MLB.com is always happy to bring up no-hitters and great performances, so of course they turned to Carlos Zambrano's Opening Day start against the Astros on Monday.
Why? Because of the no-hitter last year! Remember?
"It was good," Zambrano said Wednesday of his historic game. "But you have to remember Carlos Lee wasn't in the [Astros] lineup and Ivan Rodriguez also. Now [Lee] is back, and I have to be careful with him. I think he has pretty good numbers against me. That's the adjustment as a pitcher, when you see a hitter who has good numbers, you have to make the adjustment."
Oh he's right. Lee is 17x46 (.370) with 5 doubles and 4 homers off Zambrano.
Any chance one of the Astro pitchers plunks Zambrano when he comes to the plate? If any of the position players from last year tried to hit him with a bat, they would have swung right over the top of him.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
