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| Andy Pettitte | Mark Buerhle |
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1 - 1, 4.66 1.29 WHIP |
2 - 0, 2.81 0.88 WHIP |
Spent all day yesterday blogging about the pre-game hype and festivities; spent all day today preparing for a hurricane.
Props to Brian in Cali, who called it dead on as far what the punditocracy would second guess Garner for. David Schoenfeld took over for Eric Neel and Rob Neyer and says, as Brian did, that Wheeler should have started the eighth.
I understand what Garner was trying to do--gambling a little in the eighth so he would have the overwhelming advantage if it went to extras-- and I truly believe that Springer is a quality pitcher.
That having been said, I've changed my mind a bit, and now feel that if Garner wanted to bring in Springer to start the eighth, that he should have brought in Wheeler once Pierzynski got to second.
But I think we can all agree that in the end, it didn't matter: the game was decided by the 3-4-5-6 batters in the eighth inning.
Props to Willy T, though.
Don't have Insider 'cause I won't pay for it, but evidently Buster Olney feels that Garner compromised our chances by starting Bagwell.
Screw Olney, though; I've made my feelings on that subject known previously. I don't want to be a fan of a game or a team that can't get Bags a start last night.
Lamb hit .179 vs. lefties, so it looks like--although I'm nowhere near as hardcore for it in Game Two--we'll be seeing Bagwell in the DH slot again tonight. Burke in left, Berkman at first will give us our best defensive alignment without using Bruntlett.
The party line on Andy Petttte is that the knee bruise is ancient history, and that it hadn't affected him in Game Five of the NLCS.
I think that we know better. It'll be cold and rainy--the same kind of conditions that K.O.'d Roger last night--so cross your fingers for Andy's sake and ours.
After having seen the Cardinals for six games, the White Sox lineup certainly doesn't inspire awe, and you definitely feel that a good outing from our guys can shut them down cold or next to it.
And as we also saw against the Cards, losing Game One on the road ain't that big a deal--if you win the next one.
This is the next one.
Go Astros!!!