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| Scott Elarton | Wandy Rodriguez |
| 1 - 8, 5.24 | 8 - 3, 4.48 |
So the Astros open a three-game set against the Royals, while St. Louis faces the Rockies, and the Reds take on the Pale Hose. That the Astros need to look for a sweep , and then take a look at what the opposition has done on Sunday is obvious to the point of inanity. Phil Garner's teams are noted for the idea that you get back into contention by winning two of three for long stretches, but this weekend that moderate philosophy needs to fly out the window. Especially with the Tigers and the White Sox coming up, a sweep is possible, and therefore imperative.
The Royals are (and here I shall take a deep breath), last in wins, last in runs, 28th in hits, last in OPS, 28th in OBP, last in SLG, last in home runs hit, last in runs allowed, last in batting average allowed, last in ERA (at 6.08!), and last in home runs allowed. The Royals are beatable to the point that it becomes a responsibility.
Now some people might say that the Royals under David Glass have become a travesty. And they might be right, except that "travesty" in its practical usage often is meant to imply that Something Ought To Be Done Right Now.
I'm not so sure about that part of it. Yeah, the Royals are pathetic, and historically so, so far, but the ashcans of history are full of crappy teams that were neither disbanded nor taken over by Major League Baseball. Hell, just a couple years ago, we were making Tigers jokes, and they appear to have come out of their Dark Ages just fine.
It's David Glass' team, and if he wishes to run it into the ground, it is his right to do so. Better men than he have done no less.
At any rate, Astros, go. Have at a franchise alumnus fallen on the hardest of all possible Major League times. Go ahead, rock his ass. Lord knows there's nothing to feel guilty about.
I will probably spend more time with the game in Round Rock than I will with this one. If no Game Thread makes itself apparent from one of our fine contributors, you can always check out the Rocket with the Express in the next post up.