If I was Garner I would sit the team down and discuss professionalism, and playing to win every night. Errors on Berkman and Ensberg hurt big time, and walking in the winning run is never acceptable. The bullpen has been VERY shaky this year, and the team could easily be 21-8. Oh well, only one game, let's see how the team responds....and if you want a positive, look at how Taylor Bucholtz pitched...YAOWZA !! DD
Berkman's error was the most costly... it allowed the Rockies to score their first 2 runs, and it gave them new hope in the game. Also, as said before... Gallo shouldn't be pitching in any close games (which means he shouldn't be on this team). If you're warming up Qualls anyways, just bring him in at the beginning of the inning. Finally, Lidge (while he was used 4 days in a row... which is highly suspect) suffered from the same thing he has throughout this season. He got behind in the count.
Get over it. They're gonna lose 50-60 more games this year. When you give good teams 3 freebie runs, you're not going to win too many of those games.
Yup. Knowing that he was going to give up a HR in the future to Pujols explains why he sucked at the end of the regular season and the really struggled the two games before that HR.
Well if Buccholz and Wandy keep pitching like this and Clemens does return, then I would agree with Backe moving to the pen for the time being. In any case it'll only serve to make our relief core stronger. And 11 saves in 14 opporunities isnt necessarily getting it done, but then like I said, Wagner has blown 7 in 10. It's still early I think, and he was showing improvement before last night. I think you can continue to stick with him, but maybe go to him a little less (and let Wheeler close some...like he should have done last night). I think the whole team just had a major brain fart toward the end of the game with the erros, bad decisions and bad pitching. And maybe Lidge is still trying to cling to that slider too much instead of getting ahead in the count early with his fastball then going to it.
all of that is right on the money. i've said it before...i have a hard time complaining too much about garner because of our success these past 2 seasons, but i really think the guy is clueless. he overcoaches like gundy, and mike gallo is his ryan bowen.
19 wins. Wasn't that the win total last year when the Tomestone article came out? The Astros are freerolling the next 22 games.
If Clemens returns/when Backe returns, I actually want to see Wandy and Nieve moved to the bullpen. Obviously Garner uses Gallo to get lefty/lefty matchups, and with Wandy in the pen, it would allow him to get that matchup with a pitcher that can actually get hitters out with regularity. So the rotation would be... Roy - Andy - Roger - Taylor - Brandon?
No way Backe makes the rotation over Wandy at this point. Not that six games is a large statistical sampling, but it is enough to justify getting a larger statistical sampling. Maybe Backe could pitch road games for Clemens and be in pen during homestands. If I was in Garner's position, I would pitch Clemens 5 and Backe 4 every time it was their turn in the rotation. No manager would actually do this, but it would save Clemens, get Backe semi-starter work, and rest the pen every 5th game.
Yes way Backe makes the rotation over Wandy, if it means Garner has a lefty to go to in the pen not named Gallo.
no, wandy isnt losing his starting spot to backe. dont worry, lefty help is on the way to the pen in the form of a loser almost as bad as gallo. his name is trever miller! now we get to watch him give up runs in 20 more appearances before garner realizes how bad he is!
If Wandy has a few bad starts, I could see him going to the pen. Right now, he has a low ERA, has a low WHIP, and is winning games.
+ = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Anderson Psychological disorder Anderson is well known for his role in sports psychology. After missing four pivotal free throws in the 1995 NBA Championships that led to the defeat of the Orlando Magic to the Houston Rockets, Anderson developed a psychological problem that greatly affected his free throw shooting. His free throw percentage dipped sharply and dropped to 40% at one point. He had developed a fear of shooting free throws as a result of his belief that his missed free throws in the NBA Finals caused the Magic to lose. This was an anomaly as he was considered to be a great shooter. After the help of sports psychologists, Anderson improved his free throw shooting but showed signs of his fear again during the last year of his NBA career.
I thought Wandy was going to be out? Hope he is able to pitch successfully since his rythm might be off from a rough week. Glad to see Burke gettig some PT in right tonight. EDIT: Dammit Wandy does not look like himself tonight
