ByThis week on the podcast:
And all this *before* Corey Patterson came up with two outs in the bottom of 11 and the winning run on base.
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By| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rangers (40-40) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| Astros (37-42) | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 7 | 15 | 1 |
In the aftermath of the whole Shawn Chacon choking the Astros General Manager Ed Wade, the Astros actually played some baseball. And they played well, so take that all you nay-sayers about using strangulation as a motivation technique. Heck, it’s been working for Homer Simpson for years.
Wandy Rodriguez was pretty awesome, throwing lots of strikes and allowing few hits and fewer runs. Rodriguez pitched 8 innings of 1-run, 5-hit baseball, giving Houston their second series win in a row.
Wandy’s back on track, and Houston might be, as well. Of course, what would be more symbolic of rock bottom than players fighting front office staff in the clubhouse? There’s not much elsewhere to go but up.
ByThis week on the podcast we run down some of the crazy injuries plaguing the NLC right now:
The Crack Technical Staff works on his Ed McMahon impression, and you can actually hear me sipping my glass of pinot grigio. Truly, an episode not to be missed.
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ByI sat down to write some quick game wraps today, only to find the same exact results as for the last two days. Everybody lost except the Brewers. C’mon, guys, some variety, please!
Of course, I expect losses from the Reds. They have by far the most promising up and coming players, but that is negated by one of the worst managers in the Majors. Which is why they’re in last place.
Houston’s been in a terrible funk lately, and Pittsburgh and the White Sox apparently substituted their baseball players for football players as both teams scored touchdowns in the second inning.
The Cardinals and the Cubs both lost again, making it look like those premiere offensive players they both recently lost were important to their success, after all. I gotta say, I believe it with Albert Pujols, but I’m surprised that Alfonso Soriano’s absence has so affected the Cubs. Of course, this is Chicago’s first rough spell all season, so one could say they were due, injuries or not.
That brings us to the Brewers, who now sit in 3rd place, just 5.5 games back. Can they keep their winning going? I don’t know, but I sure bet the Reds can continue their losing. They travel to New York to “play” the Yankees today.
If only there were something to distract me from the play on the field, perhaps a General Manager ranting about the worthlessness of a player who’s better than any other player on his team. And preferably, that ire could be directed towards an NL Central player like Adam Dunn. Nah, GMs are professionals. Even Jim Bowden wouldn’t do that.
By
This week on the podcast, the Crack Technical Staff and I have a lot of catching up to do. We discuss our trip to Victory Field tonight, and how the Columbus Clippers are now a Nationals affiliate that employ Ray Olmedo. We discuss the trade rumors around Ken Griffey, the injuries affecting the Cardinals, the .500 play of the Pirates, and the shocking interest of MLB in instant replay (it’s technology that’s only twice as old as my son!)
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