Richard Zowie's NFL Football fan blog

It's nice to see Ol' Roy back, and it's even nicer to ponder that Houston dodged a bullet by keeping him instead of trading him.

How did Oswalt do today against the top team in baseball? Against the Chicago Cubs, Oswalt pitched nearly a complete game--going 8.1 innings and giving up four hits, no runs and striking out three. He's a 3.91 on what has definitely been an off-season. Amazingly, he's now 13-9 on the season. If not for his struggles, he might've won 20 games.

Jose Valverde got two outs to get his 38th save on the season. He got a scare as Derek Lee's potential game-tying opposite field fly ball died on the warning track.

Houston's now 72-66 and have won six in a row.

Tomorrow Houston faces Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who's had oodles and oodles of success against the 'Stros.

Continue reading "Houston 3, Chicago 0"

The Houston Astros are now 71-66, courtesy of a very encouraging weekend sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals. The 'Stros beat the Cardinals 3-2, 8-5 and 3-0.

This last win, obviously, was a shutout, led by lefty Wandy Rodriguez' 5.2 innings of 7-hit, no run baseball with four strikeouts. Rodriguez is now 8-6 on the season with a not-bad 3.76 ERA. I say not bad because Wandy pitches in a hitter friendly park. Let's face it: Minute Maid Park isn't the Astrodome, a place where countless home runs died and became downgraded to warning-track fly ball outs.

Jose Valverde, for all his throwing-gasoline-onto-the-fire relief appearances, closed this game out with a perfect, uneventful ninth inning with a strikeout. He has a 3.75 ERA on the season and has compiled 37 saves.

This must've been an especially tough loss for the venerable Cardinals, who outhit Houston 9-5. However, none of their hits went for extra bases while Houston had two doubles and a homer. The four-bagger was the 21st on the season for Ty Wigginton, to match his jersey number.

Continue reading "Not too bad a weekend for the Astros"

Was watching video footage of the Friday night game between the Astros and the Cardinals. Lance Berkman, on the pitch right before his walk-off homer, hit a foul home run to right field.

I wonder if that's ever been done before?

Continue reading "If at first, you don't succeed..."

Sorry about my brief hiatus. Very busy week at my day job at the newspaper. With Labor Day, we usually put in extra efforts the day before so that we don't have to kill ourselves when we return...

...Yes, I'm very happy that Craig Biggio's jersey number 7 has joined Astros immortality with Jeff Bagwell and the other venerable Astros. Now, what's next for the Killer B's is the Hall of Fame. Honestly, if a light-hitting, somewhat overrated shortstop like Ozzie Smith gets in on the first ballot with more than 90 percent of the vote, why shouldn't Biggio and Bagwell get in on the first one as well?

Seeing Biggio's number on the three retired jerseys reminds me again of how much the Astros' current railroad uniform absolutely sucks. Would love to see them return to the blue and orange look with a modern twist on the sixties shooting-star logo. Yes, I'm a broken record. I won't quit until these ugly monstrosities will be gone. I have an idea for a cap logo, and if I can ever figure out how to do it on a computer, I'll post it...

Continue reading "Astros hanging above .500"

Let's see...Roy Oswalt pitches a complete game, giving up only three runs on four hits while striking out six...

Johann Santana pitches 7 innings, giving up eight hits, no runs and strikes out five.

Amazing how that is. I guess the Mets just did a better job of clutch hitting. At least Carlos "Benedict Arnold" Beltran didn't get a hit in the game. On the season, he's batting .270. Maybe it's a good thing he's not in Houston.

Sigh.

Continue reading "What an ugly loss"

Well, you knew the streak had to end. Houston's 8-game winning streak is over, courtesy of a 12-2 pummeling by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Starter Wandy Rodriguez gave up three first-inning runs and ended up walking six hitters and giving up four runs in two and a third innings.

Yikes.

Tim Byrdak had an interesting night. In 3 innings, he allowed six hits, six runs and three home runs. However, he walked none and struck out three. His season ERA is only 3.8.

Houston's now 62-60.

Continue reading "Houston's roller coaster, winning streak ends"

The Houston Astros are now at .500 on the season, courtesy of a 3-1 win at home against the San Francisco Giants. Brandon Backe pitched a whale of a game, allowing only four hits, 1 run in seven innings while striking out six and walking three. The bullpen did well also, pitching two perfect innings (including Jose Valverde's 2-strikeout ninth for his 29th save on the season.

Still, I have no plans for too much excitement. Giants lefthander Jonathan Sanchez, who's been so-so at best in his three years in the big leagues (a 12-15 record with a 4.92 ERA), allowed five hits and two runs over seven innings.

Continue reading "At .500 again"

Remember, the Astros still stink. They are going nowhere. ;-)

Reverse psychology, ahhh...

Houston is now 58-59 on the season, courtesy of a four-game winning streak. Today they capped a sweep of the hapless Cincinnati Reds with a 13-4 win over Cincy. "Magic" Wandy Rodriguez pitched well, allowing only five hits and two runs in 6.2 innings. He walked only one and struck out seven, giving up two home runs in Cincy's homer-friendly Great American Ballpark. What's more, he even got a hit and scored a run today.

The game makes me temporarily forget that Carlos Lee is gone for the rest of the year after one of his fingers was broken by a Bronson Arroyo fastball. Lee, a professional and a gentleman, absolved Arroyo from any hints of an intentional hit.

Next up for Houston, San Francisco. Speaking of which, there have been rumors that Houston might try to acquire Bonds now that Lee (their regular leftfielder) is out for the season. What does this Astros fan think of the prospect of acquiring The Ballooned Head?

Continue reading "Astros sweep Reds, Lee out for season, will Houston pursue Barry "Diva" Bonds?"

I've batted this back and forth and have decided NOT to blog about the Olympics. It comes after much thought and prayer. For me, when I see how Christians and other religious faiths are being treated and remember the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, I really feel the world should have nothing to do with China until its government changes.

My decision. You're more than free to disagree or blog if you like.

Continue reading "No blogs about the Olympics"

Joe Namath and the Los Angeles Rams. Bert Jones and the Los Angeles Rams. Franco Harris and the Seattle Seahawks. Harold Carmichael and the Dallas Cowboys.

Is it possible that Brett Favre will look back on his late-career stint with the New York Jets and wish that he'd just stayed retired?

Don't know. I suspect that Favre looks back at that interception in the NFC Championship game in overtime and doesn't want to go out that way.

Continue reading "Brett Favre's decision, will he regret it?"