Astros @ Pirates 7/21 - 7/23

[Uprising]

Probable Pitchers
7/21 T. Redding at Pit (Fogg)

7/22 J. Robertson at Pit (Benson)

Astros bats have really been swinging well.

WL

Hope the Astros manhandle the Pirates.

[Groogrux]

It's just a two-game series, then we're in Milwaukee for two.

I say LW.

[Uprising]

Originally posted by Rocketman95
It's just a two-game series, then we're in Milwaukee for two.

I say LW.

LOL...you got me there. I was watching a movie on my computer and typing. I guess i was not paying that much attention to realize that was a game against the Brewers....oops.. ;)

[Drewdog]

Pirates have our number this year....

LL

Then WW against the Brew Crew.

[Groogrux]

Originally posted by Drewdog
Pirates have our number this year....

LL

Then WW against the Brew Crew.

Actually, we're worse against the Brewers.

We're 9-5 against the Piroots, 3-4 against the Brewers.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/teams/schedule?team=hou&season=2003&seasonType=2&half=1

[reallyBaked]

uh, i wouldnt classify us as being hot, or "swinging the bats well".

we've been beating up on the REDS, possibly the worst team in the NL right now..

wait and see how we fair after this next stretch...

The Astros have YET to prove that they can beat the teams they "should" beat....they always play down to their competition...

[Groogrux]

Sure we're hot. Just because we're doing it against a bad team doesn't change that fact.

[Baqui99]

Beating up on the likes of Jimmy Haynes, Ryan Dumpster, Paul Wilson, et al. is a good way to pad your stats, but doesn't really prove anything. Let's see how this team performs against guys like Schmidt, Prior, Wood, and Ortiz.

[Nick]

Originally posted by reallyBaked
uh, i wouldnt classify us as being hot, or "swinging the bats well".

we've been beating up on the REDS, possibly the worst team in the NL right now..

wait and see how we fair after this next stretch...

The Astros have YET to prove that they can beat the teams they "should" beat....they always play down to their competition...

Uhh... actually, that's really all they've been doing this year (beating the teams they should beat).

Look at the early season sweeps of the Marlins and the Pirates.

Then, they took part in the Interleague joke, by sweeping the Orioles, Devil Rays, and Rangers.

And now, their play culminates in sweeping the Reds twice.

If you take away their play against the Cardinals (which, is no small deal), the 'Stros have struggled against the good teams, fairing poorly against the Braves, Giants, Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies, and Diamondbacks.

In fact, the only bad team they've really struggled against is the Brewers... and they're 3-4 against them.

Luckily, this is baseball... and it all depends on how hot you are at any given time. Thus, beating these teams will give the Astros confidence heading into their late season series against the better teams.

As I see it, if they can win 1 against the Braves next week, split their 6 game set against the Dodgers, and avoid getting swept in Colorado later this year... all this while not completely falling apart against the Cardinals/Cubs.... then this is the Astros' division to lose.

[Uprising]

Originally posted by Rocketman95
Actually, we're worse against the Brewers.

We're 9-5 against the Piroots, 3-4 against the Brewers.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/teams/schedule?team=hou&season=2003&seasonType=2&half=1

6 of those 9 wins are from playing in houston. we only have 3 wins in Pirate country.

CHeck this out, how we really own the Reds...something they should do anyways, since its a bad team. But anyways...


Pouring it on

A look at how the Astros have dominated Cincinnati this season:

· Won 10 of 11 games.

· Have two four-game sweeps.

· Outscored Reds 25-2 in first inning.

· The starters (Jeriome Robertson, Roy Oswalt, Ron Villone and Wade Miller) in the four-game series at Cincinnati are a combined 20-0 vs. the Reds.

[BALLhog 247 365]

WW Robertson has been hot

[coma]

Originally posted by Baqui99
Beating up on the likes of Jimmy Haynes, Ryan Dumpster, Paul Wilson, et al. is a good way to pad your stats, but doesn't really prove anything. Let's see how this team performs against guys like Schmidt, Prior, Wood, and Ortiz.

Prior was just placed on DL. He may come back for a Sunday start against us, but it's unlikely. But if he did, what a matchup, eh? Prior v. Robertson!

Hopefully Prior will still be on DL though.

[Nick]

Originally posted by coma
Prior was just placed on DL. He may come back for a Sunday start against us, but it's unlikely. But if he did, what a matchup, eh? Prior v. Robertson!

Hopefully Prior will still be on DL though.

Actually, the Astros are the one team that Prior's struggled to beat in his career.

We rocked him earlier this year at MMP for 5-6 runs, and he faced us fairly often last year in his debut season, only winning 1 of those starts.

Then again, maybe he's "due". Nonetheless, the Astros will be worried about the Cards more than the Cubs.

[BobFinn*]

Let's see if we can keep this train rolling


Astros report: Inside pitch :)
July 21, 2003

The Astros took control of the NL Central race with their dominance of the Cincinnati Reds. They won 10 straight against the Reds, including four in a row over the weekend at Great American Ball Park, and scored their eighth series sweep of the season.
They also took care of business in other ways Sunday. 1B Jeff Bagwell got the 399th and 400th home runs of his career Sunday. 2B Jeff Kent, who had come off the disabled list four days earlier, hit a home run. And RHP Wade Miller looked sharp, allowed three runs (two earned) in 5 1/3 innings and striking out nine. He is 5-0 lifetime against the Reds.

The Astros would appear to be in position to add to their lead this week. They have two-game series at both Pittsburgh (which just traded its closer, Mike Williams) and Milwaukee (suffering through another long season) before heading home for a three-game showdown with the Cubs.

Kent's homer Sunday was his first since June 18. He was out of the lineup with tendinitis in his left wrist since from June 19 until he returned from the disabled list Thursday, started two consecutive games, then took Saturday off.

In his first game back, Kent went 0-for-4 and made a diving catch on a grounder that took a wicked break on him in the eighth inning.

"It went all right," Kent said. "Everything went well. I didn't hurt it today. I thought I swung the bat well. I'm anxious to play again. I was anxious to get back out there. I was a bit anxious in some of my approaches, but that's to be expected."

[How Sweet It Is]

Tonight's starting lineups:

For the Stros:

Biggio CF
Blum SS
Bagwell 1B
Kent 2B
Berkman LF
Hidalgo RF
Ensberg 3B
Ausmus C
Redding P

For the Pirates:

Lofton CF
Kendall C
Giles LF
Ramirez 3B (I HATE this SOB)
:mad:
Stairs RF
Sausage Whacker Simon 1B
Wilson SS
Nunez 2B
Fogg P

Go Stros!

[Nick]

Originally posted by How Sweet It Is
Tonight's starting lineups:

For the Stros:

Biggio CF
Blum SS
Bagwell 1B
Kent 2B
Berkman LF
Hidalgo RF
Ensberg 3B
Ausmus C
Redding P



Blum at SS?!? I guess all the Blum/non-Everett fans finally get their wish.

[NIKEstrad]

Originally posted by Nick
Blum at SS?!? I guess all the Blum/non-Everett fans finally get their wish.

He's played SS several times. I guess Jimah is maximizing the healing time for Everett's hand, and it's a good way to keep Ensberg's bat in the lineup without benching Blum.

Edit: Am I the only one who saw this coming? Any time anyhing goes wrong for Redding, be it an error, a bloop hit, or a ball bouncing off his foot, guy goes into a meltdown. Down the stretch, a guy with that mentality is just frightening. :(

[BobFinn*]

Damn, Redding is gettin hammered. Did anyone tell him this wasn't batting practice?

[BobFinn*]

Munro looks decent, except for one thing, the way he brings his arm behind his back before he delivers the pitch. I see arm trouble in his future.

BAGS-401!!!

5-2 the comeback is on!!! Put on those rally hats!!!

Kent hits one out, back-to-back!!!

5-3!!!

[JPM0016]

if only Tim Redding was more consistant. You never know what he'll give you.

[Drewdog]

Why cant we freaking homer with men on base?

Expect another loss tomorrow....

:(

And to think I have to watch the Rangers play the Orioles again here in Austin.... :mad:

[DaDakota]

Blum...ugh....a sorry swing too....oh well...the Pirates have our number lately.

DD

[How Sweet It Is]

This is getting ridiculous. Why in the hell can't we win in that ballpark?:mad:

[NIKEstrad]

Originally posted by Drewdog
Why cant we freaking homer with men on base?


It generally helps when your 1-2 hitters get on more than...0 times. 0-8 :( On the bright side, Ausmus seems to be starting to show that he's capable of hitting major league pitching.

On another note, Berman mentioned today the Astros are in talks with the Pirates about Suppan.

[BALLhog 247 365]

i hate tim redding!

[fredy]

I was hoping for another sweep.

[Uprising]

Dang...Tim didn't look good today. He fell behind just about every batter, and then paid for it. Too bad Bags and Kent's homers were with empty bases. Then right after that we had 2 guys on base and nobody scored them...

[deepellumrocket]

Originally posted by Drewdog
Why cant we freaking homer with men on base?


That's kinda hard to do when the guy in front of you has just hit one.


What's our deal with PNC Park these day? I hope we don't have bugaboo with it like we had with Jack Murphy Stadium back in the late 80s. :eek:

[ROXRAN]

A loss behind us, but the good news is certainly Bagwell getting hot! That is the phantom key to the second half...

[NIKEstrad]

Robertson in the midst of another fine outing, helped his own cause with a 2 out RBI single, and of course Ensberg rocks his 19th bomb.

2-0, Top of the 7th.

If only Redding knew how to pitch like Robertson...

[Nick]

Originally posted by NIKEstrad
If only Redding knew how to pitch like Robertson...

Just like "Good pitching beats good hitting", and "defense wins championships,"... it looks like in MLB pitching, "location beats velocity."

In the minors, all these power arms get the first look... but there's always a place for guys with funky deliveries and good control. (ie - Robertson, Willis).

[BobFinn*]

Redding has good control, he throws everything right down the middle:D

[NIKEstrad]

Robertson: 7 and 1/3 innings. 3 hits (all singles), 2 walks. No runs. 2 Ks. 1 HPB. 89 pitches.

Lidge coming in, runner on 1st....1 pitch, Bagwell makes the snare and doubles off Lofton.

Anyone else think that Everett makes a play on that blooper and/or gets to the ball up the middle that ended up KOing Robertson?

Pittsburgh seems to have our number at home. Thankfully, Robertson pitched lights out so we didn't need much O...if we can hold on, Roertson got the GWRBI too.

[BobFinn*]

Is Robertson in the running for Rookie of the Year?

[Groogrux]

Originally posted by BobFinn*
Is Robertson in the running for Rookie of the Year?

If Willis could try and build off his last start, then maybe.

[BobFinn*]

100 games in the books this season. Astros record 55-45.

[reallyBaked]

very nice to see a clean finishing job done by Lidge and Wags..
Come on bullpen, keep it going!

We all remeber Wagner's not-so-fondest memory in Pitt...

[Uprising]

Wohoo...Robertson pitched a great game tonight.
Any news on the Cards and cubbies?

[BALLhog 247 365]

cubs lost

cardinals losing 1-0

[ima_drummer2k]

Originally posted by BobFinn*
100 games in the books this season. Astros record 55-45.
I'll take it. With shakey starting pitching, and our 2 best players spending significant time on the DL (Kent and RoyO, that is) I will take 55-45.

With Kent and RoyO back and Bagwell hopefully heating up, things are looking pretty good. Knock on wood...

[bobrek]

Originally posted by Rocketman95
If Willis could try and build off his last start, then maybe.

Lidge should garner votes as well. Do they still have a rookie pitcher of the year in addition to ROY?

[xiki]

Originally posted by BobFinn*
Redding has good control, he throws everything right down the middle:D

Redding is light years ahead of years past. By next year he will be a #3 starter.

Maybe.