Pitching Probables: 5-23 -- Prior (5-1, 2.02) vs Linebrink (0-1, 3.71) 5-24 -- Estes (4-3, 5.11) vs Redding (3-3, 3.47) 5-25 -- Zambrano (4-4, 2.88) vs Miller (2-5, 5.01) Fearless Prediction: In a surprise pre-game ceremony, Jose Lima will return to MMP. Pitching in an exhibition he will promptly give up a 2 run HR to Sammy Sosa's Big Toe.
We have to take at least 2 of these games with Sosa out. Tonight's matchup does not look promising for the good guys. Hopefully we sweep our way to first place, but more realistically I say loss, win, ?. If Wade throws like he did his last time out we take the rubber match, if not the Cubs do.
woohooo vizcaino, home run...getting to prior early...6-2 astros...hopefully prior continues to struggle
Billy always likes to make it interesting. That dude has shortened my life span by about 5 years in the last couple seasons of watching him save games.
So great to win this first game. A sweep is possible now. We need to grab a hold of first place and not let go.
Here's a stat that hurts: according to tomorrow's Chronicle, or today's depending on how you want to look at it, Bag's hasn't had an rbi in 59 at bats. Assuming that he gets five at bats a game, thats 12 games. Hope he pulls out of it soon. It was like deja vu from last night watching him ground into that double play. Glad the bats showed up for at least an inning tonight and that we were able to pick up the win. Kent continues to seem to be the only one of our sluggers who can get a clutch hit.
ok, as mark prior's fantasy manager (i was hoping for 9 perfect innings followed by an eventual astros win in the 10th after prior left), why was he charged with all but the biggio run in the first? was it simply b/c even though kent would've been out on the FC they can't count that towards his 3 outs? as i understand it from the box score of the first inning, biggio got on b/c of an error. counted as one out for ER purposes. bagwell gets out. 2 outs now. kent grounds to 3rd, kent is basically out and credited as going 0-1. however, the 3b throws home and misses by a mile, allowing the run to score. now i would think prior should be given credit for having induced 3 out situations, and yet he was given credit for 5 of the 6 runs in the inning (all but biggio). is it only b/c it was an FC and not an error on the 3rd out situation? this seems stupid. he did what he should to get the 3 outs and yet he get 5 ER b/c his 3b is can't even get close to home from 90 feet away. so basically, if the guy throws to first, i'm off the hook, but the stros probably score less. if he pretends he's a major league ball player and actually gets it within 5 feet of home, an out is recorded, i'm off the hook but the stros don't get as many runs. and if the right call was made by the official scorer and the 3b was given an error (if you threw that badly to first you'd get an error) then the stros get to score all they want and i'm off the hook fantasy wise. so basically, does the FC negate the 3rd out for ER purposes and if so, who is that 3b, what is his address, and what method should i use to murder him? was it bill mueller?
Mark Bellhorn is his name. It wasn't an error because well a) game was in Houston, so astros score keeper b) prob because if he counts this as an error all outfield throws offline have to be treated similarly. Sorry, f4p, but astros winning > prior's fantasy success tonight . I can just see you rooting for bagwell to hit into that DP with the Stros up 6-4 and 1 out, because I've been there before myself.
Great win last night coming against one of the better young pitchers in the league. It was nice to see the bats come alive early, so it would take some of the burdon off our starting pitcher. We just need a little more starting pitching, and some more Killer Bee sightings in order to get this train a moving. Go stros!!
As much as I thought (at the time) it would be ruled an error, the right call was made all along... it was a fielder's choice. Since it was not a force out at home, and also since the ball was fielded cleanly and caught cleanly, you can't rule it an error. Yes, if he had thrown that poorly to 1st, it would have been an error, since it would have been a force out. Likewise, it would have been an error on the throw if the bases had been loaded. But, in this case, he gloved the ball perfectly, "chose" to go to home when he didn't have to, and screwed up the play with a bad choice. There also can't be an error since there is doubt whether or not he would have even gotten biggio with a perfect throw (it is obvious he would have gotten him out, but its the same thinking on how you can't "assume" the double play when an error is made on it). I hope this clears some things up. The big mistake in the inning was when he walked Berkman... in my mind, that makes up for Bellhorn's mistake. Prior earned at least 4 of those 6 first inning runs.
I am really starting to think Bagwell's shoulder is bothering him and he is not saying something about it. He just doesn't look the same at the plate and it is really hurting the team, since he has been a serious rally killer of late.
Nate Bland is terrible. This guy should only pitch when we're up or down by 5+ runs. We're lucky that inning didn't get any worse and he didn't completely blow the great job Redding did. Now we just need to get the bats going. I'm so glad we picked up Kent. He seems to be the only consistent hitter we have.
I want Brian ****ING Hunter off this team right now. I can't stand that guy, and he has NO BUSINESS ever being in ANYBODY'S starting lineup.
I think saying that is a little pre-mature. I would understand if he was popping out, or striking out, every time he was up there... but even on his GIDP, he's been slamming the ball. Also, had the roof been open, his ball to LCF would have been way out of here... and probably would have been a HR in most stadiums.
Well, even guys that are injured can hit the ball hard on occasion. But it's mainly the pitches outside that he is suddenly unable to get any power into that concerns me. These were pitches he was smacking early in the season and suddenly he is not getting much force behind them. I think it is because his shoulder is really bothering him when he has to fully extend his arms away from his body, and that is why you see him hitting weak ground balls to the right side that turn into DPs.
Looks like we're gonna lose...Ausmus was tossed. He argued a bad call. Shoulda been an out. Now Gregg"the worst catcher ever" Zaunn is in...
