MVN - Most Valuable Network

In Which Hill Makes Towles Do A Handstand And Towles Makes Him Pay

Thank goodness my Mama has a computer because I am going crazy without one of my own. At least I have a TV so I can watch the games…

So anyway, Chris Sampson should have won his first game of the year. He pitched REALLY well and of the few times he left the ball up, 3 were fouled off, Michael Bourn made a web gem grab on one and Reed Johnson hit the last one off the wall in left for a standup double.

Chris threw only 71 pitches in the 6.2 innings he pitched. I thought fer SHER he’d throw a complete game, easy, but unfortunately, the defense let him down in the 7th and Cooper pulled him for a reliever with 2 out, man on first. No errors, just plays not made. Loretta didn’t get Fukudome’s ground ball and Wiggy didn’t get Soto’s 2 RBI single to left because he’s slow and has no range. You do notice I am not blaming Wiggy for Aramis Ramirez‘ infield single earlier in the inning as I seriously doubt any 3B I’ve ever seen except maybe Rolen could have gotten him out. Sampson had already gotten lucky because Wiggy made a VERY bad throw to first with 2 outs and a man on third the previous inning, and only a very good grab by Lance Berkman, who also somehow managed to keep his foot on the bag, prevented a run from scoring.

Rich Hill is a GOOD pitcher and his curve ball was downright evil. He faced 26 batters, and for 10 of them, he threw a first pitch curve for a staring or swinging strike and 2 for an out (both strikes). He threw just one first pitch curve that was a ball - to Berkman. Actually, of all the curveballs that Hill threw, and I counted 37, only 3 were balls. He was undone by his usual weakness - a walk, followed by a homer. Yeh, that was Towles - first AB, first pitch was an errant FB that caught Towles on his inner right thigh - dude did a handstand after getting hit while trying to get out of the way??? or something - was funny as heck. It’s gonna make BBTN fer SHER. But anyway, next AB, he took a curveball for a strike, then hit a FB knee high mid plate for a line drive homer over the LF fence - fair by maybe 20′ but hey, in that wind?

It was Jon Lieber, pitching in relief, who was undone by his defense. Looks funny to see him in a Cubs uni again. But anyway, his ball had more movement on it than I remember seeing in a LONG time. I was actually surprised to see that his ERA vs the Astros is only 3.37 with a 1.16 WHIP because I thought we had hit him very well - guess not. Anyway, Mark DeRosa bobbled an EASY grounder by Lance. Carlos Lee flew out to center, then Miggy hit a pea down the LF line that Soriano badly misplayed, then dropped. Lance ran hard, checked the play,  but never slowed. Miggy was given credit for a triple instead of a double and an error (which it should have been) and then Wiggy, atoning for his poor D, drove in Tejada with a sac-fly to center. It would have been close if Pie’s throw had been better as Miggy is not exactly fast.

Doug Brocail pitched the 8th, getting 2 quick outs, then giving up a clean single to right to Theriot, then a single to Derrek Lee that Loretta didn’t get near (slow and not much range) then getting Aramis Ramirez to swing through a 3-2 FB.

Jose Valverde got the save in the 9th although he gave up a homer. Good thing he had a 2 run lead. Remember how the lynch mob started out after Brad Lidge last year when he blew the Opening Day save? Anyone want to guess how many closers have blown saves already this WEEK?

This entry was posted on Friday, April 4th, 2008 at 6:16 pm and is filed under J.R. Towles, Astros baseball, Chris Sampson, Ty Wigginton. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.