By Craig Elliott
Houston took the lead in the series for Das Boot or whatever it is, with Taylor Buchholz stepping on the Rangers’ dicks for nine full innings. It helps relieve some of the sting of getting poled by the Giants, though the bruising may take longer to heal. The Astros are still five games behind the Jakes, and one behind the teetering Reds. This series is the start of a 10-game roadtrip that also stops in Pittsburgh and New Jake City.
The Nationals just won two out of three against the Orioles, but they lost their three previous series. Washington is in fourth place in the NL East, already 10 games behind the goddamn Mets. Left-secondfielder Alfonso Soriano has stopped his whining and is leading the team in homers and RBI.
When:
Monday, May 22, 6:05 p.m. CDT – FSN
Tuesday, May 23, 6:05 p.m. CDT – FSN
Wednesday, May 24, 6:05 p.m. CDT – FSN
Thursday, May 25, 12:05 p.m. CDT – FSN
MLB Extra Innings – All four games will be on the Washington Fox affiliate, whatever it’s called.
Where: RFK Stadium
They broke ground for a new stadium in May. So by Washington standards, it should be finished in about 20 years.
Projected Matchups
Wandy Rodriguez (5-2, 3.81) v. Zach Day (2-4, 5.94)
Wandy lasted less than four innings against the Gints in his last outing, giving up 11 runs (but only 6 earned) on 10 hits. He’s 1-0 in 3 appearances against the gNats, with a 3.79 ERA. Current Nationals are 14-for-54 (.259) against him, with Jose Vidro leading the way. Vidro is 5-for-8 with a homer off Wandy. Their next best hitter against Wandy is Livan Hernandez (2-for-2, homer) but we don’t see him this series. Jose Guillen and Nick Johnson are both 0-for-6.
Day was claimed off waivers from the Rukkakies in April. He’s faced Houston three times before for a 1-0 record. Only four active Astros have seen him before. Preston Wilson is 3-for-6 with a homer and 4 RBI, Bidge is 0-for-4, Berkman is 0-for-3, and Ensberg is 1-for-1.
Fernando Nieve (1-2, 5.94) v. Ramon Ortiz (1-4, 6.15)
Just like Wandy, Nieve didn’t see the fourth inning against the Giants in his last start either. He gave up 6 ER on seven hits. He faced the Nationals for 1.2 innings earlier this year and gave up 2 ER on two hits. Guillen and Vidro are both 1-for-1 against Fernando, and Vidro’s hit was a homer.
Ortiz is 2-2 against the Astros with an ERA of 4.45. He lost his first four decisions of the season, before beating the laughable Cubs in his last start. Current Astros are 31-for-108 against Ortiz, with homers from Berkman, Ensberg, and Palmeiro. Mo is 3-for-9 against him, and Biggio is 4-for-13 (.308). Palmeiro is 3-for-6 and Everett is 3-for-7. WillyT is also 4-for-8 against Ortiz. Lane and Berkman are both 2-for-9.
Roy Oswalt (5-3, 3.57) v. Michael O’Connor (2-2, 2.89)
Oswalt gave up 11 hits and got a no-decision in his last start, and he hasn’t won since May 3. He’s 3-1 against the Nationals, with a 2.68 ERA in five starts. Roy faced the Nats in April, getting a no-decision in 6+ innings.
Current Nationals are 25-for-128 (.195) against Roy, with only one homer (from Soriano). However, Soriano is only 2-for-17 against Oswalt overall. Brian Schneider is 5-for-9 against Roy, but he’s hurt. Marlon Anderson is 3-for-8, and Robert Fick is 3-for-9. Pain-in-the-ass Jose Vidro is 6-for-17. Damian Jackson, Royce Clayton, Daryle Ward, Jose Guillen, Nick Johnson, and Marlon Byrd are a combined 4-for-48 against Roy.
O’Connor is a lefty rookie with five starts and 28 innings pitched. He grew up near Orioles Park and nursed on Boog Powell’s tit. He got wins against the Pirates and the goddamn Mets, losses to Orioles and the Jakes, and a no-decision against the Braves.
Andy Pettitte (3-5, 5.03) v. Tony Armas (4-2, 3.08)
Pettitte lost his last start against the Rangers, giving up 5 ER on 12 hits in six innings. He’s 3-0 against the Nationals, and beat them earlier this year in his second start. The Nationals are a combined 31-for-141 against Andy, for a .220 average. Soriano is 4-for-10 against him, with two doubles and two homers. Royce Clayton is 7-for-20, and Fick is 4-for-16 with a homer. Guillen is 2-for-15 and Vidro is 3-for-13.
Armas is 2-2 against Houston in six appearances, including a loss earlier this year. Current Astros only bat .193 (17-for-88) against Armas, including 1-for-15 for Biggio. Of those 17 hits, 12 of them came from Preston Wilson and Lance Berkman. Rainman is 6-for-19 with one homer, and Berkman is 6-for-9 with two bombs. Ensberg is 0-for-7, and Lane is 0-for-5.
Key injuries:
Houston – Backe and Bagwell are alone on the DL again. Chris Burke is back with the Astros, and Joe McEwing went back to Round Rock. Go straight to Dell, boy.
Washington – Brian Lawrence, Christian Guzman, and Luis Ayala are out for the season. John Patterson and Pedro Astacio are out until June. Ryan Drese is out until July. Brian Schneider and Jose Guillen are still gimpy. So that’s four starters, a reliever, a shortstop, a catcher, and a rightfielder on the DL. Altogether, injured Nationals have spent 280 games on the DL this year.
Other shit
* I enjoyed seeing Asswipe Pierzynski get sucker-punched, though Michael Barrett did a piss-poor job of it. Just like a Cub. Steve Bartman could have thrown a better punch than that.
* Actual headline Sunday night on the Nationals’ website, announcing the upcoming series: “Nationals turn to Day vs. Mariners”
* Richard Hidalgo has been working out at the Yankees complex in Florida, after getting cut by the Orioles in March. Good luck with that, La Mala.