So how do we hit Petitie, Oswalt and Clemens????

 

Anyone have #s of our hitters against these studs? We will need our pitchers to pitch shut outs too. Good thing is Astros hitting is light.....but still we have to figure out a way to score some runs

 

Anyone know who hits these guys well???

well, we could be cynical about it and write off the rocket's start against us as a loss, but I think we can beat even him. Assuming the 'Stros win the NLCS, I think we could sweep them. It's the Cards who I am much more scared of than Houston.

well, we could be cynical about it and write off the rocket's start against us as a loss, but I think we can beat even him. Assuming the 'Stros win the NLCS, I think we could sweep them. It's the Cards who I am much more scared of than Houston.

 

What makes you think we can hit Oswalt, Clemens and Petite? Honestly, I am just curious....I have not looked at the #s hence asking

 

I am sure a lot of our hitters (Everett, Dye, Kong, AJ etc) have faced Petite and Clemens (in the AL). And some of our hitters (Pods) must have faced Oswalt (in the NL)

 

I am not sure how to get that data from MLB....

If everyone thinks it's going to be a low-scoring series, then it will probably be a high-scoring series That's how it works sometimes.

 

One thing that might be in our favor is that guys like Ozzie, AJP, Hermanson, etc. might know a thing or two about the Astros or Cardinals.

I'd muuuuuuuuuuuuch rather play the Cards. Our starters will mow them down and we'd hit better against them than against Clemens, Oswalt, Pettite and Lidge.

But hey, I was afraid of the AL West and we made Vlad and Co. look like girls, so bring on whoever.

We can hit Clemens - in his 21-4 season 2 losses were to us, but I'd rather play the Cards also. They are a great team, but their pitching is tired.

The Astros are my second favorite team, and it will be tough hitting against their starters. The very short left field line to the Crawford ST. boxes will be inviting to our righty power guys.

 

Clemens should have been the run away Cy Young winner but he had a dozen starts where the team scored two runs or less, including being shut out 8 times in his starts. In those game he had a sub 2.00 ERA.

 

I fear Houston more than the Cards, and am pulling for a seven game series to wear them down a bit more.

But hey, I was afraid of the AL West and we made Vlad and Co. look like girls, so bring on whoever.

 

I felt similar about Anaheim. I'd rather face St. Louis, just as I rather have faced the Yankees in the ALCS--a team which our pitching had shown itself to match up well against. If Cardinals come back and win this series, then obviously it will be because either their offense has reemerged or their pitching has stepped up. At which point, do your remain satisfied in facing the Cardinals? There's no easy path to the World Series.

Edited October 17, 200520 yr by Flash Tizzle

I feltl similar about Anaheim. I'd rather face St. Louis, just as I rather have faced the Yankees in the ALCS--a team which our pitching had shown itself to match up well against. If Cardinals come back and win this series, than obviously it will be because either their offense has reemerged or their pitching has stepped up. There's no easy path to the World Series.

 

Frankly, I don't care who we play at this point. We are in the World Series!! 15-3 in our last 18 games (12-1 in our last 13). This run is nothing short of remarkable, amazing, phenomenal, and any other adjective that you can think of.

 

The Astros pitching would be tough to face, and the Cards are a well-balanced team with a great player in the middle of their lineup. Either way it will be a tough matchup but the Sox will be ready. I have no reason to believe otherwise at this point!!!

OMG we're choking!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On champagne

We don't have to score a lot of runs to win these games. Obviously, Clemens, Petitte and Oswalt are dominating pitchers, but if we can scratch our 3 runs a game, that might be good enough because they're going to have the same problem with our rotation....Their offense got shut down a lot this season so most of these games could be 2-1, 3-2 type games.

I think we can beat anybody, but I'd like to see St. Louis for an all-Midwest series with the teams having the two best records.

 

Looks like Houston's gonna ice them, though.

I think we'll win against either team, but will still root for the Cardinals to at least make it a 7 game series.

 

Just taking each team's history into account, a Sox-Cardinals WS sounds much cooler than Sox-Astros, at least IMO.

The Astros pitching isn't all that good outside of the four you mentioned. Springer, Wheeler, and Backe can be hit. Clemens, I think, is hurting after watching him in the game against the Cards. I think I would rather face the Cards right now, but selfishly (because I'm in Austin and want to go to a World Series game) I want to see the Astros win. One team that hasn't been to a World Series in 46 years and one team that's never been there. That will be fun.

I don't have any numbers in front of me, but from my memory I know that the Sox have had some success against Clemens (and I think Petitte as well). I'm more worried about Oswalt because I don't think many of our guys have seen him.

All of the Astros' starting pitchers can shut you down, but they can all also be hit if they are not on their game. Just look at the numbers for Clemens and Pettitte in the AL (they're pretty much the same pitchers, they didn't suddenly become Gods when switching leagues), and while he's good, Oswalt he does allow a fair share of baserunners. Remember, in 3 of the 5 games in the ALCS we didn't exactly light up the opposing starting pitcher. The games will probably go roughly the same way, except the Astro's pen is not as strong as the Angels. The series will definitely be winnable, but you never know when their aces will shut you down. That could be said about all 4 of our starters too, however. The production is similar when you consider the AL/NL difference, we just don't have as much hype.

The one thing I like is we have faced some of the front line pitchers on Houston and St. Louis (Petite, Clemens, Carpenter, Mulder, Suppan, Isringhausen). Where as they may have only seen our guys (except Hermanson) once or twice in interleague a couple of years back.

 

Neither team runs very well (except for Taveraz) nor are their bullpens as deep as California. Their hitting is not that of Boston and more along the lines of California.

 

How about a Mulder (Chicago native) v. Buerhle (MO native).

 

On paper they are very similar so I think they are a toss up. Neither can be looking forward to playing the White Sox.

We can hit Roger and Andy, Oswalt scares me the most, no doubt. Also, as good as Lidge has been he looks extremely hittable right now.

We are arriving with everyone healthy and rested. The Astros aren't going to lay down, they can be beat, and they can beat. There will be some great matchups. I'm hoping they play a couple more before deciding a winner.

We are arriving with everyone healthy and rested. The Astros aren't going to lay down, they can be beat, and they can beat. There will be some great matchups. I'm hoping they play a couple more before deciding a winner.

 

Good analysis. Short, but to the point. If we play Houston, we are again playing a similar team to the Sox. They play the game right. The Cards are different in the respect they don't have the great pitching that Houston has. But still, very solid pitching. But you have to account for Pujols. Either team will put up a tough challenge. But, when it comes right down to it, I believe the Sox have a better "team" than either of the NL teams. Emphasis on the word team.

 

I don't think it will be easy, but I like our chances.

So how do we hit Petitie, Oswalt and Clemens???? 

 

Anyone have #s of our hitters against these studs? We will need our pitchers to pitch shut outs too. Good thing is Astros hitting is light.....but still we have to figure out a way to score some runs

 

Anyone know who hits these guys well???

 

 

You ask and you shall receive. Numbers according to Yahoo Sports:

 

Oswalt

--------

Dye - 0-3 (.000) 3 k's

Timo - 4-7 (.571) 2 2b's 2 bb's 1 sb

AJ - 5-8 (.625) 1 2b 2 rbi

Pods - 6-23 (.261) 1 2b 1 rbi 1 bb 2 sb

 

 

Clemens

-----------

Crede - 3-5 (.600) 2 hr 2 rbi

Dye - 6-18 (.333) 1 hr 1 rbi

Carl - 3-20 (.150) 1 rbi

Paulie - 5-18 (.444) 2 hr 5 rbi

Pods - 5-14 (.357) 1 hr 1 rbi

Uribe - 1-2 (.500)

 

Pettite

--------

Crede - 1-2 (.500) 2b

Dye - 6-18 (.333) 4 2bs 1 rbi

Carl - 9-32 (.281) 1 2b 4 rbi

Paulie - 9-23 (.391) 1 2b 1 3b(interesting) 1 hr 7 rbi

AJ - 4-11 (.364) 2 rbi

A Row - 0-4

Uribe - 1-2 (.500) 1 hr 2 rbi

 

 

Despite their dominance of NL teams we seem to match up pretty well with their stud pitchers...much to my surprise. On a side note if we could play Harold he has hit Clemens very well in his career 2 hr's 9 rbi's and a .305 avg and Frank has killed Petitte with 3 hr's 12 rbi's and hitting .355.

Pettitte and Clemens are no strangers to the Sox. The only one of the big 3 we've never faced (outside out Interleague) is Oswalt, who is the nastiest of all of them.

 

Then there's Lidge, who IMO, is the NL's version of Rivera.

 

I wish the Cardinals could rally and we can face them.