Q and A: AstrosDugout’s Lisa Gray
Tomahawk Talk recently had the opportunity to run a series of Braves, Astros, and MLB-related questions by Lisa Gray, who writes the great Houston Astros blog Astrosholic Synonymous at TheAstrosDugout.com, and with the Braves and Astros all set to play a three-game series this weekend in Atlanta, the timing couldn’t be better!
Here’s a look at what Lisa had to say in response to our questions:
Tomahawk Talk: The Astros had a tough year last year and many of the “experts” are predicting/projecting that 2010 will be a tough year for the team as well. How do you think the Astros will do this season?
Lisa Gray: The “experts” have been sneering at the Astros ever since I can remember. Even when we win, it’s all “luck” and we aren’t any good.
2010 will be tough because if we are at or above .500, the owner will be more than tempted to trade away good young players/prospects for some Old Veteran Presence who he thinks will be The Key To A Championship.
And 2010 will be tough because if we are below .500, the owner will be more than tempted to trade away any player who isn’t an All-Star for some Old Veteran Presence who he thinks will be The Key To A Championship.
Tomahawk Talk: What do you like best about the 2010 edition of the Astros?
Lisa Gray: I like that the players are playing hard for the new manager. That’s a welcome change. And I like seeing young players like Tommy Manzella, J.R. Towles, Bud Norris, Felipe Paulino, Sammy Gervacio, and Wilton Lopez get a REAL chance. For once, the young guys are getting more than two weeks to prove themselves. And I never EVER get tired of watching Michael Bourn hit, run, and field.
Tomahawk Talk: What are your primary concerns about this year’s Astros team?
Lisa Gray: Besides worrying that Drayton will revert to being Drayton and trade our good young players and prospects for, say, Miguel Tejada, Hunter Pence’s sudden inability to hit for either average or power and the lack of power from anyone on the roster not named Berkman or Lee are both concerns.
And I am not expecting above-average performance from the 3, 4, and 5 starters either. The latter two because they are just learning to pitch in the majors, and the number 3 starter because he just isn’t an above-average starting pitcher.
Tomahawk Talk: There are a lot of rumors floating around that the Astros may make some major changes if the team doesn’t start playing well. Do you see the Astros making any major player moves at (or before) the trade deadline?
Lisa Gray: I know that some Astros fans have been demanding that Ed Wade trade Oswalt, Berkman, and Lee for top prospects. Those fans, unfortunately, are thinking of the Mark Teixiera type trades and are forgetting that the three Astros’ stars are now old, expensive, on the downside of their careers, and have full no-trade clauses. Lee has refused to be traded on more than one occasion and Lance is now in the last year of his contract and wouldn’t bring that much in return. Roy-O would probably approve trades to the Cards and Braves, but at his age and price, we wouldn’t get top prospects/players in return.
Tomahawk Talk: If the Astros do make any moves, what would you like to see them do to improve the team?
Lisa Gray: I would like to see them play their young players more and trade away some of the older players like Kaz Matsui, Cory Sullivan, and Pedro Feliz, to name a few. I would like to see them trade Feliz and play Chris Johnson at third, but I doubt it will happen.
Tomahawk Talk: Drayton McLane as owner, Ed Wade as GM, and Brad Mills as manager – How long do you see each of them remaining in those roles?
Lisa Gray: Well, Drayton is doing his best to sell the team right now and as soon as he finds a buyer, he’s gone. As for Ed Wade, he’s not highly regarded as a GM and I doubt he will last very long – maybe until the end of the year if a new owner buys the team – and I would bet that Tal Smith is quickly shown the door as well. As for Brad Mills, it is really hard to say. I would guess that if the players like him and play hard for him and the team is not viewed as an underachieving team, that he has a much better chance of retaining his job than Wade does.
Tomahawk Talk: What do you like best about this year’s Braves team?
Lisa Gray: Their pitching. And Bobby Cox – you can’t ever count him out.
Tomahawk Talk: It’s not the Astros’ division, of course, but how do you see the NL East race playing out? What’s your projected order-of-finish for the NL East?
Lisa Gray:
1) Phillies
2) Marlins
3) Braves
4) Nats
5) Mets
Tomahawk Talk: Returning to the Astros and their division, how do you see the NL Central shaping up? What’s your projected order-of-finish for the Central?
Lisa Gray:
1) Cards
2) Brewers
3) Cubs
4) Reds
5) Astros
6) Pirates
Tomahawk Talk: And what about the rest of MLB? What teams do you see as division champions and wild-card winners this year?
Lisa Gray:
AL East – Rays
AL Central – Twins
AL West – Angels
AL Wild Card – A’s
NL East – Phillies
NL Central – Cardinals
NL West – Giants
NL Wild Card – Rockies
Tomahawk Talk: Great stuff, Lisa. Thanks for doing the Q and A!
Braves Set To Take On Astros
Still reeling from the sting of nine straight losses, the Braves will be looking to turn things around this weekend when they take on the Houston Astros in a three-game series that begins tonight at 7:35 ET at Turner Field in Atlanta.
Tommy Hanson (1-2, 2.14 ERA) will start tonight’s series opener for the Braves, while the Astros will start Brett Myers (1-1, 3.81 ERA) in the first game of the series.
Tim Hudson (1-1, 3.20 ERA) will start the second game of the series for the Braves on Saturday afternoon and will be opposed by lefty Wandy Rodriguez (1-2, 3.65 ERA).
Derek Lowe (3-2, 5.79 ERA) will pitch Sunday afternoon’s series finale for the Braves, while Bud Norris (1-2, 5.60 ERA) will start the finale for the Astros.
Those are some great pitching matchups, and it should all make for a great series, so be sure to come on out to the Ted this weekend and watch the Braves and Astros play!
Freese Powers Cardinals Past Braves
David Freese had three hits, including a three-run homerun and a three-run double, and drove in six runs to lead the high-flying St. Louis Cardinals to a 10-4 win over the Braves at Busch Stadium in St. Louis this afternoon.
The Cardinals broke on top 3-0 in the game’s first inning on a three-run blast by Freese, then added a run in the fourth before blowing the game wide open with a four-run fifth inning that was highlighted by Freese’s three-run double.
St. Louis added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings to go up by scores of 9-3 and 10-4, respectively.
The Braves scored once in the fourth, twice in the sixth, and once in the seventh inning to account for their four runs, scoring on an rbi-double by Omar Infante, a two-run single by Eric Hinske, and a solo blast by rookie Jason Heyward.
Heyward had two hits in the game and the homerun was his fifth of the season.
Adam Wainwright pitched six solid innings to get the win for the Cardinals and is now 4-1 with a 2.13 ERA this season, while Braves’ starter Jair Jurrjens gave up the three-run first inning blast to Freese and took the loss for Atlanta.
Jurrjens left the game after the first inning with a mild left hamstring strain, and Braves’ shortstop Yunel Escobar was also injured in the game, leaving after the seventh inning with a strained abductor muscle. Jurrjens is expected to make his next start, while Escobar’s availability will be day-to-day.
The Cardinals improved to 15-7 with the win, while the slumping Braves lost for the ninth straight time and dropped to 8-14.
Garcia Shines As Cards Blank Braves
Jaime Garcia pitched seven shutout innings to lead the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-0 win over the Braves on Wednesday night at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Garcia was outstanding from the get-go, striking out five and allowing just four hits in seven innings pitched as he improved his record to 2-1 and lowered his ERA to 1.04.
Albert Pujols, Colby Rasmus, David Freese, and Skip Schumaker all had two hits apiece for the Cardinals as they combined for eight hits, four runs-batted-in, and four runs scored to spark the Redbirds’ offense.
Contrary to the past two nights when the Cardinals had to come from behind to win, St. Louis jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Wednesday night and cruised on to the win.
The Cardinals scored twice in the first inning and once in the third to open up the 3-0 lead, scoring the first run on an rbi single by Albert Pujols, while the other two runs scored on a pair of wild pitches by Braves’ starter Kenshin Kawakami, who took the loss for Atlanta.
St. Louis subsequently broke the game open with a three-run fifth inning, scoring on an rbi-double by Rasmus and a two-run single by Freese.
And that was that, as they say, as the slump-ridden Atlanta offense couldn’t score against Cardinals’ pitching.
The high-flying Redbirds improved to 14-7 with the win, while the slumping Braves lost for the eighth straight time and dropped to 8-13.
Cards Deal Braves 7th Straight Loss
For the second straight night, the St. Louis Cardinals rallied from an early deficit to edge the Braves in a one-run game as the Cardinals beat the Braves 5-4 on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
The Braves broke on top 2-0 in the game, scoring twice in the second on rbi-singles by Melky Cabrera and Derek Lowe, but Atlanta couldn’t hold the lead as St. Louis scored once in the fourth and four times in the sixth to turn the 2-0 Braves lead into a 5-2 Cardinals lead.
Ryan Ludwick had a solo homerun and an rbi-double for the Redbirds, but it was Yadier Molina who had the game’s biggest hit for the second night in a row when he connected for a two-run single that snapped a 2-2 tie and put the Cardinals in front to stay.
Chris Carpenter (3-0) pitched six strong innings to get the win for St. Louis, allowing just three hits and two runs, while Derek Lowe (3-2) took the loss for Atlanta.
Lowe retired the Cards in order in four of the first five innings, but the Redbirds got to him in the sixth inning, scoring four times on the rbi-double by Ludwick, the two-run single by Molina, and an rbi-single by David Freese.
The Braves responded with two runs in the seventh, scoring on a throwing error by Cardinals’ pitcher Blake Hawksworth and an rbi-double by Chipper Jones, but couldn’t do any more damage and lost 5-4.
The Cardinals improved to 13-7 with the win, while the slumping Braves lost for the seventh straight time and dropped to 8-12.
