i think that pitch miller threw to rodriguez was about as much of a strike as it gets. inning should have been over then. i have no idea why garner chose him over qualls but i was more mad that we didn't get that strikeout. i'm not going to start worrying until at least the months over. we have a couple more days to be f#$k ups then i expect us to get it together. anyways, gotta love roy oswalt, "Sometimes you've got to win 1-0. We didn't."
That is exactly right. That pitch was right across the plate, belt high. Pujols should've been leading off the 8th.
Considering the following quote from Qualls, perhaps he should not have been pitching at all... "Qualls was pitching for the third consecutive day, which might have explained his struggles. When the point was made that as a sinker pitcher, he might not have a problem pitching three days in a row, Qualls didn't quite agree. "Tell my right arm that," he said." http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/3913841.html
I just watched the replay of the HR on Astros.com. Check out where Ausmus is setting up -- down and in. Qualls' pitch was up and out over the plate. He missed by about 3 feet! Not sure if it's because of overuse, but Qualls clearly blew it in that situation.
This bullpen is not getting the job done. I'm more worried about them than our offense. I think their all unreliable. I don't have a preference any more as to who comes out of the bullpen when. Their all just as likely as the other to blow the lead IMO. That's just the way it goes I guess.
The season has to start getting better... they need to try to get about 10 games over .500 again by the all-star break. If they do that, they'll be in perfect shape in the WC race, and will have an outside chance at the division. Most importantly... they can't get swept in St. Louis.
Well with Clemens (reportedly) coming back, we can fix those bullpen issues (hopefully) by moving Nieve or Buchholz over as middle to long relief guy and even spell Qualls and Wheeler a bit. And if the bullpen is our biggest issue (which it seems to be), then hopefully we can get back to our winning ways.
True that... this team has an awful starters ERA right now (11th in the league)... and they're one of the worst in baseball in total runs allowed. The bullpen gets fatigued simply because you only have 3 trustworthy guys down there (who haven't been all that trustworthy due to the extended work). I was clamoring for Garner's head yesterday because he didn't put in Qualls... little did I know that Lidge/Wheeler were unavailable due to overwork, and Qualls himself had a little dead-arm. Then, of course, the offense still needs to show improvement... or that will be the next move that will be made. Lance needs to be fully healthy, Ensberg can't be this streaky, somebody has to get on base for them, and at least one of the three OF'ers has to perform as an above average MLB hitter (none of them are right now). A lot of problems still yet to be solved... but all I can say is... thank goodness they're at least .500... it could have been worse.
Pettite must be killing himself right now... he made the pitch he wanted against a guy he probably could have pitched around, but since Yadier has been so anemic this year they threw him a low-and-away strike... and he got a hold of it.
Looks like Chris Burke is managing to hit even less than Lane... but he's not drawing the walks that Lane did. EDIT: I love being wrong. Hey... looks like Ausmus sucks again!
Garner doing what he should have done yesterday... PH Lamb for Everett. EDIT: And another wise choice... get Willy-no-bat out of this situation, and bring in a forgotten man in Orlando.
Wow... talk about "great managing"... yesterday Garner was forced to make all the wrong moves... and today, he makes all the right moves.
