I'm listening to a Sacramento Sports radio station and they're even clowning about the Astros inability to score.
Man... we do NOT play well against the Giants. We should just forfeit our opening series with them every year and save ourselves the embarrasment.
Ever since Ausmus left this team has been terrible. I seriously think Ausmus behind the plate gave this team 10+ wins. The guy was stellar defense and knew how to flat out call a game. How can Roy Oswalt or anyone else seriously take advice from Towels coming out to the mound to talk or explain him how to pitch a guy.
Following this bad boy on gamecast and it looks like a typical Brett Myers game...tons of baserunners and pitches but somehow he will end up giving up 3 runs through 6 innings.
But at the plate, Ausmus cost the team 10+ wins. Are you forgetting the automatic ground ball double play to the SS every time he'd come up with runners on base? It was part of that Everett-Ausmus-Pitcher 7-8-9 punch we had.
Or, more likely, Oswalt simply declined once he passed the average peak of a pitcher's career - particularly compounded by a serious disc problem in his back.
To be fair, we haven't been much better with catchers since he left...Pudge, Quintero, Towles have all sucked miraculously at the plate. I'd take Ausmus over all three.
I still remember the fly ball Ausmus hit to center in game 7 vs the Cards, DAM YOU JIM EDMONDS!!! DAM YOU
There it is 6 inings, 3 runs and 10 hits...good start. That is 3 quality starts and nothing to show for it, so far.
So many what-ifs with that series. That was one of the best defensive plays I've ever seen, and it kept us from breaking out. The game before, Berkman was a base hit away from giving us the lead in the ninth with Lidge to close it out. So close.
Maybe try remembering the hr he hit against the Braves in game 5 the next year. It will make you feel much better.
FWIW, the all time worst record for the Astros was 64-97 in 1975. One of 3 seasons when the Astros finished dead last in the NL, the others being 1991 (65-97) and 1968 (72-90).
Yea, I remember Baggy getting the HUGE clutch hit with 2 outs 9 inning in game 6 to force extras. We had 2nd and 3rd after that hit so if Puma had gotten a single we are up 2 with Lidge, dominant Lidge, coming to the mound. There went the quality start...
