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The Crawfish Boxes

Houston Astros VS Washington Nationals : Spring Training Game 4(split squad)

The Houston Astros send split squads out today, one to face the Nationals at 1:05PM ET and another at 1:05PM ET against the Braves.  

The Astros send Shawn Chacon against the Nationals, followed by Paulino, Wright, Valverde, Mueck and Dejean.  

Berkman is scheduled to make his first spring training appearance in this game and slated to bat only right handed with the Nationals starting out with two lefties.  Berkman will be without any limitations tomorrow.

Erstad, CF
Loretta, DH
Berkman, 1B
Lee, LF
Tejada, SS
Blum, 3B
Diaz, V, RF
Newhan, 2B
Ausmus, C

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Comments

Here we go...
Interesting to see Berkman
hitting third here...
2-0 Nationals
Double by Milledge, HR by Zimmerman
On to bottom of 1st
3 ground ball outs is a good sign, but the 2-run HR isn't...
have a feeling..
that Milledge will have a big year with the Nationals this season.  I think the Mets will regret that trade.
Chacon...
first starter to give up a run this spring...
Isn't R. Hernandez...
a starting pitcher?  At least, he supposedly is competing for a starting slot.
I mean..
out of the guys who have actually started games.
OK. Got it.
Had trouble listening...
for awhile.  KTRH is streaming audio.  I had trouble getting the pop up audio player to work, and started over several times.  Then I was hearing audio with so much reverberation and echo and that I couldn't hear much.  I finally figured out that I had 3 audio players going at the same time.
that would do it :)
3B by Loretta
Probably should have been a single w/2 base error, but 3B sounds much better :)
Berkman batting lefthanded
2B by Berkman
Loretta scores
Lee walks, first and second, one out
Tejada grounds out
Tejada safe at first, Berkman to third, 2 out
Tejada nearly GIDP
Come on!! We got rid of six players for this dude.
Lee/Tejeda Back to Back
Both Carlos Lee and Miguel Tejeda are big on GIDP.  I'm not sure I like batting them back to back.  In fact, I'm drawing a blank on other teams with 2 middle order hitters who GIDP like them...if I could think of some, I might get an idea whether it is better to separate them or not.  It is one reason, though, why Tejeda may not be a good 3-hole hitter.
To illustrate....
Lee grounded into 27 DPs last year and was No. 1 in the NL.  Tejeda has been 1st or 2d in GIDP in the AL from 02 - 06, and had 27 DPs in 06.  Tejeda was 3d in GIDP in an injury shortened season last year.  

You can expect a lot of DPs between the two of them.

2-1 Nationals, top 2nd
anyone able to listen to the braves game? they have it listed as available via mlb.tv, but they have the  feeds switched so it's actually this game instead.
No..
but Backe's gone through 1 without giving up a run so far...
Bottom of the 2nd
2-1 still; 1 strikeout and 2 grounders for Chacon that inning.
Backe has gone 2
I assume he's done for the day. Here's his line as per MLB.com:

IP: 2.0
H: 0
R: 0
ER: 0
BB: 1
SO: 0
HR: 0
ERA: 0.00

Ground out/Fly out: 3/3

good news
that's great news, thanks for the update
2-1 Nationals, top 3rd
Diaz strikes out
Newhan walks
Ausmus flies out
Newhan steals 2nd
Erstad strikes out
Line on Chacon
2IP, 2H, 2ER, 1K, 1HR

Paulino on to pitch

Bottom of the 3rd
Paulino got through it fast, 1-2-3. Milo is astounded by Paulino's size. Doesn't believe he is 180 lbs like his bio says.
I have seen some...
articles in which the writers also said Paulino is bigger than you think, when you see him in person.  Apparently the Astros have some very big pitchers in Paulino and Valverde.
big guys
From what they were saying yesterday on the game feed, this is the biggest Astros team they have seen, with Lee, Valverde, Paulino, Abercrombie, and somebody else I forgot.
On to top of the 4th, 2-1 Nationals
Loretta pops up
Berkman grounds out
Lee singles
Tejada strikes out
Oh come on..
Everett could be doing all that stuff Tejada is doing right now. :p
and to quote Milo after the K...
"Geez, Tejada just looked BAD."
Other game..
Based on the box score...
Towles and Bourn picked up hits in the 3rd inning. 1 out with Matsui up and Pence to follow.

Is anyone listening to this game?

Matsui sac fly
Pence out somehow or another.
We lead 1-0 going into the bottom of the 3rd.
other game
I haven't even checked the other game's page on the front of the blog; is anyone updating over there?
no
not last time i checked
looks like..
sampson is getting roughed up...
Yes..
2 runs in one inning. His ERA jumps to 18.00. Good news for Chacon.
On to bottom of the 4th
Paulino walks one but gets out of it unscathed
Top of the 5th, 2-1 Nationals
Blum walks
Diaz strikes out
Newhan grounds into force play, Blum out
Ausmus pops out

Oh - and I miss Ashby.

Line on Paulino
2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB

Valverde on to pitch, Quintero in to catch.

Ausmus still in
Quintero just in to catchw warm up
shaky start..
lead-off single, then walk
another walk...
Valverde, 1 hit, 1 walk, 0 out
Would not be good if this was the ninth inning of a real game. :p
Did Milo just say
"he just bringin' it"?
I think so.
Astros v. Braves Update
2-2 Tie game.
Sampson gave up two in the bottom of the 3rd.
Top 4 - Cruz gets on base with a double, steals third and is knocked in by House (House did not get on base, however.)
Cruz 2-2?
nice
Braves now lead 3-2
Sampson 2.0 IP 3 ER 6 H
Bases loaded, no out
base hit, 2 runs score
On to bottom of the 5th, 4-2 Nationals
Valverde walks 2, fans 1, gives up 2 hits and 2 runs
Erstad lead off triple
4-2 now
Ignore earlier score - 4-2 now, after Loretta grounds out and Erstad scores
Top of the 6th, 4-2 Nationals
Erstad triples
Loretta grounds out, Erstad scores
Berkman strikes out
Lee grounds out
Brocail on to pitch - 5-2 now
Blum has made a couple great defensive plays, including one at the top of this inning.

Pena homers off Brocail. 5-2, 1 out.

6-2
Back to back HRs, Pena then Belliard.
changes
Abercrombie in CF for Erstad
Gorneault in LF for Lee
Quintero catching for Ausmus
On to bottom of the 6th, 6-2 Nationals
Lines on Valverde and Brocail
Valverde
1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K

Brocail
1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 HR

Our Set Up & Closer.
Let's hope that doesn't happen much in the 8th and 9th inning of regular games.
good start
Blum singles, Maysonet runs for Blum
Newhan singles, Maysonet to 2nd

..pitching change..

Astros v. Braves Update
Matsui gets a hit, finally.. steals 2nd base.. Pence out somehow.
Matsui is knocked in by Wiggles somehow.
Cruz gets a walk.
House gets an out. He's 0-3 today.

Tied 3-3

Top of the 7th, 6-2 Nationals
Quintero ends the inning, and Milo's mic is still on. :)

"Randolph is the only other guy down there, I don't think you want to hear from him!"

changes
Maysonet stays in at SS, Perez in at 3B, Muecke on to Pitch
Milledge lead off double
Next batter (Casto) is hit by pitch
caught stealing
Quintero throws out Milledge at 3rd
On to bottom of the 7th, 6-2 Nationals
Astros v. Braves Update
Poronto second inning is bad.
He gives up 2 runs on 2 hits. One of those hits being Josh Anderson.

Score now 5-3 Braves in the top of the seventh.

i know it's only spring training...
and spring training is really just for pitchers... but dammit i really hate seeing the astros lose period.
Astros in the 7th..
Ambercrombie flied out (right?)
Loretta HBP
Berkman GIDP
Top of the 8th, 6-2 Nationals
Lead off hit by Pena
Belliard walks
double play
another freaking walk
and another walk...
on to the bullpen..
Braves game
Geary pitches a scoreless frame and brings his ERA down to a respectable 18.00
Maysonnet...
a minor leaguer drove in Gorneault, who had a single. Score: Nats 7-3.  (Earlier a HBP by Hines with bases loaded had given the Nats a 6-3 lead).
Atlanta take 6-3 lead
Geary gives up a run on 3 hits.
Former Astros
Chris Burke (ARI) and Jason Lane (NYY) both hit homers today.
Nats lead 8-3....
going to bottom of 9th.  Error on Newhan allowed Nats to score.
Astros fall, 8-3 Final
Also Braves Over Astros 6-4.

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