Reliever Cla Meredith was supposed to get Tuesday night off. Didn’t happen. Then he was supposed to get Wednesday night off. Didn’t happen.
I can live with the loss. I can even live with Albert Pujols and his ridiculous pose after the home run. It’s cause for celebration when your team avoids getting swept at home in September and breaks a seven-game losing streak. Besides, Pujols will have to stand in against the Padres’ pitchers at some point next year. I don’t sweat that stuff.
But what in the world is Bruce Bochy doing with his young reliever? Meredith has been unhittable most of the season, but there are other guys in the bullpen who can get batters out every once in a while and it’d be nice to see Meredith’s right arm still attached to the rest of his body come the playoffs and beyond.
For the record, here is Meredith’s week:
9/21: 1.1 IP, 14 pitches
9/22: 0.1 IP, 5 pitches
9/23: off
9/24: 2.0 IP, 24 pitches
9/25: 1.1 IP, 17 pitches
9/26: 1.0 IP, 12 pitches
9/27: 0.0 IP, 2 pitches
I defend Bochy a lot — probably moreso than some folks are comfortable with — but this is just plain wrong. It puts unnecessary strain on Meredith’s arm and sends a bad message to the rest of the bullpen.
Seriously, if you’re going to give the guy a day off, just do it. If you have to tell him not to come to the ballpark, do it. Bringing in Meredith even for one batter on Wednesday was irresponsible, and I’d be saying that even if he’d gotten Pujols out.
did the 2 teams call truce? 6 up, 6 down in 7th
I think the Dodgers are tired of running…they’re still not quite used to the altitude.
Houston wins 3-0, Nady strikes out to end the game.
the dodgers are at it again, 2 men on, 1 out
I DO NOT want to see Houston in the Playoffs…Rooting very hard against them…despite the fact that I will be in Houston and could go to the games the next 2 weeks.
They are the one team that I think really would scare the Padres. We have a legit shot against everyone, but Houston’s starting 3 are SCARY!!!
Oswalt is very scary.
CM & FF – so is Pujols – I’ve stopped rooting for an opponent and just want to wrap up the division…
19-11
FWIW, a Dodger win eliminates Houston from the Wild Card. They would have to win the Central to make the playoffs. Go Cards (and anyone playing Philly)!
Dogs win 19-11
Peter Friberg, you do not fear Oswalt? DOMINATION!
We are not a squad, but a sqad. Be terrified and DOMINATED!
Maybe the snakes will roll over for us like the Rockies did for LA.
#212 & 213
All that hard work catching up to the Cards, to fall just short, is really going to sting. That’ll really suck.
On a lighter note, gotta love The Onion.
I don’t care who we play — just want us to get to the dance.
So here is a question…
Who is your starting rotation for the playoffs?
#2 who does boch go with as his top 3?
I say, Peavy, Young, Hensley…
Betting that Boch goes Peavy, Young, and (*gasp) Wells…
Wells won’t make the roster if he still has gout.
My gosh. I’m still trying to come to grips with the fact that we traded a promising minor league hitter for a fat, 42-year old, Bad Company fan with gout.
Yeah AWD-Sqad (BTW, is that truck or some kind of wimpy-chick SUV?) I’m terrified, just like 1998…
Besides AWD-Sqad, we have Geoff Blum now, and ‘Stros fan know what the Blummer can do…