Man, the Astros really know how to make a crap team look alright. Yorman Bazardo was shaky again, throwing 93 pitches in 4.2IP for a short outing that was made longer by a 2+ hour rain delay. Let's just do the thing, for the penultimate time.
Bazardo: 4.2IP, 5H/3ER, 3K:3BB, 15/23 first-pitch strikes, 19 non-contact strikes (3 16 called:3 swinging)
Gervacio: 0IP, 1H, 1BB, 1/2 FPS, 3/8 NCS (2c:1s)
Wright: 0.1IP, 1BB, 1/2 FPS, 3/5 NCS (2c:1s)
Byrdak: 1IP, 2K, 2/3 FPS, 5/8 NCS (2c:3s)
Fulchino: 1IP, 2H/1ER, 2BB, 2/6 FPS, 3/10 NCS (1c:2s)
LaHawk: 1IP, 2H, 1K, 4/5 FPS, 3/9 NCS (1c:2s)
How did Bazardo throw that many pitches and only last 4.2IP? 17 foul balls. 10 of the 23 batters faced saw 5+ pitches.
Once again, the Astros were bottled up, going 1x7 with RISP (Pence getting the only RISP knock). Only Keppinger and Matsui got 0-fers (0x3, each), and Berkman had the only multi-hit game. Tejada extended his hit streak to 20 games, the most since Willy Taveras had his 30-game hit streak back in 2006. He'll need two hits tomorrow to get his 200th hit of the season. In eight combined plate appearances, Berkman and Lee saw a combined 16 pitches. J.R. Towles saw 23 pitches in 4 PAs.
Towles' second life makes me wonder. If Castro doesn't make the club out of Spring Training in '10, Quintero and Towles may very well be your C1/C2, leaving Chris Coste...uh...some time to write another book.
Man of the Match: Lance Berkman. Two hits, raising his average to .274.
UPDATE: The Man of the Match has been given to Deputy Jason, for staying through a miserable game, one of reportedly 1,000 fans to stay through the delay.
Goat of the Game: Yorman. It's tough to stay locked in (I'm not even playing. I just sit on the couch and pass dry sarcasm with little to no accountability.) However, you're auditioning here, and the Mets aren't very good, and this was pretty bad.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
