'Stros and Rays: Brandon Backe faces his former team

by HighLeveragePerformer on Mar 3, 2009 12:14 PM CST Comment 29 comments

While 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.

Brandon-backe_medium

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 HighLeveragePerformer on Mar 3, 2009 12:37 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Can't get the radio broadcast for some reason...

But boxscore seems to indicate that Backe is doing OK through 2 IP.

by clack on Mar 3, 2009 12:45 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Astros just scored

only check box score, but Maysonet has an RBI

by lnewcomer on Mar 3, 2009 1:18 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Bourn is a pain in Dionner Navarro's ass

2 SB in 2 ABs

by HighLeveragePerformer on Mar 3, 2009 1:19 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

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.

by hollytoo on Mar 3, 2009 1:35 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

a swing of that magnitude

just makes me laugh

by lnewcomer on Mar 3, 2009 1:36 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

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

by lnewcomer on Mar 3, 2009 1:44 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

will anyone be unhappy

if all these guys are not on the major league team once spring trianing is over?

by HighLeveragePerformer on Mar 3, 2009 1:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Isn’t Backe just about penciled in for 5th starter?

by ol Pete on Mar 3, 2009 1:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

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 HighLeveragePerformer on Mar 3, 2009 1:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

That other end of the pencil line made me laugh. That probably means its been around forever. I guess Backe not doing well isn’t hard to top. Guy seems like a classic woulda/coulda/shoulda.

by ol Pete on Mar 3, 2009 2:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I've posted this before, but here it is again

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-bottom-five/

by HighLeveragePerformer on Mar 3, 2009 2:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

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 0 recs

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.

by clack on Mar 3, 2009 2:08 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Gervacio's ERA is infinite...

the astros.com boxscore just shows a – ….I guess they don’t have the infinite symbol.

by clack on Mar 3, 2009 2:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

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 0 recs

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.

by clack on Mar 3, 2009 2:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

there are a few bright spots

Bud Norris throws 2 perfect innings

Chris Johnson gets another hit

by hollytoo on Mar 3, 2009 2:28 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

i hope these images

stick in the minds of wade, heck and cooper…

by HighLeveragePerformer on Mar 3, 2009 2:31 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Norris hasn't allowed a run in any of his outings...

by clack on Mar 3, 2009 2:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

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.

by clack on Mar 3, 2009 2:44 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

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.

by clack on Mar 3, 2009 3:04 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

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 0 recs

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 0 recs

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.

by clack on Mar 4, 2009 12:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It's cool

no one got injured, right?

Spring training games don’t count, but they’re also not making my outlook very bright.

by Only_A_Lad on Mar 3, 2009 3:07 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

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.

by clack on Mar 3, 2009 3:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

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.

by hollytoo on Mar 3, 2009 3:09 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

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.

by Only_A_Lad on Mar 3, 2009 5:21 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

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