Imo, this has clearly been caused by injury. You don't regress that much in one season. I reckon he was pitching hurt at the start of the season, they put him on DL and maybe the injury still hasn't cleared up. The fact the Astros DFA'd him obviously means to me that they think it could be a long term injury.
I can't believe Backe gets a start over Yorman Bazardo. Bazardo had an ERA of 1.49 in May with an opponents BA against of .179. His June ERA is 1.29.
that's worth the price of admission right there....he's a guy i'd pay to see. he and lincecum are guys i will absolutely go see in person.
Backe will get bombed. Then he'll get named as a starter for the rest of the season...and get a contract extension. Bazardo and Norris won't see the inside of MMP unless they buy a freaking ticket.
And Russ Ortiz's 1.64 WHIP is hardly dominant. He'll get hammered a bit today (estimate: 4 ER in 5 IP).
Yes. Ortiz has a career record of 113-84, so he has good numbers for his career, but terrible the last couple of years. Wandy officially sucks on the road worse this year than last year after this start. He now has a 4.78 ERA on the road(4.34 last year). He has had 7 starts at home this year, and in 6 of those he has given up either 1 or 0 runs. His last 3 road starts he has given up 17 runs(11 earned). You want to be wrong about it. I want to be an optimist about the situation rather than trashing my team.
My Cowboy Fanatic wife..*sigh*...and I went to the game last night. We sat in the left field lowers, akin to the crawford boxes, and had to listen to some metroplex/metrosexual(one in the same?)alcoholic lightwieght jeer Erstad all night. Seriously, dude had a raging hard-on for heckling Erstad and was even pissing off the unsually mild Texas Ranger fans--he was escorted out in the 7th inning. I do have to give credit to the Ranger's fans, they gave a standing ovation to Pudge when he homered--not just a polite clap, a full on ovation, pretty cool.
There was a guy like that in ATL heckling Pence. It drives me crazy when somebody does that for an entire game.
If the past 2 series (not with the Rangers but in general) are an indication of this series, the Astros should win the series. Pattern: lose the first game, win the next two. 5 series win in a row. Can it be 6?
Ortiz will be given a real test if the ump calls the zone as tight as he did last night. Ortiz works out of the zone a lot as is so he can't afford too many calls going against him when he's throwing borderline pitches.
