Thunder Dan Micelli! Throwing meat pitches to the Cards was his specialty. Him and his stupid leg kick.
Crazy as it sounds, Kazmir is the best option for Game 2, with Fiers ready to go long relief. Kazmir having the better numbers vs. KC and being a lefty help his cause, especially if we win Game 1.
Here it is. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kazmir will start Friday on Game 2, Keuchel in Game 3</p>— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/OrtizKicks/status/651874867965501440">October 7, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Obvious but still. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hinch says McCullers or Fiers will start Game 4 if the best-of-five series goes that far.</p>— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/OrtizKicks/status/651877614966173696">October 7, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Logical move Vs Royals, i think he will do good, vs the Blue Jays, another story. Kazmir will have a good game
Long relief is sort of pointless if you're down 3 or 4 runs after 3 or 4 innings. Kazmir doesn't have great numbers vs KC - he pitched well when he was pitching well against anyone. Small sample sizes are stupid. The only reason I see to play Kazmir is if McCullers is running into innings issues and they are holding Fiers for Game #4. Otherwise, there is absolutely no reason Kazmir should be in the rotation.
Kazmir last pitched September 30th. By the time game 2 rolls around, he will have had 9 days off. If we all believe that Kazmir's problems were more fatigue/physical than just purely mental (and given how he's tailed off the last two years in August/September, that does have some weight)... the extra rest could help. KC still has a predominately strong left-handed presence at the plate... and while you simply gloss over him being good against KC only because he was "good everywhere else"... he was still in fact very good against that team, in that ballpark.... against those specific hitters (and I can't think of a better example than last night to exemplify how recent results against similar opponents do matter).
Certainly a possibility - and I guess that's what we have to hope for. However, if the Astros had any suspicion that fatigue was his problem, they could/should have rested him during September when they had all those off days and they would have found out, instead of repeatedly running him out to get beaten up. He also went a stretch of 2 months (Jun 11 - Aug 11) and gave up 3+ runs only once - to KC, his only loss during that stretch. Kazmir also dominated Seattle during that good stretch of his - and then got his butt kicked twice by them in the last few weeks. There's no evidence that Kazmir has any particular unique success against KC. Basically, he dominated everyone for the 4.5 months of the season - that's how you end up with an ERA in the low 2's. That doesn't mean a lot now when he's not pitching the same way at all.
Rather have options then not have options. That being said if we can get Kazmir rolling and confident like he was pitching in early summer, we got as good of a shot as anyone in winning the WS. Rather find out what we have in him now.
Also makes it more of a shame that Feldman got hurt. Could have legitimately had a strong 6-man rotation in September, saving innings on all of them. If it's end of season fatigue, 9 days isn't likely enough. I think it's a mistake to go with him but I truly hope he proves me wrong.
I think Kazmir for Game 2 is the right move. His first start as an Astro back on July 24th, he pitched 7 scoreless innings in KC and only gave up 3 hits and a walk. KC has a big ballpark and no true power hitters. But if we get to to the ALCS, I would be terrified to see him go against either Toronto or Texas.
