and striking out 6. But as soon as he came out in the eighth, Geary, Arias, Wright, and Hawkins combined efforts to give up 3 more runs, putting the Astros behind 4-3. Too bad for Moehler; excellent start but no decision.
Happily the Astros came back in the bottom of the eighth. Bourn and Pence both walked to lead off the inning. Lee singled to score Bourn, tying the game, moving Pence to third. Tejada grounded to the pitcher. In a crazy and lucky move, Pence took off for home and scored what turned out to be the winning run. With the Astros now ahead 5-4, Hawkins came in to close in the ninth. He gave up a double to ex-Astro Chris Burke, but then retired the side, no harm done.
In Game 3, Roy Oswalt didn't pitch as well as either Wandy or Moehler - in 6 innings he gave up 4 runs - all scored on home runs. The game didn't do anything good for his ERA, but it made a big improvement in his win record: it was his first win of the season. It would have been hard for Oswalt NOT to have won this game, as his teammates went on a rare all-out hitting spree. They scored a season record 12 runs on 16 hits. Special kudos go to El Caballo who hit 3 for 4, including a homer, with 4 RBIs and 2 runs. Tejada was 3 for 5, with 4 RBIs, scoring twice. Pudge went 4 for 4, with a triple and a homer.
Meanwhile, Berkman was 0 for 0 - he didn't play. He's recovering from a sore left writst, a minor injury received on a checked swing on Thursday night. He's day to day. In worse news, Brocail's injury is worse than initially expected - he may not be back until after the All Star Break, or even later.
Oh well, let's think good thoughts, and cheer for the Astros to keep up the winning streak as they head out to Colorado.
May 9: Astros 5, Padres 4
May 10: Astros 12, Padres 5
It's hard to pick the best thing about this weekend's series with the San Diego Padres. Was it the sweep - the first 3-game sweep of the season? Was it the Wizard finally getting his first win of the year? Was it the season high 12 runs in the Mother's Day win? Or maybe Wandy's eight innings of shutout pitching on Friday night?
I think I'll go with the last one. I've been predicting Wandy's Big Year all season, and so far he's been coming through in a big way. Game 1 on Friday night was his best start yet: 8 scoreless innings, just 5 hits, no walks, and 7 strikeouts. It was not at all apparent in the first inning that Wandy was going to have such a great game: With one out he had runners on second and third, and the heart of the lineup coming to bat. A groundball to third - two down. Then Chase Headley hit a long fly ball to center. It looked like extra bases for sure until Bourn snagged it in an amazing over-the-shoulder catch that left him lying on Tal's Hill - with the ball still in his glove. The pattern recurred in the second inning: Runners on second and third with one down. And again Wandy pitched his way out of trouble. After that, however, he did not allow a single base runner until there were two outs in the seventh, retiring 16 batters in a row. He then came back to throw a perfect eighth. The eight scoreless innings pushed Wandy's ERA down to 1.80, third lowest in the NL.
It was slim pickins for the Astros Friday night - their only runs scored on Pence's two-out 2-run single. The Astros only managed to get 5 hits in the game, and 4 belonged to Pence and Lee. Hawkins pitched a perfect ninth for the save. I watched this game late Saturday night after the Sabbath.
Game 2 of the series, on Saturday evening, was even closer. I tuned in after the Sabbath ended, just in time to see the Astros lose a 3-1 lead. Moehler had a good start, throwing 7 innings, giving up only 1 run on 5 hits, 1 walk, and striking out 6. But as soon as he came out in the eighth, Geary, Arias, Wright, and Hawkins combined efforts to give up 3 more runs, putting the Astros behind 4-3. Too bad for Moehler; excellent start but no decision.
Happily the Astros came back in the bottom of the eighth. Bourn and Pence both walked to lead off the inning. Lee singled to score Bourn, tying the game, moving Pence to third. Tejada grounded to the pitcher. In a crazy and lucky move, Pence took off for home and scored what turned out to be the winning run. With the Astros now ahead 5-4, Hawkins came in to close in the ninth. He gave up a double to ex-Astro Chris Burke, but then retired the side, no harm done.
In Game 3, Roy Oswalt didn't pitch as well as either Wandy or Moehler - in 6 innings he gave up 4 runs - all scored on home runs. The game didn't do anything good for his ERA, but it made a big improvement in his win record: it was his first win of the season. It would have been hard for Oswalt NOT to have won this game, as his teammates went on a rare all-out hitting spree. They scored a season record 12 runs on 16 hits. Special kudos go to El Caballo who hit 3 for 4, including a homer, with 4 RBIs and 2 runs. Tejada was 3 for 5, with 4 RBIs, scoring twice. Pudge went 4 for 4, with a triple and a homer.
Meanwhile, Berkman was 0 for 0 - he didn't play. He's recovering from a sore left writst, a minor injury received on a checked swing on Thursday night. He's day to day. In worse news, Brocail's injury is worse than initially expected - he may not be back until after the All Star Break, or even later.
Oh well, let's think good thoughts, and cheer for the Astros to keep up the winning streak as they head out to Colorado.
GAMES 28-29: I Don't Want to Talk About It
May 6: Cubs 6, Astros 3
May 7: Cubs 8, Astros 5
Another rotten two game series. At least Minute Maid Park has a retractable roof. After being soaked in Atlanta and then in Washington, who knows what unmentionable molds and mildews the Astros were suffering from? I bet they were glad to be back home - at least until they were swept in the opening two-gae series. (Who made up the schedule this year? Is there anything more annoying than a bunch of two game series?)
Game 1 got off to a terrible start. Hampton gave up two singles and a walk, interspersed with a pair of fly-ball outs, to load the bases with two down. The next batter hit a looooonnnng fly to center. Bourn went after it, and laid out for the catch - but missed. It was a base clearing triple. Pudge allowed Hampton's next pitch to get away from him, allowing the runner to score to give the Cubs a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Hampton settled in after that, and pitched scoreless innings through the fifth. In the top of the sixth, however, another Cubs runner scored on a second passed ball, and that was it for Hampton's night. Although he only had 5 1/3 innings, he did pass one momentous milestone before Coop gave him the hook: He threw over 100 pitches, a rare feat for Astros starters these days. Not his best start though: He gave up 5 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks, striking out 4.
The bedraggled bullpen did a good job for the rest of the game. Arias, just up from Round Rock, relieved Hampton, pitching 1 1/3 innings, giving up a single run. Wright and Fulchino each pitched a perfect inning.
The Astros' offense wasn't anything to get excited over. They scored 3 runs on 8 scattered hits, including a homer by Berkman, his 7th of the year. Hampton, who has a history of being a good batter, hit an RBI single. But all together, the team could not put together enough runs to overcome those first inning difficulties.
Game 2's 8-5 score actually looks a lot closer than the game actually was. Going into the bottom of the ninth, the Cubs were ahead 8-2; the final score only looks close because the Astros added on 3 at the last minute. It was hardly a save situation.
Mysteriously, considering how badly the bullpen needed a rest, Coop outdid himself in pulling his starter early: He took out Ortiz after only 2 1/3 innings, with under 60 pitches. And no, Ortiz was not injured, except perhaps for his self-esteem. He hadn't been pitching a terrific game - at the time he was removed, he'd given up 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. The bases were loaded with one out. Byrdak, who relieved him, allowed one of Ortiz's runners to score before getting out of the inning. Out of the half dozen Astros on the mound, Sampson was the best by far: He pitched three perfect innings to eat up the middle of the ballgame. The bullpen goat was Paulino. Entering the ninth just two runs behind, 4-2, he gave up 4 runs on 3 singles, a double, a home run, and a pair of walks.
The Astros' offensive star of the game was Tejada, who's making a regular occasion out of multihit games. He was 3 for 4 , including a first inning 2-run homer, two doubles, and a single. Berkman was splendidly terrible - he was 0 for 5 with 4 strikeouts, including the out that ended the game. He had a fielding error, just to add to his misery.
What's worse that two-game series? Being swept in two-game series. And just to make it even a little more painful, the Astros also found out that Brocail's injury is a torn hamstring, and he'll be out for at least a month. He can go hang out with Valverde, who had fluid drained from his injured right calf - he will be out 3-5 weeks too.
I really don't want to talk about it any more.
May 7: Cubs 8, Astros 5
Another rotten two game series. At least Minute Maid Park has a retractable roof. After being soaked in Atlanta and then in Washington, who knows what unmentionable molds and mildews the Astros were suffering from? I bet they were glad to be back home - at least until they were swept in the opening two-gae series. (Who made up the schedule this year? Is there anything more annoying than a bunch of two game series?)
Game 1 got off to a terrible start. Hampton gave up two singles and a walk, interspersed with a pair of fly-ball outs, to load the bases with two down. The next batter hit a looooonnnng fly to center. Bourn went after it, and laid out for the catch - but missed. It was a base clearing triple. Pudge allowed Hampton's next pitch to get away from him, allowing the runner to score to give the Cubs a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Hampton settled in after that, and pitched scoreless innings through the fifth. In the top of the sixth, however, another Cubs runner scored on a second passed ball, and that was it for Hampton's night. Although he only had 5 1/3 innings, he did pass one momentous milestone before Coop gave him the hook: He threw over 100 pitches, a rare feat for Astros starters these days. Not his best start though: He gave up 5 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks, striking out 4.
The bedraggled bullpen did a good job for the rest of the game. Arias, just up from Round Rock, relieved Hampton, pitching 1 1/3 innings, giving up a single run. Wright and Fulchino each pitched a perfect inning.
The Astros' offense wasn't anything to get excited over. They scored 3 runs on 8 scattered hits, including a homer by Berkman, his 7th of the year. Hampton, who has a history of being a good batter, hit an RBI single. But all together, the team could not put together enough runs to overcome those first inning difficulties.
Game 2's 8-5 score actually looks a lot closer than the game actually was. Going into the bottom of the ninth, the Cubs were ahead 8-2; the final score only looks close because the Astros added on 3 at the last minute. It was hardly a save situation.
Mysteriously, considering how badly the bullpen needed a rest, Coop outdid himself in pulling his starter early: He took out Ortiz after only 2 1/3 innings, with under 60 pitches. And no, Ortiz was not injured, except perhaps for his self-esteem. He hadn't been pitching a terrific game - at the time he was removed, he'd given up 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. The bases were loaded with one out. Byrdak, who relieved him, allowed one of Ortiz's runners to score before getting out of the inning. Out of the half dozen Astros on the mound, Sampson was the best by far: He pitched three perfect innings to eat up the middle of the ballgame. The bullpen goat was Paulino. Entering the ninth just two runs behind, 4-2, he gave up 4 runs on 3 singles, a double, a home run, and a pair of walks.
The Astros' offensive star of the game was Tejada, who's making a regular occasion out of multihit games. He was 3 for 4 , including a first inning 2-run homer, two doubles, and a single. Berkman was splendidly terrible - he was 0 for 5 with 4 strikeouts, including the out that ended the game. He had a fielding error, just to add to his misery.
What's worse that two-game series? Being swept in two-game series. And just to make it even a little more painful, the Astros also found out that Brocail's injury is a torn hamstring, and he'll be out for at least a month. He can go hang out with Valverde, who had fluid drained from his injured right calf - he will be out 3-5 weeks too.
I really don't want to talk about it any more.
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