Nats (SS) @ Astros 3-4-10

[JaneDoe]

Washington lineup:

Morgan, CF
Kennedy, 2B
Dukes, RF
Duncan 1B
Orr, 3B
Bernadina, LF
Whitesell, DH
Gonzalez, SS
Nieves, C

Astros lineup:

Bourn CF
Matsui 2B
Pence RF
Blum 1B
Feliz 3B
Castro DH
Michaels LF
Towles C
Manzella SS
Myers P

ETA: Washington lineup

[Ron Brand]

Woo-hoo! First GZ of the season!

[Tralfaz]

Thanks for the lineup JD, looks interesting.

Castro v Towles, Round 1.  Ding, ding!

[JaneDoe]

Thanks for the lineup JD, looks interesting.

Castro v Towles, Round 1.  Ding, ding!

Lineup was posted on Facebook.  Have no idea about the Nats.

[JaneDoe]

Just for clarity: Nationals are playing with a split squad, not the Astros.

Berkman out with knee contusion, Lee in Houston for the Livestock show.  I think I heard he had 14 animals at the show.

[MusicMan]

Lee in Houston for the Livestock show.  I think I heard he had 14 animals at the show.

And that was just for breakfast.

[Guinness]

And that was just for breakfast.

Nice one.  It's gonna be a good year...

[JaneDoe]

Here is the link for the GameDay audio for today's game:link

Boxscore


Hope it works for those of you out of radio range!

[Tralfaz]

I've payed $15/yr for mlb radio the past few years.  Is it now free?

[Jacksonian]

I've payed $15/yr for mlb radio the past few years.  Is it now free?

no.

[Craig]

I'm off to Sonic for some of those new big-ass chili dogs.

[MusicMan]

I'm off to Sonic for some of those new big-ass chili dogs.

Make sure you bring some Co-ards gear.

[Ty in Tampa]

I'm off to Sonic for some of those new big-ass chili dogs.

As am I. I'll be forced to spend the rest of the afternoon in the back office by the open window.

[JaneDoe]

I've payed $15/yr for mlb radio the past few years.  Is it now free?

Sorry.  I thought it used to be free for spring games.

[JaneDoe]

I'm off to Sonic for some of those new big-ass chili dogs.

Me too.

[Tralfaz]

Last year ST games were available free on the KTRH site, might be what your thinking.  Not sure about this year, but my Game Day Audio reg is now complete, can't wait!

[Ron Brand]

I've payed $15/yr for mlb radio the past few years.  Is it now free?

WTF? Now it's $19.95 AND I'm blacked out during the regular season? Guess I'll be adjustin' me eyepatch again.  Arrrrrrrh.

[Ty in Tampa]

The Sonic by me only has the "Ex-Long Chili Cheese Coney". I guess that's it.

[Tralfaz]

Pre-game interview with Mills, said Puma begged to play today. 

[Ron Brand]

Wish I'd heard that instead of the Fox "News" preceding the game.

[Clark in Denver]

Anyone else getting game day audio to work through MLB.com?  I can get other games, but just silence from the Astros feed.

[pots]

nothing but silence here as well

[pots]

on now

[Ron Brand]

I'm trying to listen to KTRH online but all I'm getting is the vomitous spew of Rush Limbaugh.

[Ty in Tampa]

Silence.

[Ron Brand]

Fuck if I'm paying MLB $19.95 to listen to ST games only. Assholes.

[Ron Brand]

I can see that Myers got 3 groundouts to start the game and the Good Guys must be coming to bat.

[hollytoo]

ST games:

Weekday games are on 790 KBME (but no streaming), and
Weekend games are on 740 KRTH

[Tralfaz]

Hey Ron B.  Where are you seeing that your getting ST games only?   I'm reading that GDAudio has no blackout restrictions at the bottom of the main page(?).

[Andyzipp]

Hey Ron B.  Where are you seeing that your getting ST games only?   I'm reading that GDAudio has no blackout restrictions at the bottom of the main page(?).

MLB.TV is blacked out due to regional restrictions, but apparently radio and tv use a lot of the same application front ends.

[Ron Brand]

When I signed in I was taken to a screen that is 'finding my location' and it returns a grid that shows me I can only get archived games. The 'audio and new play by play widget' thing is blacked out. On a previous screen it tells me that I can get ST games without blackout restriction, but that's not worth $19.95 to me.

[Craig]

I'm getting the broadcast through the MLB iPhone app. It's $15 this year instead of $10, and no free spring training games. The broadcast was silent for the first half-inning but is on now.

And this is an awesome chilidog.

[Tralfaz]

3-0 Nats, end of 1st.  3 walks/3 runs/1 hit, Matsui threw one into the first base dugout. allow the first two runs.

ETA:  Middle of the 2nd

[Ron Brand]

I've got an iPhone Touch, but I can't get the damn internet where I am...boo hoo hoo...

[Ron Brand]

Matsui threw one into the first base dugout. allow the first two runs.

Keppinger! Get in there!

[Tralfaz]

4-3 Nats, end of the third.

[Gizzmonic]

XM isn't broadcasting the game? WTF?  Guess I'm stuck listening to the Bravos.

That's not stopping me from double cheeseburger artery-hardening.

[pots]

4-3 Nats, end of the third.

5-1 Nats, 2 on no one out in the bot 4th

[EasTexAstro]

Went to Sonic. Had the dog and tots. Listened to the radio in the truck.

Hope that helps. Back to work.

[matadorph]

4-3 Nats, end of the third.

huh? live box says 5-0

[Limey]

Pre-game interview with Mills, said Puma begged to play today. 

MLB reporting he will play tomorrow.

[matadorph]

Pence!!! HR gets the Good Guys on the board

[Limey]

I'm getting the broadcast through the MLB iPhone app. It's $15 this year instead of $10, and no free spring training games. The broadcast was silent for the first half-inning but is on now.

And this is an awesome chilidog.

Just updating my app for 2010.  It's one of the coolest apps on the iPhone (iFart excepted, natch).

[pots]

5-1 Nats, 2 on no one out in the bot 4th

ha I had it wrong too.  6-4 Nats bottom 4th.  Towles at 2nd.

[Ron Brand]

Christ. MLB.com box shows it 5-0 Nats in the top of the 4th.

[pots]

ha I had it wrong too.  6-4 Nats bottom 4th.  Towles at 2nd.

No I had it right, do-ray said it wrong in their excitement on Towles double.  5-4 Nat, runners 1st and 3rd.  1 out

[Craig]

Just updating my app for 2010.  It's one of the coolest apps on the iPhone (iFart excepted, natch).

Yeah, MLB At-Bat is the one app I'm going to need every year. I think the tradition for Spring Training is now the "buy and download MLB At-Bat while I'm sitting at Sonic waiting for my chili-dogs" tradition.

[pots]

Myers off hook.  5-5 1st and 2nd still 1 out

[Limey]

Astros bat around (and still going) in the 4th.  5-5.

[Limey]

Matsui bats in the go-ahead run on a single and an error.  6-5, 2nd & 3rd for PENCE!!!

[pots]

ding!!! 9-5

[BudGirl]

thanks for the pbp, whoever is doing it.

[Limey]

aaaaand the parade continues.  Two outs now, but Happy Pete just got a base knock back up the middle.

[pots]

Castro made 2 outs, Blum made 1 out.  9 runs, 2 homers from pence!!!  

[Limey]

Castro makes the 3rd out on a routine grounder to 2nd.  9-5 Astros.

[BudGirl]

aaaaand the parade continues.  Two outs now, but Happy Pete just got a base knock back up the middle.

Happy Pete?

[Ty in Tampa]

Yeah, MLB At-Bat is the one app I'm going to need every year. I think the tradition for Spring Training is now the "buy and download MLB At-Bat while I'm sitting at Sonic waiting for my chili-dogs" tradition.

Looks like they're having no trouble with pumping the price up 5 bucks this year. I didn't even blink.

[Limey]

Happy Pete?

Pedro Feliz.

[Limey]

Looks like they're having no trouble with pumping the price up 5 bucks this year. I didn't even blink.

Me neither.  Don't tell MLB, but I'd pay more than $15.

[Ty in Tampa]

Me neither.  Don't tell MLB, but I'd pay more than $15.

I hope they keep it there for at least another season. I pay $100/year to watch the Astros online and $15 to carry them with me. This shit's getting expensive!

[Craig]

Me neither.  Don't tell MLB, but I'd pay more than $15.

Yeah, I would too. It's expensive compared to other apps but for the amount I use it, it's a great bargain.

[Limey]

MLB reporting he will play tomorrow.

"It's not quite as swollen.  It's just a little puffy."  Presumably Lance was talking about his knee, and not his face.  Apparently, he got an injection of shark cartilage in his knee today.  WTF?

He will get two at-bats as the DH tomorrow.

[Craig]

"It's not quite as swollen.  It's just a little puffy."  Presumably Lance was talking about his knee, and not his face.  Apparently, he got an injection of shark cartilage in his knee today.  WTF?

He will get two at-bats as the DH tomorrow.

Footer said it was going to be an injection of either shark cartilage or rooster comb. I guess the shark died first.

[Limey]

Footer said it was going to be an injection of either shark cartilage or rooster comb. I guess the shark died first.

...stro...Paging Jacka...

[Limey]

I'm no longer listening to the radio feed, but Footer just twitterised a "Jmike" solo poke.  10-5, good buddy.

[Craig]

The doctors said the shark cartilage may even give him super-human strength, in which case, "We're going to need a bigger bat."

Still, it's better than the rooster injection, because you don't even want to know the side-effects from getting a shot of cock.

[Taras Bulba]

The doctors said the shark cartilage may even give him super-human strength, in which case, "We're going to need a bigger bat."

Still, it's better than the rooster injection, because you don't even want to know the side-effects from getting a shot of cock.

I got three of the cock shots (Sinvisc injections) in my knee.  Works for some people, not for others.  That concerns me about Berkman, though, because the reason you get them is you're running out of options and your knee is hurting like hell. 

[Ty in Tampa]

Still, it's better than the rooster injection, because you don't even want to know the side-effects from getting a shot of cock.

"Lance, the knee looks good but we're probably going to have to inject you with cock"

"Wha..?"

[JaneDoe]

Went to Sonic. Had the dog and tots. Listened to the radio in the truck.

Me too....then promptly fell asleep listening to the game.....good times.

[Limey]

Still, it's better than the rooster injection, because you don't even want to know the side-effects from getting a shot of cock.

A bad movie?

[Limey]

In case anyone cares, Ramirez just plated Towles (NTTAWWT) to make it 11-5.  Now in the middle of the 6th, according to MLB At-Bat.

[BudGirl]

In case anyone cares, Ramirez just plated Towles (NTTAWWT) to make it 11-5.  Now in the middle of the 6th, according to MLB At-Bat.

i care.

[JaneDoe]

In case anyone cares, Ramirez just plated Towles (NTTAWWT) to make it 11-5.  Now in the middle of the 6th, according to MLB At-Bat.

I care.  Thanks.  Can't get radio in my office.

[Bench]

i care.

Yordany hit a 3 run bomb; 14-5 good guys.

Astros have amassed 14 runs and 19 hits in eight innings.

[JimR]

i care. i am trying to follow the game here although the cock shots are a tad distracting.

[OregonStrosFan]

Fallas tweets: Chris Johnson with a solo homer to extend the lead to 15-5 in the bottom of the eighth. That's five homers for the Astros.

[Ron Brand]

Fallas? Cock shots?

[JaneDoe]

Fallas? Cock shots?

Welcome to the 2010 GameZone!

[Craig]

Fallas? Cock shots?

It's Spring Training, so we're all just throwing junk.

[Ron Brand]

I thought it would keep you awake, Jane.

[JimR]

pardon the interruption, but is the game over?

[BudGirl]

I assume so, since Bench's update was 30 minutes or so ago and it was the 8th inning.  The box scores on astros.com and espn.com are still at 11-5.

[Bench]

pardon the interruption, but is the game over?

Guess so.  Footer quoting Mills postgame:  Mills on Hunter Pence:"Can I put in my order for two homers every day? Is that OK? He's been working every day early, before BP, and late.  That's how he does things. It's not a surprise that he was ready right out of the chute."

[OregonStrosFan]

Fallas: Astros win their Grapefruit Opener 15-5 over the Nats. They get 21 hits, including five home runs.

[JimR]

break up the Astros! take that, Cooper.

[OregonStrosFan]

McIlvoy (via Twitter): Pence on big opener: ' I love the game. I'll be made fun of but I couldn't sleep last night'

[chuck]

More later but I believe there were three hrs on the inning's first pitch.

[OregonStrosFan]

Mills on the game:  Tags lines LINK

"It's always nice to see the guys, especially some big guys like Hunter, swing the bats well," Mills said. "There were some issues also swinging the bats we need to address and we will. But these guys did a real good job of coming out and being aggressive at the plate and hitting the ball hard."

Here was Mills' response when asked what he didn't like Thursday:

"I don't want to go too much into bit becuase I haven't talked to the players yet. We want to have a good clean game, and the more clean games we can put back to back the better chances we have. It's always nice to win but we want to play well, and that's what we're after. For the most part, we did today. The guys did very well. Sometimes when you play as well as they did and do the things they do it makes up for a lot of things."

[Limey]

My man-crush is growing.

[chuck]

My man-crush is growing.

You SHOULD have a man-crush; Mills is a great fit I think. I watched the guy work for six hours or so yesterday and came away convinced. Yes, I know, it was a very short time, etc., but I am quite confident that anyone who saw what I saw would come away with the same impression. The people I talked to who've been there for a good while are unanimous. I have no idea how good the Astros are going to be while Mills manages the team but I am convinced that he will maintain the respect of anyone and everyone in the organization while he is there.

[Ebby Calvin]

You SHOULD have a man-crush; Mills is a great fit I think. I watched the guy work for six hours or so yesterday and came away convinced. Yes, I know, it was a very short time, etc., but I am quite confident that anyone who saw what I saw would come away with the same impression. The people I talked to who've been there for a good while are unanimous. I have no idea how good the Astros are going to be while Mills manages the team but I am convinced that he will maintain the respect of anyone and everyone in the organization while he is there.

I feel the same way.  I haven't spent any time around (or near) the guy, nor have I talked to anybody who knows him, but from what I've read he seems like a hard-nosed, no-bullshit baseball guy.

OSF quoted:

Here was Mills' response when asked what he didn't like Thursday:

"I don't want to go too much into bit becuase I haven't talked to the players yet.

Wow, what a breath of fresh air.  I know it's unreasonable to expect drastic improvements in the W/L column, but at least they'll be playing good, sound baseball.  A consistent lineup should help matters, too.

[Andyzipp]

I feel the same way.  I haven't spent any time around (or near) the guy, nor have I talked to anybody who knows him, but from what I've read he seems like a hard-nosed, no-bullshit baseball guy.

OSF quoted:
Wow, what a breath of fresh air.  I know it's unreasonable to expect drastic improvements in the W/L column, but at least they'll be playing good, sound baseball.  A consistent lineup should help matters, too.

The problem is you have to have good, sound players.  Don't know that the Astros have many of those.

[Ebby Calvin]

The problem is you have to have good, sound players.  Don't know that the Astros have many of those.

Point taken.  I guess I inherently expect any major leaguer to be able to play good, sound baseball -- one player's level might not be as productive as the next, but hopefully Mills will have the team ready to compete.

[HudsonHawk]

The problem is you have to have good, sound players.  Don't know that the Astros have many of those.

I think the bigger issue is that "good sound baseball" and "talent" don't always go hand in hand.  The Astros have good, sound baseball guys and they have talent.  The names just don't always coincide.

[MusicMan]

I think the bigger issue is that "good sound baseball" and "talent" don't always go hand in hand.  The Astros have good, sound baseball guys and they have talent.  The names just don't always coincide.

Pam Gardner is about to have you killed.

[HudsonHawk]

Pam Gardner is about to have you killed.

Shhh...I'm in the Witless Protection Program.

[MusicMan]

Witless Protection Program.

I knew AD existed for a reason.

[Andyzipp]

I think the bigger issue is that "good sound baseball" and "talent" don't always go hand in hand.  The Astros have good, sound baseball guys and they have talent.  The names just don't always coincide.

Yes.  I was thinking of Misters Berkman and Pence.

[HudsonHawk]

Yes.  I was thinking of Misters Berkman and Pence.

I think it was Coop who said something to the effect of "If you could put Darin Erstad's head on Hunter Pence's body, you'd have a Hall of Famer". 

[Limey]

I think it was Coop who said something to the effect of "If you could put Darin Erstad's head on Hunter Pence's body, you'd have a Hall of Famer". 

See Bagwell, Jeff.