Grapefruit League record (thought meaningless): 7-7
Today's starters: RHP Bud Norris vs. RHP Brandon Morrow
Lineups will be posted as soon as we see them.
Listen to the game here. If you are in the Houston area, you can listen to the game on 790 KBME.
UPDATE: Josh Banks will start for the Astros because Bud Norris is suffering from stomach flu.
0 recs | 40 comments
Banks starts.
I updated the story to show that Josh Banks is starting for Houston. Bud Norris showed up today with the stomach flu. Banks, of course, is a former Arnsberg pupil from Toronto.
Astros lead 1-0 in top of 1st, with Borgeois tripling and scoring on a Keppinger ground out.
clack - March 19, 2010
Sullivan with a HR. Wind is helping balls to RF and hurting balls to LF. Sullivan the lefty takes advantage. 2-0 astros.
Both guys competing for last outfield slot are responsible for the runs today.
clack - March 19, 2010
and both played major roles yesterday against the Tigers
Fun to follow their competition
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
Josh Banks was with the Padres last year and started a game against the Astros, going 7 innings, allowing 1 run (Berkman HR), and getting the win. I don’t remember the game…but the only Padres game I remember really well is the one with the bees.
clack - March 19, 2010
A truly memorable event
The game was halted for like an hour while an "expert " was called in. He walked up and sprayed the bees with a spray that killed nearly all the bees.
I think everybody expected him to remove the bees somehow.
The bees were attracted to the Ball girl’s jacket (or her perfume or something) (the jacket was on her chair -Luckily she was not wearing it).
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
yes, it was memorable.
clack - March 19, 2010
Yankees coming to Astros' spring complex tomorrow.
Tomorrow’s game sold out in a matter of hours after it was announced that the Yankees would be scheduled.
clack - March 19, 2010
Banks pitched three scoreless innings and is replaced by Lindstrom. Banks was helped out by two HR-saving catches by Michaels at the fence.
clack - March 19, 2010
What else has Banks done this spring?
I have not paid any attention to him.
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
Before today: 3 IP, 5H, 2R, 1BB, 0K
clack - March 19, 2010
Not bad - not enough innings to make any judgment about him
I presume he is headed to minors this season; but he made a good impression today.
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
could be helpful as starting pitcher depth in case someone is injured. He is only 28 years old—-not like he is an old man.
clack - March 19, 2010
Josh Banks may have potential - Why don't we hear more about him?
This excerpt from Wikipeidia:
Joshua Charles Banks (born July 18, 1982 in Baltimore, Maryland) is . . . 6’3" in height and weighs 195 pounds. . . . Tony Gwynn said Banks has eight pitches, one of which is a knuckleball.
In his first 22 innings as a Padre, he did not give up any runs.
Here’s what Banks told his hometown newspaper (not from Wikipeidia) :
“They aren’t guaranteeing anything,” said Banks, who spent the past two years in the San Diego Padres’ organization before Houston signed him as a free agent in October. "But they called me the day I got my release from San Diego, and they kept calling. Everyone seemed pretty honest and up-front. They like me as a starter and wouldn’t rule me out as a long reliever to help their bullpen
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
sorry, made a similar post at the same time as you.
The newspaper quote is interesting.
clack - March 19, 2010
a younger Brian Moehler?
jmike - March 19, 2010
Astros lineup
Bourgeois, CF
Keppinger, 2B
Towles, C
Blum, 1B
Feliz, 3B
Michaels, LF
Sullivan, RF
Navarro, SS
Castro, Ja, DH
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
I was like who the heck is Banks
Timothy De Block - March 19, 2010
tid bits about Banks:
Tony Gwynn said Banks has eight pitches, one of which is a knuckleball. (wikipedia)
He was a 2003 second round draft pick of the Blue Jays.
In 2008, with the Padres he started off the season with 22 consecutive scoreless innings.
In the youtube video about Arnsberg (which was linked at TCB earlier this year), Banks was one of the Blue Jays’ pitchers who seemed to really like Arnsberg.
clack - March 19, 2010
Bourgeois running wild on the bases. 3d stolen base in two days. he also has a triple today.
clack - March 19, 2010
Jeff Fulchino pitching the sixth
Astros still leading 2-0
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
Milo commenting on the large number of groundball outs today. 9 GB outs so far. Looking at Banks’ stats, he appears to be a GB pitcher for most of his careers (although he wasn’t last year). Now Fulchino gets the 10th GB out…still in 6th inning.
clack - March 19, 2010
Quick 1-2-3 for Fulchino. Lindstrom and Fulchino have been doing their part with shutout innings in this game. Lindstrom hadn’t allowed a run in 4 IP coming into this game, by the way.
clack - March 19, 2010
Vin Scully fell - minor injury
My favorite baseball announcer is Vin Scully so stories like this make mne nervous:
Vin Scully, the Dodgers’ broadcasting legend and a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, was hospitalized overnight Thursday after he got up from bed too quickly, fell and bumped his head.
Scully, 82, was taken to West Hills Hospital and Medical Center as a precaution.
“I am spending the night and plan on doing the game Sunday,” Scully said in a statement.
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
great announcer.
clack - March 19, 2010
One of the best ever
Z-Dub - March 19, 2010 via mobile
Another NCAA Upset
Cornell 78 Temple 65
My poor bracket picks
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
Astros make defensive changes
Here is current box score lineup
Bourgeois, CF (out of the game)
Steele, RF
Keppinger, 2B-SS
Towles, C
Blum, 1B
Feliz, 3B
Michaels, LF
Sullivan, RF-CF
Navarro, SS (out of the game)
Meyer, D, 2B
Castro, Ja, DH
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
With two outs
Feliz singled
Michaels walked
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
Sullivan walked
Drew Meyer batting
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
Drew Meyer's nickname should be
Drewmeyer
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
Meyer struck out
Inning ends with bases loaded
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
Sammy Gervacio pitching the seventh
Astros still lead 2-0
Netiher team hitting much today.
5 hits for Astros
4 hits for Blue Jays
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
nice quick game so far
Timothy De Block - March 19, 2010
Gervacio strikes out the side.
clack - March 19, 2010
Wholesale Astros changes - current defenisve lineup
Steele, RF-CF
Keppinger, 2B-SS
Esposito, C
Van Ostrand, 1B
Feliz, 3B
Maysonet, LF
Locke, RF
Meyer, D, 2B
Castro, Ja, DH
and I think there will be a pinch hitter for Castro to start the 7th
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
Gervacio struck out the side
(not counting the single mixed in there)
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
Chris Johnson bats for Castro
Flied to deep center
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
Wilton Lopez pitching the eighth
Double play helps him out – wiping out the lead off batter who single.
(PS – I gotta clean up for a Eye doctor visit and will msiss most of the rest of the game. Looks like an Astrso win in the making though) )
Flyout to end the inning.
Astros lead 2-0
Joe in Birmingham - March 19, 2010
Astros win 2-0.
Milo is excited about Von Ostrand’s defense, of all things. He ended the ninth by starting a sparkling double play. He made a similar great play at 1st base in the previous inning to start a double play.
Astros may have to win a lot of games in the regular season by this kind of score.
clack - March 19, 2010
Josh Banks is player of the game.
Banks is a low key guy. He says he was throwing most all of his many pitches—he said that when you face your old team, they know his style, which is pitching in the strike zone, so he has to keep them off-balance.
clack - March 19, 2010
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