Mike Jackson once again

Since August 2nd (he blew up on August 1st), Jackson had come into 18 games and given up runs 4 times - 19 innings, 4 runs, for an ERA of under 2.00. (19 & 5 including today)

 

Alas, Dotel and Wagner can't pitch every game.

Jackson and Williams have pitched well, overall. Jackson does seem prone to "great" or "horrible," which I think is why a lot of people (me included) have been angry with him at times

When there's a comfortable lead, why waste one of our elite guys?

 

4 runs isn't comfortable to me anymore. I'm still nervous when Jackson pitches.

 

The unfortunate part about Jackson's outing is that he was great in the 7th. If he doesn't get Young and Guttierrez then Sosa comes up with a chance to tie the game then. He then got Sosa to lunge for a pitch to lead off the 8th and he blooped a single between Biggio and Barker.

I was a little suprised that Dierker left him in. Jackson's problems this year appear to be when he pitches that 2nd inning (e.g. Pirates on 08/01). Dotel had also been warming up in the bullpen while the Astros batted in the 8th. The announcers acted like it was because Jackson would lead off the 9th and Dierker didn't want to burn a pinch hitter, but since it is September and they have extra players/pitchers that was no big deal. I think Dierker just wanted to squeeze the 8th out of Jackson and the 9th out of Williams (providing the lead was still 4) and save Wagner and Dotel.

But since they won, every decision made during the game was the correct one since it eventually led to a victory. You can't assume that any other change would have been for the better.

 

If any Stro swings at that outside slider today they should be strung to a corn stalk. That's all I'm saying.

 

LOL. I agree. It just looks so obvious when they do. Does his slider have that much movement? Of course, if Leiber is gonna get the Woody Williams strike zone, forget it then. Game over.