Super quick-hitter today.

Recap: I remember you now, Roy.  Puma a One-Man Wrecking Crew on offensive.  6-1 good guys.

Preview: Manny Parra versus Brandon Backe.  Parra is the dude who threw a perfecto against Round Rock last year.  Backe now thinks he’s a strikeout artist.  Milwaukee torched Backe for 3 HR in just 5 IP the last time they faced Backe.  I don’t know what it is about this match-up, but it looks fun.

Congrats to Ken Griffey, Jr., for hitting #600 last night.  I was able to watch the game with one eye, and it was exciting to see that.

6/10 Preview: The Rampaging Alcoholics and the Stros have swapped home sweeps this year, and the Alcoholics start a three game stint in our ‘hood tonight.

Tonight’s matchup is Seth McClung versus Roy Oswalt.  Roy’s been so bad this year that McClung has both the better ERA and WHIP.  Which is depressing.  The Stros get a bit of a break as Rickie Weeks was put on the DL last night.  The Alcoholics, of course, will get a break is Brad Ausmus is anywhere near the stadium at game time.

Recaps: I can’t say it any better than Shake:

That’s right. We got a shutout from Wandy (& Co.) ON THE ROAD, and got burned the next day w/ Roy on the mound.

Pigs are flying.

Wandy didn’t look awesome, but he did well with what he had. The un-sexy threesome of Chris Sampson, Doug “Choppin’” Brocail, and Jose Valverde closed it out (hey, Diehard Chris, I think he needs a new nickname).

Last night, former Astro Raul Chavez wore us out, driving in three of the Ass Pirates five runs home. Roy gave up 9 H in just 6 IP.

For the year, Roy’s Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP) against is .297, well above his career .258. His seasonal numbers have been creeping upward consistently, and even though I’d like to invoke the reversion to the mean doctrine here, there’s little evidence that his BABIP will inevitably decrease.

6/5 Preview: Got a meeting, so this’ll be quick

It’s the last game of a nine game road trip, with the Stros posting a 2-6 record on the journey. We send Brandon Backe out against Paul Maholm. The two are posting very similar numbers on the year, with Maholm giving up a higher BABIP but issuing less walks than Backe. With Maholm a lefty, the RH heavy Astros should have an advantage, but we didn’t exactly pound Phil Dumatrait around in the first game of the series.

This skid has sent us to just two games about .500 and 7 in back of the Fuzzie Cubbies.

Quick Preview: After going 1-5 last week, we need to take advantage of six games versus two mediocre teams in the Ass Pirates and the Red Flying Rats. The Ass Pirates have been atypically close to .500 this year, but how? And the Red Flying Rats have been playing over their heads all year.

Today’s matchup features Wandy Rodriguez for the good guys against Phil Dumatrait. Dumatrait, who has a pretty good arm, came up through the Red Sawx system before jumping to the Reds last year and the Ass Pirates in 2008. His downfall has always been mediocre control, but with the Astros third-to-last in walks drawn, we aren’t in a great position to take care of that. Dumatrait has not faced the Stros in his career.

Wandy brings a 2-3 record, 5.65 ERA, 1.56 WHIP in his career against the Ass Pirates. Interestingly, he has struck out more than a man/IP against them.

This should be a real interesting match-up between two guys with good stuff but control problems. And, not unlike the Stros, the Ass Pirates are RH dominant. This should be a fun one.

5/29: Brad Ausmus. Brad. Fucking. Ausmus. Why?

Also, Rick Ankiel’s incredibly accurate throws to the bases remind me of why he switched to the OF in the first place. I just hope the Cardinal mascot stays far away from the field when the Cards are on D.

Quick Preview 5/30: The good guys have Brandon Backe on the mound tonight against the Milwaukee Rampaging Alcoholics. Backe has been awesome in May, going 3-2 with a 3.73 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. Most importantly, and the key to his success, has been much improved control along with an increase in his K rate. Backe has 26 Ks in 31.1 May innings, and only 10 BBs in that time. In his last three starts, he’s given up only 2 BB in his last 19.2 IP (with 14 K). If there’s one big concern, it’s Backe’s long-ball tendencies as he has given up 11 HR in 11 starts, and the Alcoholics are 10th in the majors in dongs. And I got to type “dong.”

Manny Parra, who threw a perfect game against Round Rock last year, takes the mound for the Alcoholics. He’s got nasty stuff, but the big lefty has struggled against righties this year to the tune of a 1.86 WHIP and .310 BAA. Considering the Stros are right-handed heavy, it’s a good matchup.

And if Coop hides Ausmus’ uniform so that he can’t take the field, then all the better.

5/28 Recap: Mmmmmm, yeah, that wasn’t real pretty. Wandy, predictably, struggled in his return, and Adam Wainwright dominated the lineup.

Interestingly, Kaz Matsui, who was supposed to harden the keystone defense, made his 9th error last night and has a downright poor .947 fielding percentage, which is easily worst in the league. According to the numbers, he ranks below average in both range factor and zone rating, as well. His OPS has dropped from 785 on May 19 to 711 after last night’s 0-fer. And that 711 OPS? Right at his career average. If Matsui stops drawing walks at the highest pace of his career, he will be a net loss at the position. But as bad as Chris Burke has been this year…

5/29 Quick Preview:

RoyO goes against Kyle “Somebody, for the love of Jeebus, please sign me!” Lohse. I’ve said it before: We need Roy to start pitching well, the sooner the better. Game starts at about 7:15pm tonight, so I won’t be able to watch this one at work. There are a couple of afternoon games, at least, including the worst possible match-up I can imagine: Washington at San Diego. *shudders*

Recap from 5/27:

More offense from the league’s best offense in the month of May as the good guys trounced the Avian flu carrying flying rats by 8-2. Giving credit where it’s due, Shawn Chacon actually earned a decision - obviously a win - and was awesome against everybody but Albert Pujols (which happens). Hunter Pence went 5-5, Kaz Matsui had two of the weakest singles you’ll ever see, and Miggy Tejada went deep off losing pitcher Braden Looper. Rick Ankiel’s wildness didn’t help in a losing cause, either. Too soon?

Speaking of Tejada, it’s his hackiness that has worried me throughout the season. So, I finally took the time to look at the numbers, and I was blown away:

Career Pitches/PA: 3.78

2008 Pitches/PA: 3.82

His ABs in the 1st and 9th, which combined for four pitches and a strikeout, were horrific. The AB in the 2nd only saw three pitches, but the other two ABs were solid.

Now, let’s put that in perspective. Hunter Pence has seen 3.70 pitches/PA so far this year, and Lance Berkman, that icon of patience and all things I love, has seen…only 3.76 pitches/PA?

Dammit, it looks like I broke Joe Morgan Rule #1: Don’t use stats to disprove your (mis)perception.

5/28:

We get Wandy today as he goes against former World Series hero Adam Wainwright in a battle for 2nd place behind the eventually doomed Cubbies.  First pitch sometime around 7:15 PM CDT.

Pujols is just 1-12 with 2BB against Wandy, but hopefully we won’t get any reversion to the mean, again, tonight.

As long as Sampson and Scuffy are in our rotation, we are hurting. Wandy’s only rehab start wasn’t bad, but he also failed to K a AA hitter in 6IP. The increase in his K rate has been the key to Wandy’s improvement over the past couple of years. We’ll give him a “gimme” tonight, but it sure is nice to have him back.

The Stros kick off a heee-uge series tonight against the somehow miracle of miracles second place St. Louis Cardinals.  Shawn Chacon and Braden Looper match up in what is a battle between two extremely similar pitchers numbers-wise.  The good news is that Chacon has handled Albert Pujols in their matchups, holding Pujols to a 3 for 16, 1 HR line.

Chacon hopes to earn a second win on the season after finally earning a decision - a win over the Fuzzy Cubbies last week - which broke his no-decision streak.

I, personally, hope to streak tonight.  WHEE!!!