When your team is playing well, you start expecting them to win every game. Obviously that isn’t going to happen, but it is deflating when they lose one. Especially if it is to a team that they should beat. (Though I have to admit, the Nationals have some really good talent.)
Last night, the Astros lost to the Nationals 8-3 in the final game of the series. They just never seemed to have it going as the offense sputtered to a halt behind a solid outting by Backe. Maybe they were tired from the late game heroics of the previous games and wanted to give Cooper’s heart a break.
Backe had a career high 9 strikeouts and his slider looked awesome in the 4th and 5th innings. But he stumbled in the sixth and gave up 2 runs that he shouldn’t have given up.
I am still concerned over his fatigue level. He seems to need to come out of the games earlier than other pitchers. Maybe it is because he actually gets on base, but maybe he just doesn’t have the longevity of other pitchers. If the Astros are going to end the season above .500, they need to find a solution to this problem. Brandon needs to get through at least 7 innings.
Don’t expect a win today either. Brian Moehler is pitching against Derek Lowe. It’s going to be brutal. The Dodgers are playing great right now. Joe Torre has done a good job turning around the apathetic atmosphere in the LA clubhouse and teaching them how to win.
Luckily, the game is going to start around bedtime, so I can sleep through what will probably be a terrible loss for the Astros. But who knows? I thought that they were going to lose the second game against Jake Peavy and they managed to toss him around. Maybe we can get to Derek Lowe too.
