Sean Casey and Ken Griffey hit run scoring doubles off of normally reliable Brad Lidge in the bottom of the eighth on Saturday night in Cincy as the hard-hitting Reds sent the Stros to their third straight defeat, 8-7. The win moves the Reds into a first place tie with the Stros and the Cubs in the NL Central. All three clubs have a 24-18 record.
The Rocket struggled in this start, giving up six runs and nine hits in six innings, including four walks. Despite Clemens’ strong start this season, his elevated walks total is a clear sign that his performance level is trending downward.
The Stros’ stroked 15 hits and were led by red-hot Lance Berkman, who hit his fourth dinger in the last five games and had two doubles. Of course, manager Jimy Williams continues to bat Berkman fifth in the order when he is a far superior hitter to any other Astro and thus, should be batting in the postion in the order that would maximize his plate appearances.
In fact, Williams’ dubious decision-making is becoming a big problem for the Stros. Despite near deification among local reporters as being a real “baseball guy” (whatever that means), Williams in reality is a mediocre manager, as has been explained earlier here and here. Late in this game, Williams again allowed his irrational prejudice in favor of veteran players to hurt the Stros’ chances of winning.
In the top of the ninth, consecutive hits by Kent, Berkman and Ensberg scored a run to make it 8-7 with no outs. After Berkman was cut down on a fielder’s choice, the Stros still had runners on first and second with one out. Inexplicably, with the game on the line, Williams trotted two of the worst hitters in Major League Baseball — Brad Ausmus and Jose Vizcaino — to the plate. The Stros’ bench is not strong this season, but Williams’ refusal to use the far superior hitter second year man Jason Lane in that situation is yet another example of Williams’ questionable use of veteran players over better, but younger, alternatives.
As noted earlier, Williams non-sensical platooning of the emerging star Ensberg last season with the far inferior Geoff Blum may have been the difference in the close NL Central race that the Stros ended up losing to the Cubs by a game. This season’s NL Central race will likely by just as close, and the Stros’ small margin of error cannot afford Williams’ continued poor decision-making.
Wade Miller tries to right the Stros’ ship the Sunday afternoon game against the Reds’ Corey Lidle. After closing out the Reds series tomorrow behind Tim Redding, the Stros come home for key home and home series with the Cubs and Cards.