Game Thread #56: Astros (30-26) at Brewers (27-28)
We're mug-less today, so let's start with a couple of KL's usual links:
Today's matchup is Ben Sheets and Brian Moehler, which sounds a little too much like Tim Hudson vs. Dave Bush for my liking. (I trust you remember how that one turned out!)
Game time is 6:05 CT, and here's the BR Game Preview.
Go Brewers!
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Sheets threw less than 90 pitches his last start
I am looking for a really strong performance from Sheets today. Offense showed some signs of life against right handed pitching yesterday and with Russell in the lineup I think we have pretty strong one through six at least against righties. Back to .500 I say!
Tomorrow
Anybody going to the yard tomorrow?
Lordz Of Vengeance....If I'm not drunk, I'm at work.
by Dikembe Meiztombo on May 31, 2008 4:16 PM CDT reply actions
yep
First game this year. I think my wife might be interested in the Braun bobble more than the game itself, but whatever it takes to get to a game.
I hope she knows
that it doesn’t look a thing like him…
except maybe the big eyes
"Brett Favre looks like a man in a parking lot playing with boys." - John Madden
"Pujols just unloaded." - Bob Uecker
Brian Moehler fun fact
Ten years ago he was 14-13 for a team that went 65-97. I wonder how many wins he would’ve had on a .500 team.
Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.
WMLM
Is it in delicious OTA HD? I’d have to unpack my antenna if it is, otherwise I’ll suffer in SD.
I didn't see anything
on my dish network, but I’m not sure about cable or anything else
"Brett Favre looks like a man in a parking lot playing with boys." - John Madden
"Pujols just unloaded." - Bob Uecker
MLW has HD? Really?
Lordz Of Vengeance....If I'm not drunk, I'm at work.
by Dikembe Meiztombo on May 31, 2008 6:11 PM CDT up reply actions
Yay
He caught it this time, instead of watching it fly past him.
"Brett Favre looks like a man in a parking lot playing with boys." - John Madden
"Pujols just unloaded." - Bob Uecker
Sheets
That would’ve been a homer in Helfaer Field.
Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.
Ugh more men left on base
And that was the top of the order. It seemed like we might break through in the second but still no runs.
Break that windshield!
"Brett Favre looks like a man in a parking lot playing with boys." - John Madden
"Pujols just unloaded." - Bob Uecker
I didn't know the Cardinals were down a starter
but today’s starter, Parisi, just exited in the third and his successor allowed a grand slam and they are down nine to one
Sheets under 70 pitches so far
Again with his relatively light outing last time he cold probably go 110 at least today. So maybe though the 8th. Gotta get him some runs though.
I really missed
not seeing him swing violently over the top of a breaking ball away while munching half a bag of chew.
anyone know whats up with fielder wearing ear plugs?
"Cubs fans boo again – 99% of these people can’t see the plate." -Ueck
there is no way we're going to be able to afford sheets
"Cubs fans boo again – 99% of these people can’t see the plate." -Ueck
fans booing there...nice
actually a good move by yost, sheets doesn’t need to be pushed
"Cubs fans boo again – 99% of these people can’t see the plate." -Ueck
Especially
with his injury record
"Brett Favre looks like a man in a parking lot playing with boys." - John Madden
"Pujols just unloaded." - Bob Uecker
That's the argument for pulling him when he had thrown 106 pitches after 8 innings...
... not for yanking him 3 pitches away from a complete game with 2 out in the 9th. If Yost was concerned enough about his pitch count to yank him after that 11 pitch walk (making the “tough call” as Bill said), then he never should have run him out there for the 9th in the first place. That extra inning could impact Sheets a lot more than it would most guys in the pen.
Once again, Yost got it exactly wrong. Either the pitch count was a problem or it’s not. If it’s not, let him finish the game. If it is, then Yost had no business letting him out there for the 9th. Yost never ceases to amaze me.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on May 31, 2008 9:43 PM CDT up reply actions
A lot of managers would have done the same thing
You’ll see managers throw their starters out in the ninth and once one runner gets on they yank them. The starters typically have the same reaction as sheets tonight.
I’m not saying it makes much sense, but you see it a lot.
They shouldn't use the pitch count as an excuse
If he was going to use an excuse, it should’ve followed along the lines of “we thought Ben hit a wall and wasn’t looking as sharp out there.” Frankly, though, I’d rather see him yank Sheets quickly rather than letting the worst-case scenario of Lee reaching base and Pence homering to tie the game happen before making a move.
Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.
Ok..
... but it’s not like he walked the guy on 4 pitches. It was an 11 pitch at bat to one of the hottest hitters in the game. Sheets didn’t suddenly lose it between recording the first 2 outs and walking Berkman. If you’re going to leave him out there for the 9th, pulling him after that walk makes no sense. I can’t see why Torres wasn’t out there for the entire inning myself, since as Yost pointed out in his post-game comments there was no need to protect the pen tonight and since Sheets had already thrown 106 pitches. Either the pitch count matters or it doesn’t, and i it does (which Yost admitted after the game), then leaving Sheets out there for the 9th in the first place is a dumbass move.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on May 31, 2008 11:40 PM CDT up reply actions
Oh, I agree with you
It would have been smarter to send Torres out there for the whole ninth. I know the hitting a wall thing I suggested wouldn’t be the whole truth (I wasn’t watching the game at that point, I just made it up), I just thought it’d be something less dumb to point to as a reason. Hiding behind knowledge privy to baseball insiders and not being completely honest aren’t unknown to baseball managers, this one in particular. He probably cited pitch count to sound like someone who’s hip to the new theories and such. Dumb either way.
Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.
Sheets
was pissed that Ned yanked him. Even in the handshake line he had a scowl. Can’t say that I blame him.
Quotes like these are always nice
Regarding Fielder:
"It was in, it was down," Moehler said. "I think anything away and we’ve got him, but I cut it off and it came back over the plate.Fuck you, dude."He’s a mistake hitter. He hit a mistake and it went out."
He's extremely quick and good.
Classy.
I wonder, did he say the same thing about Branyan’s blast? I guess Fielder just got lucky when he hit those 50 homers last year too…
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on May 31, 2008 11:32 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't know...
Fielder was probably as lucky as everyone who got to face Moehler during his first stint in Houston.
Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.
"Mistake hitter" is a dig
It means that if Moehler makes his pitch, he can get Fielder out whenever he wants.
He's extremely quick and good.
is it really?
people always referred to Andre Dawson as a mistake hitter, by which they meant: “you’d better be perfect, or you’re never seeing that ball again.” pitchers don’t make their pitch every time, but hitters rarely turn around on a perfect pitch. guys like counsell turn mistakes into shallow fly outs, while Prince launches them.
and I doubt Moehler thinks he can get Fielder out whenever he wants.
Also, cheese.
by Jeff Sackmann on Jun 1, 2008 8:58 PM CDT up reply actions
I've never gotten that sense of "mistake hitter"
The best hitters are generally thought to have the ability to hit a pitcher’s pitch; a so-called mistake hitter cannot.
He's extremely quick and good.
"Mistake hitter"
While there is no statistical evidence for systematic clutch hitting, however, it is still possible that some players do under (or over) perform in the playoffs, due to a tendency for “mistake hitting.” Perhaps there are hitters who build their statistics up against bad pitching, but when faced with the quality pitching delivered in the playoffs, the holes in their game are exposed.Wikipedia:
A batter who isn’t adept at hitting good pitches that are located well but can take advantage of a pitcher’s mistakes.
He's extremely quick and good.

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