Man I can't wait till this funk ends. I don't think it's going to end with the month of May. It's not as bad as last year, but it seems to burn a little more than last season's because this year we started out so well and finished last season so well. Just kind of magnified.
Because Garner spent all day yapping in his ear, pumping him up on the bench... this move HAS to work. (btw, Lane isn't pinch-hitting... he came in on the double-switch).
OK that makes more sense then. Guess I shouldn't complain without seeing the whole thing. I had the luxury of walking back in after Pujols beat us again
I can handle pitchers getting pounded... I can even handle an anemic offense getting shutout by pitchers with high ERAs... all of that is just a part of the game sometimes. But... managers OVER-managing has only been part of the game ever since Tony Larussa started winning with it in the late 80's, early 90's. And even then, he will only do things that are proven until they fail. I hated when Jimy did everything based on stats (while turning a blind eye to the game itself)... and I hate it when Garner seems to do the virtual opposite of that (paying too much attention to game conditions, a player's body language, player's confidence issues after bad outings, or rewarding players after good outings). There's no problem in sticking with what has worked with this club over the last 5 years... a defined 7th inning pitcher when you have the lead (Qualls), and a defined set-up man and closer. (once again... this is assuming that Roy had asked to be taken out of the game... which is a separate issue alltogether). But if you stray from that formula, you better have a damn good reason other than "well, Trever had a good outing last time out... we got to build on that." Okay... that's all for me on this issue (unless somebody wants to actually defened Garner's moves)... this game just pissed me off.
They gave up 3 runs, and only scored 1, Pujols could not have hurt them if they simply scored runs against a very hittable pitcher. I can't help but think Clemens is getting closer to Boston each and every day, and you know what? Let him go !! I think the team is too busy waiting on him to make up his mind, they need to move on.......not look in the rearview mirror and PLAY BALL !! If Clemens comes to the Stros, great....but right now, they need to take care of their own ! DD
In the "for what it's worth" category, http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap;_ylt=AvQcIS31CGaJKa2oEzdfeXARvLYF?gid=260529124&prov=ap reads in part: "Oswalt, who's 0-2 in his last five starts, left with a 1-0 lead with tightness in his right hamstring after holding the Cardinals to seven hits and a walk. He struck out five and stranded two runners in the first, fourth and fifth. Oswalt said he hurt his hamstring on his first at-bat, a groundout in the third. 'It didn't really pull, it just kind of balled up on me and it tightened up pretty bad,' Oswalt said. 'Every inning after that it kind of got worse and worse. 'I could have pushed it one more inning but it was probably better to come out now than miss three or four starts.'" This was really the only plausible explanation for yanking Roy. Now, as for why Miller came in, or why Everett was not pinch-hit for in the ninth inning... still waiting.
Fine... take away one of the four things to blame Garner for in this game: He still has to defend the use of Miller in a non-traditional situation... he still has to defend the decision to pitch to Pujols with 2 outs... and he still has to defend the decision to keep Lamb/Wilson/Munson (all HR threats) on the bench and letting Everett bat as the tying run in the 9th inning. Most of the time, managers make 1-2 questionable moves per game... Garner got nothing right today. Then, compound this decision with the even stranger one to let Gallo close over Borkowski (I understand that Gar had been ejected, but I'm sure his staff knows who he prefers)... and that's the last two losses that could have been avoided if not for poor managerial decisions. Now, I'm really done.
You know what? I would have brought in Lidge to face Pujols with 2 on in that situation, and I would have let him go right at him. Lidge's confidence is shaky right now, if he got Pujols out, he would have been sky high. If he didn't, I don't think it would have hurt his confidence any more. DD
Do you really think the Clemens situation is causing this team to play the way they are now? I don't think it has anything to do with it. It's just bad hitting and at times bad pitching. I agree with you that bringing in Lidge today to face Pujols would have been a very good move. That was basically the most crucial moment in the game and that's what Lidge is here for. Let Lidge try to get us out of that jam and also pitch the 8th and then let Qualls pitch the 9th if need be.
I don't think Clemens being asked about all the time is helping the rest of the guys. I think the clubhouse on the current team is too relaxed, they need some fiery, intense players. DD
I don't think Garner has to defend anything - his track record the last 1 1/2 years speaks for itself. Over the course of the season, he makes it work and has gotten the most out of his teams. Will he get every single decision right? Hell no - and you wouldn't if you went by the book either. If he doesn't leave Ausmus in to hit a game-tying HR or replace Berkman with Burke in Game 4 vs. the Braves last year, who knows if we even make the NLCS, let alone World Series. This second guessing every freaking decision every damn day is absurd.
The decisions of today's game fall well beyond the scope of normal managerial license. Usually, rational arguments can be made for whatever moves Phil has chosen to make. I can think of none, and have been presented with none, that supports putting Trever Miller in to pitch the seventh inning of a 1-0 game. It would have been a strange decision, and one that generated conversation, even if it had succeeded.
I really don't think the Clemens situation is hurting us too much on the field...we may think it does, but it's not like he's the core of the team. Definitely an added spectacle, but it's not like they can't win without him. We do need a little fire though, which Clemens brings. Everyone on the team always seems pretty relaxed, granted it is only 1/3 of the way through the season. One thing that has really been bugging me though is Preston Wilson and his "I can't believe you just called that strike three" face. He has the same look every time after he watches strike three, like the pitch has never been called a strike before. If he'd keep his shoulders square and not try to yank the ball every time on the first two strikes then maybe it wouldn't come down to watching strike three go by every time. One thing this team definitely lacks at the plate is discipline. Taveras and Ensberg have improved, but overall as a team we are still very poor in this aspect. Berkman is really the only one I would say has good plate discipline...Biggio does in spells. What made our offense so good two years ago was having Berkman, Kent, and Bagwell all with very good discipline in the middle of the order. We've basically replaced Kent and Bagwell with strikeout kings in Wilson and Lane. I know it worked last year but things wins would be a lot easier to come by if we could bring in a corner OF that could put the ball in play when needed and move runners a little better, while having similar power to either Wilson or Lane.
You're not looking very hard then. Lidge is likely unavailable having pitched the last 3 days (4 innings). Qualls has pitches the last 2 days (3 innings) and isn't likely to go more than 1. Wheeler has been terrible for the most part. You're facing the bottom of the order. Miller has been very good since coming back from injury - far better than anyone else in the bullpen during May. He gave up a run in his first appearance back, and since then has pitched 7 shutout innings (4 hits, 7 strikeouts). The only way you can't find rational reasons is if you're not looking.
I disagree strongly - mostly because I don't think we're yet at the point, nor will we be for a long, long time (again, in my mind), at which Wheeler is bad enough to justify going to Miller over him with an eye on squeezing out an entire inning. Miller's never really been "very good" in his entire career. Useful he certainly has been in those recent appearances - to chew up innings in which it wouldn't have really mattered if he allowed runs, as he is historically prone to do. All were blowouts except for the 18-inning game, when he was (rightly) held out of the game until he was (rightly) used in the 12th. (At which point there were virtually no other options.)
Wheeler's been downright terrible this month, with an ERA close to 8. He's been even more horrific on the road (10 ERA vs. an ERA of 1.4 at home). In the last two weeks, he's pitched in close games twice and blown a save in one and got a loss in the other. Otherwise, he's been doing mop up duty as well. And Miller's been doing whole-innings since he came back - and doing it well. And he was facing the 8/9/1 hitters. In a one-run game, given how everyone has been performing recently, I'd want Miller in before Wheeler, sadly - at least until Wheeler figures it all out again (which he will). Like Lidge's little low-pressure stretch, Wheeler needs one of those as well. That's not to say Miller is great, but given the terrible state of our bullpen, Miller and Qualls are the only ones who've performed well enough to be put in that type of situation. And (even though it didn't work), I want to save Qualls for the heart of the St. Louis order if at all possible.
I was kind of hoping that Phil would bring in Qualls to face Rodriguez while Pujols was in the on deck circle. Oh well.
well you already have the lefty in at that point.. and miller DID get him to 0-2.. just too careful after that (esp. w/Pujols on deck, can't be that careful once you get to 2-2)
