Bases loaded with nobody out... and the 8th, 9th and leadoff guy are batting. I wouldn't like this situation very much... and now Bruntlett just struck out.
Except for the fact that Spiers was a consistently good hitter and OBP guy while Bruntlett simply has had a few good moments.
That situation is exactly why Brad should have been more aggressive in his AB. With a strikeout pitcher, it never matters how many outs there are... and you just helped him out big-time by giving him 2 lesser hitters to face with less than 2 outs.
Billy Spiers is in the Astros HOF (if there was one...). Bruntlett merely has a few similarities because he's had a couple of decent moments, and he plays more than one position. Spiers was the MAN. The perfect 2 hitter... he played everywhere you needed him... and he was really just a nice guy (except for when that guy in Milwaukee tried to jack him). In many ways, those 90's team's offense would have been a lot like the ones we've got today, if it wasn't for his high contact/big-time fundamental offensive approach.
Ausmus did the right thing. Worst case scenario if he walks is Biggio, a good hitter with power, coming up with the bases loaded. If he doesn't walk and makes an out, Biggio likely never comes to the plate.
Yea... but if Ausmus gets an out, or even 2 outs (without the strikeout), there's still a very good chance that at least one run scores. I'd rather have the one run, than the bases loaded/2 out situation with any member on this team (except for Lance Berkman).
There are some outs that would have scored a run, but it's just as likely that Ausmus strikes out or grounds into a DP (with no run scored) or hits a shallow pop fly or lines out to the 3B. A sac fly would have been awesome, though.
A traditional DP would have scored Preston... and with the way Ausmus was making contact with his riding fastball in the second inning (which he layed off in the last AB), he could have done it. In the end, I agree... you take the walk, and rely on your 8th and leadoff men to salvage something... I was just pissed about the situation being so perfect to score, yet the lineup not being in the optimal position to drive those runs in.
BTW... the Astros just faced a young pitcher for the first time (with above average stuff), and he didn't throw a complete game shutout nor did he have 20 K's or some other "record-breaking" type day that would be typical of these sorts of starts. If only we could have broken through in the 4th... it would have been a pleasant suprise of what this offense could accomplish against a newbie with plus stuff.
ahh! kiss of death! JD does this every game to him where we get a semi-decent lead, and he looks good around the 4th or 5th... then BAM. Hopefully he can retire Finely here.
Yea... he's got a great fastball, but he doesn't seem to be able to locate his off-speed stuff too well. MLB hitters can hit 100mph fastballs routinely, if that's all they see... you gotta give them something else to look at.
Ya, this has not been one of Roy's better games. He's been hit around, lost alot of battles, but he's hanging in there and winning the war. It's hard-earned games like this, more than when he has his best stuff, that help him win 20 a year.
