Tim Redding‘s start this season went from mediocre to disastrous this evening as the Redbirds lit him up for 8 runs in three and two thirds innings on their way to routing the ‘Stros, 12-6. Just for good measure, Jim Edmunds cranked a grand salami off of Ricky Stone in the fifth to make sure that the ‘Stros didn’t have any illusions about making a game of it.
Redding now attempts to avoid Manager Jimy Williams for the next several days as the skipper contemplates calling up either Jared Fernandez (54 ERA, but 8 scoreless innings since going down to AAA New Orleans) or rehabbing Carlos Hernandez (0.84 ERA in 10 innings at New Orleans) to replace the listing Redding in the starting rotation.
Roy O will take the hill as the ‘Stros try to salvage one game of the three game set with the Cards tomorrow night. After that game, the Astros go to Denver and Pittsburgh before returning home for a series next weekend against the Reds.