Astros Lose In Extras To Rockies 4-2
by Timothy De Block on Sep 24, 2011 10:27 PM CDT
in Houston Astros News
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So again I didn't catch a majority of this game, this time due to College Football. While I wait for the over lords of SB Nation to slap me for watching College Football instead of the Houston Astros whom I cover, I'll recap this game based on extra innings and the box score.
First I asked on twitter what I should know about this game and the only responses I got were that the Astros were in extra's so it appears nothing exciting happened in the first 9 innings. J.A. Happ pitched another solid game going 7 innings and allowing only 2 earned runs. The downside to that is that he only had 5 strikeouts and 4 walks in those 7 innings. After Happ exited 8 relievers were used to cover the remaining 6 innings. The loss would go to Jordan Lyles who lost the game after walking Chris Nelson with the bases loaded in the top of the 13th inning.
One thing I don't like about Mills strategy is that he likes to take out his best options offensively in favor of the double switches. The first one came in the 9th when Matt Downs pinch hit for Brett Wallace. Wallace earlier in the game had broken out of his massive slump by going deep to right center field in the 2nd inning. Downs would ground into a forceout for Wallace and was 0-2 on the night.
The other substitution that left me scratching my head was Jason Bourgeois pinch running for J.D. Martinez in the 9th inning. Now I know that Bourgeois is probably much faster than J.D. Martinez but I think that's canceled out by the fact that Bourgeois would go 0-2 for the rest of the game in the three spot. Martinez up to that point had been 1-3 with a run batted in. This is something I've moaned about before but when the game goes into extra's it seems like Mills hurts the team more than he helps them.
Still the Astros are guaranteed at least a split with the Rockies going into tomorrow's game, but it'd be so much better if they could pull of the rare series win.
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I think it was necessary to PH Downs for Wallace. Otherwise it would have been a lefty on lefty situation with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th with a runner on 2nd.
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.
It’s possible for lefties to get a hit off of a lefty. Mills might not know that though.
by jmike on Sep 25, 2011 3:12 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Also, what an interesting HR for Brett Wallace
I’ve seen glimpses of him having monster power on occasion, but he’s never put it together in the majors. How can you go from 20 homers one year (AAA + MLB combined), to just 6 the next (2011, AAA & MLB)? I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss Wallace as a player without a major league future at 1st base. He was a #27 rated prospect before last year. Scouts must have obviously seen something. His power may finally come back next year. We’ll just have to wait and see.
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.
by BustaPozee on Sep 24, 2011 10:57 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Longest HR at MMP this year
Fourth longest overall. I was in the Budweiser Patio for Social Media Night, and it landed about ten feet from me.
Mills takes an all or nothing approach late in games
He’ll often take out one of the big bats of the night in favor of more speed on the basepaths and better defense on the field. I’m not saying I disagree with this but it obviously doesn’t always work.
Between that and continueing to support Altuve bunting when he’s clearly not getting it, is often frustrating. Altuve has been a key hitter in most of the lineups he’s been a part of and hasn’t had a need to bunt. Now he’s being looked at as a “No power 2nd basemen that isn’t capable of putting down a bunt”, and I’m betting he’s panicking a little bit. I still believe in him as a hitter, but let him work on bunting in Winter Ball will ya?!
Only other thing worth mentioning IMO, was the work done by F-Rod. He got out of a huge jam and showed he is ready for a shot at a late inning role. Maybe even closer?
by Its Gonna Happen on Sep 25, 2011 4:16 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
Wade should have just left Altuve in the minors; he and/or Mills are obviously not confident in his ability to hit major league pitching.
"Nothing says romance like a face full of QWERTY." - The first-ever edition of Ask BLAS
Altuve probably shouldn’t have been promoted to the majors at this point.
Altuve OPS by month:
July .802 August .696 Sept. .411
I think pitchers have come to realize that Altuve will swing at anything, and they know how to take advantage of it.
by clack on Sep 25, 2011 7:44 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Some other indicators:
Among all ML 2d basemen with 70 PA or more: Altuve has the highest swing rate (56.6%); the highest outside swing percent (43.9%); highest first strike percent (69.2%). Those percentages aren’t available by month at fangraphs.
Some monthly batted ball data:
LD% July 29% August 20% Sept. 16%
GB% July 34% August 49% Sept. 60%
IFH% July 17% August 4% September 4%
I calculated strike % by month:
July 71% Sept. 72% August 76%
by clack on Sep 25, 2011 8:46 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
It was definitely surprising to rush Altuve with Downs still on the team.
by conroestro on Sep 25, 2011 11:10 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Was at the game
Sat behind home plate, about 20 feet away from Drayton. We left in the 11th inning because my brother has a baby he had to get home to. Observations:
-Wallace’s HR was pretty sweet. If nothing else, it shows he has potential.
-If Carlos Lee was making $5M/yr, he might be my favorite player, but at $18M, I hate him.
-Altuve is overmatched at the plate. He can’t help but swing the bat. Like, every single pitch.
-Brian Bogusevic just looks like a big leaguer.
-I think Paredes will end up making a very good major league player.
-This game lowered my expectations of Schafer.
-JD Martinez is a player.
-I really, really hope we bring back Barmes next season.
-Happ seems to have put it back together.
-Really glad I left before Lyles crapped the bed.
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3 game series vs Dodgers @ Dodger Stadium
| Fri 05/25 |
WP: Lucas Harrell (4 - 3)
SV: Brett Myers LP: Clayton Kershaw (4 - 2) |
3 - 1 win |
| Sat 05/26 |
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Houston Astros
Sunday, May 27, 2012, 3:10 PM CDT Partly cloudy. Winds blowing out to right field at 10-15 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 75. |
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NL Central Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cincinnati
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26 | 20 | .565 | 0 | Won 1 |
|
St. Louis
|
25 | 22 | .531 | 1.5 | Lost 3 |
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Houston
|
22 | 24 | .478 | 4 | Lost 1 |
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Pittsburgh
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22 | 24 | .478 | 4 | Won 2 |
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Milwaukee
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19 | 27 | .413 | 7 | Lost 1 |
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Chicago
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15 | 31 | .326 | 11 | Lost 11 |
(updated 5.27.2012 at 1:03 AM CDT)
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