For The Second Time This Year The Astros Hit 5 Solo Homers And Lose

Cooper likes to put his players in a good position to lose. This was one of the worst major league games I have EVER had the misfortune to watch. And I didn't even bother to watch after the end of the 6th - I KNEW the ending already. Bazardo gave up a lot of HARD hit baseballs, 2 homers a 5 more really hard hit balls, 3 of which were caught. He has a rather mediocre fastball and sometimes a ball that does break well. He gave up 4 ER over 5 IP and left with a tenuous 1 run lead. His opposition was a right whose FB topped out at 86 (no, I'm not kidding) and threw the change offn his change offn his change and an occasional nice curve. Trouble was that every time he hung one of those breakers, it left the ballpark - twice by Kep, once by Kaz, once by Blum and once by Carlos. I noted that Coop, obviously unwillingly, inserted Towles and Manzella in the lineup and didn't look real too happy about it - he got his wish - Towles only hit a dribbler down the RF line for a single and Manzella got the sombrero. So, just to show how much he HATED having to use any ballplayer who wasn't a Proven Veteran, after losing the previous 2 games, he started the worst and least experienced reliever in the bullpen, Wilton Lopez. My husband looked at me and said - my GOD, the *(%*#! is TRYING to lose the game. You put in your WORST pitcher to try to preserve a 1 run lead? Well, he proved his point all right. Sure enough, Lopez coughs up the lead. Then Wesley Wright comes in, gives up an IF single on a ball on which Berkman makes that play but Blum doesn't, then a single to right which advances the runner to third, then Fulchino comes in and gives up the go-ahead run on a WP. Other than that, he was nails - gave up a walk and 6 Ks in his 2 IP. Too bad Coop didn't bring him in when we were still, like, you know, WINNING. But noooooooooo. Astros scored all their runs on the 5 solo homers - well one of them would have been a 2 run job if Pence hadn't stupidly tried to stretch a double into a triple - he was out by 20' and I couldn't tell whether or not he ran through a stop sign or whether this was another of Dave Clark's stupid mistakes. But the Astros did ZERO with MOB - Clank and Blum left 2 on in the first. In the second, with one out, men on first and third, Coop had Bazardo sac-bunt, not squeeze. WHY????? did he keep Kep at third? And when Bazardo hit the ball, WHY did Clark hold Kep at third even then? Another dumb mistake, waiting for, what? Bourn, unfortunately, grounded out. Pence left 2 on, 2 out in the 4th. I didn't have any problem with Coop having Bourn sac-bunmt against a lefty with Maysonet (who singled - GOD forbid he get any regular playing time) on first. Kaz walked, then enither Pence not Clank did anything. The usual. I am just flat out tired of this crap. Only good thing about losing, I keep telling myself, is that with any luck, MAYBE Drayton will get it through his think skull that you NEED good managers and coaches, even here at the ML level. This is the worst team I can remember watching since I was a kid. Yes, including the 2000 team, which basically fell apart in the first year of the Box. And I hope Drayton is watching Drew Stubbs, the guy who wanted more than slot who Drayton didn't want to sign for more than slot for fear of offending Buddy Boy and losing his prime spot right in front of him. Drew isn't hitting like Pujols, no, of course not, and is hitting around .250 and hes he does have 38 Ks over 128 AB, but he is adjusting to ML pitching. And with (fortunately for him) Willy Taveras on the DL, he hasn't had to constantly worry about having to sit and has played almost every day since being called up in the beginning of August. AND he's a darn good OF, too. Actually, after watching him these past 3 days, I wouldn't be surprised if he has a longer and better career than Hunter Pence. Hunter hit a ball waaay into the gap tonight - first time I'd seen him do that in weeks. He had darn well better work with someone this winter is all I can say. Thank GOAWD we are off tomorrow because I've had bout enough of this sorry ass team and the sorrier-assed manager. He is, without question, the worst manager I have ever seen. Including Jimy Williams. And Terry Collins. I had such high hopes when he first started, too - he looked so different back in the fall of 07, but I realize that it was because he had been ordered to play all the young guys fairly consistently (except for Biggio - hey, it was the Prima Donna's farewell tour, nevermind that he could no longer hit or field.) I actually can't remember when I turned off an Astros game in disgust. I'm sure I'm going to be doing it a LOT more over the next few weeks. Friday, we head to Miller Park so Prince Fielder can tee off.