ST Game No. 6: Houston Astros at New York Mets
by David Coleman on Mar 9, 2010 12:00 PM CST
in Events
152 comments
Grapefruit League Record for 2010 (which is meaningless anyway): 2-3
Today's starters: RHP Brett Myers vs. LHP Johan Santana
Per Brian McTaggart, Pitchers scheduled for today are Matt Lindstrom, Alberto Arias, Chris Sampson, Sammy Gervacio, Shane Loux and Wesley Wright. are also scheduled to pitch for the Astros. Also, Polin Trinidad, Evan Englebrook and Jose Valdez will throw in a Minor League game on Tuesday in Kissimmee.
Hunter Pence, Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee will not travel with the team.
Here's the lineup, courtesy of Zachary Levine:
1) Michael Bourn, CF
2) Kazuo Matsui, 2B
3) Geoff Blum, 1B
4) Jason Michaels, LF
5) Pedro Feliz, 3B
6) Chris Shelton, DH
7) Cory Sullivan, RF
8) Tommy Manzella, SS
9) Humberto Quintero, C
Again, the game will be broadcast here and here. Note that MLB.TV subscribers can watch the game today (thought it's the Mets broadcast).
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awesome
The Crawfish Boxes, Astros blogging at its finest.
by Evan Hochschild on Mar 9, 2010 12:06 PM CST up reply actions
TV Brought a smile to my face
especially since Michaels and then Feliz singled when I tuned in; and Astros already to a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Mar 9, 2010 12:20 PM CST up reply actions
No joke. He looked positively sprightly running around the bases.
by David Coleman on Mar 9, 2010 12:17 PM CST up reply actions
Feliz doubles, Michaels can't score
Runners at second and third.
Is it just me or are the Astros really cracking the bat against Santana. Not his best stuff. Wonder if he’s working on something specific.
I thought East Coast teams were seling out spring training games
I see a lot of empty seats
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Mar 9, 2010 12:22 PM CST reply actions
Leadoff double by Gary Matthews, Jr.
Apparently, his new shipment of HGH got to spring training in time for that at-bat.
What??
I should stop listening to these Mets guys. They just said Q would be the starting catcher “naturally.” The spring is a chance for everyone to catch up, I guess.
David Wright homers on 3-2 count
Myers threw a low fastball that Wright took to right-center.
3-2 Mets.
Update on mini-camps game
Via Footer:
Trinidad tossed one scoreless inning, allowing one hit. He threw 18 pitches, nine for strikes.
Blum singles up the middle.
scoring Bourn and making the score 4-2.
That also chases Santana in his first start of the spring.
Santana had arm surgery (can’t recall if it was shoulder or elbow) around mid-season 2009. So, if you’re a Mets’ fan, you have to be concerned.
It also looked like a fairly typical first start of the spring. Concerned, yes. Worried? Probably not.
by David Coleman on Mar 9, 2010 12:52 PM CST up reply actions
Feliz looks taller and and more chiseled than I expected
I’m sorta impressed
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Mar 9, 2010 12:56 PM CST up reply actions
I agree. I didn’t have a good concept of what he looked like before now and was somewhat surprised.
by David Coleman on Mar 9, 2010 12:57 PM CST up reply actions
Nice play by Feliz
That grounder would have been a single last year
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Mar 9, 2010 12:57 PM CST reply actions
Wow!
Feliz just ate a ball up to his left in the hole, got up and made the throw. Was a great play. Made up somewhat for that terrible strikeout.
Another thing to note
Manzella was waiting back there to cut that ball off. Would have been an infield hit anyway, but if there had been a runner on second or third, it might have saved a run.
Chris Shelton is getting a lot of playing time so far this spring
Is he a legitimate part of Astros future (Near term or long term)?
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Mar 9, 2010 1:03 PM CST reply actions
I’m thinking they view him more as insurance to Lance Berkman this spring. Plus, they don’t have a lot of good choices on who to play at first in Round Rock.
by David Coleman on Mar 9, 2010 1:04 PM CST up reply actions
Hit and run doesn't work...
Luckily, Blanco sailed his throw into center field. Otherwise, Shelton was hosed.
John Franco interviewed
He hurt the Astros his short time with the team. The team improved as soon as Franco was released.
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Mar 9, 2010 1:13 PM CST reply actions
I guess it wasn’t just Ed Wade that was obsessed with bringing in relievers. That’s been the Astros MO for the past 10 seasons.
by David Coleman on Mar 9, 2010 1:15 PM CST up reply actions
yes, Franco didn’t have anything left as a pitcher when he was signed by the Astros. But I always have one memorable moment in mind when I think of him as an Astros. Astros were playing Mets at Shea Stadium with Roy Oswalt on the mound. Cliff Floyd and Roy O had some bad blood from previous games/seasons. Floyd hits Oswalt well, and Roy tends to pitch him tight to keep him from getting comfortable, which Floyd doesn’t like. In this particular game, Oswalt hits Floyd and Floyd heads for the mound. Naturally, infielders move toward Floyd. Then the camera goes to the outfield, and a whole phalanx of Astros relievers are charging hard out of the bullpen toward the infield. Out in front of that group, running as fast as he can is old man John Franco, leading the way. I always liked the idea that Franco was ready to fight his old teammates and led the way to protect Oswalt.
Myers is probably done
Went three innings, gave up four hits and two earned runs while striking out two and walking one.
Merts Video on the blitz
Audio dragging ; picture black
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Mar 9, 2010 1:20 PM CST reply actions
Not until recently. Was pretty good until then.
by David Coleman on Mar 9, 2010 1:22 PM CST up reply actions
I think it is on their end.
We all had probems.
Mine has not been that “skippy” though. Just in case reduce your resolution and see what happens.
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Mar 9, 2010 1:25 PM CST up reply actions
I was really impressed by him.
He struck out Ike Davis to end his first inning. He threw a called strike with his breaking ball for strike two high in the zone. Then threw the same pitch (same location) for strike three, getting Davis to swing over top of it. Great couple innings by him.
Holy crap!
Michaels made a second great catch in the inning.
Another 1-2-3 frame for Lindstrom. Probably done now.
I’m not saying this because of today, of course. I was looking at his UZR numbers and surprised how good they are.
Michaels plays well in Spring Training and did well in September
after Astros way out of it.
He was poor the rest of the season.
Now another way to look at his performance was he performed better (at the plate anyway) when he started a game than when he came off the bench.
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Mar 9, 2010 2:19 PM CST up reply actions
I think people just have that impression for some reason because he had a really bad May/June.
March/April: .865 OPS
May: .332 OPS
June: .493 OPS
July: .826 OPS
August: 1.117 OPS
September/October: .597 OPS
I’m not sure I buy that there is any kind of repeatable consistency in what times of the year a hitter does well, by the way.
Raccoons cause so many problems. And yet, are so funny.
by David Coleman on Mar 9, 2010 1:58 PM CST up reply actions
Clint Everts is slated to finish the game for the Mets
Former Cy Falls great. Has sorta fallen off the map since being drafted so high back in the same draft as ex-teammate Scott Kazmir.
The Crawfish Boxes, Astros blogging at its finest.
Castro pinch-hitting for Shelton
Interesting, the Astros seem to be rotating Towles, Quintero and Castro through behind the plate every three games.
by David Coleman on Mar 9, 2010 2:10 PM CST up reply actions
Power
Many’s greatest concern with him is his “lack” of power. Citing his Corpus Christi numbers last year. I think its overstated. Too small of a sample size. He’s got more power than most perceive. Biggio like power, lots of doubles a few homeruns sprinkled in.
Manzella slow chopper to third to end sixth inning
He busted it up the line and barely got beat on the throw.
Early observation
From the few at bats I’ve seen so far it looks like the hitters are a little more patient than last years spring training.
=(
These are the two guys I’m interested in seeing to, and how they bounce back from their Cooper injuries.
Do the Astros caps have strange bills?
They look straight fronts not curved
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Mar 9, 2010 2:23 PM CST reply actions
Yordany Ramirez almost kills a fan with a blistering LD foul ball
Then flies out deep left. Made some solid contact again.
He has looked good at the plate
All the outfielders are playing well right now. The only problem is Sullivan. If the Astros want to keep a lefty as their fifth outfielder, they might be passing up a better player.
by David Coleman on Mar 9, 2010 2:35 PM CST up reply actions
Arias has a mild trap strain
Suck
The Crawfishboxes
A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.
by Stephen Higdon on Mar 9, 2010 2:40 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Where is Felipe Paulino?
Has he pitched this spring?
He pitched in a 'B' game last Thursday
And is supposed to pitch in another one tomorrow
by David Coleman on Mar 9, 2010 2:47 PM CST up reply actions
Hah, he doesn't even have a name on his jersey
And he’s wearing 99. Did they just throw his dad a bone here?
Now I’m glad I muted it a couple of innings ago.
by David Coleman on Mar 9, 2010 3:03 PM CST up reply actions
Game over
8-4 Astros win.
Record is now 3-3.
Good win, overall and some good play from guys like Feliz, Gervacio and Ramirez. Castro also keeps the catcher battle that much more interesting.
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NL Central Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cincinnati
|
78 | 55 | .586 | 0 | Won 4 |
|
St. Louis
|
69 | 62 | .526 | 8 | Lost 5 |
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Houston
|
62 | 71 | .466 | 16 | Won 3 |
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|
Chicago
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57 | 77 | .425 | 21.5 | Won 1 |
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Pittsburgh
|
44 | 89 | .330 | 34 | Lost 1 |
(updated 9.2.2010 at 9:47 AM CDT)
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