Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Dickities 8
Astros 2
w: Leake (1-0) | L: Happ (0-1)
J.A. Happ made his delayed first start of 2011 after straining his right oblique and had no control over his pitches from the beginning. Once again the Good Guys were forced to play catchup from the getgo after the Dickities got 3 in the first. The Skyline Nine capitalized on Happ’s inability to get his pitches consistently over the plate despite getting a few first-pitch strikes called.
“He was mixing his pitches well but just didn’t have any command of them,” manager Brad Mills said. “Those three walks in the first inning put him behind the eight ball and the hits as well, but the command just wasn’t there.”
Four innings, twelve baserunners (five walks, including one with the bases loaded and another HBP with the bases loaded), seven runs allowed by Happ. There were complaints of a tight strike zone and catcalls from the Astro bench. “I felt like I was around the zone,” Happ said. “They took some quality pitches. I don’t know if it was a lack of aggressiveness on my part or what. The fact that I got behind in the count allowed them to be a little more selective.”
Yeah. Is there a team less selective than the Astros?
Mike Leake was able to use the pressure of being behind on the Good Guys and hold them to three hits and two walks in six innings.
Astros fall to 0-4, Reds cruising at 4-0.
Your Gold Glove Centerfielder Michael Bourn went 2 for 4, including a double and a run scored. Sanchez was 1-3 and drove in the two Astro runs. Pence and Wallace got the other two hits, both singles.
Thunderpants is on a four game hit streak, during which he promises to not blink.
Bill Hall (1 for 15) twisted an ankle but says he’ll be ok for Wednesday’s game, when Nelson Figueroa and the hungry sufferers look to kick the shit out of that pretender Edinson Vólquez and the rest of his Crew of Chumps. Check it out in the GZ.