A baseball career: My journal - Page 4

antidan444 · 06-18-2014, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clemente21PIT

Hooray! You are now the Mike Trout and Bryce Harper of Relief Pitching!

Coming to a T-shirt near you ...

antidan444 · 06-18-2014, 10:43 PM

2014 HOUSTON ASTROS

It has not been good times of late for the Astros, but their fortunes are starting to improve. After two straight disastrous seasons (56-106 in 2011, 55-107 in 2012), some of the Astros' young position players started coming of age in 2013 and they finished a slightly more respectable 72-90.

BNN believes the improvement will continue this season, pegging the Astros to finish 79-83.

Here is a brief look at the players expected to be the main contributors in 2014:

STARTING PITCHING

If the lineup has plenty of potential, both for this season and the ones to come, the starting pitching is pretty freaking bleak. Kauffman legitimately isn't near ready to help improve the situation, but they need him to be ready in a year or two. The current rotation, in order:

Ian Kennedy (29, 3 stars, fragile)
2013 stats (Diamondbacks): 6-9, 4.47 ERA, 149 innings, 145 hits, 45 walks, 128 Ks
* BNN is projecting him to be the 10th-best AL starter. Color me shocked.

Wade Miley (27, lefty, 2 stars)
2013 stats (Diamondbacks): 5-14, 5.93 ERA, 147 1/3 innings, 185 hits, 54 walks, 93 Ks

Chris Capuano (35, lefty, 2 stars, wrecked)
2013 stats (Dodgers): 8-9, 3.99 ERA, 164 2/3 innings, 179 hits, 44 walks, 140 Ks

Jeff Francis (33, lefty, 1.5 stars, fragile)
2013 stats (Rockies): 12-10, 5.18 ERA, 182 1/3 innings, 240 hits, 50 walks, 118 Ks

Bud Norris (29, 2.5 stars)
2013 stats: 7-20, 5.48 ERA, 208 2/3 innings, 235 hits, 78 walks, 191 Ks

RELIEF PITCHING

There's not much to write home about here, either. The only guy I'm going to bother to spotlight is the closer:

Manny Parra (31, lefty, 2 stars, fragile)
2013 stats (Reds): 5-1, 2.08 ERA, 65 innings, 57 hits, 25 walks, 78 Ks
* He has never been a closer

The setup guys are mediocre, as is the rest of the pen.

It all means the offense is going to have to produce some runs. There's plenty of speed.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

CATCHER: Jason Castro (26, lefty, 4 stars)
2013 stats: .290/.359/.438, 31 doubles, 15 HR, 3.0 WAR
* He's one of the best catchers in MLB, and still has room to improve.

FIRST BASE: Chris Parmelee (26, lefty, 2 stars)
2013 stats: .253/.325/.407, 13 doubles, 12 homers in 332 ABs, 0.2 WAR

SECOND BASE: Jose Altuve (23, 2 stars)
2013 stats: .247/.276/.350, 34 doubles, 35 steals, 0.7 WAR
*Lots of room to improve, and he needs to bring up that ugly OBP

THIRD BASE: Marwin Gonzalez (25, switch-hitter, 1 star)
2013 stats: .289/.333/.391, 17 doubles in 256 ABs, 0.8 WAR
* He's starting for injured regular Matt Dominguez (24, 2.5 stars), out 3-4 weeks with a strained hamstring. Dominguez has more power, but otherwise really isn't all that much better.

SHORTSTOP: Jonathan Villar (22, switch-hitter, 4.5 stars)
2013 stats: .238/.300/.385, 23 doubles, 10 triples, 12 homers, 56 steals, 3.4 WAR
* His combination of speed and defensive range makes him an almost sure thing to be a star for years. He's projected to be a pretty good contact hitter, too.

LEFT FIELD: J.D. Martinez (26, 3.5 stars)
2013 stats: .261/.312/.442, 15 doubles, 7 homers in 199 ABs, 1.0 WAR
* Was a semi-late call-up from AAA last year

CENTER FIELD: Justin Maxwell (30, 1 star)
2013 stats: .199/.306/.347, 16 doubles, 12 homers, 20 steals, 0.4 WAR
* A really weak link. At least he's an adequate defender.

RIGHT FIELD: George Springer (24, 2.5 stars)
2013 stats: ,238/.285/.481, 12 doubles, 9 homers in 185 ABs, 0.6 WAR
* Rolled through AA and AAA before reaching the bigs last year. He also has a cannon arm.

DESIGNATED HITTER: Chris Carter (27, 1.5 stars)
2013 stats: .232/.311/.462, 22 doubles, 28 homers, -0.3 WAR
* There's a reason he's not playing defense ...

antidan444 · 06-19-2014, 10:02 AM

April 6, 2014 (Athletics at Astros)

Opening Day! A sellout crowd packed Minute Maid Park for the first game of the season, with national coverage by ESPN (their Sunday Night game). What an atmosphere! I was really hoping to get my debut out of the way today.

Alas, it was not to be. Ian Kennedy worked into the seventh, and I became a spectator for what was a heck of a contest.

Tied 3-3 in the 9th, Derek Norris homered off Manny Parra for a 4-3 A's lead in the top half. Justin Maxwell homered off Sean Doolittle in the bottom half to tie it at 4, and off to extra innings we went.

Unfortunately, Brandon Belt homered off Edward Mujica in the 12th to win it for the A's. Jose Altuve gave a two-out pitch a ride in the bottom half, but it was caught on the track, and we lost 5-4.

ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS
Maxwell 3-5, HR, 2 RBIs
Villar 3-5
Kennedy 6 1/3 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, 8 Ks

antidan444 · 06-19-2014, 10:47 AM

April 8, 2014 -- Athletics (1-0) at Astros (0-1)

I'm still waiting for my debut, but what a game! If every game is like this, I'll be happy just to have the best seat in the house. ... OK, that's not true, but whatever.

Marwin Gonzalez gave us a 4-3 lead with an RBI single in the eighth, but Manny Parra couldn't hold it in the ninth, giving up Jed Lowrie's RBI double. Jemile Weeks followed with a shot to the left corner, but J.D. Martinez surprised everybody by running it down for a catch that kept things tied.

Martinez locked up game MVP honors with a walk-off single against Sean Doolittle in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 win!

ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS

Martinez 4-5, 2 RBIs
Castro 2-5, RBI
Villar, Maxwell solo HR each
Miley 8 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk, 1 K

antidan444 · 06-19-2014, 03:33 PM

April 9, 2014 -- Athletics (1-1) at Astros (1-1)

I'm pretty disappointed that I didn't see any action of the opening series. I'm chomping at the bit to get out there and contribute.

Capuano pitched a gem today (8 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 9 Ks) as we won 6-1.

ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS
Castro 3-4, 2 RBIs
Springer 2-3
Martinez 1-3, 2 RBIs

antidan444 · 06-19-2014, 03:35 PM

April 10, 2014 (off day)

The Astros signed free agent starting pitcher Jeff Karstens (2 stars) to a 1-year deal today, and have put him in the bullpen. This will likely mean even fewer opportunities for me, and I'm starting to wish I was down in the minors starting regularly.

We start a three-game series at home against the Rangers tomorrow.

antidan444 · 06-19-2014, 03:51 PM

April 11, 2014 -- Rangers (2-2) at Astros (2-1)

Once again, I was not needed, as Jeff Francis pitched seven sharp innings and we won, 4-1. Francis allowed six hits, one run and one walk while striking out 8.

ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS
Altuve 2-4, RBI
Carter, Maxwell 2-4 each
Parmelee RBI triple

antidan444 · 06-19-2014, 04:10 PM

April 12, 2014 -- Rangers (2-3) at Astros (3-1)

I was a spectator once again, and am wondering if I'll even get to pitch during this homestand. It's really frustrating, far more so than I expected. The guys can tell, and several of them have told me to stay patient, but I think even they are wondering why the organization isn't letting me get experience donwn on the farm, now that I'm not really needed here.

Ian Kennedy was fantastic for us (7 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, a franchise single-game record 13 Ks). Unfortunately, he got hit with the loss because we were clueless against Yu Darvish (7 innings, 1 hit, 0 walks, 4 Ks) and lost 4-0. We got one other hit off Carlos Marmol, and that was it.

Edward Mujica had a rough outing in relief, allowjng RBI singles to Lorenzo Cain (who drove in a baserunner Kennedy allowed) and Jurickson Profar in the seventh, and a two-run homer to Torii Hunter in the eighth.

antidan444 · 06-19-2014, 04:51 PM

April 13, 2014 -- Rangers (3-3) at Astros (3-2)

Bud Norris had a rough third inning, allowing five runs, including Lance Berkman's 3-run homer. When he surrendered a leadoff homer to Lorenzo Cain in the fifth, which put the Rangers ahead 6-5, Porter went out to get him ... and suddenly, it was time for my debut. As I was jogging in from the bullpen, I hear the PA announcer ...

"Ladies and gentlemen ... entering the game ... making his major league debut ... Dan Kauffman!"

Goosebumps. I got a nice ovation, too. I enjoyed it for about 10 seconds, then got to business.

FIFTH INNING

Jurickson Profar -- He flew out to right on a pretty good 0-2 sinker in on his hands.
Mitch Moreland -- A routine 4-3 groundout.
Berkman -- He grounded to first. My first inning of work lasted just seven pitches and I got another nice ovation.

SIXTH INNING

Torii Hunter -- I threw a 1-2 sinker up and away and he swung through it.
Jose Felix -- I put a first-pitch sinker up and in on him (I wanted it down, not up), and he lined it to right with an inside-out swing for a single.
Domonic Brown -- He grounded a good 2-2 sinker to second for an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.

That ended my night, but the rest of the bullpen was stellar. Jose Altuve's RBI single in the ninth sent the game to extra innings, and we won it 7-6 in the 14th when Chris Parmelee doubled and Justin Maxwell followed with a walk-off triple.

We had a lot of offensive stars in this one:

Maxwell 3-7, HR, 3 RBIs
Parmelee 4-7
Altuve 3-5, RBI
Martinez 3-5, 2 walks
Villar 3-7

Cain finished 4-for-6 with a HR for the Rangers.

I'm glad I was able to make my debut in front of the home crowd. We travel to Los Angeles tomorrow to start a three-game series against the Angels.

GAME/SEASON STATS: 2 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs/walks, 1 K, 0.00 ERA

antidan444 · 06-19-2014, 05:29 PM

April 14, 2014 -- Astros (4-2) at Angels (3-4)

I did not pitch. We lost 2-1.

ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS
Wade Miley (L, 0-1) 8 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 3 Ks
Jose Altuve 2-3, walk

ANGELS HIGHLIGHTS
Albert Pujols, Howie Kendrick solo HR each
C.J. Wilson (W, 2-0) 7 2/3 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, 3 Ks

antidan444 · 06-19-2014, 05:52 PM

April 15, 2014 -- Astros (4-3) at Angels (4-4)

I did not pitch. We won 4-3 in 11 innings, another thriller.

We took a 3-2 lead in the eighth on J.D. Martinez's RBI double and Chris Carter's RBI single. Manny Parra entered in the ninth and promptly blew the save (now 1-for-3), giving up a leadoff homer to Mark Trumbo. But Jose Altuve capped his 3-for-5 day with an RBI single with two outs in the 11th for the win. He's scorching hot, hitting .429.

ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS
Chris Capuano - 8 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, 6 Ks, no-decision

antidan444 · 06-19-2014, 10:44 PM

April 16, 2014 -- Astros (5-3) at Angels (4-5)

Albert Pujols hit two solo home runs and we lost, 4-2. Jeff Francis pitched all eight innings for us, so it was another boring day for me.

ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS
Villar 2-4
Francis (L, 1-1) 8 innings, 7 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, 1 K

ANGELS HIGHLIGHTS (other than Pujols)
Joe Blanton (W, 1-0) 7 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 6 Ks

We have a day off before heading to Seattle for a three-game series.

antidan444 · 06-19-2014, 11:06 PM

April 18, 2014 -- Astros (5-4) at Mariners (4-5)

Ian Kennedy worked eight sharp innings, we won 4-2 and I was an observer yet again. I've pitched once in 10 days. I'm at the point where I wish I was in AAA pitching regularly, and I voiced my displeasure with manager Bo Porter, who understood completely. He also told me that we're on an unusual run of great starting pitching and, at some point, that will change and the bullpen will get more work. I'm running out of patience, it's not good for my development to pitch all of two innings over 10 games.

I guess I shouldn't complain too much. We're the only team in the AL West with a winning record.

ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS

Gonzalez 2-3
Maxwell, Paredes (utility player), Elmore (backup infielder) solo HR each
Kennedy (W, 1-1) 8 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 0 walks, 5 Ks

baseballonly · 06-20-2014, 12:15 AM

You should throw a fit and ask to be traded

antidan444 · 06-20-2014, 02:30 PM

I lowered his morale over playing time to -4000 (on a 5K to -5K scale). I don't know if that will lead to anything.

antidan444 · 06-20-2014, 02:50 PM

April 19 -- Astros (6-4) at Mariners (4-6)

Wade Miley outdueled Feliz Hernandez, pitching six scoreless innings. But in the seventh, after a leadoff single by Mike Morse, Miley came out of the game with an arm issue. Uh-oh. The diagnosis is pending but it didn't seem good.

Given we were already in the seventh, and the bullpen was pretty fresh, I didn't expect to get in. But Porter told me to warm up and be ready for the eighth. Maybe my complaining had an impact. With a 2-1 lead in the eighth, one out and no one on base, Porter called my number. Alrighty, then!

Leon Landry -- I threw a good 2-1 sinker and he hit it right back at me for the easy 1-3.
Dustin Ackley -- A routine 4-3 groundout to end the inning.

Manny Parra got the save with the help of a double play and we secured the victory.

ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS
Miley (W, 1-1) 6 innings, 5 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 K
Gonzalez 2-4

MARINERS HIGHLIGHTS
Hernandez (L, 1-2) 9 innings, 8 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 7 Ks

DAN'S SEASON STATS: 2 2/3 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs/walks, 1 K

MMastro92 · 06-20-2014, 03:02 PM

The organization is definitely misusing you. Why waste a young arm in the bullpen rather than growing him in the minors

baseballonly · 06-20-2014, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMastro92

The organization is definitely misusing you. Why waste a young arm in the bullpen rather than growing him in the minors

Exactly, keeping him in the bullpen the whole year would just waste a year of service time.

antidan444 · 06-20-2014, 03:21 PM

April 20 -- Astros (7-4) at Mariners (4-7)

This was another back-and-forth, intense game, and one I really wish I had been given a chance in!

Dan Haren no-hit us for five innings and we trailed 2-0. Then our bats came to life and we scored three in the sixth on five singles to take the lead.

They tied it at 3 in the seventh on a two-out triple by Seth Smith and an RBI single by Leon Landry off a tiring Bud Norris. Jeff Karstens got out of jams to end the seventh and eighth innings (mostly of his own doing, with two walks and a hit batter).

We thought we had it won in the ninth when a two-base error by their third baseman led to J.D. Martinez's RBI bloop single for a 4-3 lead. But Edward Mujica (given a chance to close a game) gave up homers to Dustin Ackley in the bottom of the ninth and Justin Smoak in the 11th.

I was warming up in the 10th, but I never got the call.

ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS
Martinez 2-5, 2 RBIs
Norris 6 2/3 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 5 Ks

MARINERS HIGHLIGHTS
Smoak 2-5, 3 RBIs
Haren 8 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs, 0 walks, 7 Ks

antidan444 · 06-20-2014, 03:28 PM

BI-WEEKLY BRIEF SUMMARY

AL WEST STANDINGS
Astros 7-5
Rangers 7-6
Athletics 7-6
Angels 6-8
Mariners 5-7

The Astros have been getting it done with pitching and defense, ranking first in every single category except bullpen ERA (which is 7th but under 3.00 so whatever). The offense is ranked between 10th and 14th in every category except steals (1st, 20).

Just about everybody except our closers has been pitching well. Offensively, Altuve (.386), Maxwell (.349 -- some weak link!) and Martinez (.348) are carrying the load.

I honestly believe the defense is sustainable, it's a very solid defensive team all around. The offense will probably stay where it's at, if not slightly improve. The pitching, especially the starting pitching, has nowhere to go but downhill.

06-18-2014, 10:43 PM	#62
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	2014 HOUSTON ASTROS It has not been good times of late for the Astros, but their fortunes are starting to improve. After two straight disastrous seasons (56-106 in 2011, 55-107 in 2012), some of the Astros' young position players started coming of age in 2013 and they finished a slightly more respectable 72-90. BNN believes the improvement will continue this season, pegging the Astros to finish 79-83. Here is a brief look at the players expected to be the main contributors in 2014: STARTING PITCHING If the lineup has plenty of potential, both for this season and the ones to come, the starting pitching is pretty freaking bleak. Kauffman legitimately isn't near ready to help improve the situation, but they need him to be ready in a year or two. The current rotation, in order: Ian Kennedy (29, 3 stars, fragile) 2013 stats (Diamondbacks): 6-9, 4.47 ERA, 149 innings, 145 hits, 45 walks, 128 Ks * BNN is projecting him to be the 10th-best AL starter. Color me shocked. Wade Miley (27, lefty, 2 stars) 2013 stats (Diamondbacks): 5-14, 5.93 ERA, 147 1/3 innings, 185 hits, 54 walks, 93 Ks Chris Capuano (35, lefty, 2 stars, wrecked) 2013 stats (Dodgers): 8-9, 3.99 ERA, 164 2/3 innings, 179 hits, 44 walks, 140 Ks Jeff Francis (33, lefty, 1.5 stars, fragile) 2013 stats (Rockies): 12-10, 5.18 ERA, 182 1/3 innings, 240 hits, 50 walks, 118 Ks Bud Norris (29, 2.5 stars) 2013 stats: 7-20, 5.48 ERA, 208 2/3 innings, 235 hits, 78 walks, 191 Ks RELIEF PITCHING There's not much to write home about here, either. The only guy I'm going to bother to spotlight is the closer: Manny Parra (31, lefty, 2 stars, fragile) 2013 stats (Reds): 5-1, 2.08 ERA, 65 innings, 57 hits, 25 walks, 78 Ks * He has never been a closer The setup guys are mediocre, as is the rest of the pen. It all means the offense is going to have to produce some runs. There's plenty of speed. PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP CATCHER: Jason Castro (26, lefty, 4 stars) 2013 stats: .290/.359/.438, 31 doubles, 15 HR, 3.0 WAR * He's one of the best catchers in MLB, and still has room to improve. FIRST BASE: Chris Parmelee (26, lefty, 2 stars) 2013 stats: .253/.325/.407, 13 doubles, 12 homers in 332 ABs, 0.2 WAR SECOND BASE: Jose Altuve (23, 2 stars) 2013 stats: .247/.276/.350, 34 doubles, 35 steals, 0.7 WAR Lots of room to improve, and he needs to bring up that ugly OBP THIRD BASE: Marwin Gonzalez (25, switch-hitter, 1 star) 2013 stats: .289/.333/.391, 17 doubles in 256 ABs, 0.8 WAR He's starting for injured regular Matt Dominguez (24, 2.5 stars), out 3-4 weeks with a strained hamstring. Dominguez has more power, but otherwise really isn't all that much better. SHORTSTOP: Jonathan Villar (22, switch-hitter, 4.5 stars) 2013 stats: .238/.300/.385, 23 doubles, 10 triples, 12 homers, 56 steals, 3.4 WAR * His combination of speed and defensive range makes him an almost sure thing to be a star for years. He's projected to be a pretty good contact hitter, too. LEFT FIELD: J.D. Martinez (26, 3.5 stars) 2013 stats: .261/.312/.442, 15 doubles, 7 homers in 199 ABs, 1.0 WAR * Was a semi-late call-up from AAA last year CENTER FIELD: Justin Maxwell (30, 1 star) 2013 stats: .199/.306/.347, 16 doubles, 12 homers, 20 steals, 0.4 WAR * A really weak link. At least he's an adequate defender. RIGHT FIELD: George Springer (24, 2.5 stars) 2013 stats: ,238/.285/.481, 12 doubles, 9 homers in 185 ABs, 0.6 WAR * Rolled through AA and AAA before reaching the bigs last year. He also has a cannon arm. DESIGNATED HITTER: Chris Carter (27, 1.5 stars) 2013 stats: .232/.311/.462, 22 doubles, 28 homers, -0.3 WAR * There's a reason he's not playing defense ... Last edited by antidan444; 06-18-2014 at 10:44 PM.

06-19-2014, 04:51 PM	#69
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	April 13, 2014 -- Rangers (3-3) at Astros (3-2) Bud Norris had a rough third inning, allowing five runs, including Lance Berkman's 3-run homer. When he surrendered a leadoff homer to Lorenzo Cain in the fifth, which put the Rangers ahead 6-5, Porter went out to get him ... and suddenly, it was time for my debut. As I was jogging in from the bullpen, I hear the PA announcer ... "Ladies and gentlemen ... entering the game ... making his major league debut ... Dan Kauffman!" Goosebumps. I got a nice ovation, too. I enjoyed it for about 10 seconds, then got to business. FIFTH INNING Jurickson Profar -- He flew out to right on a pretty good 0-2 sinker in on his hands. Mitch Moreland -- A routine 4-3 groundout. Berkman -- He grounded to first. My first inning of work lasted just seven pitches and I got another nice ovation. SIXTH INNING Torii Hunter -- I threw a 1-2 sinker up and away and he swung through it. Jose Felix -- I put a first-pitch sinker up and in on him (I wanted it down, not up), and he lined it to right with an inside-out swing for a single. Domonic Brown -- He grounded a good 2-2 sinker to second for an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play. That ended my night, but the rest of the bullpen was stellar. Jose Altuve's RBI single in the ninth sent the game to extra innings, and we won it 7-6 in the 14th when Chris Parmelee doubled and Justin Maxwell followed with a walk-off triple. We had a lot of offensive stars in this one: Maxwell 3-7, HR, 3 RBIs Parmelee 4-7 Altuve 3-5, RBI Martinez 3-5, 2 walks Villar 3-7 Cain finished 4-for-6 with a HR for the Rangers. I'm glad I was able to make my debut in front of the home crowd. We travel to Los Angeles tomorrow to start a three-game series against the Angels. GAME/SEASON STATS: 2 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs/walks, 1 K, 0.00 ERA Last edited by antidan444; 06-19-2014 at 04:53 PM.

06-20-2014, 12:15 AM	#74
baseballonly All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 806	You should throw a fit and ask to be traded __________________ Former OOTP Leagues: CBL-Admirals (2016-17 Champs) MMB-Phillies

06-20-2014, 02:50 PM	#76
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	April 19 -- Astros (6-4) at Mariners (4-6) Wade Miley outdueled Feliz Hernandez, pitching six scoreless innings. But in the seventh, after a leadoff single by Mike Morse, Miley came out of the game with an arm issue. Uh-oh. The diagnosis is pending but it didn't seem good. Given we were already in the seventh, and the bullpen was pretty fresh, I didn't expect to get in. But Porter told me to warm up and be ready for the eighth. Maybe my complaining had an impact. With a 2-1 lead in the eighth, one out and no one on base, Porter called my number. Alrighty, then! Leon Landry -- I threw a good 2-1 sinker and he hit it right back at me for the easy 1-3. Dustin Ackley -- A routine 4-3 groundout to end the inning. Manny Parra got the save with the help of a double play and we secured the victory. ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS Miley (W, 1-1) 6 innings, 5 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 K Gonzalez 2-4 MARINERS HIGHLIGHTS Hernandez (L, 1-2) 9 innings, 8 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 7 Ks DAN'S SEASON STATS: 2 2/3 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs/walks, 1 K Last edited by antidan444; 06-20-2014 at 02:51 PM.

06-19-2014, 10:02 AM	#63
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	April 6, 2014 (Athletics at Astros) Opening Day! A sellout crowd packed Minute Maid Park for the first game of the season, with national coverage by ESPN (their Sunday Night game). What an atmosphere! I was really hoping to get my debut out of the way today. Alas, it was not to be. Ian Kennedy worked into the seventh, and I became a spectator for what was a heck of a contest. Tied 3-3 in the 9th, Derek Norris homered off Manny Parra for a 4-3 A's lead in the top half. Justin Maxwell homered off Sean Doolittle in the bottom half to tie it at 4, and off to extra innings we went. Unfortunately, Brandon Belt homered off Edward Mujica in the 12th to win it for the A's. Jose Altuve gave a two-out pitch a ride in the bottom half, but it was caught on the track, and we lost 5-4. ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS Maxwell 3-5, HR, 2 RBIs Villar 3-5 Kennedy 6 1/3 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, 8 Ks

06-19-2014, 10:47 AM	#64
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	April 8, 2014 -- Athletics (1-0) at Astros (0-1) I'm still waiting for my debut, but what a game! If every game is like this, I'll be happy just to have the best seat in the house. ... OK, that's not true, but whatever. Marwin Gonzalez gave us a 4-3 lead with an RBI single in the eighth, but Manny Parra couldn't hold it in the ninth, giving up Jed Lowrie's RBI double. Jemile Weeks followed with a shot to the left corner, but J.D. Martinez surprised everybody by running it down for a catch that kept things tied. Martinez locked up game MVP honors with a walk-off single against Sean Doolittle in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 win! ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS Martinez 4-5, 2 RBIs Castro 2-5, RBI Villar, Maxwell solo HR each Miley 8 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk, 1 K

06-19-2014, 03:33 PM	#65
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	April 9, 2014 -- Athletics (1-1) at Astros (1-1) I'm pretty disappointed that I didn't see any action of the opening series. I'm chomping at the bit to get out there and contribute. Capuano pitched a gem today (8 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 9 Ks) as we won 6-1. ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS Castro 3-4, 2 RBIs Springer 2-3 Martinez 1-3, 2 RBIs

06-19-2014, 03:35 PM	#66
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	April 10, 2014 (off day) The Astros signed free agent starting pitcher Jeff Karstens (2 stars) to a 1-year deal today, and have put him in the bullpen. This will likely mean even fewer opportunities for me, and I'm starting to wish I was down in the minors starting regularly. We start a three-game series at home against the Rangers tomorrow.

06-19-2014, 03:51 PM	#67
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	April 11, 2014 -- Rangers (2-2) at Astros (2-1) Once again, I was not needed, as Jeff Francis pitched seven sharp innings and we won, 4-1. Francis allowed six hits, one run and one walk while striking out 8. ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS Altuve 2-4, RBI Carter, Maxwell 2-4 each Parmelee RBI triple

06-19-2014, 04:10 PM	#68
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	April 12, 2014 -- Rangers (2-3) at Astros (3-1) I was a spectator once again, and am wondering if I'll even get to pitch during this homestand. It's really frustrating, far more so than I expected. The guys can tell, and several of them have told me to stay patient, but I think even they are wondering why the organization isn't letting me get experience donwn on the farm, now that I'm not really needed here. Ian Kennedy was fantastic for us (7 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, a franchise single-game record 13 Ks). Unfortunately, he got hit with the loss because we were clueless against Yu Darvish (7 innings, 1 hit, 0 walks, 4 Ks) and lost 4-0. We got one other hit off Carlos Marmol, and that was it. Edward Mujica had a rough outing in relief, allowjng RBI singles to Lorenzo Cain (who drove in a baserunner Kennedy allowed) and Jurickson Profar in the seventh, and a two-run homer to Torii Hunter in the eighth.

06-19-2014, 05:29 PM	#70
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	April 14, 2014 -- Astros (4-2) at Angels (3-4) I did not pitch. We lost 2-1. ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS Wade Miley (L, 0-1) 8 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 3 Ks Jose Altuve 2-3, walk ANGELS HIGHLIGHTS Albert Pujols, Howie Kendrick solo HR each C.J. Wilson (W, 2-0) 7 2/3 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, 3 Ks

06-19-2014, 05:52 PM	#71
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	April 15, 2014 -- Astros (4-3) at Angels (4-4) I did not pitch. We won 4-3 in 11 innings, another thriller. We took a 3-2 lead in the eighth on J.D. Martinez's RBI double and Chris Carter's RBI single. Manny Parra entered in the ninth and promptly blew the save (now 1-for-3), giving up a leadoff homer to Mark Trumbo. But Jose Altuve capped his 3-for-5 day with an RBI single with two outs in the 11th for the win. He's scorching hot, hitting .429. ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS Chris Capuano - 8 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, 6 Ks, no-decision

06-19-2014, 10:44 PM	#72
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	April 16, 2014 -- Astros (5-3) at Angels (4-5) Albert Pujols hit two solo home runs and we lost, 4-2. Jeff Francis pitched all eight innings for us, so it was another boring day for me. ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS Villar 2-4 Francis (L, 1-1) 8 innings, 7 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, 1 K ANGELS HIGHLIGHTS (other than Pujols) Joe Blanton (W, 1-0) 7 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 6 Ks We have a day off before heading to Seattle for a three-game series.

06-19-2014, 11:06 PM	#73
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	April 18, 2014 -- Astros (5-4) at Mariners (4-5) Ian Kennedy worked eight sharp innings, we won 4-2 and I was an observer yet again. I've pitched once in 10 days. I'm at the point where I wish I was in AAA pitching regularly, and I voiced my displeasure with manager Bo Porter, who understood completely. He also told me that we're on an unusual run of great starting pitching and, at some point, that will change and the bullpen will get more work. I'm running out of patience, it's not good for my development to pitch all of two innings over 10 games. I guess I shouldn't complain too much. We're the only team in the AL West with a winning record. ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS Gonzalez 2-3 Maxwell, Paredes (utility player), Elmore (backup infielder) solo HR each Kennedy (W, 1-1) 8 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 0 walks, 5 Ks

06-20-2014, 02:30 PM	#75
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	I lowered his morale over playing time to -4000 (on a 5K to -5K scale). I don't know if that will lead to anything.

06-20-2014, 03:02 PM	#77
MMastro92 Minors (Single A) Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Connecticut Posts: 62	The organization is definitely misusing you. Why waste a young arm in the bullpen rather than growing him in the minors

06-20-2014, 03:21 PM	#79
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	April 20 -- Astros (7-4) at Mariners (4-7) This was another back-and-forth, intense game, and one I really wish I had been given a chance in! Dan Haren no-hit us for five innings and we trailed 2-0. Then our bats came to life and we scored three in the sixth on five singles to take the lead. They tied it at 3 in the seventh on a two-out triple by Seth Smith and an RBI single by Leon Landry off a tiring Bud Norris. Jeff Karstens got out of jams to end the seventh and eighth innings (mostly of his own doing, with two walks and a hit batter). We thought we had it won in the ninth when a two-base error by their third baseman led to J.D. Martinez's RBI bloop single for a 4-3 lead. But Edward Mujica (given a chance to close a game) gave up homers to Dustin Ackley in the bottom of the ninth and Justin Smoak in the 11th. I was warming up in the 10th, but I never got the call. ASTROS HIGHLIGHTS Martinez 2-5, 2 RBIs Norris 6 2/3 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 5 Ks MARINERS HIGHLIGHTS Smoak 2-5, 3 RBIs Haren 8 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs, 0 walks, 7 Ks

06-20-2014, 03:28 PM	#80
antidan444 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 158	BI-WEEKLY BRIEF SUMMARY AL WEST STANDINGS Astros 7-5 Rangers 7-6 Athletics 7-6 Angels 6-8 Mariners 5-7 The Astros have been getting it done with pitching and defense, ranking first in every single category except bullpen ERA (which is 7th but under 3.00 so whatever). The offense is ranked between 10th and 14th in every category except steals (1st, 20). Just about everybody except our closers has been pitching well. Offensively, Altuve (.386), Maxwell (.349 -- some weak link!) and Martinez (.348) are carrying the load. I honestly believe the defense is sustainable, it's a very solid defensive team all around. The offense will probably stay where it's at, if not slightly improve. The pitching, especially the starting pitching, has nowhere to go but downhill.