Oldbear83 said:

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Astros pitching great again, Astros bats dead again, Astros lose 0-2 to the D-backs, have now lost 75% of their last sixteen games.

Anyone know why the batting coach still gets a paycheck?

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Are you new to the game of baseball?

BeerThief said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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Astros pitching great again, Astros bats dead again, Astros lose 0-2 to the D-backs, have now lost 75% of their last sixteen games.

Anyone know why the batting coach still gets a paycheck?

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they still have the best run differential in the al. snakes are a ws caliber team.

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Trouble is the bats were dead before the D-backs series:

Jul 15 -only 2 runs scored in loss to Minnesota
Jul 19 - only 1 run scored in loss to Seattle
Jul 26 - shut out in loss to the Phillies
Jul 30 - only 1 run scored in loss to Detroit
Aug 2 - shut out by Tampa Bay
Aug 9 - only 1 run scored in loss to the White Sox
Aug 10 - only 2 runs scored in loss to the White Sox
Aug 13 - win, but only 2 runs scored

Before the All-Star break, the Astros had been shut out only two times, had been held to one run or less 8 times (won one of those games), and been held to 2 runs or less in 15 games (won four of those games). Over that 89 game stretch, the Astros scored 3 or more runs 83% of the time.

Between June 15 and the All-Star Break (22 games), the Astros were held to 1 run once and 2 runs once. The Astros scored 3 runs or more 91% of the time, 2 runs or more 95% of the time, and were not shut out during that stretch.

Since the Al-Star break (29 games), the Astros have been shut out twice (7%), held to one run or less 5 times (17%), and held to 2 runs or less in 8 games (28%). A slump lasting almost thirty games is more than a bump in the road, and clearly something needs correction.

Anecdoctally, I observe a lot of Astros have been taking the first pitch every at-bat, and many take the first two; opposing pitchers have thereby been able to put the Astros batters in holes early, which in turn has led to some desperate swings at balls. This is a strange departure from the Astros team which hit early pitches well and got opposing pitchers into trouble early.

D. C. Bear said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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Astros pitching great again, Astros bats dead again, Astros lose 0-2 to the D-backs, have now lost 75% of their last sixteen games.

Anyone know why the batting coach still gets a paycheck?

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Are you new to the game of baseball?

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Nope. Used to play, and was an umpire for a number of years. I recognize teams in trouble, and while the Astros are in a great place to make the playoffs, they need to fix this if they are going to go anywhere once they get to the post-season.

BeerThief said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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Astros pitching great again, Astros bats dead again, Astros lose 0-2 to the D-backs, have now lost 75% of their last sixteen games.

Anyone know why the batting coach still gets a paycheck?

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they still have the best run differential in the al. snakes are a ws caliber team.

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We are also nursing a lot of injuries in our batting line-up.

Bear8084 said:

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BeerThief said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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Astros pitching great again, Astros bats dead again, Astros lose 0-2 to the D-backs, have now lost 75% of their last sixteen games.

Anyone know why the batting coach still gets a paycheck?

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they still have the best run differential in the al. snakes are a ws caliber team.

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We are also nursing a lot of injuries in our batting line-up.

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True, nows the time to get healthy.

GoldMind said:

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Bear8084 said:

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BeerThief said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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Astros pitching great again, Astros bats dead again, Astros lose 0-2 to the D-backs, have now lost 75% of their last sixteen games.

Anyone know why the batting coach still gets a paycheck?

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they still have the best run differential in the al. snakes are a ws caliber team.

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We are also nursing a lot of injuries in our batting line-up.

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True, nows the time to get healthy.

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Exactly. I'm not sweating the regular season win total. I want us to be healthy and focused for October. Go 'Stros!

Bear8084 said:

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GoldMind said:

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Bear8084 said:

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BeerThief said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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Astros pitching great again, Astros bats dead again, Astros lose 0-2 to the D-backs, have now lost 75% of their last sixteen games.

Anyone know why the batting coach still gets a paycheck?

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they still have the best run differential in the al. snakes are a ws caliber team.

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We are also nursing a lot of injuries in our batting line-up.

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True, nows the time to get healthy.

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Exactly. I'm not sweating the regular season win total. I want us to be healthy and focused for October. Go 'Stros!

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Ive heard a lot of people say that any team that wins 87 or more has a shot. That seems to be true for some time now.

Oldbear83 said:

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D. C. Bear said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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Astros pitching great again, Astros bats dead again, Astros lose 0-2 to the D-backs, have now lost 75% of their last sixteen games.

Anyone know why the batting coach still gets a paycheck?

---

Are you new to the game of baseball?

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Nope. Used to play, and was an umpire for a number of years. I recognize teams in trouble, and while the Astros are in a great place to make the playoffs, they need to fix this if they are going to go anywhere once they get to the post-season.

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So you were an umpire. Maybe that explains why you have trouble seeing clearly.

Right now, this is a team with a whole lot of injuries both in pitching staff and among position players. They are also at a point in the season where nagging injuries have an impact. It is called the dog days for a reason. What they are going through is common among baseball teams, even ones that are very successful, but you are whining about it like it is something unusual or alarming. It isn't. If the team gets healthy, they will be in a good position to make a playoff run. If they don't, they won't.

The Astros lead the majors in batting average, home runs, RBI, OBP, slugging, OPS and hits. They also have struck out less than any other team in the majors. You wonder why the batting coach draws a paycheck. Exactly why should I take your analysis seriously?

D. C. Bear said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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D. C. Bear said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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Astros pitching great again, Astros bats dead again, Astros lose 0-2 to the D-backs, have now lost 75% of their last sixteen games.

Anyone know why the batting coach still gets a paycheck?

---

Are you new to the game of baseball?

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Nope. Used to play, and was an umpire for a number of years. I recognize teams in trouble, and while the Astros are in a great place to make the playoffs, they need to fix this if they are going to go anywhere once they get to the post-season.

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So you were an umpire. Maybe that explains why you have trouble seeing clearly.

Right now, this is a team with a whole lot of injuries both in pitching staff and among position players. They are also at a point in the season where nagging injuries have an impact. It is called the dog days for a reason. What they are going through is common among baseball teams, even ones that are very successful, but you are whining about it like it is something unusual or alarming. It isn't. If the team gets healthy, they will be in a good position to make a playoff run. If they don't, they won't.

The Astros lead the majors in batting average, home runs, RBI, OBP, slugging, OPS and hits. They also have struck out less than any other team in the majors. You wonder why the batting coach draws a paycheck. Exactly why should I take your analysis seriously?

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D. C. Bear said:

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So you were an umpire. Maybe that explains why you have trouble seeing clearly.

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No, it means I understand the game from something better than a fanboy perspective. On the subject of umpires, though, it always amused me how people hundreds of feet away could tell themselves they had a better look than a trained official with years of experience with the pitch right in front of him, or how people who don't even have a copy of the rules can claim they are smarter on the rules than officials tested every year on them.

D. C. Bear said:

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The Astros lead the majors in batting average, home runs, RBI, OBP, slugging, OPS and hits. They also have struck out less than any other team in the majors. You wonder why the batting coach draws a paycheck. Exactly why should I take your analysis seriously?

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Because you are assuming the team now is the same team that put up all those pretty #'s months ago. Go look at the data I posted in my 1020 post. Injuries to a few key people hurt a team yes, but that doesn't explain why Marwyn and Yuli have started watching themselves get into 0-2 holes time after time instead of attacking the ball, or why the healthy players are seeing their averages drop.

GoldMind said:

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^^ That's a Dodgers fan. ^^

Oldbear83 said:

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D. C. Bear said:

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The Astros lead the majors in batting average, home runs, RBI, OBP, slugging, OPS and hits. They also have struck out less than any other team in the majors. You wonder why the batting coach draws a paycheck. Exactly why should I take your analysis seriously?

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Because you are assuming the team now is the same team that put up all those pretty #'s months ago. Go look at the data I posted in my 1020 post. Injuries to a few key people hurt a team yes, but that doesn't explain why Marwyn and Yuli have started watching themselves get into 0-2 holes time after time instead of attacking the ball, or why the healthy players are seeing their averages drop.

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you have had extremely few positive comments on this thread. seems like youre nitpicking a team that is miles ahead of their competition in almost every offensive statistic. seems like it would be cause for optimism more than concern. this is a top 3 baseball team even with the recent ls.

BeerThief said:

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you have had extremely few positive comments on this thread. seems like youre nitpicking a team that is miles ahead of their competition in almost every offensive statistic. seems like it would be cause for optimism more than concern. this is a top 3 baseball team even with the recent ls.

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Don't get me wrong, I want to see the Astros win it all. But I have also seen so many Astros teams in the past ignore problems, assuming they were minor glitches, only to have them hurt the 'Stros when they had their chances.

Cf; 1999, for example. Problems were ignored, and the Astros went out in their first playoff series. It can happen again, especially if problems are ignored. I have seen a lot of good teams tell themselves that early success meant the team didn't need to fix issues. Whether high school, college or pro, that self-delusion leads to bitter disappointment.

I'm not complaining about a bad week. I'm talking about a problem running into its second month. Sure, there is time to fix things, but denying there is a problem is not how you fix things.

Oldbear83 said:

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D. C. Bear said:

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So you were an umpire. Maybe that explains why you have trouble seeing clearly.

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No, it means I understand the game from something better than a fanboy perspective. On the subject of umpires, though, it always amused me how people hundreds of feet away could tell themselves they had a better look than a trained official with years of experience with the pitch right in front of him, or how people who don't even have a copy of the rules can claim they are smarter on the rules than officials tested every year on them.

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I am always amused when people can't take a joke.

D. C. Bear said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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D. C. Bear said:

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So you were an umpire. Maybe that explains why you have trouble seeing clearly.

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No, it means I understand the game from something better than a fanboy perspective. On the subject of umpires, though, it always amused me how people hundreds of feet away could tell themselves they had a better look than a trained official with years of experience with the pitch right in front of him, or how people who don't even have a copy of the rules can claim they are smarter on the rules than officials tested every year on them.

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I am always amused when people can't take a joke.

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I love jokes, I'd like to see you post an actual joke, rather than a taunt.

Woo hoo! George Springer hits a double to score 2, Astros up 3-0 in the top of the 2nd against the d-backs!



(how's that for a positive post?)

Astros score 5 runs in the top of the 2nd, lead the d-backs 5-0.

Real nice to see that kind of scoring again!

Brad Peacock's double drives in two m ore, Astros now up 7-0, going to the bottom of the 3rd.

Oldbear83 said:

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Astros score 5 runs in the top of the 2nd, lead the d-backs 5-0.

Real nice to see that kind of scoring again!

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I've missed that. I guess Dave Hudgens can keep his paycheck.

Oldbear83 said:

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Brad Peacock's double drives in two m ore, Astros now up 7-0, going to the bottom of the 3rd.

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J.D. Davis tagging up from 1st on a Stassi fly ball to right was huge in that inning. Without that, they don't IBB Marisnick to get to Peacock with 2 out.

ValpoCory said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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Brad Peacock's double drives in two m ore, Astros now up 7-0, going to the bottom of the 3rd.

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J.D. Davis tagging up from 1st on a Stassi fly ball to right was huge in that inning. Without that, they don't IBB Marisnick to get to Peacock with 2 out.

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Real nice to see our pitcher get an extra base hit! By the way, 8-0 now. I just hope this indicates the bats will stay hot.

Bases loaded walk gives Dbacks a 3rd run in the B4, down 8-3 now with bases still loaded and 1 out. Real glad the Astros built up that lead, but hope Brad can work out of the jam, maybe get a DP?

The strikeouts were nice, especially the last pitch to Blanco.

Going to the bottom of the 6th, Astros up 8-4

Astros win 9-4, ugly road trip but a nice way to end it.

Oldbear83 said:

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D. C. Bear said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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D. C. Bear said:

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So you were an umpire. Maybe that explains why you have trouble seeing clearly.

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No, it means I understand the game from something better than a fanboy perspective. On the subject of umpires, though, it always amused me how people hundreds of feet away could tell themselves they had a better look than a trained official with years of experience with the pitch right in front of him, or how people who don't even have a copy of the rules can claim they are smarter on the rules than officials tested every year on them.

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I am always amused when people can't take a joke.

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I love jokes, I'd like to see you post an actual joke, rather than a taunt.

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Did you hear the one about the umpire with a good sense of humor?

D. C. Bear said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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D. C. Bear said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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D. C. Bear said:

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So you were an umpire. Maybe that explains why you have trouble seeing clearly.

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No, it means I understand the game from something better than a fanboy perspective. On the subject of umpires, though, it always amused me how people hundreds of feet away could tell themselves they had a better look than a trained official with years of experience with the pitch right in front of him, or how people who don't even have a copy of the rules can claim they are smarter on the rules than officials tested every year on them.

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I am always amused when people can't take a joke.

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I love jokes, I'd like to see you post an actual joke, rather than a taunt.

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Did you hear the one about the umpire with a good sense of humor?

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Don't quit your day job.

But just to tell a story, at the Gulf Coast Chapter of the Umpires association, we had (probably still do) a board up with the Top Ten Insults we'd heard that season. Anyone can toss out old chestnuts like 'You're missing a good game', or such, but it takes real genius to come up with something actually new and funny. Here's one of the winners I recall:

"Two umpires walk into a bar. They were still looking for the strike zone they lost during the game"

Oldbear83 said:

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BeerThief said:

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you have had extremely few positive comments on this thread. seems like youre nitpicking a team that is miles ahead of their competition in almost every offensive statistic. seems like it would be cause for optimism more than concern. this is a top 3 baseball team even with the recent ls.

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Don't get me wrong, I want to see the Astros win it all. But I have also seen so many Astros teams in the past ignore problems, assuming they were minor glitches, only to have them hurt the 'Stros when they had their chances.

Cf; 1999, for example. Problems were ignored, and the Astros went out in their first playoff series. It can happen again, especially if problems are ignored. I have seen a lot of good teams tell themselves that early success meant the team didn't need to fix issues. Whether high school, college or pro, that self-delusion leads to bitter disappointment.

I'm not complaining about a bad week. I'm talking about a problem running into its second month. Sure, there is time to fix things, but denying there is a problem is not how you fix things.

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Problem running into its second month? During the month of July, the Astros led the majors in every major offensive category except triples, and they led them by a wide margin. It is now Aug. 15. With the Astros offense, you are complaining about two weeks, not two months.

The problem the Astros have is pitching and they've been really beaten up with injuries both to starters and bullpen. If they are fortunate enough to get to the WS against the Dodgers, we may see a replay of 1988 with the Astros playing the role of the Oakland As as good pitching tends to beat good hitting.

D. C. Bear said ...

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as good pitching tends to beat good hitting.

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Tell that to Atlanta Braves fans, with 1 title in 15 chances when they had the best pitching each time.

ValpoCory said:

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D. C. Bear said ...

Quote:

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as good pitching tends to beat good hitting.

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Tell that to Atlanta Braves fans, with 1 title in 15 chances when they had the best pitching each time.

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Poor ol Bobby Cox. I miss that guy.

Astros now have a winning streak, taking another from the D-backs 9-5

Hoyt struggled in the 9th, but Charlie Morton looked good and the bats were strong.

Threads been pretty quiet. I assume we won.

GoldMind said:

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Threads been pretty quiet. I assume we won.

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Quiet meaning you have stopped taking shots at me. And if you bother to read the thread, you will see how things have progressed.

theyve beat a ws contender handily the last 2 games. i had the snakes giving the dodgers a run earlier in the season.