SB Nation - Wesley Wright

Are Ed Wade and Brian Cashman on the same page?

DyingQuail — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:48:00 -0000

More photos » by Billy Smith II - AP

This is the face of a man who knows he still has two more years to phone it in.

A lot has been made today of the importance of Javier Vazquez's contract. Vazquez comes to the Yanks at one year and $11.5 million dollars. Thus, many have speculated that all signs point to the fact that Yankees' GM, Brian Cashman, is setting himself up to shed payroll at a time when a bountiful crop of FA talent opens up on the market and Cashman can open up the Steinbrener's coffers. Think Joe Mauer catching Sabathia and Burnett, while batting in front of, behind—or whatever—of A-Rod and Teixeria. And that just would be the tip of the iceberg.

A lot has been said of the saviness of the Vazquez trade for Cashman precisely because of this (also because: how in the hell do you trade away the league leader in xFIP, who only makes $11.5 million, for Melky Cabrera?). Savvy moves by a GM. That's really not something I have heard said of a Houston GM in a long time.

Seriously, think about our signings.

Even the ones that turned out well were ridiculued at the time. Arbtration decisions? Caustic reactions. Last offseason? Splash signings of Jason Michaels, Ivan Rodriguez, and a trade that saw Drew Sutton depart for Jeff Keppinger. The year before? Kaz Matsui at three years and $16.5 million dollars. Don't forget the Miguel Tejada trade on the eve of the Mitchell report, or how much the Brad Lidge for Michael Bourn swap made your head explode throughout 2008. Even if the Valverde trade wasn't bad, by the time all was said and done, our farm system was pretty much desolate and people hated it. 2007? You have to love an offseason that sees Drayton McLane run Andy Pettitte out of town and bring in Carlos Lee and trade for Jason Jennings and sign Woody Williams to a two year deal on the basis of his ballpark enabled late-career-peak-season at Petco. 2006? Preston...ok, I'll stop.

The point is there hasn't been an offseason move, in awhile, in Houston that had a majority of pundits, fans, etc. all agreeing that a Houston Astros GM did something pretty savvy. This offseason has been no different. Painfully so, at times, actually.

But then, in the wake of the Vazquez for Cabrera hubub, it dawned on me: Ed Wade is stacking his chips up for 2013, just like Cashman is for 2011. The following players are off the books, if we want them to be, after 2012: everyone making anything meaningful in the way of salary. Carlos Lee, Brandon Lyon, Kaz Matsui, Roy Oswalt (could take a reduced buyout and walk away after 2011), Lance Berkman (technically his contract is out in 2011). Left on the books (hopefully, due to some "the time is ripe" extensions): Wandy Rodriguez, Hunter Pence, Jason Castro, Bud Norris, Feliepe Paulino, Wesley Wright, Sammy Gervacio, Chia Jen-Lo? Jordan Lyles? Jiovanni Meyer?! That entire combination costs what? $20-25 million to field? Throw in the likelihood of new ownership and there could easily be a $90 million pot of gold at the end of the hot stove rainbow.

I'm not trying to suggest that Wade should let Oswalt and Berkman walk away. In fact, he shouldn't. The point is, Wade came into Houston two years ago with no payroll flexibility and no farm system. In two years, Ed Wade could have an absurd about of payroll flexibility thanks to Bobby Heck, and co.'s farm system. All of this because Ed Wade hasn't signed anyone to a contract that impinges on the magical offseason of 2012.

That's right, there's method to the maddness...possibily.

Does that excuse the iffy of signings, or moves, that Wade has made? No. But Ed Wade won't be searching for guys on the fringe at that point. He'll targeting the top tier free agents. Whatever kind of analysis he's using at that point, it's hard to botch those (unless we through Prince Fielder a Carlos Lee type deal*). Depending on what happens in the next CBA, he probably won't even have to worry all the much about losing a ton of draft picks.

It's like a perfect storm. Ed Wade will get to put the garnishes on a team that he'll have worked for four years to make salvagable. The meat and potatoes will be the guys he's hung onto and the guys he's drafted. I'm almost ready to purchase my 2013 playoff tickets.

Of course, the problem with thesis that Ed Wade has been patiently playing the fool and/or just kind of screwing around for four years to set up a blockbust 2012 offseason has one flaw: it could be what the Mayan's were predicting would bring on the apocalypse. Can you imagine an entire slew of FanGraphs articles praising Ed Wade? Thinking about that possibility has more more convinced that the Mayans might have it right.

*I have no idea who exactly will and won't be in the 2012 Free Agent class, but Prince Fielder just fit the range and weight of the analogy I needed to make.

Astros Winter Meeting Links

davoag — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:58:31 -0000

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

I can save how much on car insurance?

Browse more photos »

It's looking like the first part of my theory on the Astros bullpen plans are coming to fruition. Jose Valverde can't find a deal, so his best option is accepting arbitration with the Astros. That probably means his salary will fall somewhere around 9 million. Ken Rosenthal is reporting the possible salary number at 10 million, but from looking at the market, that seems high to me. At the same time, Valverde's salary was 8 million last season, so you can guess where it will end up through this negotiation.

Two points to remember: First, Valverde has until midnight Monday to decide whether to accept arbitration. Certainly, his agent has an idea how the market will shape up to this point. The fact that both Billy Wagner AND Takashi Saito both signed before rumors of Valverde have hit the market. Second, even if Valverde accepts arbitration, it doesn't mean he's locked into an arbiter deciding his 2010 salary. Check out AstroAndy's excellent rundown of the process for a refresher.

I say the first part of my theory looks sound but the second part, bringing Hawkins back, looks less likely. Maybe the Astros could have struck quickly and signed Hawkins to a modest deal a couple of weeks ago. Now, the market seems to be heating up for the soon-to-be 37-year old with the Rockies being the latest team to express interest.

Honestly, I'm less afraid of Valverde returning on a one-year deal than of the Astros working out a multi-year deal for him. Sure, it's probably not the best use of resources to lock up a closer for big money with a limited budget. But, what else were they going to spend money on? Ed Wade has made it clear he's not spending on a starter, that third base is pretty set and that he's happy entering the season with Towles, Q and possibly Castro in the catching mix. Bringing back Valverde will not only give the Astros a more solid bullpen, they won't be able to get a player of his talent on a contract that short. This is better news than it seems.

On to more of the weekend's best links:

This news is either depressing or somewhat hopeful, depending on how you look at it. Mier appears to be one of the steals of the 2009 draft. Lyles and Castro are both ahead of schedule. No winning records since 2007, though? Is it really important for minor league affiliates to win games? If the system can churn out one to two prospects a season, isn't that what matters most?
My analytical toolbox has been duly updated. Thanks, Dave Cameron.
Recent injuries have sidelined both Wesley Wright and Brian Bogusevic. Both might have an impact on the 25-man roster next season, so maybe it's time to shut them down until February.
Here's Brian McTaggart's take on the Winter Meetings. Not surprising that the Astros won't be movers and shakers. Richard Justice thinks the Astros woes lately are all because of Baylor. Personally, I'd blame that replay official up in Dallas. That game was clearly over. He owes us a TCU-Alabama national championship.
Worried about Roy Oswalt? Apparently, we shouldn't be. His best buddy, JJO, says he's rested and ready to go. He also is happy with his new pitching coach.
It's a bit of a stretch to think Bryce Harper may fall to No. 8, but man, can this kid play? This is one of the coolest videos I've seen in a while. As athletic as he sounds, maybe he switches to third base? A man can dream, can't he?
More distressing news from the NCAA about the draft process. I know there are some who would like to see an international draft, but honestly, do we need to give more power to organizations like this? After the NCAA settled with Andy Oliver, it seemed clear its intent was to move back to the status quo and that's exactly what they are doing.
A very illuminating profile on Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman. All those GMs saying he's the third- or fourth-best pitcher on the free agent market? They probably thought Kyle Farnsworth was also one of the best. I don't know what it is about a lefty with a fastball that makes scouts lose their minds. Doesn't his utter lack of control worry them just as much?
Boy, this Rangers sale is going to be fun to watch. Plus, there is the added intrigue on whether Nolan is sticking around with the team. Obviously, this worries me more than anything else about that debacle, since I like the idea of Round Rock being the Triple-A affiliate. If they leave, would the Astros bring back the Beaumont Golden Gators?

Astros Pitchin' in the Dominican: Life's a Beach

HighLeveragePerformer — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:15:20 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

I'm going to go ahead and call it: If Wesley Wright becomes a starter, he will become my favorite Astro.

Browse more photos »

Although the Arizona Fall League finished up play this past Saturday, there is still professional-ish baseball going in the world. Take the Caribbean Leagues, for instance. Much like the AFL, the four nations which comprise the CWL (Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Mexico) play host to a myriad of baseball talent- ranging from established major leaguers like Conor Jackson, to familiar faces who are hoping against hope for one more shot. There are no Strasburgs, Ackleys or Castros (Jason or Starlin), but there are stories worth following especially for Astros fans.

While the Astros are hoarding arms on their 40 man roster like some sort of defiant rogue state, young pitchers Wesley Wright, Fernando Abad and Jose Capellan are performing well in the Dominican. Growing pains would be expecting for someone like Wesley Wright who is attempting to morph from just another left handed reliever to a 25 year old starting pitching candidate.

So far, the results have been thought provoking if nothing else. Outside of his last start, Wesley has been good if not great- striking out 10 batters in one relatively short outing. Promising also is his ground ball-fly ball out ratio against right handed hitters: 4.43:1. Sample size probably should be the reoccurring objection to that statistic, and looking at his fellow pitchers the DWL looks to be a pitching heavy league. I think the Astros should be commended for stretching Wesley out and seeing what they have with the youngster. The man threw four different pitches as a reliever- a skill that should not be wasted as a middle reliever. Wright will join Wilton Lopez and Felipe Paulino as candidates for the fifth starter's slot.

Also pitching in the Dominican are Fernando Abad and Jose Capellan. Abad was recently added to the 40 man roster, so I would assume that the Astros think there's potential in his left arm. He has displayed exceptional control as a minor leaguer (92:11 K:BB ratio this past season), and managed to survive the hitter's paradise that is Lancaster to be promoted to Corpus Christi. Projecting minor league talent is always tough, and something I try to avoid, but I do know that 1) being left handed 2) having good control and 3) striking more than one batter out per inning, are all positives. Heading into his first full AA season in 2010, something to look for with Abad is his ability to continue missing bats with his pitches. The leap from A to AA is a big one, moreso than from rookie ball to A. The Texas League is full of studly hitters, and Fernando will need to continue this upward trend if he wants to live to see Dell Diamond.

Jose Capellan was in the running to be our fifth starter just 8 months ago, but Russ Ortiz was kind enough to not only beat him out, but stink up the joint once he donned an Astro uniform. To his credit. Cappy has done well to put a terrible 2009 regular season behind him and has done his best to at least end 2009 on a good note. Unlike Abad and Wright, Cappellan is getting a bit long in the tooth for a minor leaguer and his window is quickly closing as it doesn't look like there will be many open spots on the Astros roster in 2010. His greatest skill may be getting from Round Rock to Houston in less than 2.5 hours, in the event of injury.

A month is left in the season, so Wes, Jose and Fernando should have many more opportunities to impress the team and give us reason to discuss the state of our pitching staff well into the Holiday Season.

Plan? Schman: What is the Astros front office thinking?

DyingQuail — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:02:20 -0000

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

Just give us a sign, Ed.

Browse more photos »

I just got finished reading this piece by Brian McTaggart. I read it; I read it again, and then I thought, "Sonofabitch." Why? Because I can't discern a single line of thought from McTaggart's interview that would indicate there's any kind of plan for the Astros. I don't need a blueprint, but at least some sort of trajectory, and if not a trajectory, at least an indication that our front office is in fact in touch with reality.

Why the fuss? Here are the selections:

The first task for the Astros is re-signing their own free agents, a list that includes impact players in shortstop Miguel Tejada, closer Jose Valverde and reliever LaTroy Hawkins. Houston likely doesn't have enough payroll flexibility to retain all three, and Tejada's future with the club would be at third base instead of shortstop.

Ok. So Wade is allegedly gunning for two of the three. My guess would a pairing of Tejada, plus a reliever and that spending would pretty much close off payroll for the 2010 season. $7.5 million in 2010 for Tejada is what I'm guessing we'll offer and I imagine that Hawkins will look for at least a $5 million deal coming off the season he just had (if you don't prod the raw numbers, he looks stellar).

So our main objective for 2010 is to bring back a SS to play 3B at age 35 or 34 (honestly, I'll never get Miggy's age right). And then sign a closer-esque reliever. After that, the goal, ostensibly, will be to plug the roster with in house pieces for the league minimum and hope that of Bud Norris, Feliepe Paulino, Yorman Bazardo, and Wesley Wright at least two can perform at or around league average for the course of the season.

But wait, we apparently also have a void our outfield. This one was news to me. Of our current corps of minor leaguers, I think the only "stenghth" we might have is in the outfield. Am I wrong?

Nevertheless, Ed Wade had this to say about our "situation" in the outfield:

"From the standpoint of position players with both Jason Michaels and Darin Erstad being free agents, our extra-outfield situation at this point is an issue," Wade said. "I'm not saying we wouldn't bring both guys back, but both are free agents, and we have to recognize we have a void now."

Really? A point at issue? The services of two veteran bench warmers who happened to play outfield at some point in their career is really worth a likely $2-3 million in their two contracts? Yordanny Ramirez, Reggie Abercrombie, Brian Bogusevic (just to name our AAA OFers, but not to slight the Gaston's and Locke's of the world) couldn't slot in their spots for less than $1 million? Interesting.

So from that point, I can't tell if Wade is conceding that he can only spend enough to sign one of the Valverde/Hakwins/Tejada trio because if he signs two of the three he can't afford to round out the bench, or not. But in all honesty, that has me worried.

Next up, something that's be eating at me for awhile, but Wade's quote brings it to the surface:

"If we can mix and match with Geoff over there and provide more offense, that's something we have to pay attention to," Wade said.

I get that Blum is allegedly an über-utility IF. But if Wade is really gunning for Tejada, why did he re-sign Geoff Blum so early? A piece like Blum seems best signed in January or February when someone like Blum hears things like "league-minimum" and "major league job" and jumps at the opportunity to sign after sweating it out all offseason.

There's also discussion of Wade looking to trade for a SP, but who does he trade? For whom? And why?

And it's at the point in the article that I started over, re-read and realized that Wade is literally just slapping duct-tape on this team and hoping it all holds. But with what purpose? I don't know. If Drayton's taking a hard line on the payroll because he doesn't want to lose money this year, why not just hold everyone we have in place? Offer arbitration to our FAs, and then whoever rejects it, take the picks and fill the slots with in house players at league minimum? If everyone rejects arbitration, we have a payroll of $80 million on opening day and we get finally see what are farm system actually has in it, and that seems more entertaining than the Ed Wade duct-tape ball that's being rolled right now. Hell, just throw some money at Hawkins and have someone we trust to close baseball games and still save Drayton a sizable chunk of change to invest in the 2010 draft.

Wade doesn't seem to be trying to make the roster better, he seems like he's trying to plug leaks on a sinking ship—but will still end up taking on water. And I have myself back to, what is the Astros objective for 2010 and beyond? Does anybody see it?

None of this is to say that I don't think the Astros can compete as assembled, or attempted to be assembled, in 2010, but my concern is that is there are plans for 2011, 2012, and beyond? Or is it going to just be duct-tape and prayers for the foreseeable future?

Astros Roster Breakdown: The Relievers

davoag — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:21 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

Reliever Sammy Gervacio

Browse more photos »

Your Tuesday morning special is a look at the 2009 Astros bullpen. First, though, I thought we could consider a question:

Can a minor league reliever be considered a prospect?

Almost all the Astros homegrown bullpen additions this decade have been starters in the minors before making the major leauge club. Guys like Billy Wagner, Brad Lidge and Chris Sampson made a successful transition into relievers, but started almost all of their games on the farm. Lately, though, the Astros have been moving prospects into the bullpen earlier in their minor league career and still giving them a shot to make the club.

As a comparison, only three players in the past 13 years have made their major league debut for the Astros after not starting more than 10 games in the minors. They were:

Wayne Franklin, came over from Dodgers, but was a minor league reliever before being called up in 2000. Franklin started just seven games in the minors before coming up during the first year at Enron, which was a wasteland of relievers. Remember the best pitcher in the 2000 bullpen, Joe Slusarsky? Yeah, it was bad. Franklin was sent back to the minors in 2001 and put into the starting rotation, much like the Astros are talking about doing with Wesley Wright (more on that later).
Brandon Puffer, went through three organizations before being called up in 2002, but only started six games in minors. Puffer doesn't show this as much, because he bounced around so much early in his career. Plus, his funky sidearm delivery was probably not though of as something that would hold up in a starter's role, forcing him into the 'pen.
Alvin Morman was called up in 1996, but only started 19 games in the minors. Even then, he was only used as a starter for part of one season (1994), when he started all 19 games at Double-A Jackson. Morman was a relatively high pick (6th round, 1991), but stayed in the pen for most of his career, as some leftys do.

That all changed this season when Sammy Gervacio made his big league debut. The 24-year old never started a game in the minors before appearing in 29 games this season over two stints in Houston. Another reliever, Chia-Jen Lo, is doing well in the Arizona Fall League after signing out of Taiwan last season. Lo also has been used mainly as a reliever along with a couple other mid-level prospects, like Danny Meszaros. Still, there is not a good history of guys with this profile succeeding. It will be interesting to track whether this is a trend that is changing or if these prospects will flame out once they get to the show. With that, let's get on with a look at the bullpen...

Tim Byrdak, LHP

2009 Season Stats: 1-2, 61 1/3 IP, 3.23 ERA, 76 games, 58 strikeouts, 36 walks, 10 HR, 1.22 WHIP, 129 ERA+

FIP: 5.29

Leverage: 24 High, 13 Medium, 36 Low

BABiP: .188

GB/FB: 0.71

Pitching Runs Created: 30

Notes: For a lefty specialist, Byrdak sure developed into a solid pitcher for the Astros. It really surprised me that he pitched in so many high leverage situations. His peripheral stats are worrying, as he was EXTREMELY lucky to give up so few hits and without a good defense, Byrdak would not have done nearly this well. The two things that jump out (other than his FIP and BABiP) were his homer rate (1.5 HR/9) and his walk rate (5.3 BB/9). Both were right in line with his career numbers, but are not great, especially the walk rate. At the same time, Byrdak has put up three straight seasons with ERAs of 3.00, so he's doing something right. Hopefully, he'll still be effective in 2010.

Chris Sampson, RHP

2009 Season Stats: 4-2, 3 saves, 55 1/3 IP, 5.04 ERA, 49 games, 33 strikeouts, 21 walks, 2 HR, 1.57 WHIP, 82 ERA+

FIP: 3.24

Leverage: 25 high, 10 medium, 14 low

BABiP: .335

GB/FB:1.17

Pitching Runs Created: 15

Notes: Talk about a hard luck season. Sampson suffered muscle spasms in his shoulder and was put on the DL in July. He came back but was ineffective and was finally optioned to Round Rock on August 13. Sampson pitched in some very tough situations and was somewhat unlucky before the injury, but his shoulder may still not be right. His FIP was much lower than his ERA, but his strikeout rate plummeted. Basically, Sampson was very hittable and that needs to change if he's going to be successful in 2010.

LaTroy Hawkins, RHP

2009 Season Stats: 1-4, 11 saves, 63 1/3 IP, 65 games, 2.13 ERA, 45 strikeouts, 16 walks, 7 HR, 1.20 WHIP, 195 ERA+

FIP: 3.92

Leverage: 35 high, 10 medium, 17 low

BABiP: .283

GB/FB: 0.86

Pitching Runs Created: 39

Notes: Hawkins put up great numbers, especially considering he pitched in more high leverage situations this season than any other Astros reliever. He'll be 37 next season in his 16th big league season. Fun fact: Hawkins actually started 129 games in the minors and was used as a starter by Minnesota for three seasons in the majors before beginning his very lucrative career in the bullpen. Hawkins was probably a little lucky this past season and his strikeout rate isn't anything to write home about. Still, with the rest of the bullpen being as solid as it is, I could see Hawkins closing next season and filling in the rest of the 'pen with Arias, Fulchino and Gervacio.

Jeff Fulchino, RHP

2009 Season Stats: 6-4, 82 IP, 61 games, 3.40 ERA, 71 strikeouts, 27 walks, 7 HR, 1.18 WHIP, 122 ERA+

FIP: 3.52

Leverage: 18 high, 14 medium, 28 low

BABiP: .281

GB/FB: 0.93

Pitching Runs Created: 37

Notes: Thank you Kansas City Royals. The Astros plucked Fulchino off waivers last December and were rewarded with a great season out of the bullpen. In face, Fulchino's season almost makes up for how bad the other Royal imports (Jason Smith, Tyler Lumsden) were. While his strikeout rate doesn't strike fear in the hearts of other teams, Fulchino did avoid giving up home runs for the most part. He also wasn't used in a ton of high leverage situations, so his stats were perfect for middle relief.

Jose Valverde, RHP

2009 Season Stats: 4-2, 25 saves, 54 IP, 52 games, 2.33 ERA, 56 strikeouts, 21 walks, 5 HR, 1.13 WHIP, 178 ERA+

FIP: 3.50

Leverage: 26 high, 13 medium, 10 low

BABiP: .261

GB/FB: 0.66

Pitching Runs Created: 34

Notes: Valverde was exactly what the Astros needed. He brought a swagger to the mound that this team lacked. Injuries robbed him of time this season and the fact that the Astros weren't very good down the stretch held his save total down. You can't ask for much more out of a closer, though, as he managed to strike out one an inning and his home run rate was the lowest since 2005. He has enough concerning factors to his season that I worry about giving him a long term deal. For one, his strikeout rate was the lowest of his career and his BABiP meant his season was more lucky than you'd like. With a couple more hits landing, his numbers could easily have skewed upwards more. Since he's already suffered through an injury-riddled season, what will happen if the Astros give him a 4-to-5 year deal and he's hurt for half of it?

Alberto Arias, RHP

2009 Season Stats: 2-1, 45 2/3 innings, 3.35 ERA, 42 games, 39 strikeouts, 19 walks, 1 HR, 1.49 WHIP, 124 ERA+

FIP: 3.11

Leverage: 12 high, 8 medium, 22 low

BABiP: .340

GB/FB: 1.68

Pitching Runs Created: 18

Notes: When discussing Ed Wade's best moves, Arias has to be among them. While not a home run-type move, Arias was gotten for nothing and has turned into a very effective reliever. Arias had a higher-than-normal BABiP, meaning he was a little unlucky in posting a higher-than-league average ERA. The only thing that's a little concerning about Arias going forward is his strikeout rate is a bit low. Without missing a few more bats, Arias is going to have a hard time giving up just one home run again next season.

Wesley Wright, LHP

2009 Season Stats: 3-4, 44 2/3 IP, 5.44 ERA, 49 games, 47 strikeouts, 25 walks, 9 HR, 1.75 WHIP, 76 ERA+

FIP: 5.14

Leverage: 7 high, 18 medium, 24 low

BABiP: .358

GB/FB: 0.82

Pitching Runs Created: 14

Notes: The word is the Astros would like to make Wright into a starter. With his age (25) and relative lack of innings to this point, it may take an entire season at Triple-A for Wright to make the transition. Having more left-handed starters, though, can't be a bad thing. Wright has been effective and used in semi-big situations. While Cooper didn't have as much confidence in him as Byrdak (judging by leverage situations), Wright did an adequate job and still strikes out a ton of batters. Even if he loses 2 strikeouts per nine innings off his rate by moving into the starting rotation, he'll still be very effective.

Sammy Gervacio, RHP

2009 Season Stats: 1-1, 21 IP, 2.14 ERA, 29 games, 25 strikeouts, 8 walks, 1 HR, 1.14 WHIP, 194 ERA+

FIP: 2.25

Leverage: 7 high, 7 medium, 15 low

BABiP: .319

GB/FB: 1.24

Pitching Runs Created: 15

Notes: As I mentioned above, Gervacio was one of the few Astros prospects to make the big league without starting a game in the minors. Gervacio was the only Astro with a double-digit K/9 rate, and had a smaller walk rate than in the minors. Still, Gervacio didn't pitch many innings, but showed enough to be a big contributor next season. He was used in a few high leverage situations and didn't embarrass himself. In fact, his usage pattern was somewhat surprising for a rookie. His FIP and BABiP all showed that his performance was not a fluke, though with his innings, the sample size wasn't big enough to draw huge conclusions. I would be happy to use him in the 'pen in 2010, though, instead of a more expensive option (see: Valverde, Jose).

Geoff Geary, RHP

2009 Season Stats: 1-3, 20 IP, 8.10 ERA, 16 games, 12 strikeouts, 10 walks, 4 HR, 2.00 WHIP, 51 ERA+

FIP: 6.05

Leverage: 6 high, 4 medium, 6 low

BABiP:.382

GB/FB: 0.54

Pitching Runs Created: 3

Notes: Geary is a good example of why teams shouldn't spend a ton of money on non-closers. Relievers are so fungible, it's hard to justify spending the money for a multi-year contract when their performance can vary so greatly. Take Geary; in 2008, he was a good addition to the 'pen and one of the better throw-ins to the Brad Lidge trade. In 2009? Geary finished the season in the minors and was granted free agency. The righty never could get locked in this season, even though he was used about the same in leveraged situations. His BABiP was high, which means he was probably unlucky. I could see Geary having a productive year for someone in 2010, though it probably won't be the Astros.

Doug Brocail, RHP

2009 Season Stats: 1-0, 17 2/3 IP, 4.58 ERA, 20 games, 9 strikeouts, 13 walks, 4 HR, 1.95 WHIP, 91 ERA+

FIP: 7.28

Leverage: 4 high, 2 medium, 12 low

BABiP: .298

GB/FB: 0.94

Pitching Runs Created: 6

Notes: It's safe to say the Doug Brocail experiment didn't work out as the Astros had planned. It's not that Brocail did poorly. In fact, you could argue that he was Houston's most effective reliever in 2008. However, his age may have caught up to him this season, as Brocail only played 20 games before suffering an arm injury (?). What's interesting is looking at what leveraged situations Brocail was used in this season. For someone who was so good a season before, Cooper obviously didn't want to use him in pressure situations in 2009, as he was used in twice as many low pressure situations as anything else.

Chad Paronto, RHP

2009 Season Stats: 0-0, 6 2/3 IP, 12.15 ERA, 6 games, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk, 4 HR, 2.40 WHIP, 34 ERA+

FIP: 10.50

Leverage: 0 high, 0 medium, 6 low

BABiP: .407

GB/FB: 0.50

Pitching Runs Created: 1

Notes: Paronto has been great for Round Rock the past two seasons, but battled injuries in 2009. He was called up in September and gave up a ton of home runs, but was a tad unlucky. Paronto is exactly the kind of arm the Astros have collected at Triple-A the past few years. He's serviceable but probably only needed in spot duty in the majors, if there is an injury.

Billy Sadler, RHP

2009 Season Stats: 0-0, 1 1/3 IP, 13.50 ERA, 1 game, 2 strikeouts, 1 walk, 0 HR, 2.25 WHIP, 31 ERA+

FIP: 2.40

Leverage: 0 high, 0 medium, 1 low

BABiP: .500

GB/FB: 1.00

Pitching Runs Created: 0

Notes: The only Astros pitcher to not get at least one Pitching Run Created, the story was that Wade promised Sadler he'd be added to the big league team before the end of the season. That's why he got the call-up at the end of September, though Sadler didn't pitch much at all. Fun moments in small sample size: Sadler's FIP was 11 runs lower than his ERA, but only because he struck out two in his 1 1/3 innings. Of course, now Sadler's a free agent and probably won't come back. But we'll always have that 1 1/3 innings.

California League Inland Empire 2009 Season Review

Phil Gurnee — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:16:08 -0000

AZL Dodger Summer League Recap | Baseball America AZL Top 20 Prospect List Chat

Pioneer League - Ogden Raptors Season Review | Baseball Americe Pioneer League Top 20 Prospect List Chat

Gr eat Lake Loons Review | Baseball America MidWest League Top 20 Prospect List Chat

The Inland Empire team affiliate had a dreadful season with a 59-81 record but it did have a two jewels and several other interesting players. Read after the jump for the recap of the season.

HITTING:

Best Offensive Prospect

Trayvon Robinson entered the 2009 season with the reputation as a very fast center fielder who didn't hit much, didn't steal bases well, struck out way to much, had little power, and had little plate discipline. He ended the 2009 season as our best outfield prospect by making gains in just about every category. This excellent report by Kevin Goldstein from Baseball Prospectus shows how far Trayvon Robinson has come as a prospect. Baseball America picked him as their 15th top California League prospect and had this to say about him:

15. Trayvon Robinson, of, Inland Empire (Dodgers)
Age: 22 B-T: B-R. Ht: 5-10. Wt.: 175 Drafted: Dodgers ‘05 (10)
Robinson was a hot topic of conversation among scouts at the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic at Petco Park in August. When told Robinson would be on our Cal League Top 20, one National League scout said: "He’d better be! And no one was sure he would hit coming out of high school."

A graduate of Los Angeles’ Crenshaw High, Robinson brought remarkable speed, a volatile temper and questionable bat into pro ball. He’s still a plus-plus runner progress and retains some rough edges, but the overall transformation has been remarkable.

A career .266 hitter coming into the year, he batted .306 with Inland Empire and finished one steal behind Gillies with 43. He has some surprising pop, though it gets him into trouble because he gets power-conscious. He’s a fine defender in center fielder with a fringe-average arm.

"Robinson gets better every year," another scout said. "The ball jumps off his bat, but he strikes out too much. He is way too good an athlete to strike out that much. He should look to go gap to gap more."

His numbers in the California League looked like this. His triple slash numbers of .304/.378/.498 produced an OPS of .869 and an wOBA of .370. He also stole 43 bases and will give Dee Gordon a run for his money when it comes to the faster player in the organization. His walk rate jumped from 6.8% in 2008 to 9.5% in 2009. His Isolated Power jumped from .110 to .190. The slugging % jumped from .387 to .498 and yes alot of that can be attributed to moving from the MidWest League to the California League but his ISOP stayed at the .190 level after being promoted to AA. Also in limited plate appearances in AA (70) his walk rate was 14%. He just turned 22 in Sept so he will be entering AA as a 22 year old Center Fielder. As far as league leaders go he was 17th in OPS but for players 22 or younger he was 7th. He was 2nd in the league in stolen bases with 43 but was also caught 27 times so he has lots of work to do in that area if he's going to be a plus in the stolen base department. His wOBA was again 7th at .370 for players 22 or younger.

Best Offensive Hitter:

As big a shock as Trayvon was, Scott Van Slyke was an even bigger surprise to be the best hitter on this team. At 23 he's a full year older then Trayvon and since being drafted in the 14th round of the 2005 draft had done little to merit being discussed as a top 30 prospect. After four different stops in the minors he had a high water OPS of .717 and he got that last year in the California league. When you look at what he did in 2009 it is hard to believe this is the same player. He was quite easily the best hitter on the team once Eduardo Perez was promoted to AA. He led the team in XBH (69), Home Runs (23), RBI's ( 100), OPS (.907), Walks (61), Total Bases (265). He had a ISOP of .240 while his previous high was .159. As far as league leaders go he was no Kyle Russell but his name was found in the top 10 throught the leaderboard. 10th in wOBA (.389), 9th in slug (.533), 9th in ISOP (.240), 10th in OPS (.935), 5th in home runs (23).

Sleeper:

Steven Caseres was opening some eyes after a sizzling June but then proceeded to suck the final three months of the year. Did he simply tire or did the Cal League pitchers figure him out. He had a bell curve going with his wOBA of .318 / .358 / .528 / .303 / .293 / .277. He ended up with the best walk rate on the team at 11.7% but his K rate of 25.7 would have led most teams that did not have a Preston Mattingly on it. At least he got some bang for those strikeouts with 15 home runs. He was drafted in the 9th round of the 2008 draft so this was his first full professional season and for a while he looked like a steal. He's a big left handed kid at 6'4 who did most of his damage against RHP (.926 OPS) and couldn't hit LHP to save his life (.581). At worse that might put him on the plus side of a platoon but it is doubtful he'll be able to hit major league LHP. The good news is that his K rate (73/331) is only 22% against RHP, compared to .32% (39/121) against LHP.

His co-padre Jamie Ortiz just turned 21 this summer but only garnered 216 plate appearances. With two left handed first baseman on the roster there was only so many at bats to go around. Expect Ortiz to be the starting 1st baseman in 2010 with Caseres moving on up to AA.

Possible Role Player:

25 year old switch hitting 1st baseman Eduardo Perez is not a real prospect but he looks like someone who might be able to carve out a roster spot in his late 20's.

Disapointment:

Pedro Baez wasn't terrible but he didn't break out the way I'd hoped he would. He had a few injuries and only managed 330 plate appearances for the full year. The highlight of his season was making the futures team but I'm not sure why. While moving from the tough Great Lake Loons environment to the offensive fueled Cal league his walk rate dropped in half from 8.1 to 4.8 while his K rate rose from 21.4% to 25.5%. Baez failed in 2008 with the Loons and was sent back to the Pioneer league to regain his confidence. He did okay for a 20 year old but nothing great. However the Dodgers decided to skip him from the MidWest League to the California League and he held his own but did nothing special. He's going to be 22 headed into 2010 so he still has time to improve his skills.

PITCHING:

Best Pitcher: On a very old pitching staff the 20 year old Christopher Withrow was still the best pitcher on the staff. Only the departed Steven Johnson could have given him a run for this title. Most of us were suprised to find Withrow on the 66er staff since he had only thrown 13 innings since being the number one pick in 2007. However the jump worked out as Withrow quickly showed he belonged in this league. Eventually he would get promoted to AA where he would continue to dazzle his followers but while he was in the Cal League he was a good reason to go watch the 66er's play when he was on the mound. Baseball America voted him the 4th top prospect in the league and had this say about him:

4. Chris Withrow, rhp, Inland Empire 66ers (Dodgers)
Age: 20. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 195. Drafted: Dodgers, 2008 (1).
A first-round pick in 2007, Withrow worked just 13 innings in his first two pro seasons because he had elbow problems. His rust showed this year, but he wowed scouts with his pure stuff.

Withrow averaged 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings with Inland Empire before his promotion to Double-A Chattanooga. His 92-96 mph fastball and curveball are both plus pitches, and his heater was clocked as high as 99. He throws with an easy arm action, which bodes well for his future health.

Withrow needs more command to be a front-line starter, and he’ll have to hone his changeup to give him something to play off his power stuff.

Other pitchers of note on the team were Tim Sexton, Justin Miller, Brian Akin, Jacobo Meque, Eric Krebs, Alberto Bastardo, and Mario Alveraz

Tim Sexton game is control. In three years his BB/9IP have been 2.0/2.3/1.9 to bad his K Rate didn't keep up. In his rookie year for the Loons he had a 9.9 K rate but over the last two years he's sitting at 5.8.

22 year old Justin Miller was the pitcher promoted from the Loons to the 66er's to make room for Aaron Miller. Aaron is the good Miller. Justin throws a heavy sinker but that heavy sink didn't keep the Cal League hitters from knocking out 52 hits in only 34 innings of work. The BABIP of .398 shows he was a bit unlucky but he also walked more then he struck out. A very unimpressive showing in a very limited sample size.

Mario Alvarez had been best known for shockingly making the 40 man roster in the fall of 2008 instead of Wesley Wright. Wright was taken by the Astro's in the rule five draft while Alvarez went on to have TJ surgery. The smallish RHP made it back into the 66er rotation and actually had some good results. His 1.17 WHIP was easily the best of his career, due to him dropping his B/9 rate to 2.5 and giving up fewer hits then inning pitched for the first time in his career.

Brian Akin must be a lot of fun to watch pitch. The 27 year old has been struggling since 2004 but in just about every year he's had a K/9 rate over 10 but to his chagrin has also had a B/9 rate over 7 the last two years. While with the 66ers he walked 8 in only seven innings of work.

Jacobo Meque knows how to strikeout hitters but evidently little else. He struck out 36 batters in only 21 innings of work but still managed to have an ERA over 5.00 and a WHIP over 2.00.

Eric Krebs came over in the D Young deal. Not sure a A journeyman relief pitcher is worth a starting major league 2nd baseman but what do I know.

Alberto Bastardo has a great name and finally got promoted to AA after spending 2007, 2008, and 1/2 of 2009 with the 66ers. Bastado is a little lefty who is now 25 years old. I expect him to be pitching out of relief soon because he won't make in the rotation.

The best writer on the staff was Brian Akin who pens a funny blog called Dear Tommy John Letters.

This is way the Astros season ends: Not with a bang, but a whimper

DyingQuail — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:58:48 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

My feelings exactly, Aaron.

Browse more photos »

I've done pretty much anything but think about the Astros today. There were too many mixed emotions to sort through; too many other tantalizing distractions to latch onto. I've watched a dismal Fantasy Football day crush my spirits, the Texans look weak in the second half against the Oakland Raiders, talked HLP down from the ledge as he fretted about his ability to clinch our rotisserie keeper-league (he did, Congrats buddy, you earned it).

I didn't even watch the Astros game. I couldn't.

I saw the standard tweets about it on my desktop client (Tweetie) and that was enough depression for me. The most critical thinking I could bring myself to do about the Astros was a few expletive deleted texts and about five minutes worth of phone conversation between HLP and myself. I don't know why it is that I feel this way, or I have felt this way for the last few weeks, but I think the catharsis of knowing that it's over has finally allowed me to snap out of my funk.

I can still remember when the glimmer of hope I had for this season was born. BtB's Sky Kalkman emailed me the spreadsheet for his Community Projection Project and I rushed to input all the projections. Without any fan embellishment, we were something like an 80 win team. It was late December and I was shocked. Flabbergasted. Almost afraid to actually publish the result publically. I probably wrote about seven drafts of an email I never sent Sky explaining—politely—that I thought his spreadsheet was broken.

We spent the next few weeks tweaking and refining the inputs and suddenly we were an 82 win team. Then in late March Ivan Rodriguez and Jeff Keppinger landed in Houston and we quickly became an 83 win team. There was probably inflation, but a .500 season seemed realistic, and there were all the variables in place to allow for some kind of meaningful and exciting season to get underway.

April and May saw the NL Central become a smorgasbord of stories that had thrown the conventional off-season predications of how the Central would play out, out. Yet the Astros struggled for most of it and seemed destined to be mired in irrelevancy, even as opportunity knocked. I managed to avoid excess worry and pessimism during this stretch by being wrapped up in graduating from college and then not living like a member of the real world for the next month (that month will easily go down as the most enjoyable month of my life). Perhaps that's what insulated my glimmer of hope and kept me set up for the inexorable Astros-depression that has plagued me as of late (does semi-ignorance count as denial?)

June arrived and the Astros were quietly good. The responsibility of covering the team on a daily basis allowed for me to be slow to notice the fact that the Astros were stringing together victories and closing ground in the Central. So it was a very plesant surprise when I finally allowed myself to consider the possibility of the Astros becoming...contenders(?!).

By the time the All-Star break was upon us, I don't think that there were many of us who weren't starting to harbor something akin to excitement. When we opened the second half by splitting the series with the Dodgers, I'd say most of us were starting to place ourselves in the camp of believers. I know I was.

Sure, there was a mountain of statistical evidence based on macro-level measures that could demonstrate how the Astros couldn't possibly succeed, but we saw a different picture. We saw a team that had been felled by Jose Valverde's monstrously wicked calf strain, Roy Oswalt's post-WBC inconsistency, and Lance Berkman's weird odd-year-early-season-under-perfomance. We were buoyed along by the fact that Wandy, in spite of his two weeks of HR/FB regression, was pitching consistently and finally living up to all of our hopes. There was Bud Norris tilling the farm in the PCL with a low 2.00 ERA and thus the hope that our rotation could only get better—not worse.

This all led to what I'll consider to be the peak of the Astros 2009 Season: July 20th-22nd. The NL Central leading Cardinals were going to be at MMP and the Astros had quite the opportunity on their hands. Prior to the Astros three game sweep of the Cards, I wrote the following:

Unlike previous years when the Astros and their fans had to hope and pray throughout the month of September that other teams would drop the ball while the Astros took care of other opponents, the Astros will be firmly in the drivers seat this time around from July 20th on...

...I consider this series to be the keynote address to how the Astros will handle the opportunity they're presented. They're only real opponent is themselves. This is a division, and even an Wild Card race, that has proven to be anything but decided ninety plus games into the season. So the Astros, flawed as they are, have legs to stand on in the search for October baseball, but we've all yet to figure out is how sturdy those legs ar e.

As we all know, the legs weren't that sturdy. Our offense collapsed into a black hole of paltry OBP (.305) and our farm hands and scrap heap veterans were anything but consistent as the season pressed forward on the mound for us. Even Roy Oswalt couldn't hold up.

But I don't want to get to that part yet.

There was a week long period after that where it genuinely felt like the Astros were going to do it. They were going to shock all of us and make a legitimate run at the playoffs. Actually take their fate in their own hands and dispatch their NL Central rivals. Maybe it was a fan's bias, but I did. Hell, I even put my neck on the chopping block and tried to show up SBN's own RJ Anderson when he wrote about how screwed the Astros actually were. I still don't think his argument was overwhelming, completely thought out, or entirely objective, but, in the end, he was right and I was wrong if you obscure the issue somewhat.

I think this is known as the first stage of grief: denial. What I was really saying and hoping was: "The Astros are fine, there's a way these obvious defects can be overcome. I can't say exactly how, I just believe they can."

Did I partake in too much of the Kool-Aid? Probably. But I really don't see how I couldn't. It felt like the stars were aligning. It felt like my sports luck was going to turn around. It felt like the baseball gods were going to pay us back for Hurricane Ike, the Selig/McLane/Cubs/Milwaukee fiasco, Joe Creede's ridiculously dumb defensive luck circa October 2005—everything.

It happened, though. Not a bang, but a whimper. The Astros dropped a series to the Mets at home. Then dropped series against Chicago on the road were swept by a Matt Holliday powered Cardinals. At the time it felt disconcerting, but certainly nothing to lose the faith over. After all it, was still just early August. It was impossible for me to fathom that it would be the start of a 25-42 run for the Astros. Reading that number right now it still seems impossible.

The team just started to slip way in bits and pieces. Chris Sampson went down, exposing the limits of the set-up men. Alberto Arais faltered and would go down with injury and later go under the knife. Bud Norris, whose was dazzling in his debut in St. Louis, started to get shelled. Yorman Bazardo got a call up to fill in for the now comical merry-go-round of Feliepe Paulino, Mike Hampton, Brian Moehler, and the released Ortiz, but struggled as well. Every game I oscillated between the anger and bargaining phases of grief. It was either: "What the hell is (object of my ire) doing/thinking, this is absurd. I can't believe they're finding new and impressive ways to blow this" or "Please baseball gods, please, just let them pull it together. It's not to late for them salvage something."

By the time September was underway, I was in full blown depression, the fourth stage. I didn't want to write about this team, I didn't want to think about this team, I didn't want to watch this team. Every loss was too painful; every glimmer of hope from Norris or Paulino tainted by my own jadedness. As I mulled over our options for 2010, the prospect of trying to make this team a contender on the budget Drayton McLane will provide did nothing to pull me out of my funk.

In the depression stage of grief, apparently one disconnects oneself by being silent. By not allowing their thoughts to be challenged or corrected by someone who could bring hope. Even though I wasn't writing, I was still reading. Most of you have continued to find the silver lining. Me, I couldn't stop adhering to Jerry Garcia's adage that every silver lining has a touch of gray.

Sure, Bud Norris has flashed brillance, but I've been stuck on knowing that he'll turn up injured before May rolls around next year. Paulino? He'll probably be on the Wandy Rodriguez path to greatness and take until 2013 to finally arrive. Wesley Wright's conversion to starter? Could Ed Wade be any more desperate for his owner to throw him a lifeline in the form a $10 million to go grab a worth while pitcher?

I could go on, but I think you get the point. That's pretty much how I've been thinking and feeling about the Astros for the last month. It's been awful.

Sometime around 8:30PM though, I finally reached the final stage, acceptance. Was this season a disappointment? Yes. Even so, it still provided a six to eight week stretch where people believed. Where people cared. Even though there's no one thing I can find to blame the Astros soul-crushing, for me, atrophy into the team that limped their way to a 25-42 final stretch, it's ok. I'm not sure there is. This once meteorically hot team just whimpered its way through the majority of the second half to a dismal 5th place finish in the NL Central. From one game behind on July 22nd, to seventeen games back on October 4th. It's probably fitting that they were shut out.

There's always next year.

It's still too soon for me to cling to that adage with the kind of hope I did last December, but at least that's what we have to focus on now.

Thursday Morning Astros, etc. Round Up

DyingQuail — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:07:40 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Four more of these, and Michael Bourn has himself as season that will have to be remembered.

Browse more photos »

I don't know if there's anyone else out there who is anixously awaiting the offseason like I am, but...I am. Even though it's likely to be rather unexciting and slightly disapointing, there are a lot of decisions to be made. There's a new manager to be hired, the question marks of closer, SS/3B, who the Astros will pull of the scrap heap and add to the rotation, Wesley Wright's conversion to starter, and a few other miscellaneous projects on Ed Wade's to do list. Whatever the results, it'll at least make for more dicussion and excitement than seeing if Miguel Tejada can amass 200 hits or Michael Bourn can set the Astros single season steals record.

With my psuedo-editorial out of the way, here or some links to chew on:

Like I just said, Michael Bourn is a scant four stolen bases from tying the Astros single season steal record set way back in 1990 by Eric Yielding. Anybody know the line on his breaking it? Even though he's got the NL title for SB this year, it'd be cool to see him get his name in the Astros record books; sort of the icing on the cake of an illustrious season by Mr. Bourn.
Speaking of Michael Bourn's glorious season, maybe it's time that we start thinking of Bourn in terms of this BtB Graph of the Day. (Too soon?...Yes, but a man can dream.)
Dave Clark is going to give Miguel Tejada just about every opportunity to reach 200 hits. What's crazy to me is I can remember joking with HLP at the ASB that if Tejada, who had 112 hits at the time, didn't get 200 hits, we'd know that the Astros season had gone terribly awry. Damn me for being so prescient.
The downside to letting Miggy pursue such a benchmark heading into free agency, is that Tommy Manzella is seeing less playing time (which I previously would have thought unthinkable to do). The rookie, however, is taking it in stride and appreciating learning by watching Miggy.
Richard Justice continues to confuse us, his readers, and possibly himself as he displays sort of an internal monologue in his latest blog post. The issue: the vicious cycle that could be poor attendance leading to decreased spending, leading to poorer attendance, leading to...well, I'm sure you can fill in the ellipses. What confuses the hell out of me, is that Justice seems to alternate, week by week, day by day, etc., on whether Drayton is justified in reducing spending.
Zach Levine checks in with minor league news. Filling us in on where some will spend the winter, how some are fairing after injury, etc.
Another BtB Graph of the Day: The relationship between walks and wOBA. Definitely worth the looksy and the readsy.
Finally, if I had somehow managed to post this in March of this year, would anyone have taken it seriously? Doubtful.

Farmstros '09 in Review- Part 2- The Rule 5 Catch of the Season

farm_stros — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:08:33 -0000

When Rule 5 selections Lou Palmisano and Gilbert de La Vara didn't pan out in this season's spring training, it appeared that Wesley Wright would remain alone as an Astros quality Rule 5 pick-up. However, that opinion had to be amended by the end of May when outfielder Drew Locke had announced his presence at Corpus Christi's Whataburger Field. Houston selected Locke in the minor league phase of the 2008 Rule 5 draft after he spent the 2008 season with the Dodgers High A affiliate, Inland Empire.

Getting a chance to play every day in Texas seemed to agree with Locke. In April and May, he led the Texas League in...everything. He batted .376 with 13 doubles, 10 home runs and 57 RBI in 46 games. He cooled off a bit once the summer hit, but he still earned MVP honors with the Hooks. His season totals included a league leading .338 batting average and 109 RBI. He also had 31 doubles and 20 home runs.

Locke's season was cut short by a week with a broken hand, but his hand should be healed in plenty of time for Spring Training 2010.

Reds make thrilling late season run towards mediocrity, sweep Astros 6-5.

Brendanukkah — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:21:32 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

Thousands of red seats showed up to honor and thank Hal McCoy for his 37 years of service to the Reds and baseball. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

Browse more photos »

Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Jeff Fulchino. He threw the wild pitch that allowed Joey Votto to score the winning run. Votto, Brandon Phillips, Drew Stubbs, and Wladimir Balentien all had big games as well.

Key Plays

The Astros made some plays and there was some exciting defense, but they lost so screw them. They're not getting recapped anymore.
Jonny Gomes hit a home run in the second inning to give the Reds the lead.
Drew Stubbs hit a home run in the third, then Joey Votto walked, went to third on Phillips's single, and scored on Scott Rolen's sacrifice fly. Two runs! Tie game!
Wladimir Balentien hit a double to lead off the fourth inning. He moved to third on Craig Tatum's sacrifice fly, and scored when Justin Lehr bunted to the pitcher, and Yorman Bazardo threw it away. Reds lead, 4-3!
Balentien scored again in the sixth inning. He singled, and Tatum bunted him to second. After Jay Bruce struck out, Drew Stubbs singled to bring in Balentien. Tie game!
Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips singled to begin the seventh inning, putting runners on the corners. Scott Rolen came up and struck out, but not before Jeff Fulchino threw a wild pitch and Votto crossed the plate with the winning run.

via FanGraphs

Other Notes

The Reds are only three games out of fourth place. Here we come!
Jeff Keppinger hit two home runs - in the same game! It was the first time he'd ever done that.
This was the second series against the Astros that the Reds have swept in Cincinnati this season. The Reds have won seven in a row against the 'Stros.
The Astros hit five home runs off of Justin Lehr, which tied a club record. The last Reds pitcher to give up five homers was Brandon Claussen on July 18, 2005.
Jonny Gomes became the third Red to reach the 20 homer mark. He's only one behind Joey Votto for the club lead.
Juan Francisco drew a walk. ZOMG! His ML walk rate of 50% is blowing away his minor league numbers.
Coco Cordero has pitched - and gotten a save in - the last three days and four of the last five. Let's hope for a blowout tomorrow.

Final - 9.16.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Houston Astros	0	0	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	5	12	1
Cincinnati Reds	0	1	2	1	0	1	1	0	X	6	11	0
WP: Jared Burton (1 - 0) SV: Francisco Cordero (37) LP: Wesley Wright (3 - 3)

Complete Coverage >