6th inning of a tight game against a good pitcher with a team that hasn't been able to string any hits together? Debatable, but I understand Coop's thinking. People tend to confuse the decision with the results of the decision. Whether it works or not has no bearing on whether it was a good call or not.
Ok, I'm with you 100% on this. I thought that was flat-ass dumb given the 8 and 9 spots coming up. Loretta is a good hitter, and I want him swinging away there. I'm a small ball guy, generally, but that isn't the situation for that in my mind.
I blame Loretta for that crappy bunt. He should be able to lay down a bunt...but he failed and it is one of the reasons we lost. Astros face Maddox tonight. Historically, we suck when we face Maddox.
Hopefully Greg will show he is finally over the hill, but somehow I doubt it. Wandy needs to bring it better on the road this year than he did last year. If they even play tonight. As for Loretta, I have to concur. He really hung Cooper out to dry by not even giving his plan a chance to work. I probably wouldn't have bunted, but Loretta has to do a better job than that.
Maddux is 3-5 with an ERA over 4 against the stros over the past 3 years. But this team is so different that all that really goes out the window. Ausmus & Berkman have had great success against him historically, Lee not so much, Wigginton & Loretta have been alright, but all that's in 20-50 ABs. This is not the same Greg Maddux, and these are not the same Astros. Wandy threw a gem against the Pads at MMP last season. If he's going to improve the disparity in his home/road performance, pitching in Petco against the Pads lineup is a great place to start.
It's Maddux. And I'm not too disappointed with the bunt call. A successful bunt there moves up 2 runners and eliminates the possibility of the double play. Your #8 hitter then has the possibility of driving in a run with a fly ball, and a base hit probably brings in 2 instead of 1. Since Loretta is basically a singles hitter anyway, it was unlikely that he was going to tie the game even if he got a hit. His execution was poor, he got set late, bunted a bad pitch, and got underneath it, resulting in the popup. And I'm with Buck - the offense will come around. Two games against very good pitchers in a pitchers' park. Not to say that I didn't hope for more than 1 run, but I don't think that's indicative of the type of offensive season we'll have.
Boy, has THAT been hotly debated here before. I've said the same thing, with regards to personnel moves, and been basted and roasted by the armchair GMs and hindsight geniuses of this BBS.
Fock, Fock... I still made about not being able to see opener...It was slated for ESPN2 but they put stupid ESPNews HD instead to promote the HD service...how ghey... The bats will come alive tonight...
Does anybody know how many games the Astros have to lose before we can jump off the bandwagon and throw ourselves underneath?
Good thing you're not all Tiger fans. They keep losing to the Royals...today they didn't score a run. Their offense must really suck. Their season is nearly over.
If we start off 0-7, then I will throw you off the bandwagon myself. I will also injure anyone still on the bandwagon. Then, I will take over the driver's seat and we will all go over the cliff together.
I can't wait to actually SEE a game. I've had inventory all week at 5AM so it's been bedtime at 8PM. Tomorrow and Friday are day games and I have to work. This is the first time I can ever remember not catching my first 'Stros regular season game until the 6th game of the year. Frustrating much?
I like left coast games. Ready to go to bed and flip it on and fall asleep. Don't need to stay up since you know it's a loss.
