Sunday May 24, 2009
Rangers 6, Astros 0

MLB.com (Grodsky) Recap

Chron.com (Levine) Recap

Gamezone
(with new and improved hot Clark on Clark action)

Chicks dig the longball, Hampton the perfect Rangers wingman

Hampton continued his inauspicious return to the Astros rotation, allowing the Rangers to hit homers 7-9 of the series. The 3 solo shots (in the 1st, 2nd and 4th), along with 2 more runs in the 3rd (single, sac fly), gave the Rangers a 5-0 lead through 4. Hampton was pulled for a pinch hitter (Michaels) in the 5th, after throwing 75 pitches.

Connectile Dysfunction

The Astros hitters had their chances to make it a game, but found themselves impotent to score when the time was right. The Good Guys reached base 10 times (8 singles, 1 double and a walk), but stranded runners at 1B in the 1st, at 2B in the 2nd, at 2B and 3B in the 3rd, at 2B and 3B in the 5th, at 1B and 2B in the 6th, at 1B in the 7th and at 2B in the 9th.

Coop was typically chatty about this situation, noting: “We have one of the higher averages in the league, but for some reason we can’t score runs. We need to do a better job of coming through in the clutch and driving in runs. I thought we were getting close on the last road trip, but apparently we’ve reverted back.”

Home not-so-sweet Home

Ortiz came into the game in the 6th and threw 4 innings of bullpen saving no-run ball, but the damage had already been done. Rangers righty McCarthy struck out Bourn with 1 on in the 9th to notch a 124-pitch complete game shutout. The shutout was the 5th against the Astros this year, as compared with 6 in 2008. The sweep was the first for the Rangers at Minute Maid, and left the Astros with a 9-15 home record this season.

Tidbits

Miggy went 4-4, for his 19th multi-hit game of the season. He was 12-23 during the homestand.
Matsui batter leadoff from the 7-hole this evening.
Hampton and Ortiz managed to keep Nelson Cruz for going yard for a change.

Blum left the game with a strained hamstring, and is expected to miss at least 2 games. Maysonnet filled in for him at 3B.

The Rangers defense has gotten to be really good.

Then again, Michael Bourn ain’t exactly shabby with the glove neither.

Coming up next

Now its off for a 3-game series in Cincy, where Wandy, Roy and Felipe will be taking the hill against the 23-20 Cincinnati Reds. Read about it here in JaneDoe’s series preview.

Cooper then added that he hasn’t decided if Backe will join the rotation or the bullpen. Earlier that day, Cooper indicated Backe would likely be a starter.

Backe says

“I’m thinking just because I went down there [to the Minor Leagues] and threw like I was a starter. … I got to 100 pitches, but I guess that doesn’t mean much,” Backe said. “I feel like I’m going to be in the rotation. I don’t know where or when. I don’t even know if they know. Until they know what’s going on and they tell me. … I think they have until Tuesday to make a decision, so it’ll be a couple of days before I find out. Hopefully by [Monday], they’ll know.”
link

 Zachary Levine of the Chron note Since he made his final start of his 30-day allowable rehab window Saturday, the earliest he could start is Friday in Pittsburgh, given the Astros’ Thursday off-day.
link

The Chronicle published this chart
Astros wins by pitcher’s starts
Rodriguez 7-2
Ortiz 3-1
Oswalt 4-5
Moehler 2-4
Hampton 2-7
Paulino 0-5

Known by some as the Pause to Pay Some Bills during the real baseball season. The way I knew this was a sham was the FOX broadcast featured Josh Lewin. My experience featured the mute button and suffering through Milo and DoRay.

Miguel Tejada came up second in the order according to today’s spin of Manager Cooper’s lineup roulette. He gave the Astros a one run lead in the first with a Goofy Golf style homerun that went over the right fielders’ glove, under the fans outstretched cap, bounced off the beer ledge attached to the inside of the right field wall and right into the clown’s mouth. The umpires couldn’t believe it and had to review it to call it a homerun. The umpires finally decided that the ledge could also be used to rest a soda as well.

This review lasted for about 5 minutes, during which Milo and DoRay rolled on the floor whining, “what’s taking so long” and “are we there yet?”

When the festivities resumed Brian Moehler continued to make short work of the aggressive Rangers hitters. He faced the minimum the first time through the order, hitting corners with good movement. Then in the 4th the corners evaporated, the pitches drifted over the plate and everything went boom. Specifically Nelson Cruz went boom with a towering 3 run homer that cleared the building.

A fourth run was added in the 5th when a single to left, for which the runner on 2nd was perfectly willing to hold on 3rd, took a high bounce off Carlos Lee’s chest. A 5th run was saved by a perfect relay play from Pence to Matsui to catch the runner sliding into home.

But the back to back homeruns with no outs in the 6th took the shine off of that short lived relief. The Astros meanwhile were swinging often and feeble, rarely hitting the ball out of the infield off Kid Feldman.

At some point after this, “Kenny” The Enormous Douche Nozzle Rosenthal drifted on to the screen (I had captions on) like a bilious Macy’s Day balloon, to proclaim that the Astros will have to trade Valverde and Oswalt, since their season was over. Lewin responded that he didn’t think the Astros thought their season was over. Douche Nozzle is starting to remind me of the Herald in Henry V.

Blum’s 2 run homer in the 7th gave the Astros a whiff at a comeback but nothing further developed.

The highlight of the game, for me, was Milo asking DoRay whether Berkman’s dig of a low throw warranted turning on the Blue Light. Before DoRay could answer Milo turned on the light, explaining, “your body language was telling me to turn it on.” A couple minutes later, in response to further inane and useless nattering by Hamilton, DoRay says “what’s my body telling you now?”

Geoff Blum, standing on the top step in the dugout and noticing that Bourn was becoming agitated, called his young teammate over and emphatically explained what had happened.

“Nobody explained it to Michael,” Blum said. “He started to get a little heated, he thought he did something wrong. I just wanted to make sure that he knew it wasn’t his fault. You try to explain the situation and just calm him down. He’s going to have to hit again. That was my main focus, to make sure he knew it had nothing to do with him.”

Curiously, it was Blum, and not anyone from the coaching staff, to make sure Bourn kept his cool.  Link

Tinker, tailor… dumbass?

When asked just 4 days ago about Bourn hitting leadoff, Cooper said “I’m not going to do it,” .  Furthermore,

“The only way I’d do it is if Matsui’s not playing. I think it helps (Bourn). It keeps the pressure off and a lot of stuff. I’m just going to leave it there. Why tinker with it?” Link

So what the hell is this from yesterday?

“It’s just a change,” Cooper said. “Just to get Matsui to relax a little bit. He has not really been the player that we saw last year. He really even struggled in Spring Training as well. I’m just trying to get him started, hopefully take some of the pressure off of him like we did with [Bourn], that’s all.

“When you’re in the No. 1 spot, you’re asked to get the team started, get them off and running offensively. If you’re hitting second, it takes a little pressure off you.” Link

The reason I do this NYCU is so we can have a record of what the Astros say about why they do what they do. This season, simply put, we are fucked. There is no consistency to what these guys say and what they do.

Sampson tweaks his back
“I went to grab [his son C.J.] while he was running by, and I kind of tweaked my lower back,” Sampson said an hour before Tuesday’s game. “It’s loosening up a little bit. I’m just going to treat it all day today (Wed.) and keep some heat on it, see if it won’t loosen up enough to possibly pitch tonight. If not tonight, then should be ready to go tomorrow. It’s not serious.” Link

Hawkins hurts his hip
Hawkins hurt his right hip backing up home plate after Alfonso Soriano hit a game-winning single in the ninth inning in Chicago on Saturday. (Watching Pence’s late sailing heave)

“I’m like, ‘Oh, I can catch that,'” Hawkins recalled. (Then he jumped, fell landed wrong and hurt his hip. Why? Game over.)

Hawkins was worked over by the club’s chiropractor on Tuesday …he’s hopeful that by Wednesday (he’ll be able to pitch.) Link

Hampton cuts his left thumb.
“It just happened in the shower,” (at Wrigley) Hampton said. “I was pumping the soap out, taking a shower and it slipped off. Cut my finger. Of course, it couldn’t be the right hand. That wouldn’t serve anybody any justice if it was the right hand. It had to be the left.”

Hampton plans to make his next start, vs. the Rangers on Sunday.
Link

Paulino watches.
Paulino will start Friday (May 22)against the Texas Rangers, and he usually doesn’t throw his bullpen session between starts until two days before the outing.

“I’m going to say he’s in the end of (the bullpen), like an emergency kind of guy,” Cecil Cooper said when asked if Paulino was available. “I really don’t want to use him. If it got to where it’s a necessity I will.” Link

Last time Paulino pitched was May 12.

And Sunday, when Footer wrote this?
Backe, who is scheduled to make his fifth rehab start on Monday. He’ll likely pitch again in the Minor Leagues the following Saturday, which will bring him close to reaching the 30-day limit pitchers are allotted for rehab assignments. This means the Astros will have to make a decision as to what to do with Backe by the middle of next week. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Cooper said. “He’s pitching well, I’ll say that.” … Link

Well, Duman noticed this in the Corpus Caller Times (May 18)

…Backe, …made his fourth rehab start (Monday) with the Hooks and tossed eight innings of five-hit ball. (he) threw 98 pitches, 74 for strikes.

…Backe returned to Houston after his stint Monday to await a decision from the Astros on when they’ll activate him.

“He’s done here,” Hooks Manager Luis Pujols said. “I told him, ‘I hope to see you again, but not here.’” Link

“The only way I’d do it is if Matsui’s not playing. I think it helps (Bourn). It keeps the pressure off and a lot of stuff. I’m just going to leave it there. Why tinker with it?” Link

“Probably two (more), I would think,” Cooper said when asked if Backe would make one more start.  Link

Geary will do nothing baseball-wise for the next five-to-seven days.

“We’ll see after that,” Cooper said. “I hope it’s not more than 15 days. Inactivity, not pitching for a week will probably help calm it all down, and we can get it cranked up again. Hopefully then [he’ll throw] a couple of simulated [games], couple of ‘pen sessions. It’s only two weeks.”  Link

So in about 2 weeks the Astros will have 2, maybe 3 pitchers, counting Valverde coming off of injuries.

“Ed went to see (Backe) up close and personal,” Manager Cooper said.

Backe gave up eight hits and four runs with three strikeouts over seven innings, throwing 56 of his 77 pitches for strikes for the Class AA Hooks. Link

KHOU 5/12/2009 : A grand jury could reach its decision this week on charges in the Brandon Backe bar brawl case.

Backe’s attorney has said his client was only trying to help calm the situation down, but police said he was interfering.

They will decide whether to indict or no-bill the felony allegations and make their recommendation to the district attorney’s office.  Link

A Man Can Stand Up…
“Brocail and Valverde, I guess they both threw (Tuesday) and did fine,” Cooper said. “They did their little thing standing up throwing and did OK. Even Valverde stood up and threw. Brocail can’t stride and stuff, but he can stand still and throw.” Link

“If they can stand up, then you don’t have to worry about them having to build back up,” Cooper said. “There’s a lot of stuff that has to go into that. That’s what we’re hoping.” Link

It’s a start.

Friennnnnnd

“I’ve learned to have more confidence in myself,” Wandy said. “He’s given me a lot of confidence this season. For a player of his caliber in the top category of players in history, he makes it easy to feel comfortable with him.

“He’s like a friend, and that has given me more confidence.” Link

We haven’t seen the little fits he used to throw either.