The Six-Man Rotation

I don't believe it could actually happen. But apparently it's going to happen.

Beginning with Mike Hampton's start Tuesday against San Diego, the Astros will use six different starting pitchers in six games, a decision made because Houston is unable to justify removing any of its five starters from the rotation to make room for Hampton, who will come off the disabled list to start for the first time since June 12.

SP1 - Roy
SP2 - Wandy
SP3 - Moehler
SP4 - Ortiz
SP5 - Hampton
SP6 - Paulino

First of all, that's bullcrap. With the exception of flashes of brilliance vs Pittsburgh, Moehler hasn't pitched very well at all.

Cooper:
"It makes sense to do that. Ortiz is coming off surgery, Paulino just came back from the DL and Hampton will be just coming off the DL. He has a history of missing starts anyway, and this is a way to protect him and Paulino a little bit -- and maybe the same for Russ. More than that, it's just difficult, because they've all pitched pretty well."

John Royal:
The Astros are supposedly worried, according to JD, that Hampton and Ortiz will not be able to take a heavy load of innings because of their lack of pitching over the past several years. First, for that happen, Hampton's got to stay off of the disabled list, which so far, he hasn't been able to do. Second, for that to happen, these two guys have to show a consistent ability to get past the fifth inning, which also, so far, has yet to happen.

Word within the piece is that the Astros would use it until the All-Star break, and there are 13 games until the All-Star Break - 14 if you count the completion of the May suspended game versus Washington.

6/30: Hampton vs. Banks (@SD)
7/1: Moehler vs. Silva (@SD)
7/2: Wandy vs. Correia (@SD)
7/3: Paulino vs. Sadowsky (@SF)
7/4: Ortiz vs. Lincecum (@SF)
7/5: Oswalt vs. Johnson (@SF)
7/6: (Presumably) Hampton vs. Vazquez (vPIT)
7/7: Moehler (vPIT)
7/8: Wandy (vPIT)
7/9: Completion of previous game vs. Washington / Paulino (vWSH)
7/10: Ortiz (vWSH)
7/11: Oswalt (vWSH)
7/12: Hampton (vWSH)

A couple of things. Whoever would deprive us of an Oswalt/Lincecum matchup on the 4th of July doesn't deserve to be in baseball. And under this system, Hampton gets three starts, everyone else gets two starts from today on.

Ortiz:
"You get an extra day, which is not all that bad. This last rotation everybody seemed to pitch pretty well. It's one of those things that if we're all doing well and they want to try it, then why not? If that's only going to help, lets' try it out. If it's not going to hurt anybody or do anything to anybody, then we should be totally fine."

I can see, how going with matchups, this would help. Moehler and Hampton get starts against Pittsburgh, and if we're auditioning guys (Moehler, Hampton) for trades, then I guess I can put up with it for a couple of weeks.