Sunday, August 27, 2006

Chacon Redux

Quickie following today's 13-1 whomping at the hands of the defending National League Champions:

Shawn Chacon, after my prose below, proceeds to weaken my case. By giving up 5ER (7 total) while failing to get into the 6th inning. Well, in this case, he didn't quite get out of the 5th. And I can't even say, "At least he just got batted around for throwing strikes." He walked 4, and 3 of those free passes came around to score.

I have a saying that is hereby now trademarked as Google came up with absolutely NO matches: "Twice is not an accident."

Chacon has now walked more than his share of batters in four straight starts. Today was the first day I actually had a chance to watch his mechanics, etc. He doesn't look like he's playing hurt. He looks like he's playing scared. If he does have some kind of surgery, and even if he's with another team come next season, I will be curious to see how he does, especially if he lands in a team's starting rotation. However, I've gotta say, most of his strikes thrown were up in the zone. And a couple of them, he really paid for, particularly the one he left in Berkman's wheelhouse. K. 'nuff about him, except to say that while I haven't YET thrown Chacon under the bus, said bus' engine is running.

Britt Reames was almost enough to make Chacon started surrendering a slew of runs/free passes. John Grabow did well for 2.2 innings, giving up only one run when he was into his 3rd frame, no doubt a scenario he's unaccustomed to.

And to cap off a completely disastrous day, the Pirate offense was nowhere to be found, and they had 2 key chances in 4th and 5th innings. Bases loaded with 2 down in the 4th, Jose Castillo swings at the first pitch and grounds to short. In the fifth, bases loaded with only one out and the "big bats" coming up, only to see Bay foul out and Burnitz fly out.

Xavier Nady had 3 hits, and Freddy Sanchez had 2. During the game, after Castillo's ill-advised first-pitch swing, Nady was saying something in an obviously disatisfied (though calm) to 3rd base coach Jeff Cox as they went to commercial. And, the classic little league blunder of Mr. Reames not covering first on a bouncer up the first base line, leaving Nady hanging out to dry that resulted in an "everybody safe".

Welcome to the 'Burgh, X-man.

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