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| Matt Morris | Fernando Nieve |
| 2 - 4, 6.20 | 1 - 1, 4.85 |
The record is beginning to show that while the past is a little different, when the 21st century version of Los Astros face the Giants, nothing much good happens for the guys with the stars on their hats.
Not only does this team always beat us, they always beat us badly.
What in the name of Harry Freaking Spilman is up with that?
Anyway, I don't expect much better tonight. We won't have Berkman, I still don't trust Nieve, and our bullpen is battered.
The entire roster has to be thinking that tomorrow's offday is a blessed occurrence, like those feast days that dot the Catholic calendar, and I'm afraid that they will have the offday more in their sights than tonight's game.
Plus, there's gonna be a beanball war.
Morris--obviously not off to a great start--has seen a lot of the Astros. In 170-2/3 innings against them, he's compiled a 3.53 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. He threw 7-2/3 innings of 3-run, 4-hit ball in game one of the doubleheader April 13th, and got one of his two wins on the year for his trouble.
Good news: Mike Lamb is 6 for 17 off Morris, with a double and 3 homers, and Lambchops possesses better numbers in general than Lance does. Jason Lane is 2 for 7 with a homer and a walk. After that, we're looking at guys like Biggio and Ausmus who have OPSes in the .600's of the guy.
Nieve relieved Roy Oswalt in game two of the same doubleheader out west. He threw a pitch to Vizcaino, getting Viz to pop out, and a pitch to Matheny, getting the catcher to ground out to end that ballgame. Efficiency like that would be appreciated tonight, although, again, I've got the feeling that young Fernando might end up getting ejected.
<sigh>