Game 28 Open Thread: May 3, 2006

marquis oswalt
3-2, 5.04 4-1, 2.76
this article says the astros are coming hard after roger clemens, offering him the same $18m salary -- pro-rated for playing time -- that he made last season. they could probably use him; even with surprisingly good aprils from wandy rodriguez and rookie taylor buchholz, the 'stros lag the cardinals in era by two-thirds of a run. the bullpen has been a mess, brad lidge in particular; he's yielded 11 walks and 3 hr in 13.2 innings. but the houston offense, so feeble last season, has been pretty good in 2006 -- 4th in the league in runs per game (the cardinals are 8th), 2d in obp (cards are 7th), 4th in slugging (cards are 7th). like the cardinals, they have fattened up their early record against bad teams -- they're 8-2 vs florida, washington, and pittsburgh, 9-7 vs everybody else. the cardinals are 8-2 vs wash/pgh, 9-8 vs their other opponents. st louis is 11-9 against the nl central so far. after the games tonight and tomorrow, they won't play another game within the division until memorial day, when these same astros come to busch III.
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Marquis de Sade
At least Oswalt hasn't been completely consistent so far this season, either, despite his ERA.
Be gentle on us today, Jason.
tonight's lineups
D. Eckstein ss
J. Rodriguez lf
A. Pujols 1b
J. Edmonds cf
J. Encarnacion rf
S. Spiezio 3b
G. Bennett c
H. Luna 2b
J. Marquis p
C. Biggio 2b
W. Taveras cf
L. Berkman 1b
M. Ensberg 3b
P. Wilson lf
J. Lane rf
B. Ausmus c
A. Everett ss
R. Oswalt p
Per the P-D:
Rodriguez, LF
Pujols, 1B
Edmonds, CF
Encarnacion, RF
Spiezio, 3B
Bennett, C
Luna, 2B
Marquis, P
Barry Bonds
I feel bad for the Astros
On another note, I'm looking forward to finally watching a game again tonight. My MLB Extra Innings has blacked out the last 5 Cards' games here in NC. Hopefully Oswalt won't make us look like little leaguers as he has been known to do. I've always felt this Cards Astros rivalry was better than our alleged one with the Cubs. Will Pujols be in the lineup?
Is anyone else worried
And a geeked-up Jason Marquis tends to overthrow, which is bad news for a sinkerballer.
Hold my hand, tell me I'm delusional.
by 26thMan on May 3, 2006 7:54 PM EDT reply actions
Sadly...
They weren't booing...
by 26thMan on May 3, 2006 8:09 PM EDT reply actions
I can't watch or hear this game...
Ugh Marquis walks the leadoff man. Gameday shows at least that the pitches were low (if you can trust it). How close was he?
by phatalbert5 on May 3, 2006 8:16 PM EDT reply actions
Boos
by 26thMan on May 3, 2006 8:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Nice start there Jason
Too bad that ball missed.
I wish that hit had richocheted off of Marquis's head.
try closing mlb.tv and reopening, duke
I tried it just now
And MLB.com phucks me again. I'm located in central Texas, so I'm blacked out. But as usual, the local FSN affiliate is showing the Rangers instead of the Astros.
Ack
It's happened before
Too Late?
by phatalbert5 on May 3, 2006 8:27 PM EDT reply actions
now, now
by 26thMan on May 3, 2006 8:28 PM EDT up reply actions
I've Got a Feelin'
Anybody notice the smack that Memphis laid down on the gNats' AAA team this afternoon? Things of note from the boxscore:
Larry Bigbie sat out the game after leaving last night's game before the fourth inning.
Ty Johnson pitched two scoreless innings of one-hit ball while ringing up three Zephyrs.
Ya know what...
It looks like
by 26thMan on May 3, 2006 8:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes
by 26thMan on May 3, 2006 8:44 PM EDT up reply actions
I hope to never
by 26thMan on May 3, 2006 9:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Well I'll be damned
speez
MM Park
by phatalbert5 on May 3, 2006 9:00 PM EDT reply actions
I don't hate their park...
It's the best miniature golf course I've ever seen.
how close was that ball by j-rod
by RB @ Viva El Birdos on May 3, 2006 9:01 PM EDT reply actions
marquis at 65 pitches already...
by RB @ Viva El Birdos on May 3, 2006 9:04 PM EDT reply actions
Dan and Al
by 26thMan on May 3, 2006 9:16 PM EDT reply actions
tiny, inconsistent strike zone this inning
98...
by RB @ Viva El Birdos on May 3, 2006 9:33 PM EDT reply actions
Bennet and Marquis
It's a little too early to say, but I think Bennett may be dealing better with Marquis than Molina. Molina gets pretty emphatic with Marquis, and it seems like he wants to rip his head off sometimes.
While I share Molina's apparent feelings, it'll be interesting to see how Bennett does, and if he starts catching Molina regularly.
Of course, the best possible outcome would be to trade Marquis for, say, a bat boy or maybe a bucket of dirt, but I'll refrain from getting that ridiculously optimistic.
I've noticed that as well...
by Matt @ Viva El Birdos on May 3, 2006 9:46 PM EDT up reply actions
we just have to wait
by RB @ Viva El Birdos on May 3, 2006 10:02 PM EDT reply actions
how far....
by RB @ Viva El Birdos on May 3, 2006 10:05 PM EDT reply actions
El Hombre
Willy Tavares' at-bat to triple in the bottom of the sixth was an incredible piece of hitting.
Here's my Pettitte impersonation:
That appeared to be roughly the same spot as The Homer.
by 26thMan on May 3, 2006 10:07 PM EDT reply actions
I just turned the game on
Down Again
by phatalbert5 on May 3, 2006 10:28 PM EDT reply actions
Falkenborg
O wait, here he comes again. Yay.
by phatalbert5 on May 3, 2006 10:33 PM EDT reply actions
My thoughts exactly...
Absolutely.
Got to give credit
by phatalbert5 on May 3, 2006 10:43 PM EDT up reply actions
So, Top of the 9th...
Oswalt up to 116 pitches - he's done.
I really hope Lidge gives up a hit to J-rod. What would happent next?
Just a thought about midseason trades...
I hate losing, but this isn't that bad...
I wish I didn't live in Portland so I could actually watch this stuff.
Old Abner's at it again...
by matt reeder on May 3, 2006 10:41 PM EDT reply actions
is it just me...
Hmm
Way to go
He's been waiting to get that hit to that spot since the 2005 NLCS. That one went just a few feet longer.
Holy Smokes...
Not quite, Al
by 26thMan on May 3, 2006 10:51 PM EDT reply actions
damnit. Pujols and Edmonds, we needed a homer.
Lets leave this game in the hands of....
by RB @ Viva El Birdos on May 3, 2006 10:52 PM EDT reply actions
Would that ball that Pujols hit...
by RB @ Viva El Birdos on May 3, 2006 10:53 PM EDT reply actions
Both would have, probably.
OMG
Power to the beard here please!!!!
by RB @ Viva El Birdos on May 3, 2006 10:56 PM EDT reply actions
damnit
Lidge is hittable and we are PH
Seriously because Rolen wouldn't have had a better chance than that...
Freakin Minute Maid park...
by RB @ Viva El Birdos on May 3, 2006 10:59 PM EDT reply actions
was Spiezio's check swing really a strike?
It's childish to blame a loss on park dimensions
I understand that it's wrong to get too worked up about that. Just have to vent.
by phatalbert5 on May 3, 2006 11:01 PM EDT reply actions
Goes to show
Get healthy Scott!
well
WHY WAS MILES PINCH HITTING???
why was miles more likely to hit
some #'s
Miles, career avg .289
Gooch, career avg .286
As far as getting a base hit, it's a tossup.
Now, rolen would have been much more likely to make the game 7-5, or 6-5, and I definitely would have preferred him up there if he was well, but we don't have any idea how good he is feeling and miles is hot right now. And he is a much better hitter than anyone gives him credit for being.
here's some more
He's hitting righties to a tune of .200 this year.
Rolen is 38-146 against Houston and is hitting righties to .286 the past three years.
Maybe Miles is SLIGHTLY underrated but when we are down by one with Lidge on the mound, I still want Rolen at the plate before Miles.
Not to mention Taguchi has been hot at the plate lately compared to Miles who has been cooling off.
I'm not sure why this is really debatable...Rolen or Miles? Is that really a question???
beating a dead horse
Again, if rolen was healthy it would have been a no-brainer. B ut he's been in bed for 2 weeks with some kind of flesh-eating virus and there is no telling what his ability to play was yesterday. Taguchi/miles were a tossup and miles was a switch-hitter.
if it wasn't for the fact
I still very much dislike the decision to PH Miles but leaving Marquis in was another less than stellar decision made earlier in the game.
The miles thing is a lot easier for me to deal
Now that I have calmed down
Running with two strikes
by 26thMan on May 4, 2006 12:14 AM EDT up reply actions
eh...
me, I'm not so fond of it...
but it appeared to work out this time



















