marquistone

remember last year, when marquis took that slide for the middle of the season, how he just snapped out of it? do you also remember that it was on a short rest (i think only three days, if memory serves) subbing for an ailing mulder? and finally do you remember that mike shannon and other broadcasters pointed out that for a sinkerballer, sometimes a short rest was better, as a well rested arm was more likely to overpitch and stay up in the zone due to velocity?

i'm starting the campaign to tire out jason marquis.

make him throw another bullpen session of 100% sinkers. short rest him. give him a bullpen appearance. something, anything, just get that sinker down in the zone!

that said, i actually thought that last night's game was pretty good. we don't have cable, so i couldn't watch it, but it sounded like a solid game, except for the bottom of the first. solo dingers from speizio, albert, and luna aren't ideal (capitalize on the baserunners, damn it!), but kept us in the game, and once again, the eccentricities (read: architectural cheats) of minute maid park probably cost us the game, via the would-be multi home run night that tal's hill/willy taveras gobbled up . the astros 13-4 home record versus a 5-5 away record would indicate to me that they certainly know how to use minute maid to it's fullest, but aren't necessarily as hot as their current numbers might indicate. houston is currently in second in the division, but that can be reversed tonight. the reds, also playing in a less than fair to pitchers ballpark (just ask the reds pitching staff) are in first, but god knows they can't possibly stay as hot as they are right now.

if we maintain this kind of play (which we can do easily, barring major injury), we will still take the division. my money's still on the redbirds.