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| Craig Biggio |
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The game that Roy Oswalt pitched while saddled with Jeff Nelson's wildly shifting conception of the strike zone is not to be believed. Though frustration caused Roy to lose his composure and leave a fat one out that even a pitcher could handle in the second, Oswalt never again allowed Nelson's crappy game to bother him, twice innocently asking what was wrong with the pitch, but never again getting flustered, never again losing his cool.
It was certainly much more than I could have managed. Oswalt threw 70 strikes officially, but the correct total was closer to 80, Nelson blew so many.
One can only hope that the pendulum swings in the other direction tomorrow, although it probably won't, with the at-times wild Backe going up against the world-famous Tim Hudson.
At least Nelson won't be behind the plate.
Astro hitters have to be salivating thinking about another crack at the Braves bullpen, and should take lots of pitches early, fouling off what they can, anything to get Hudson--coming back on short rest--into a high pitch count and an early exit.