Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Astros 7
Royals 15

W: Texeira (1-1) | L: Paulino (1-8)

Astros.com Wrap

Halfway through this one, it looked dangerously like the Astros might be on track to hang one in the win column, having batted around to a 6-3 lead in the 4th. The bottom of the 5th saw a return to normalcy, though, as the Royals dropped a 7-spot on Houston, as the Good Guys cruised the rest of the way to a comfortable 7-15 shellacking.

After spending some time on the DL, this was just the sort of simulated game that I needed to get my typing arm back in shape. I’m looking forward to some real baseball next time out, and hopefully management will remove the Photoshop count and let me out there with the full arsenal. Fingers crossed.

Contritubed by Ebby Calvin

Spankees 9 – Astros 5
W – Hughes, L – Moehler
MLB Wrap
Limey’s Series Preview

Jorge Posada is impressive. Not because he hit grand slams in back-to-back games — that’s easy and shit. No, George’s most impressive feat happened in the top of the first inning:
Carlos at the plate, Pence and Bourn on first and second, one out (after starter Phil Hughes threw some strong-ass shit to Kepp) — DOUBLE STEAL! Jorge whipped around, and get this — managed to MISS beaning Kabong in his temple or backside. Sure, he bounced the throw off Lee’s bat and the double steal was successful, but still — that’s got to be like trying to miss the broad side of a barn and knocking over a pitchfork in the yard next door.
Come to think of it, the Astros should steal third EVERY time Carlos is at the plate. I don’t care if Q is pushing a Kevin Cash-filled wheelbarrow at second base at the time — they better fucking steal third. It can’t be batter’s interference if all Carlos does is, you know, stand there.
Yes, they’ll often strand the runner(s) at third, but at least this way DoRayMi won’t be able to say, “…didn’t even get a runner past second base this game! Wheeeeeeee!”

As for the rest of the game, Astros pitchers surrendered 9 hits, 10 walks, 1 HBP and 9 earnies. And they got swept.

I was hoping for a tie.

Contributed by Bench.

Astros 3, Yankees 9
W: Vazquez, L: Rodriguez

Astros recap
GameZone

Interleague play sucks. It’s trite, it’s manufactured, it gives me a bunch of games every season against a team I honestly don’t give a fuck about. And beyond the superficial, knee jerk instinctual wretch in my bowels when the Yankees come up, this series emotionally is a waste of time.

The NEW Yankee Stadium is an unabashedly capitalist version of the House that Ruth Barfed. I attended the World Series clinching game there back in November, and after attending many games at the old stadium, I felt no different in my seat that time. I was still surrounded by a collection of YankeeWay parents annoyed that their kids weren’t appreciating the deep meaningful connection to generations past, to the bullshit mystique they’ve substituted for actual memories. The poor father in the row behind me, who brought his son from SUNY-Albany and two of the kid’s douchebag college friends, audibly gave up on the child before the game even began. Passing around their poorly hidden flask, the kids talked about how they would have rather been to the beginning of the first game to see Jay Z perform “Empire State of Mind” in person. The poor dad kept trying to talk about the “old days”, the late fucking 90’s, of which the kids were painfully oblivious.

Scott Brosius took the mound to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, and in between legen-(wait for it)-dary stories of beer pong, one of the morons asked who that was. I turned around made eye contact with the dad, who just shook his head in shame. “Scott Brosius,” I said, assuming that was enough. They had no clue who he was, but were into their flask enough to opine that he was probably a faggot. I happily agreed.

Those kids had an awful time at the game. Their dad got pissed at them getting hammered and generally acting like asses, which resulted in his son making an almost noble half hearted attempt at bringing his buddies into line, but ultimately giving in to the peer pressure of vaguely-aimed obscenities and stories of frat boy almost-fights and dudeitotallyfuckinggotwastedkidyouhavenoidea alcohol consumption. At the end of the day, they were happy to have been a part of ANOTHER NEW YORK YANKEE CHAMPIONSHIP and declared themselves TRUE YANKEE FANS that live life like no other sports fan in the world. “But, kid, seriously, it would have fucking awesome if the game ended after seven innings and we could have hit the fucking bars and pick up mad pussy.” Totally.

Those kids would have loved this game. Jeter led off with homerun in the first. Pence clubbed an equalizer in the second. But the OLDWAY took over, and Posada hit a grand slam off road Wandy and it was pretty much over at that point. Caballo ka-bonged, but in the end, the douchebag SUNY-Albany kids had another fun forgettable trip to the big city.

Fuck ‘em. Despite looking like shit for the most part and being luckier than that, the Americans stole a point from the English. Given the actually genuine World Cup Fever that has taken over this country, and even Houston, a lot more people in town were focused on the soccer. Good show, U.S. Now pull it together against the Serbians, who are being a bit too overlooked by our public than I would like.

Contributed by austro

Friday, June 11, 2010
Yankess 4
Astros 3
WP: Pettitte (S: Rivera) | LP: Myers

Astros.com
Gamezone

Alkie let us all down and stayed at home to study World Cup highlights, so the Astros were without any fans in the stands. In the end, that was the missing advantage, as the Astros fell to the Yanquis 4-3.

I left the office late, so I listened to the 1st inning on XM. In addition to a Mr. Sterling, the Yankees have a female announcer whose voice won’t make anybody forget the Body Heat-era Kathleen Turner. In addition to the lineups, that dynamic duo also provided us with the remarkable observation that spacious Yankee Stadium is 408 to CF, while MinuteMaid Park is a small park, particularly in LF. I guess they didn’t make the road trip last year. And as it turns out, the Yankees’ announcers are also apparently contractually obligated to hawk some sponsor or another after each batter.

The top of the order picked up where they left off yesterday, going down 1-2-3 to start the game. But a milestone of sorts was reached when Pettitte retired Keppinger for the second out of the inning: that was his 3000th inning pitched, second only to Methuselah Moyer among active pitchers. That’s pretty impressive for somebody who’s been pumping Fix-A-Flat into his elbow for the last five or six years.

Myers had his traditional shaky start. He got Jeter to lead off with a ground out, but then gave up a double to Granderson, a walk to Texeira, an RBI single to Cano, and a walk to Swisher to load the bases. But then he struck out Posada and got to an 0-2 count on Cervelli, and it looked like he might escape with only the one run allowed. Alas, he gave up a single on the 0-2 pitch, and the Yankees went up 3-0. He retired the next batter for the third out, but the damage was done.

The top of the second began with Lee popping up, but then Pence walked, Michaels popped up, and Feliz flared a single down the RF line, moving Pence to third. Up next was the only RBI threat the Astros have right now, Tommy Manzella, and he smacked a two-run double down the LF line to pull within 3-2. Unfortunately, Cash couldn’t drive him in, so that’s how the top of the second ended.

And that was really pretty much the story. Both pitchers settled in and started mowing down the hitters. In the bottom of the fifth, Russo led off with a walk, stole second, and then scored on a two-out dink to RF by Texeira, making it 4-2. In the top of the eighth, Manzella led off with a single and was safe at second when Jeter screwed up a sure DP off the bat of Quintero. Bourn sacrificed the runners up, and Manzella scored on a Keppinger sac fly to pull to 4-3. That brought up Berkman with Q on third and two outs, but in keeping with this year’s theme, Lance struck out, and that was effectively the end of the game.

After his rough start, Myers did the same thing he’s done all year: settle down and grind out the innings, and give the Astros a chance to win. Tonight he went 7 innings with 4 ER; not bad at all. Chacin pitched an effective eighth inning. But Pettitte was a little bit better or luckier or something, going 7.1 innings and giving up 3 runs (2 earned). Chamberlain pitched 2/3 to finish the eighth, and Rivera closed things out with a scoreless ninth. In addition to breaking the 3,000 inning mark, the victory was Pettitte’s 200th as a Yankee.

Probably the most telling and depressing stat of the night was another oh-fer by the top of the lineup, this time 0-14 by the top four (Bourn, Keppinger, Berkman, and Lee). Hell, the entire team only had 4 hits in 30 AB, and two of those were by Manzella. That’s not going to get it done. Coming on the heels of yesterday’s 4-hit effort (1-15 from the top four), the offense suddenly looks frighteningly like April’s.

Oh well, tomorrow’s another day. Go get ‘em, Wandy!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Astros 5
Rockies 4

W: Oswalt | L: Chacin (Rockies variety)

Astros.com
Gamezone

This one was pretty exciting. As is usual for a Thursday day game, glimpses are all I can hope for and I only stole a few. As is also usual, I will not attempt to “recap” the game, but provide a few nuggets, factoids, bites, bits and morsels to ponder:

► Roy pitched like Roy, but was pulled after 7 and 96 pitches. Though I haven’t searched thoroughly, I haven’t seen anything that explains why he didn’t go further.

► Bourn showed his mortality in the field with a lapse of sorts. He let Todd Helton go 1st to 3rd with a lacking effort coming in on a Tulowitski single to center. The result of the mess was 2nd and 3rd and both runners eventually scored, Tulo on a sac fly to shallow center that was not one of Michael’s better throws.

► Q is mashing. 3 for 4 with a HR today has upped his season AVG to .268 and for June to .417. He’s slugging .792 for the month.

► Manzella drove in 3 of the 5 Astros runs, 2 on a bases-loaded soft flare to center in the 6th to give the Astros the 3-run lead they needed because…

► In a wild 8th and up by 3, Wilton Lopez face 3 batters and gave up three singles and a run before being pulled. Chacin came in and K’d Hawpe but gave up another single to load ’em up with one out. On comes Daigle to face Oliva who grounded to 3rd but the DP was not to be and another run crossed. Daigle stayed in to face Giambi, the no longer juiced-up feared hitter he was but still a threat, he flied out to center and the lead remained.

► Mills put Lyon in for this save situation. Like pulling Oswalt, not sure why but it worked. 1-2-3.

June has really been good to the Astros. 8 wins in 10 days, with the offense showing signs of promise.

Alright, I’ve already taken up too much of your time because the Astros are going to NYC this weekend and you really, REALLY should be reading this.

Astros 6, Rockies 2
W: Brandon Lyon, L: Matt Belisle

Astros Recap
Game Zone

P’s—Felipe Paulino pitched 8 innings giving up 2 runs. He did a great job. This was his third consecutive outing of pitching 8 innings. I think he may be getting his groove. Good for the Astros.

Q’s–Humberto Quintero had a pretty nice game also last night. He had two hits and two throw’em outs, only one of which was ruled an out. But he was flashing his arm, in a good way.

The bittersweet part of the night was Matt Belisle’s outing. While many here at SnS want Belisle to do well, we can’t be too upset when Carlos Lee hits a grandslam to get the Astros the win. It was a good gamble by the Rockies, Lee was 1 for 15 prior to that hit. I do not doubt Belisle will bounce back and continue pitching well again. There’s that shitty saying, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” Matty B just got stronger.

I watched this game after watching the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup. I must say that is the best trophy celebration in sports. Jeremy Roenick was holding back tears since he did not have the opportunity to hoist the cup when he played. Something about that trophy is just tons better than the others. I think winning a championship in any sport is an amazing feat, but that trophy is one of the best sports moments shown. Plus, they get to spend a day with it doing whatever crazy shit they want with it.