Showing posts with label Houston Astros. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Houston Astros. Show all posts

Monday, March 23, 2009

Peavy, Bell due back in camp

Jake Peavy and Heath Bell will finally rejoin the team this week after an almost 3-week leave from the team while they played for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, which didn't end the way any of the players hoped.

Peavy may be the most disturbed, maybe a tad upset, with the way this final game went. He was slated to be the starter against Japan last night, but a last minute change bumped Jake to the championship game and moved Astros' right-hander Roy Oswalt to the starting role last night. Oswalt gave up six runs over 3 2/3 innings in a 9-4 loss to Japan, sending the Team USA players back to their respective Major League squads.

Although Peavy and Bell didn't exactly perform to the level they're both used to, it will be nice to see them back in camp with the Padres and use the last few weeks they have to really get ready for Opening Day on April 6th. Both of these guys have a huge roll with this club, Jake as the Opening Day starter, Heath Bell as the heir to All-Time Saves Leader Trevor Hoffman. Getting them back with their teammates may be exactly what the doctor ordered to bring them up to the level in which they're used to performing.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Series Recap: Padres win 3 of 4 from Houston

The San Diego Padres got their 2008 season off to a good start this week, winning 3 of their 4 games against the Houston Astros.

On Monday, Jake Peavy outpitched Astros' ace and close friend Roy Oswalt and got help offensively.

On Tuesday, Chris Young was unusually wild, but held it together enough to get the win in a 2-1 victory with Trevor Hoffman getting the first save of 2008.

On Wednesday, it looked like the Padres were well on their way to winning their 3rd straight, coming back from a 3-0 deficit and taking a 6-5 lead into the 9th inning. Trevor Hoffman came into the game, wasn't given a called 3rd strike to one batter, Adrian Gonzalez just missed a line drive that would have ended the game and Lance Berkman made the Padres pay for it. He hit a 2-out 3 run HR off Hoffman to give the Astros a 9-6 lead, Hoffman was pulled after that bat at bat. As you might imagine, the Hoffman haters were out in full force after that game, calling the talk shows with "Trevor is done," "why is Trevor still the closer."

One night later, on Thursday night, the Padres wrapped up the series with a 3-2 victory and guess who got the save. Trevor came right back out the next night and made up for it, going right through the 9th inning with ease and picking up his 2nd save of the season. Kevin Kouzmanoff also hit his first HR of the season, a 2-run shot in the 1st inning off Astros' starter Shawn Chacon. Scott Hairston also had a big game, coming up a HR shy of the cycle, going 3-3.

Tonight, the Dodgers come to town in a matchup a lot of people are talking about. Justin Germano will get the start for San Diego (3-1) while Japanese starter Hiroki Kuroda makes his first start as a Los Angeles Dodger (2-1).