Bazardo And Wilton Lopez Throw BP At The BOB

Husband and I went out last night and so I didn't get a chance to even check the replay until early this morning. Well, I shouldn't even say that - I checked the box score and thought that the lousy pitching would most likely angry up the blood and figured I should REALLY sleep on it and get some strength back before bothering to look again. It was a good decision. All I can say is - good thing the Astros are not in any sort of race for the postseason. Max Scherzer was not very good, but it dsidn't matter because the Astros were worse. Lance Berkman drove in 2 in the first with a double, but tried for 3rd and got thrown out. Carlos and Miggy did nothing - which was what they did all night, by the way. And they didn't even GIDP, adding to the team's total run for the record. Then, spotted 2 runs, Bazardo came in to pitch and oh man, was he BAD. The ump spotted him strike 1, then he proceded to walk the leadoff man, then give up 2 straight singles to load the bases, then walk in another run. AND he really wasn't getting squoze by the ump, neither - he just was not anywhere near the strike zone and the few times he DID, the balls were hit. Dewey ran out there, told Bazardo to throw freaking strikes, then he got a GIDP, giving up another run, then he finally got a groundout. You could think - well, dude is just finding himself and his pitches out there, maybe he'll sharpen up next inning. Astros didn't give him anything in the top of the second - Pence got called out on a wicked outside FB on the black, Matsui went to 3-2 before flying out and Quintero Kd swinging at a FB around his shoulders. Good grief. So Bazardo comes back, gives up a single, a FC, a sac-bunt, then an RBI single and the Dbax gift him with an out because the hitter tried to go to second on the throw - guess he figured that Pence would try to get the runner at home and not throw to the cutoff man. So now the Astros are down 3-2. Top of the 3rd, Bazardo is up. He manages to run the count to 3-2, using up 8 pitches (bitterly - maybe this is the dude who should team the Stros hitters how to foul off unhittable pitches instead of popping up on the first or second) and reaches when the SS boots the ball. Then Bourn hits into what would be a 6-4-3 for any other hitter, except he's too fast and so it's a FC (just ONCE, I would like to see some other hitter besides Bourn running full speed instead of gingerly trotting down to first, to allow the DP to be turned...) Then Keppinger homers and the Astros lead 4-2. Then Lance and Carlos get themselves out. So NOW what can Bazardo do? This is the painful part here. He walks the first batter - Strike 1 is called Ball 1, he doesn't get a strike call on the outside corner where the ump has been calling them all night (I've mentioned before that this happens a LOT with Q catching) and Coop trots out. But it did no good because Bazardo immediately gave up 2 singles (Carlos doesn't even try to come forward, then Miggy barely moves to get a grounder), 2 doubles (both smashed into the gaps) and 3 runs without getting a single out. Bazardo threw 44 pitches and got exactly 1 swing and miss. 3 walks, 8 hits, 7 runs, NO Ks and 1 GIDP. The pitches had very little movement, the ones in the strike zone, I mean, and you can NOT have that in the majors. Even really lousy hitting teams like the DBax will tee off on stuff like that. So, with Arias just going on the DL and Fulchino/Byrdak/Gervacio unavailable because Coop had wasted him night after night, sending him in to get out just 1 batter, it was time for the new guy, who had been picked up off the waiver wire, a righty with a 4.93 ERA/1.30 WHIP at AA for San Diego. So he procedes to let Bazardo's runner score on an RBI single, then he gives up a homer on a hanging slider and it's DBax 10, Stros 4 in the bottom of the 3rd, no outs. Lopez threw 3 more innings, giving up 4 more runs, and all I can say is that if he had been facing any sort of GOOD team, he woulda given up more. And the sad thing is that it looked as if he had better stuff than Bazardo - he got more swinging strikes. 4 IP, 8 H (3 HR), 2 BB and 3 swinging Ks. sigh But I gotta hand it to Lopez - he went in there and took it on the chin for 4 innings, all 6 runs worth, knowing he wouldn't be long for the majors. Funny, even though taking one for the team is smething that is supposed to be admired, it still makes a mess of your numbers and it will get you in the end (see Brandon Backe and starts after August 2008.) Tonight, it's a replay of Bud Norris vs Jon Garland. I hope Bud isn't just over-tired from working so many more innings this year than he did last year. Which, by the way, is a good way to injure young pitchers (see Troy Patton, 2007 - thank you Coop.) He threw 80 innings last year and 120 innings this year at AAA plus 27.2 in the majors. His last start, he only lasted 1 inning, gave up six runs because the pitches that DID find the plate had like no movement at all. Garland is far from a great pitcher, but you spot the Other Guys 6 runs in the first, THIS team ain't coming back. Oh well, I'm sure that Aaron Boone returning will completely turn things around because he has clearly been The Missing Piece Of The Puzzle.