Stars of the Game
1st: Kosuke Fukudome
2nd: Ryan Dempster
3rd: Aramis Ramirez
There, see, you can now come down off the ledge and realize that everything is going to be fine. Everything people were worried about took care of itself today. The offense produced some runs and not just via the home run. The top of the order produced some offense. The starting pitching did what we needed it to do and even Woody picked up a nice save to close out the series. Case closed. Bring on Houston. On to the notes:
  • I really felt like it was going to be a sweep when Weeks led off the game with a walk, prototypical Dempster pitching though the pitch for ball four was just slightly off the plate and probably could have been called a stike if it was later in the game and Dempster had established that part of the plate, and then Gwynn doubled him home. Thankfully, Dempster settled down and retired batters effectively from then on. Overall, I thought he looked about as good as one can hope for from a guy that hasn’t pitched in the rotation in quite some time. I think he’ll be just fine. I know a lot of people worry about the tendency to walk hitters early in an inning, but my assumption is that it is a problem that occurs due to the fact that he’s only had one inning to come in and get the job done. When you’re coming in as a starter instead, you tend to relax a little more and know that you can give up a run or two and not feel like a failure. Because of that, he doesn’t have to be as perfect and can settle into a groove similar to what he did today.
  • I mentioned yesterday that I felt we would pay in some way for the fact that Fatty got plunked twice in the same game yesterday. I really thought it would come in the form of a hit by pitch, and I guess you can make the claim that both Pie and DeRosa did get hit today. However, I don’t feel like those were intentional as payment for the Fatty plunkings. If anything, I would argue that Gwynn running over Geo like he did in the 1st would be more retribution for the earlier plunkings. Overall, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of this.
  • If you read this site last year you know that one of my biggest pet peaves about pitchers is when they reach their pitching hand out to try to field comebackers to the mound. Zambrano is a huge culprit with it and today Dempster did it. Most of the time, when Zambrano reaches out, it’s a pretty good shot back up the middle. Today’s play was a pretty easy play too field so I wasn’t too worried about it. I just wish it wasn’t the natural instinct of pitchers to reach their non-glove hand out to try to keep the ball from going back up the middle.
  • The more I watch Fukudome the more I realize that he’s the real deal. He may not hit 30 home runs or steal 50 bases, but I really believe he’ll lead this team in walks, hits, and possibly steals if Theriot and Soriano don’t get on base as much. Len mentioned during the game that it always seems like he’s either swinging at the first pitch he sees or working the count to 3-2. He’s got great patience and a great eye.
  • I’m beginning to be a Geo believer. I have harbored the idea that last year’s breakout was more due to fluke than adjustments at the plate. However, he seems to be showing good power at the plate, with his hit today being out of the park on any other day than today. I really could see him hitting 20+ this year.
  • Pie got on base twice in four plate appearances. Good enough to cut him a break for now? He also stole a base, easily if I say so myself.
  • I’ve been quite pleased with Mike Fontenot off the bench so far. Today he picked up a double and came around to score on Soriano’s single.
  • You know your pitcher probably isn’t the best at the plate when he’s standing just outside the box taking practice swings and drops his bat. Dempster did just that and looked silly doing it. Poor guy has to get back in the groove now that he’s actually going to be called on to hit.
Overall, not the start I wanted from this team, but with an Astros team with less than impressive starters in their rotation, we have a series coming up that can certainly be swept if we play the way we played today.