Can't Feliz it Some of his numbers as he gets back from an awful stretch:
Two Starts Before
4.2 IP - 17 hits - 15 runs - 4 homers - 3 BBs - 4 Ks
Last Two Starts
13.2 IP - 8 hits - 2 runs - 2 homers - 4 BBs - 18 Ks
Lewis went seven strong last night. Unfortunately, there were still six outs still to get. And the Rangers, apparently, had no one that could get them. They lost 5-3, all five Houston Astro runs coming in the final two frames.
Ron Washington takes more heat for the handling of the bullpen than anything else. He could DH Arthur Rhodes, and he still wouldn't take as much criticism than pitching Darren Oliver four times in five days.
Last night, up 2-0, Dave Bush was your eighth inning guy. Wash bypassed Rhodes and Mike Kirkman as the only reasonably rested guys. Bush allowed a run before inducing a double play to end the inning.
Then Neftali Feliz -- who'd pitched two innings the night before -- gave up four runs on a passed ball and a three-run home run by someone I'd never heard of.
Consider that one run was scored on a passed ball and Bush pitching in the game, it's a tied game if you eliminate shit that should never happen.
Maybe Feliz was the best option there. Maybe not. Mark Lowe, Darren Oliver and Yoshi Tateyama were not available for extensive work.
But it would make you wonder if over-pitching Lowe, Oliver and Tateyama the last five days was the best idea. Lowe pitched two-thirds of an inning and Oliver an inning Monday night in a 8-3 win. Would you not have loved to have Lowe and Oliver Tuesday night in extra innings and again last night.
As the bullpen turns.
Remember, though, this is probably the highlight of the Astros' season.
