Reds vs Astros 4/17/09

[redsmetz]

Two comments:

1. Holding any team (even one who is not hitting) to only 1 run is a very good thing. And Houston is a good hitting team.

2. Teams who win low scoring games win pennants.

This is true, although whoever said it was correct. Houston is at the bottom presently for BA. That said, they still have some good hitters and, IIRC, Minute Maid is a hitter friendly park, so as you said, holding any team to one run, is a good thing and absolutely, clubs that win low scoring games, will go places.

Maybe we're seeing some smoke and mirrors thus far, maybe they're just working the rust out. I think it's way too early to make some of the pronunciations about some players coming season, whether it's Cueto, Bruce, Volquez. No where near enough data to say for sure. I'll take the wins whenever they come.

I was out a good part of the evening and went to bed before the game was over, still 1-0. I was hoping when I checked the score that we hadn't given up a bunch of runs and lost the thing (or that we lost 1-0). It was a pleasant surprise to see we came back and won it. Keep doing that, boys!

The only downside to this game, IMO, is we didn't hang the L on Oswalt - but that's buffered by the fact that he didn't add a W to his vast collection.

[hebroncougar]

6. This is a .500 team at best and a boring one. It should be an intersting season of 2-1 and 3-2 games. No thanks.

To each his own, I like well pitched games that end before midnight. I thought the Reds pitching tonight was outstanding (and exciting), despite the umpire being terrible. I like seeing a struggling hitter hit a 2 run HR to win a game in the top of the ninth.

[Sea Ray]

Spring training is for losers,

Signed: Aaron Harang

Nick Masset

Francisco Cordero

[remdog]

Spring training is for losers,

Signed: Aaron Harang

Nick Masset

Francisco Cordero

Rem

[remdog]

Couple of things:

1) As much as I think that Cueto has the highest ceiling of the Reds starter, he's not going to realize his potential until he gets the mental side under control. I realize he's very young and I don't expect it to necessarily happen over night (or anytime this year, for that matter) but he can't be successful until he stops unraveling like he did tonight. So the strikezone was 'tight'. It's the pitcher at bat. Throw the ball down the middle if you have to and make Oswalt prove that he's a better hitter than you are a pitcher, which is highly unlikely.

2) Danny Ray Herrera is a great story and he definately played his way on to this team with his performance in ST. But now it's 'real baseball' and he's got to throw the ball over the plate. So far, he's walked more than he's struck out. His 'stuff' is different enough that he can get away with it but, unless the pitch is over the plate, every hitter can just sit back, wonder to himself, 'what the heck was that' and then stroll to first base. So far, I think Dusty has used DRH correctly, i.e., short stints. Danny just needs to be more attuned to putting the hitters in the position of not being able to adjust to all the stuff he throws up there.

Rem

[*BaseClogger*]

Gee whiz, I sure am glad EE walked in front of Hernandez...