Well if we win Sunday's game it is all good as we will take 3 out 4 from the ATL. At this point back seven games in the loss colum we need to win every series untill we play the Cards then we need to sweep them.
Tough start for Buchholz. Looks like he's settled down and kept his team in the game, but he's not getting the run support at all, which isn't surprising considering three of the team's best weapons have the day off.
We have come to expect little from Everett offensively. He can always get it going, though. But, really, it's Lane who I can't figure out. He's got 9 HRs which isn't bad. But, his average is way down from where it should be. I just don't understand how he can hit under .200 and, when he does connect, about 1/3 of his hits have been HRs at this point. He must be trying way too hard or something...like he is trying to hit it out every time up. You gotta expect for him to turn it around soon. This team is well on its way to making another run the second half. I expect it at this point. This will be mostly the same, or better, WS team in the 2nd half. I assume Backe will be back. Our starting pitching could be dominant again assuming Pettitte has turned the corner and Rodriquez/Nieve continues to pitch well. I'm excited as sh*t right now for some good baseball with the Clemens return lifting up perceptions and performance. Can't wait for the 22nd! This is getting good.
ESPN Just said that the Stros are back in the race and will be one of the contenders. They gave mad love to Sampson and clemens.
Based on how he performed last May, and then how he turned it around in the second half, we all know the guy is streaky... but I agree, he's been frustratingly mediocre this year, and its got to the point where he was pressing, so Gar had to take him out. Pitchers haven't been giving him anything to hit... as evidenced by his major increase in walks... but at the same time, Lane is a guy who wants to hit the ball hard, drive in runs, and get XBH... thus, he's still swinging (and missing) a ton on borderline pitches, and that results in high K's and a low batting average. Garner already said this week that he's gonna have to try Lane in the 2-hole, simply because he needs to see some good pitches. But, if Lamb is going to continue his hot streak, I only see Lane getting a chance to hit there if we're facing a lefty (which, ironically, we are today). All I can say is that its a good thing that Lamb and Burke have had pretty decent games with their bats, and Wilson has picked it up after his horrendous start, or else this team would have been further in the hole (rather than 1 game below .500). Also, I agree... this team is right there to make a run. We can thank Pujols for getting hurt, the Reds for getting hot at the right time (b/c we all know they're going to get cold again), and there may even be a bigger silver lining if St. Louis panics, and trades Mulder/Marquis for a bat, because then they won't have the pitching depth they'll need to win their 100+ games.
I think Lane's problem is that he is a better hitter when he is aggressive, he hits a lot of bad pitches for hits. But now that he is trying to be patient, it has sapped his aggressiveness at the plate. That is my theory anyway. DD
hmm hadn't looked at lanes batting average in a while but Christ, how is this guy still in the lineup batting .193? ADAM EVERETT is beating Lane now
You guys really need to stop looking only at batting average... because it can undervalue guys like Adam Dunn, but overvalue guys like Willy Taveras. But, in Lane's case, it is troubling... because you know he can draw a walk, and you know he can hit a HR. Thus, if he was just a little bit better at getting a bloop, bleeder, seeing-eye single, the batting average would look better... and he would be perceived as a much better hitter. DD... I actually think Lane is better when he hits with the count in his favor (most hitters are)... not simply when he's more aggressive. The problem with him is that pitchers are either walking him on 4-5 pitches, or he's striking out on 3-4 pitches. And on the in-betweens, he's either hitting pop flys, or HR's. We'll see what happens if he hits in a spot in the lineup where he gets more pitches to hit... this should help ease some of the extra-pressure he's putting on himself to produce from a spot where he's not seeing many good pitches to hit.
Its becoming more and more interesting to follow the Stros just to see what lineup Gar's gonna put out there each day... since Ensberg is still hurting, and Willy T is still benched (looking more and more like a permanent move), this is today's lineup: Biggio - 2B Lamb - 3B Burke - CF Berkman - 1B Wilson - LF Lane - RF Munson - C Everett - SS Kinda strange to see Burke still hitting in the 3 spot, when you could flip him and Lamb, and still keep the intended effect of allowing Lamb to see more pitches in front of Berkman. But, I guess you also have to consider that we're facing a lefty, and thus both Lamb and Berkman (to some extent) will be a little less potent.
Assuming he has an option left, would a finite period at RR benefit JL? Say, 10 days 'rain or shine' with Luke, perhaps, getting a cup of joe in the Show?
Luke Scott cannot hit major-league breaking stuff. He doesn't hit minor-league breaking stuff all that well either. Also, a lot of his HR's in the minors go out to dead-center field... in MMP, those would be outs (or long 2B's). I think putting Lane in the 2-spot for a few starts would be more of a "kick start" than the minors would be... of course, that's only going to happen if Lamb is just awful (unlikely), or we face a bunch of lefties in a row and Ensberg is healthy. Or, he could just go on a hot streak for the rest of the season, as he did last year... as he was effective in the playoffs as well.
Lane is going to have a big chance here if Preston whiffs (not going out on a limb there). EDIT: no whiff... got one run... still a big chance for Jason. TAKE THE WALK if they're giving it to you JL.
No kidding... tommorow, lets talk about how Biggio can't hit worth his weight away from MMP, and how Burke may possibly get some starts at 2B, with Lane in CF.
I hope Lane is on the verge of a turnaround, so the Scott discussion is irrelevant. But you're dealing with way, WAY too small of a sample size to make blanket, definitive statements about what Scott can or cannot do. Actually, if I remember correctly, his key double at STL in the last week of last season came on a curveball. I do agree that he hits too many balls to dead center, so MMP isn't a park that best suits his power. But, with all the second chances some of you seem to be willing to give to Lane and a few others, how about giving more than a handful of games before we make final judgments on guys like Scott and Bruntlett (not accusing you of this, Nick, but posters in general over the last week)?
Innings like this have me praying that Backe comes back soon... Wandy gets all the run support in the world, and twirls 7 shutout innings every now and then... but he's just ultra-inconsistent, from game to game, and sometimes during the course of a game. Clemens Oswalt Pettite Backe Samson/Nieve/Buchholz/Wandy I guess its a good problem to have... but hopefully the next two weeks (as clemens comes back, and Backe works his way back) will provide some answers.
