Pitching Update

A lot of us made excuses for the team yesterday after its series-ending loss to the Reds.  The fact that the 'Stros already had the winning road trip, the fact that the matchup was # 6 vs. # 1, and the fact that we damn near tied it in the eighth kept a lot of us from being too harsh.

My immediate response is that there are extenuating circumstances tonight, as well.

Namely, that Brandon Webb's, like, pretty good.  He came into the game with a lifetime 2 - 1 record against Houston with a 1.78 ERA, so it's certainly not as if the Astros' performance against Webb was good, then all of a sudden fell off the table.  

This is of course the Cy Young winner here, and if you look at it the right way, the Astros actually improved their home performance vs. Webb Friday night.  The Astros had been 9 for 50 with only two extra base hits in Webb's two previous visits to Minute Maid, and they had three extra base hits just tonight.

Chris Sampson was extremely smart and extremely gutsy as he put together a Quality Start when obviously working without his best stuff.  

And once again, the team put ninth inning pressure on the opposition.  

So yeah, I'm not freaking.  Tonight wasn't your worst loss.

But you got to convert your baserunners vs. Livan tomorrow, and you have to beat Davis Sunday.  

If we take the series, tonight's loss will seem like just one of those things that happens when you face the reigning Cy Young winner. . . .