Game 4 Thread / Astros @ Cubs (1 of 3)

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SP Chris Sampson SP Rich Hill
(2007) 7-8, 4.59 (2007) 11-8, 3.92
       
CF *Michael Bourn LF Alfonso Soriano
RF Hunter Pence SS Ryan Theriot
1B #Lance Berkman 1B Derrek Lee
LF Carlos Lee 3B Aramis Ramirez
SS Miguel Tejada RF *Kosuke Fukudome
3B Ty Wigginton 2B Mark DeRosa
2B Mark Loretta C Geovany Soto
C J.R. Towles CF *Felix Pie
P
 Chris Sampson P *Rich Hill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Profiling the Astros:

Record: 1-3 (6th in NL Central)

Home: 0-0

Road: 1-3
RS: 12

RA: 15

Team OPS: 630 (13th in NL)

Team ERA: 4.09 (11th in NL)

Record v. Cubs (2007): 7-8
Key additions since '07: Jose Valverde (RP), Darin Erstad (OF/1B), Miguel Tejada (SS), Kaz Matsui (2B; currently disabled), Michael Bourn (OF), Shawn Chacon (SP/RP)
Key departures since '07: Brad Lidge (RP), Jason Jennings (SP), Craig Biggio (2B), Chris Burke (2B), Mike Lamb (3B), Luke Scott (OF)

Manager: Cecil Cooper (2nd year: 16-19, .457)

Manager's Nickname: "Coop" (shared by White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper and every other American male whose last name is Cooper)

Reasons to Hate Them: Team introduced AstroTurf to Major League Baseball; team lent its name to "AstroTurf"; franchise was in bed with notorious corporate criminals, i.e., "Enron Field"; stupid Tal's Hill in centerfield at Minute-Maid Park--a crippling injury just waiting to happen; Craig Biggio's helmet--why couldn't the guy bother to grab a rag and wipe the pine tar off of it?; club failed to defeat White Sox in 2005 World Series; they continue to let Milo Hamilton announce their home games and in this case I'm using the word "announce" loosely.
You don't like the Astros very much, do you?: That's very perceptive of you. No, I don't. In fact, I'm disappointed they didn't sign Roger Clemens. It would have made them even easier to despise.

 

 

Tags: 
Gameday Open Thread
Submitted by Cubnut on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 12:52pm
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Comments

Submitted by jacos
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 12:57pm

I forgot Cecil Cooper was the Houston manager.

I guess Pie's wrist is okay from getting plunked.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 1:02pm

said it had a bad bruise and would evaluate today...must be fine.

Submitted by joshb
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 1:57pm

how many starts do you give a struggling pitcher before pulling the plug? I'm really worried about Hill. Him and the strike zone are having relationship issues. Of course I'm only seeing gameday. To me it looks like the Astros are bailing him out by swinging away.

Submitted by big_lowitzki
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 2:35pm

Well... first of all, he has given up 2 runs in 5 innings against a pretty good offensive team.

Second, when you pitched as well as Hill did last year, you have earned the right to pitch through some struggles.

Submitted by mattralph
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 2:22pm

This whole taking the day off when Rich Hill pitches routine the offense likes to do is really getting old.

Submitted by Bigz
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 2:29pm

NOTE: do not try to hit HRs when wind is blowing in. Focus on singles/doubles.

idiots...

Submitted by mattralph
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 2:41pm

Would that explain all of the "flied out to center" descriptions I keep reading in Yahoo Sports?

While I'm on the topic, wouldn't the correct term be flew out to center?

Submitted by WISCGRAD
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 2:57pm

Many would argue that flied isn't a word and that it should be always flew, but you can find flied in dictionaries etc. and baseball seems to be unique in that it often uses flied.

Submitted by Andrew
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 6:41pm

I think it's to distinguish it from what would happen if the batter grew wings or hopped a plane and made his way to centerfield, in which case he would indeed have "flew out to center."

Submitted by WISCGRAD
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 6:43pm

lol, perhaps. So the ball flew out to center but the batter flied out to center - makes sense to me.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 3:51pm

Great start to our season!!!!!!!!

dominated by Chris Sampson and defense lets us down...

meh

Submitted by Dusty Baylor
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 4:04pm

Add in more great defense...stir....and Voila....a craptacular start to the season.

Submitted by Horatio
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 5:11pm

Pie sucks. The sooner the Cubs get this through their heads the better off everyone will be.

Submitted by Wes
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 7:48pm

Soriano's hitting .059. Aramis is hitting .154. Soto's hitting .167. Riot and Lee are hitting .222.

Seems like blaming Pie for being the lone source of our problem is probably a mistake.

Submitted by Horatio
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 11:56pm

I'm not blaming Pie. I'm just saying that he sucks. ARam and Lee are in mini slumps and will come around. Why? Because they are talented major leaguers. Pie will not come around. Why? Because he is a bad baseball player. It would be better if Cubs would realize that fact sooner rather than waiting until after he's made about 450 outs for our club.

I realize I could be way off about this. It's just that I don't think I am.

Submitted by Dmac
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 5:27pm

This team seems absolutely determined to once again make this season very hard on themselves. Countdown to Lou losing it...5...4...3...2...next game I'm thinking, if they don't win, it might be Lee Elia II.

Submitted by mannytrillo
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 6:00pm

So how many more games till Lou moves the lineup around again? Definitely a disappointing start since we basically healthy and supposedly Lou knows his players this year. Oswalt on the mound against us tomorrow, ugh!!

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 6:06pm

i would have no issue hitting fuku 2nd, personally...its one of the 3 slots he's supposedly gonna play in the past month anyway.

Submitted by jmoultz
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 6:05pm

Pie sucks. The sooner the Cubs get this through their heads the better off everyone will be.

Wow, more in depth commentary at the Reporter. Nice post. I assume you're a scout, right? You must know something we don't after 5 games.

This team seems absolutely determined to once again make this season very hard on themselves. Countdown to Lou losing it...5...4...3...2...next game I'm thinking, if they don't win, it might be Lee Elia II.

WE'RE 5 GAMES INTO THE SEASON GUYS, CHILL OUT. The team has looked pretty good so far and has shown no big weakness. The hitting will come around, this lineup is too good...including Pie.

Submitted by Mister Whipple
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 6:24pm

Yeah, but according to the media last year, the team only came alive after Sweet Lou's tantrum. Let's just go ahead and get it out of the way and we can play like champions the rest of the season.

Any objections?

Submitted by mannytrillo
on Sat, 04/05/2008 - 10:54am

jmoultz:
"I assume you're a scout, right? You must know something we don't after 5 games."

Firstly, we have only played 4 games. Secondly, Pie has played in many more than that. I am not yet ready to say he sucks, but I don't think he is going to be anywhere as good some thought. I think he is going to be another CPat.

Submitted by Andrew
on Sat, 04/05/2008 - 11:21am

And you're right, he very well may be Korey part deux. He certainly has looked like it from some of his poor swings and poor pitch recognition. But the point is that it's time to find out. Pie has nothing left to prove in AAA and it's time to find out if he's going to be a major league hitter or not. I'm willing to give him a season to figure that out if he continues to play great defense. I would also bat him 7th rather than 8th so that you can give him some better pitches to hit. Bat Theriot 8th and he'll have a chance to run or be bunted over if he gets on.

Submitted by Bigz
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 6:22pm

I find guys are on base hitting when we get to soto. Then he is our only hope and pie/pitcher effectively end the inning. To me this means fuku - 2nd, lee, aram, derosa, soto. At least then we have two possible hitters to known people in.

that, or, put pie on the bench.

maybe MIL is so good cause they use players who are not latin hiters and they can deal with weather outside of 85 degrees.

Submitted by jacos
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 6:34pm

Agreed on Fbomb hitting second, and soto 6th

Submitted by navigator
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 11:42pm

Soto leads the Cubs in RBI's with 4, although you wouldn't guess that reading some of the comments on TCR.

Submitted by Andrew
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 6:43pm

This team just needs another bat. Otherwise, I think we're going to be scraping for runs every game. Unfortunately, there's not much place to add one other than at SS or CF.

Submitted by OmarLittle
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 7:50pm

Marshall worked just three innings in the Triple-A start, but retired all nine he faced with 6 K's.

Submitted by rokfish
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 9:32pm

soriano
fukudome
lee
ramirez
derosa
soto
pie
theriot

pie is not getting a fair shot he needs to
be in 7 hole with theriot in the 8th

Submitted by Timmer
on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 10:20pm

maybe MIL is so good cause they use players who are not latin hiters and they can deal with weather outside of 85 degrees.

Utter nonsense.

Submitted by Little Nate Lewis
on Sat, 04/05/2008 - 7:06am

Pie has had 192 Major League AB's and is 23 years old...... I'm not ready to throw in the towel on him yet.

Submitted by Dmac
on Sat, 04/05/2008 - 9:17am

I don't have a problem with Pie at this point - if the rest of the team was producing, it wouldn't be noticeable. Not happy about his missing the cut - off man a few days ago, but that throw was on the money and just a hairbreadths of a second late.

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