Glendale lost to the Peoria Javelinas 17-4 yesterday. Peoria scored eleven runs in the sixth inning. Aaron Sabato was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Zach Veen pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up four unearned runs on three hits and a walk. Malik Barrington pitched a third of an inning, allowing five runs on two hits and three walks with one strikeout. Ben Ethridge pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs on one hit and two hit batsmen.
I could have watched the whole game if they'd kept the game time (albeit from work). I can watch the first hour now. This might be better. If they're up or it's close, I can keep an eye on it. If they're down, I don't have to experience as much pain.
I keep thinking about 2002. They had to come back against the A's, who seemed at least as scary at the time as these Astros feel right now. Maybe even scarier.
I recall Hudson not being scary, as we had a ton of lefty mashers. But beating Mulder and Zito seemed impossible
Mulder won the CYA in 2001 (robbed Mussina of it but still a good season) and was nearly as good in 2002. Meanwhile Zito was better than that and won in 2002.
The emotions in Houston have been interesting. A lot of friends here pushed the optimistic views that the Astros were better on the road than at home while others had written off game 3 as a loss and looked to a must win game 4 to come back for a fantastic Verlander Lopez game 5.
After yesterday the general mood here is IMO a bit of overconfidence with an expectation that Urquidy and JP France will platoon a victory so JV is set up for game 1 vs the Rangers.
It should be a great time tonight.
I never thought I would leave a playoff game early, but I scooted out of there as soon as it hit 9-1. Had one foul ball that the ball shagger tossed into the stands right behind me. It bounced off a few hands and fell at my feet. Both me and the lady next to me reached for it, but she pulled a super savvy move and dropped her cell phone. Of course, I reached for her phone while she grabbed the baseball. The other excitement was that there was a row full of idiots behind me who thought all the Astro players could hear their taunts ( they couldn't). All game long they bragged that they were in head of Alvarez. It got old after a while.
1. I can't believe you fell for that old "drop the cell phone" trick.
2. Given Alvarez' slash line yesterday, if those idiots were in his head I hope they get out before tonight's game
3. Actually the bottom of the 9th was kind of fun. Not a lot of people there and there was a lot of mock cheering, especially up in the "cheap" seats. Not mock cheering like when a pitcher throws a strike after 7 consecutive balls, but move over-exuberance cheering given the score and the inning.
We did it. A game that went the Twins way for calling strikes.
The worst call still went against the Twins in a critical spot though.
Whoa! Buxton replacing Kirilloff on playoff roster due to "injury."
Kirilloff will be ineligible to return in the American League Championship Series presented by loanDepot if the Twins participate, but he would be eligible to return for the World Series presented by Capital One if Minnesota qualifies.
Color me amazed, presented by Torino Chamber of Commerce
Urquidy has interesting reverse splits. A 4FB, change, and curve mix versus LHB appears to be very effective.
Against RHB, before this season he was throwing mostly 4FB and sweeper primarily with a curve and change-up rarely (each about 5%). This year he's adjusted by throwing a lot fewer 4FB and replaced it mostly with a (new, new-ish) sinker. 4-seamer is mostly inside and the sinker is mostly away. He hasn't been especially good this year, so it's kind of hard to say if it's a good adjustment.
Also, weirdly to me, he likes to throw his change-up inside to LHB rather than away. I was under the general impression that pitchers usually throw fastball in with change-up away, against lefties and righties. Looking at Pablo's pitch map, he tends to throw his change-up inside to lefties, so maybe I just learned something.
It is literally another day
Glendale lost to the Peoria Javelinas 17-4 yesterday. Peoria scored eleven runs in the sixth inning. Aaron Sabato was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Zach Veen pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up four unearned runs on three hits and a walk. Malik Barrington pitched a third of an inning, allowing five runs on two hits and three walks with one strikeout. Ben Ethridge pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs on one hit and two hit batsmen.
I could have watched the whole game if they'd kept the game time (albeit from work). I can watch the first hour now. This might be better. If they're up or it's close, I can keep an eye on it. If they're down, I don't have to experience as much pain.
I keep thinking about 2002. They had to come back against the A's, who seemed at least as scary at the time as these Astros feel right now. Maybe even scarier.
I recall Hudson not being scary, as we had a ton of lefty mashers. But beating Mulder and Zito seemed impossible
Mulder won the CYA in 2001 (robbed Mussina of it but still a good season) and was nearly as good in 2002. Meanwhile Zito was better than that and won in 2002.
The emotions in Houston have been interesting. A lot of friends here pushed the optimistic views that the Astros were better on the road than at home while others had written off game 3 as a loss and looked to a must win game 4 to come back for a fantastic Verlander Lopez game 5.
After yesterday the general mood here is IMO a bit of overconfidence with an expectation that Urquidy and JP France will platoon a victory so JV is set up for game 1 vs the Rangers.
It should be a great time tonight.
I never thought I would leave a playoff game early, but I scooted out of there as soon as it hit 9-1. Had one foul ball that the ball shagger tossed into the stands right behind me. It bounced off a few hands and fell at my feet. Both me and the lady next to me reached for it, but she pulled a super savvy move and dropped her cell phone. Of course, I reached for her phone while she grabbed the baseball. The other excitement was that there was a row full of idiots behind me who thought all the Astro players could hear their taunts ( they couldn't). All game long they bragged that they were in head of Alvarez. It got old after a while.
1. I can't believe you fell for that old "drop the cell phone" trick.
2. Given Alvarez' slash line yesterday, if those idiots were in his head I hope they get out before tonight's game
3. Actually the bottom of the 9th was kind of fun. Not a lot of people there and there was a lot of mock cheering, especially up in the "cheap" seats. Not mock cheering like when a pitcher throws a strike after 7 consecutive balls, but move over-exuberance cheering given the score and the inning.
We did it. A game that went the Twins way for calling strikes.
The worst call still went against the Twins in a critical spot though.
Whoa! Buxton replacing Kirilloff on playoff roster due to "injury."
Color me amazed, presented by Torino Chamber of Commerce
Urquidy has interesting reverse splits. A 4FB, change, and curve mix versus LHB appears to be very effective.
Against RHB, before this season he was throwing mostly 4FB and sweeper primarily with a curve and change-up rarely (each about 5%). This year he's adjusted by throwing a lot fewer 4FB and replaced it mostly with a (new, new-ish) sinker. 4-seamer is mostly inside and the sinker is mostly away. He hasn't been especially good this year, so it's kind of hard to say if it's a good adjustment.
Also, weirdly to me, he likes to throw his change-up inside to LHB rather than away. I was under the general impression that pitchers usually throw fastball in with change-up away, against lefties and righties. Looking at Pablo's pitch map, he tends to throw his change-up inside to lefties, so maybe I just learned something.