MVN - Most Valuable Network

Brandon Backe Strikes Out Nine But Loses To Nationals

Thing is, it ain’t how many you strike out, but how many you let get on base, and Brandon let 9 guys get on base with 3 BB and 6 hits (1 HR, solo) and 4 scored in his 6 IP.

But hey, even if he had left with the score tied, it just wouldn’t have been his day as the Astros stranded 8 runners, hit into an inning ending GIDP and had one 3 run inning, partly due to Michael Bourn overthrowing a ball from center on a single and a WP. Nobody hit the ball hard against any of the Nats pitchers today. This series, they have hit 7 homers off Astros pitching.

Which is why I swear I thought I saw an army of guys carrying the Nats off the field screaming and kicking bout how they didn’t wanna gooooooo they liked hitting hereeeeeee. I mean, even Willie Freaking Harris hit a homer - and that dude is Wandy/Wesley size and he hits a homer about as often as Michael Bourn GIDPs.

And speaking of Michael Bourn, he got on base twice tonight - once with a single and once with a walk and was on second almost before the ball reached the plate. He is freaking awesome, is all I can say. It’s too bad he just can’t seem to bunt worth spit - he could be another Brett Butler with the bat and another Rickey with his feet.

Oh yeah - and I have to give serious props to Tim Byrdak for his great fielding - Cristian Guzman hit a liner that Byrdak nabbed, then turned around and doubled Boone off second. I love pitchers fielding - and hitting; Backe got a single tonight, but Bourn, Matsui and Tejada couldn’t get him home.

Not sure why this wasn’t an afternoon game because they are off to the west to start 10 away games - 3 with LA, 4 with San Fran and 3 with the Rangers (yeah, unfortunately it IS getting to be time for interyecccch ball again.)

Wandy is still nowheres near ready to come back - will most likely be a GOOD 2 weeks from now, and because Cassel was sent down to AAA and can’t be recalled until Monday, Moehler will be given a spot start against the hot LA Dodgers, 8-2 in their last 10. The Dodgers are doing that well because this year, they are playing the really good young players, Kemp, Ethier, Loney and DeWitt instead of the remnants of Garciaparra, Pierre and Luis Gonzalez. Also because Furcal is hitting like Berkman, let’s not forget that…

Moehler has been getting some side work in, trying to get ready, but I’m not exactly expecting miracles. He’s only pitched 7 innings this year. I would guess that if he gets smeared in the first inning, Coop is just gonna consider the game a lost cause and let him throw 50-60 something pitches, then sacrifice Bork and Byrdak and Villareal (who didn’t look real too good tonight, although things would have been a LOT different if Bourn hadn’t made that error and the runner had stayed at first and the next tailor made ball to short had been a GIDP. But I digress.)

Here is how Moehler has done vs Dodgers hitters:

Andruw Jones: 3/11 with 1 HR, 2 BB, 2 K
Rafael Furcal: 4/11 with 1 triple and 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 K
Gary Bennett: 4/5
Jeff Kent: 1/4 with a double
Mark Sweeney: 2/4 with a double
James Loney: 2/4 with a triple and a HR, 1 K
Juan Pierrre: 0/3
Russell Martin: 1/3
Andre Ethier: 3/3 with a double
Matt Kemp: 0/2

Moehler hasn’t had a start in a good 2 years, so who knows what is gonna happen…

I do know that the Stros have their work cut out for them because they are facing groundballer Derek Lowe.

This year, Lowe is 2-2 in 7 GS: his first 3 were QS - 2ER/6 IP, 1 ER/6 IP, 1 ER/8 IP, but after that he didn’t last past 5 innings, although he gave up 3,1,3 and 5 ER, and his team went 2-2 in those starts. Over 39.1 IP - 43 H, 22 R/16 ER, 3 HR, 11 BB, 25 K: 3.66 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and a .238 BAA

Here’s how Astros hitters have done vs Lowe:

Cheito Cruz: 15/36 with 4 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR, 3 BB, 6 K
Miguel Tejada: 9/30 with 2 HR
Darin Erstad: 9/29 with 4 doubles, 2 BB, 3 K
Carlos Lee: 10/28 with 2 doubles, 2 HR, 2 K
Geoff Blum: 7/23 with 1 double, 1 HR, 2 BB, 2 K
Mark Loretta: 4/22 with 2 BB, 1 K
Lance Berkman: 4/18 with 1 double, 2 BB, 3 K
Kaz Matsui: 4/8 with 1 double, 1 BB
Ty Wigginton: 0/5

This entry was posted on Friday, May 9th, 2008 at 7:48 am and is filed under Bandon Backe, Astros baseball. 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.