Well, keep in mind that Qualls regular season has now become WORSE than Miceli's regular season. Qualls' regular season, when you compare him among other 7th or 8th inning only guys is HORRIBLE. Expectations vs. results? Yea, I didn't expect Lidge to have a near 6 ERA, and couldn't locate, blah blah blah. I also didn't expect Qualls to blow 6 saves as a set-up guy, or blow THREE or FOUR run leads in blazing speed fashion (as if he stops focusing on a moments notice). I'm not saying blame one vs. the other... i'm saying blame both. BOTH guys haven't done their jobs this year, and if you look at the way each of them has blown their saves, some of Qualls' have been just as (if not more) hideous. At least we never got to see the guy handed the closers role (as many here predicted/demanded). Set up guys aren't normally this mediocre/inconsistent, and don't normally become better once they hit the final inning role.
WTF is qualls sleeping with garner or something, what does borkowski have to do to get some playing time?
As was said earlier... I agree with you (which is why I wanted him to use everybody). Say what you want about Trevor Miller... the guy has improved as the season has gone along. I also thought Wheeler would be available. If Qualls' only job was the 7th inning, then I guess he succeeded tonight... too bad he got throught that inning so well that the manager thought he had no choice (with a depleted bullpen) to put him back in there. Frankly, I'm not so mad at Garner for going with that... I'm more mad that a guy can look awesome one inning... and then throw fat pitches right over the plate (with men on base) the VERY NEXT inning.
I think after this year we fire Garner and hire Pinnela....He's a born winner !! I wish people would just stop going to the Stros game so Drayton could feel what we feel....
WTF We are winning and i turn the TV off and all of a sudden we are losing 4-3 WOW is all i can say. Biggest disappoint ever. Its the Truth. The Astros suck!
At least with those MR guys...borkowski and springer and miller... they may give up a run here or there, but it's hard to come up with many instances where those guys coughed up 3 or 4 runs in a blink of an eye. They're workhorses but get the job done. And I'm really not to so mad at Garner as I am the players, cause it's just been a gross failure on their parts in their inability to put wins on the board and play to their expectations, from Lidge and Qualls, to Ensberg, Lane, Pettite (early in the season), Wilson (when he was here), Ausmus and Everett (who have been below their average). It's just so frustrating to watch a team lose when they can be so much better than their record would indicate...and in a season with a weak NL field no less.
Uprising, I am with you. I am drinking my cold beverage of choice. There is nothing worse than putting in a hard day at the office and coming home, and watching the stros give one back. Seriously, I dont remember having losses like this in the past couple of years. I mean this year, the Astros are cursed. I can count at least half a dozen games this year where the Astros were crusing and ended up losing in the end. That being said, time for another beer.
Law of averages I guess. This team has been blessed the past few years with incredible runs followed by incredible playoff performances. Regardless of what happens, hopefully the struggles of this year will send a message to the organziation to retool key areas.
Ric, f***ing apologize already. The Baseball Gods are laughing their collective ethereal asses off right now at us.
My postmortem on the season, which is now obviously OVER: the Astros BIG offseason move was who? Yes, Preston Wilson. He didn't even last the entire season. End of story. The Astros needed bats, clutch hitting, offense. They didn't get it. I said this last summer. Their obvious shortcoming was not adequately addressed. They are 1-52 when trailing after 8 innings!! Now that is the lack of clutch hitting. Game, set, match. Let the rebuilding begin.
I am so happy that I did not watch this debacle of a game. Bottom line, this team does not deserve to make the postseason. I hope to God that they do, but in a fair and just world, they deserve to be sitting at home. This ship is sinking FAST. Rox Addict, how about we start watching Texans games at the College Station bars instead of the Astros. It's not worth organizing viewing parties to watch these Astros..
of course, about half of this board was clamoring for preston wilson at the all-star break last season. then he was deemed that "one more bat" that might have put us over the top. the truth is, this team collapsed in ways no one could have expected. i'm jason lane's biggest critic...but there was no way i thought he'd suck that hard. or that ensberg would go from a silver slugger to a commodity i'd love to ship o ut. or that lidge would completely implode. that wilson would have 2 homers in about 3 months. essentially the 2005 NL champions added Preston Wilson and Aubrey Huff. all other things being equal from 2005, that team should be firmly in the playoffs. they're not. players didn't perform to their potential.
Well I agree that the regular's didn't live up to potential, but even during the WS year the offense was weak and regularily left men on base in critical situations. They continued to do so this season, but didn't get the pitching they got last year. And the decent bats got worse. There is enough blame to go around, but the team did not make the improvements it needed to make during the offseason, which seems to be a recent pattern around Houston teams. Last offseason, the Texans did not improve their offensive line (thus the worst record in the NFL) and this year the Rockets are going to try to slide into the season with a very suspect group of role players, Battier being the only exception. Talent still wins games, and going "on the cheap" rarely "pays off."
Hi all, first post. I really think the Astros are in danger of not making it to the post season. Last nights game was a heartbreaker. Andy pitched so well and everyone else just floundered. Tonight is Hirsch and I still don't quite know what to make of this kid. Hopefully the BP won't blow it again for our bats, which have been trying really hard this second half. I guess we shall see.
