4/4 - Astros (Sampson) @ Cobs (1Pitch Rich), 1:20 PM CT, CSN

[TruffleShuffle]

In for the spot start... this game features some guy named Sampson who plays for the Astros; from what I can tell, this is him:

 

http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2007/10/19/sports_jp_kelvin_1019+Z.jpg

 

His numbers in 2007: 7-8, 4.59 ERA, 121.2 IP, 138 H, 62 ER, 20 HR, 30 BB, 51 K

 

so he's not a strikeout artist, to say the least.

 

 

Facing him is the 2008 Cy Young winner, "One Pitch" Rich Hill. The pride of Milton, Massachusetts, Rich went 11-8 with a 3.92 ERA in 2007, a great surprise to those who thought he was no better than a AAAA pitcher. His other stats: 195.0 IP, 170 H, 85 ER, 27 HR, 63 BB, 183 K. Here is a shot of Rich trying to look as dorky as possible, and frankly doing a pretty good job at it:

 

http://www.alexsautographs.com/richhill1.jpg

 

 

The exclusive TruffleShuffle forecast: Clouds breaking for some sunshine, temperatures in the upper 40s, winds north-northeasterly at 8-16 mph. Sounds like a lovely early April day in Chicago!

 

Go Cubs.

[David]

Wait, what? Our first winning game thread starter of the year and we don't get to keep his mojo?

 

BS. =;

[C.C.]

Lets make it two in a row!!!

[TruffleShuffle]

Wait, what? Our first winning game thread starter of the year and we don't get to keep his mojo?

 

BS. =;

 

don't blame me, i was told that what's his butt couldn't start tomorrow's thread. blame him, i think he is in durham helping coach k find his way through the maze to the cheese at the end of it.

[Omar]

Astros Vs. Hill

                    **PA**  AB  H  2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO   BA   OBP   SLG   OPS  
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+
Carlos Lee           10     9   2  0  0  1   1   1   1  .222  .300  .556  .856 
Lance Berkman         9     7   1  0  0  1   2   1   1  .143  .333  .571  .904  
Ty Wigginton          9     8   2  1  0  0   1   1   4  .250  .333  .375  .708  
Mark Loretta          6     5   2  0  0  1   1   1   1  .400  .500 1.000 1.500  
Hunter Pence          6     4   2  1  0  0   1   2   1  .500  .667  .750 1.417 
Jose Cruz             5     3   0  0  0  0   0   2   1  .000  .400  .000  .400 
Brad Ausmus           3     3   2  0  0  0   0   0   0  .667  .667  .667 1.334 
Wandy Rodriguez       2     2   0  0  0  0   0   0   1  .000  .000  .000  .000 
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+
Total                50    41  11  2  0  3   6   8  10  .268  .400  .537  .937 

 

Cubs Vs. Sampson

                    **PA**  AB  H  2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO   BA   OBP   SLG   OPS  
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+
Aramis Ramirez        6     6   2  0  0  0   0   0   0  .333  .333  .333  .666 
Alfonso Soriano       5     4   1  0  0  0   0   0   1  .250  .400  .250  .650  
Mark DeRosa           3     3   0  0  0  0   0   0   2  .000  .000  .000  .000 
Derrek Lee            3     3   2  0  0  1   1   0   0  .667  .667 1.667 2.334 
Ryan Theriot          3     3   0  0  0  0   0   0   2  .000  .000  .000  .000 
Daryle Ward           3     3   1  0  0  0   0   0   1  .333  .333  .333  .666 
Ronny Cedeno          2     2   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  .000  .000  .000  .000 
Jason Marquis         2     2   0  0  0  0   0   0   2  .000  .000  .000  .000 
Mike Fontenot         1     1   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  .000  .000  .000  .000 
+-----------------+-------+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+
Total                28    27   6  0  0  1   1   0   8  .222  .250  .333  .583 

[ctcf]

Make my fantasy team proud Rich

[Derwood]

god bless all these day games to start the season

[UMFan83]

god bless all these day games to start the season

 

GRRR No. Saturday's game will be the first I get to watch on TV all year...it doesn't even feel like its baseball season yet to me because I haven't got to watch any games.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I hope we beat the mess out of the home team tomorrow.

[BRASKYS SCOTCH]

I hope we beat the mess out of the home team tomorrow.

 

The Cubs beating themselves? ... They've been doing that for quite some time.

 

 

PS, did your hometown paper not hold an "election" for "home team" coverage this year?

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I hope we beat the mess out of the home team tomorrow.

 

The Cubs beating themselves? ... They've been doing that for quite some time.

 

 

PS, did your hometown paper not hold an "election" for "home team" coverage this year?

 

They held the election, but they limited votes to mail-ins that had to use a clip out ballot from the sports section.

 

So, the Astros won again, but barely. Had they done it any other week except my spring break week, I could have gotten all my students to vote using the free papers our school gets through NIE.

[Andy]

How the hell are we only one game out of first?

 

Go OPR

[Schwarber Fan]

This game is not on WGNTV

 

Mass confusion can be avoided by fixing the thread title.

[98navigator]

Lou says Reed Johnson will start in CF tomorrow.

[Laura]

Golden Thunder PM'd and said he couldn't start tomorrow's game thread, so I asked Truffle to do the honors (thanks Truffle!).

[Derwood]

DirecTV 725 (Astros Feed)

DirecTV 726 (Cubs Feed)

DirecTV 726-1 (Cubs Feed HD)

[Brian]

This guy is one of those crappy guys the Cubs can't hit.

[Roast]

I saw rich hill playing catch/pitching in the outfield prior to batting practice today.

 

 

That's all I have to add. Go cubs.

[David]

Lou says Reed Johnson will start in CF tomorrow.

 

Ugh, why? This starter is a righty, as far as I can tell.

 

Either Lou is already going away from him or Pie is hurting more than we thought from the HBP. Either way, I don't likey.

[Roast]

Lou says Reed Johnson will start in CF tomorrow.

 

Ugh, why? This starter is a righty, as far as I can tell.

 

Either Lou is already going away from him or Pie is hurting more than we thought from the HBP. Either way, I don't likey.

Werd. This can't be good.

[inari]

Lou says Reed Johnson will start in CF tomorrow.

 

Ugh, why? This starter is a righty, as far as I can tell.

 

Either Lou is already going away from him or Pie is hurting more than we thought from the HBP. Either way, I don't likey.

 

Me neither.

[Flames24Rulz]

I think Sampson was some bum that beat us last year. Not surprising in the least.

 

Win, losers.

[otis89]

Win, you jerks.

[Derwood]

nothing wrong with giving Pie a day off.

[Andy]

nothing wrong with giving Pie a day off.

As long as it's exactly A day off.