'Stros and Rays: Brandon Backe faces his former team
by Evan Hochschild on Mar 3, 2009 12:14 PM CST
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PrintWhile I don't think Backe actually played with any of the guys on their current roster, he was once a Ray (or D-Ray when he played for them). He's facing another Houston-area product, former Rice Owl Jeff Niemann. A live boxscore is available through MLB.com.
The Rays prospects are of a slightly higher quality now
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Niemann is dominating!!!...
our no hit SS prospect and Michaels and Erstad…i feel like we should just ask to let Niemann come back to Houston. at least he’d have a future on this team
by Evan Hochschild on Mar 3, 2009 12:37 PM CST reply actions
Can't get the radio broadcast for some reason...
But boxscore seems to indicate that Backe is doing OK through 2 IP.
After a 50 minute bottom of the 3rd........
the Rays now lead 10-1.
Warning……it get’s pretty ugly………
Backe gave up a lead-off homer, single, walk…..
New Pitcher Gervacio gave up 4 or 5 walks…..poor guy
New pitcher Trinidad another 3 or 4 walks or so…..does it really matter?
Finally Fulchino gets the 3rd out.
check out the era's for today's pitchers (after the 10 run inning)
Houston IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Backe 2.0 3 4 4 3 3 1 9.00
Gervacio 0.0 0 3 3 3 0 0 27.00
Trinidad 0.2 3 3 3 1 2 0 18.00
Fulchino 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00
will anyone be unhappy
if all these guys are not on the major league team once spring trianing is over?
by Evan Hochschild on Mar 3, 2009 1:47 PM CST up reply actions
as of now
but from what Cooper has said, he wouldn’t be at all adverse to using the other end of that pencil to get him outta there…ortiz/arias/nieve/someone should pitch well and take that spot
by Evan Hochschild on Mar 3, 2009 1:56 PM CST up reply actions
I'm hoping Russ Ortiz proves himself
and returns to quasi-greatness
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Mar 3, 2009 2:16 PM CST up reply actions
a lot of fans keep hoping that Gervacio...
will break out and become a big time reliever on the Astros club. But the young guy can’t seem to get past AA. You might recall that BP (I think) had some kind of article last year about Gervacio having the strangest delivery among minor league pitchers. Trinidad is another youngster that the Astros would like to push to AAA.
Gervacio's ERA is infinite...
the astros.com boxscore just shows a – ….I guess they don’t have the infinite symbol.
My mantra the past week
Spring training games don’t count.
Spring training games don’t count.
Spring training games don’t count.
Spring training games don’t count.
I’m still stressed.
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Mar 3, 2009 2:15 PM CST reply actions
I was telling myself before this game...
this is what you get when you try out a bunch of injury projects, like Hensley. And then today, it’s more of trying out some young AA pitchers who you hope might prove something against MLers. I feel kind of sorry for the younger guys. Poor Gervacio, if he was trying to make an impression on Cooper, he may be sorry…knowing how much Cooper hates walks.
there are a few bright spots
Bud Norris throws 2 perfect innings
Chris Johnson gets another hit
i hope these images
stick in the minds of wade, heck and cooper…
by Evan Hochschild on Mar 3, 2009 2:31 PM CST up reply actions
On the 10 run 3d...here is what McTaggert posted the play by play details...
including walking seven in a row…
BRANDON BACKE pitching
Reid Brignac: home run
Jason Bartlett: single
Carl Crawford: walk
Ben Zobrist: walk
SAMMY GERVACIO pitching
Pat Burrell: walk
Gabe Kapler: walk
Dioner Navarro: walk
POLIN TRINIDAD pitching
Adam Kennedy: walk
Ray Sadler: two-run double
Reid Brignac: strikeout
Jason Barltett: two-run single
Carl Crawford: strikeout
Ben Zobrist: two-run single
TYLER LUMSDEN pitching
Pat Burrell: strikeout
If I recall correctly, Trnidad said he was really nervous yesterday when he faced big leaguers for the first time, striking out Beltran and getting a fly out from Wright. Cooper told him to call his family, etc. This is a tough situation for him to come in with the bases loaded.
12-2 now...Rays got a run off Graves and Astros got it back in top of 9th.
Abercrombie continues to sizzle…he is 2 for 2 with a RBI, and a BA of .615. Given the roster, it is hard for Abercrombie to make the 25 man, but I still hope he does, so that he can be used in a platoon with Bourn. This kind of hitting will make it hard for Cooper to keep him off the big league team.
The Pudge Rodriguez factor
I believe I heard an announcer today say Abercrombie played winter ball with Pudge Rodriguez and sat by him every chance he could to talk about hitting. If so, it’s paying off early. (anyone know if I heard that correctly?)
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Mar 3, 2009 5:12 PM CST up reply actions
You may be right, but I doubt this is any payoff. Abercrombie has always raked against weak pitching. He just has never hit in the majors. Its like that time Charleton Jimerson spent the whole summer practicing with Tony Gwynn. I hoped he would improve his ability to make contact, but no dice.
by seanbergmanrules on Mar 4, 2009 11:50 AM CST up reply actions
Abercrombie hit really well in the majors last year.
Sure, it was only 60 plate appearances, but he hit .309 with a .848 OPS. I think it helped that Cooper made most of his plate appearances against lefthanded pitching.
It's cool
no one got injured, right?
Spring training games don’t count, but they’re also not making my outlook very bright.
as far as impact of spring games on "outlook"....
I think the lopsided results we have seen so far shows the shallowness of the Astros’ depth. The Astros are pushing inexperienced minor league players into more advanced situations than normal and trying out all kinds of injury projects and minor league waiver claims in order to search for depth. They hope the sheer numbers will produce someone who can help. Can’t argue with the concept. But you will get some bad results from trying everybody out.
re: the 10 run inning
Very tough spots for both Gervacio and Trinidad. For Gervacio, coming in with bases loaded, I think he threw 10 straight balls before getting his one and possibly only strike. After the 3rd walk, Cooper came out to get him, and the radio guys Brett & Dave said Coop kept Gervacio on the mound for a few moments talking to him, probably offering some consolation and encouragement. At least, that is the spin they gave it. I sure hope so. Some days, it’s just not meant to be.
And no injuries that I recall, except some bruised egos.
For what it's worth...
Oswalt had an alright outing against the Yankees as part of team USA (though you wouldn’t know it from the SportsCenter report on the game; they chose to air only Derek Jeter highlights and a clip of the Yankees’ backup SS committing an error). He went 3 and 2/3 innings, giving up 4 hits, one walk, and one run on two strikeouts.
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