Wow, so it's been pretty bad. The Astros are playing a lot like they were "supposed to" all season long. Piss-poor pitching. No-account hitting. It's all coming together exactly like Baseball Prospectus wanted it to. For a while it felt like this team was at least a little special. But now, it's becoming clear that the 2009 Astros just aren't. Especially after giving up 10+ hits for the 10th time in the last 12 games in a 6-2 loss to the Brewers.
Let's do the thing:
Moehler: 5IP, 10H/3ER, 2K:2BB, 17/26 first-pitch strikes, 26/62 non-contact strikes (19 called:7 swinging)
Arias: 0IP, 3H/3ER, 0K:1BB, 2/4 FPS, 5/10 NCS (3c:2s)
Byrdak: 0.1IP, 1/1 FPS, 1/2 NCS (1s)
Gervacio: 0.2IP, 1BB, 2/3 FPS, 0/2 NCS
Bazardo: 2IP, 1K:1BB, 6/7 FPS, 10/17 NCS (8c:2s)
While Moehler should be shaved bald for letting Craig Counsell get a 2-run triple off him, Arias is on the hook for this one. Down 3-0, Arias faced four batters after Moehler had run up 104 pitches to get 15 outs (12 baserunners). Three of Arias' BFs got hits and one walked. Three runs came in, and Arias didn't record an out. You can be sure that tomorrow we'll take a look at how the bullpen has been affected over the last two weeks, but Arias' ERA has gone from 1.34 to its current 3.50 in his last ten appearances (12ER in 10IP). That said, he was hit for three singles, and Byrdak gave up the sac fly, while Gervacio gave up the FC scoring Counsell.
The Astros' offense came up with only 5 hits, seeing 108 pitches in 33 PAs (compared to 159 pitches in 39 PAs). Two of those hits were courtesy Geoff Blum, with the other three from Pence (2-run homer), Matsui (congratulations on your 2000th professional hit), and Darin Erstad's pinch-hit double. The Astros got two GIDPs, one on an inning-ending GIDP from Pence in the 2nd, and one from Tejada, who managed to kill a nice little rally with Erstad's leadoff pinch-hit double, and a Michael Bourn walk erased. Berkman struck out swinging to finish it off with Erstad on third.
Pitch Count Hero: Bourn - 19 pitches in 4 PAs (two walks)
Pitch Count Punk: Kaz Matsui - 7 pitches in 3 PAs
Goat of the Game: I know I made a case for Byrdak and Gervacio sharing some responsibility for Arias' 3ER, but it's going to Arias. Whether he's also suffering from overuse or is flat-out hurt, I don't know.
Man of the Match: I don't know. How about Yorman Bazardo? Moehler, Arias, Byrdak, and Gervacio were at least minorly responsible for Brewers' runs being scored. Bazardo? Huh-uh. Seven batters faced, six outs, one walk, no hits.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
