October 25, 200520 yr Per ESPN: HOUSTON -- If the Astros force a Game 5 in the World Series, Roger Clemens is expected to get the nod to start. On Monday, Astros manager Phil Garner said he planned to start Clemens if there was a Game 5 on Thursday night in Houston. The Houston ace was forced out of Game 1 after only two innings, walking gingerly because of a recurring strained left hamstring that has bothered him since September. The Astros lost the opener 5-3, and now trail 0-2 in the best-of-seven series after a dramatic 7-6 loss to the White Sox on Sunday. Garner said either Wandy Rodriguez, who worked 3 1/3 shaky innings in relief of Clemens in Game 1, or Ezequiel Astacio, who started 14 games for the Astros this season, would get the nod if Clemens wasn't healthy. But Garner seemed certain that Clemens would be ready. "Roger Clemens is pitching the fifth game right now," Garner said. Clemens was given a cortisone shot after Saturday's game, a baseball official who was updated on Clemens' condition told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark on Sunday. Because Clemens has responded to these shots in the past, the Astros hadn't ruled out the possibility that he could pitch again in this World Series. "He's just a special individual. Sometimes your will can go a lot farther than your body," teammate Jeff Bagwell said Sunday. "The legend grows every day for him. I just think this could be another special time." Astros pitching coach Jim Hickey said that while Clemens' hamstring issues began in late August or early September, his health had actually been improving until Saturday. "Once he first tweaked it, it was a two- or three-start kind of thing," Hickey said Sunday. "Then he started to get some other aches and pains, to some extent because he was trying to compensate for the hamstring. But I really thought he was past it. He was able to make two or three starts before this with no effects at all." Hickey said he thought Clemens tweaked the hamstring on Saturday while making a break to cover first base in the second inning. Clemens, who led the majors with a 1.87 ERA this season, gave up three runs. Jayson Stark is a senior writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was also used in this report.
October 25, 200520 yr (threads merged) Good news as far as I'm concerned. He looked horrible...that could be very good news for the Sox, especially if they can hit W(a/e)ndy this time around.
October 25, 200520 yr Bring that old bastard on. I honestly might rather face Clemens than Astacio in game 5.
October 25, 200520 yr If Clemens starts I say we bunt our way on base!!! Ok really, if he does start they need to keep him working again and get his ass tired that way we can see Wandy for the 2nd time and hopefully kick his ass.
October 25, 200520 yr Didnt Harold Renolds say he had a problem getting out of a golf cart. I find this hard to believe and I DONT STOP BELIEVING!
October 25, 200520 yr IMO then we really need to get Oswalt tomorrow and Backe on Wednesday. We sure don't want to face up against Clemens and Pettitte again. These guys will be on a "mission" even more so the next time around.
October 25, 200520 yr QUOTE(Sox Hustler @ Oct 24, 2005 -> 08:43 PM) If Clemens starts I say we bunt our way on base!!! Ok really, if he does start they need to keep him working again and get his ass tired that way we can see Wandy for the 2nd time and hopefully kick his ass. We need Ben Davis for that.
October 25, 200520 yr QUOTE(sayitaintso @ Oct 24, 2005 -> 09:27 PM) We need Ben Davis for that. I forgot about that guy... Thats a million off the books there!!
October 25, 200520 yr Clemens ERA at home is worse and he's definitely not at 100%. Still we pretty much expected this to happen. We've just got to copy the exact routine we had in game 1. Work the counts, make him throw pitches, and move him around out there whether it's via bunts etc.
October 25, 200520 yr Our guys have hit Roger Clemens very well historically. Even though we only got 3 runs off him...he threw 50 pitches in 2 innings. Our guys know how to hit Roger Clemens, especially if he is just a little bit off. Go ahead, bring on a Clemens at 80%.
October 25, 200520 yr If it comes to that, bring him on. I'd almost rather face Clemens than a guy we've never seen before. The Stros would be extremely lucky to get 5 innings out of him anyway.
October 25, 200520 yr Yeah its a bunch of bs... he will keep saying Clemens than they will march pettitte out there on 3 days rest and everyone will call Garner out for being bush league and than we will win the WS and than.......
October 25, 200520 yr QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Oct 25, 2005 -> 02:19 AM) Our guys have hit Roger Clemens very well historically. Even though we only got 3 runs off him...he threw 50 pitches in 2 innings. Our guys know how to hit Roger Clemens, especially if he is just a little bit off. Go ahead, bring on a Clemens at 80%. Clemens in his career against the sox has a 3.07 era in 39 starts. But int he last five years ( six starts) he has 7.15 era while giving up 12 homers in 34 innings.
October 25, 200520 yr we shouldn't even listen to this, it's just a way to sway our focus on the game at hand which is game 3. think about it, if you're down 2-0 in a 7 game series and one of your stud pitchers is hurt, you're gonna let the other team know he's coming back and will pitch. mind games going on here, if we take out Oswalt tonight they'll start hitting the panic button, advantage-WHITE SOX
October 25, 200520 yr QUOTE(Steff @ Oct 25, 2005 -> 07:12 AM) Non issue. It aint going to game 5. Even if it did, I see this as a ploy to get the White Sox focused on facing the Rocket, then pulling the switch at the last minute.
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