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Matchup/Preview/Diary Game # 131 vs. Reds

"El Jeffé"

 

Ramon Ortiz   Wandy Rodriguez
8 - 9, 5.33    8 - 6, 6.16

This series scares me, and it is my belief that things could get ugly.

the Astros have three players who have slugged over .500 in August, with none of them over .520. Meanwhile, the Reds have slugged .496 as a team since the All-Star break.

The Reds lead the National League in runs scored for the month, while the Astros are one of only two teams leaguewide to have not breached the 100-run barrier in August.

The Reds are second in extra base hits for the month, the Astros are second to last. Cincinnati has hit twice as many homers as the Astros this month, twice as many, plus a couple more. They lead the league in homers for August, and are the only team in the league to have walked 100 times in August.

And their classically bad pitching, while not having moved up into a class with Houston, has done rather well on the month, holding down the sixth spot leaguewide in ERA. They're fifth this month in strikeout to walk ratio, and eighth in WHIP.

The Marlins, the Phillies, and the Mets missed a big chance to kick us out of the race while we were going 2- 4 in LA and San Diego. But our luck in that regard may end up going for nought.

I just can't imagine Wandy--and listen, Roy, given the rut he's in right now--shutting these guys down.

But I've been surprised before.

Go Astros, and
Wandy Power!™

Slugging Post All-Star Break
SLG
Post All Star
Red Pos Astro SLG
Post All Star
x .473 Jason LaRue C1 Brad Ausmus .330
x .836* Javier Valentin C2 Humberto Quintero .375
x .524 Sean Casey 1B Mike Lamb .382
x .532 Rich Aurilia 2B Craig Biggio .383
x .595 Felipe Lopez SS Adam Everett .336
.490 Edwin Encarnacion 3B Morgan Ensberg .516 x
x .700 Ken Griffey, Jr. OF1 Jason Lane .558
x .594 Adam Dunn OF2 Lance Berkman .526
x .509 Austin Kearns OF3 Orlando Palmeiro .436
x .443 Willy Mo Peña OF4 Willy Taveras .320
.341 Ray Olmedo Util/PH Eric Bruntlett .444 x
.000 Ramon Ortiz P1 Wandy Rodriguez .133 x
.059 Brandon Claussen P2 Andy Pettitte .091 x
.048 Aaron Harang P3 Roy Oswalt .158 x
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* This is not a misprint