Results cloud solid pitching outings
03/07/2006
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Advice to Fernando Nieve and Taylor Buchholz: Ignore the box score from Tuesday's 7-1 loss to the Mets.
For if anything was as misleading in describing the two men's performances, the box score would be it. Just ask manager Phil Garner.
"They actually threw some pitches that were pretty good pitches," Garner said. "We just didn't get 'em."
Nor did Nieve and Buchholz get much help from their defense. For both of them, errors kept alive innings that should have ended with no runs. Instead, the Mets pushed across two runs in the second on Nieve's watch, and then they cashed in on an error on Buchholz's watch that piled on four more runs.
"It appeared to be long innings, and we appeared to be getting behind guys," Garner said. "But they were throwing the ball in pretty good location."
Those words should offer comfort to both men. Nieve and Buchholz, scouts across the game will say, are high-end prospects who now find themselves fighting for a spot in the back-end of the Astros rotation.
They might, in fact, be fighting each other. So any opportunity one has to take a step ahead of the other might inch him closer to a job in the big leagues.
Neither man did himself much harm, the numbers notwithstanding, with his work against the Mets.
In three innings, Nieve gave up four hits, two walks and three runs. Two of those runs were unearned. Buchholz worked three innings as well. He gave up four hits, one walk and four runs. Just one of those runs was earned.
All things considered, not a bad day's work for the young right-handers, Garner said.
Still, he wasn't close to anointing either man with the title of Astros starter. Not after just two outings apiece this spring. A handful of games into the Grapefruit League schedule simply does not give a manager a lot to judge.
"It's way too early," Garner said.
He did, however, praise Buchholz and Nieve on the way they have been throwing the baseball.
"What I want to see now is [for them to] pound the strike zone a little bit earlier," Garner said. "We're missing too many times at 1-1 counts. It's such a critical count for me, and we're missing with 'em.
"We need to get the ball in the strike zone. We need to make 'em put it in play at that count."
Garner saw part of this problem as a product of early Spring Training, but as two outings turn into three, four and five, he said he expects control to improve. He'll look to see that 1-1 count become a 1-2 count, or something better -- an out.
He also attributed part of the problem to nerves, which is understandable with so much at stake for both Nieve and Buchholz. But they won't be able to cling to that excuse forever.
"That's what you gotta deal with, 'cause they're darn sure gonna be nervous when we get into the playoffs," Garner said. "So you gotta be able to [throw strikes] when you're nervous."
Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Advice to Fernando Nieve and Taylor Buchholz: Ignore the box score from Tuesday's 7-1 loss to the Mets.
For if anything was as misleading in describing the two men's performances, the box score would be it. Just ask manager Phil Garner.
"They actually threw some pitches that were pretty good pitches," Garner said. "We just didn't get 'em."
Nor did Nieve and Buchholz get much help from their defense. For both of them, errors kept alive innings that should have ended with no runs. Instead, the Mets pushed across two runs in the second on Nieve's watch, and then they cashed in on an error on Buchholz's watch that piled on four more runs.
"It appeared to be long innings, and we appeared to be getting behind guys," Garner said. "But they were throwing the ball in pretty good location."
Those words should offer comfort to both men. Nieve and Buchholz, scouts across the game will say, are high-end prospects who now find themselves fighting for a spot in the back-end of the Astros rotation.
They might, in fact, be fighting each other. So any opportunity one has to take a step ahead of the other might inch him closer to a job in the big leagues.
Neither man did himself much harm, the numbers notwithstanding, with his work against the Mets.
In three innings, Nieve gave up four hits, two walks and three runs. Two of those runs were unearned. Buchholz worked three innings as well. He gave up four hits, one walk and four runs. Just one of those runs was earned.
All things considered, not a bad day's work for the young right-handers, Garner said.
Still, he wasn't close to anointing either man with the title of Astros starter. Not after just two outings apiece this spring. A handful of games into the Grapefruit League schedule simply does not give a manager a lot to judge.
"It's way too early," Garner said.
He did, however, praise Buchholz and Nieve on the way they have been throwing the baseball.
"What I want to see now is [for them to] pound the strike zone a little bit earlier," Garner said. "We're missing too many times at 1-1 counts. It's such a critical count for me, and we're missing with 'em.
"We need to get the ball in the strike zone. We need to make 'em put it in play at that count."
Garner saw part of this problem as a product of early Spring Training, but as two outings turn into three, four and five, he said he expects control to improve. He'll look to see that 1-1 count become a 1-2 count, or something better -- an out.
He also attributed part of the problem to nerves, which is understandable with so much at stake for both Nieve and Buchholz. But they won't be able to cling to that excuse forever.
"That's what you gotta deal with, 'cause they're darn sure gonna be nervous when we get into the playoffs," Garner said. "So you gotta be able to [throw strikes] when you're nervous."
Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/
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