from J. Duarte in Houston Chronicle:
Rookie righthander Kirk Saarloos makes his major-league debut tonight against the
Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
After surrendering nine runs in four innings in his first pro start, Saarloos has been virtually
untouchable, reeling off 10 consecutive victories with a 0.45 ERA for Class AA Round
Rock. He did not allow an earned run in 48 1/3 innings before giving up two runs in his
last start.
The 23-year-old Saarloos throws a sinking fastball, slider and changeup.
Saarloos, a third-round selection, will become the second player from the 2001 draft to
reach the majors. Mark Prior of the Chicago Cubs made his debut May 22.
Ben Sheets (3-7), who has dropped his last four decisions, will start for the Brewers.
........................................................................................................................
from me:
Sheets has been 0-4 of late, but all of that was on road, except a hard-luck 1 earned-run 7 inning loss to LA at home.
He has dominated Stros in past, and will have confidence to try so tonight. He will try even harder getting back in win column now that's he's at home, and off a bad start, and has more rest.
statfox sez Houston under has hit 8-2 this season on road with total between 9 and 9.5
and sez that at Millwaukee "12 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+5.1 Units) "
......................................................................................................................
from official site:
Kirk Saarloos will make his big league debut Tuesday when he makes a start against the Brewers. The 23-year-old
right-hander from Long Beach, CA was promoted from Double-A Round Rock to the Astros after veteran Shane
Reynolds had season-ending back surgery last week. Saarloos produced staggering numbers during his time with the
Express.
In 13 starts, he was 10-1 with a 1.40 ERA. He allowed 13 earned runs over 83 1/3 innings, walking 21 while
striking out 82. The newest Astros rookie impressed management from the start. In his first professional year for Class
A Lexington in 2001, Saarloos served as the club's closer, yielding just four earned run over 30 2/3 innings for a 1.17
ERA en route to a team-best 11 saves.
"Every pitch he throws is down," Assistant General Manager Tim Purpura said.
"He has great natural movement. His two-seamer sinks, and his changeup just falls off the table." Saarloss, a groundball
pitcher, is no stranger to high-pressure situations. Only a year ago, he was making his second straight appearance in
the College World Series for Cal-State Fullerton, just before the Astros selected him in the third round of the 2001 draft.
"He's been in some big games," Purpura said. "He's very composed."
..........................................................................................................................
the ticker preview:
Houston (30-38) at Milwaukee (24-45)
AP Preview 8:05pm
Probable Starting Pitchers
Houston: Kirk Saarloos (NR, 0.00)
Milwaukee: Ben Sheets (3-7, 4.33)
MILWAUKEE (TICKER) -- Kirk Saarloos becomes the latest product of the Houston Astros farm
system to make his major league debut Tuesday in the second game of a four-game series with
the lowly Milwaukee Brewers.
Over the last three seasons, Wade Miller, Roy Oswalt, Tim Redding and Carlos Hernandez
have made their first career appearances for the Astros.
Saarloos has been inserted into the rotation because Shane Reynolds will miss the remainder of
the season with a back injury. A third-round selection, Saarloos is the second pitcher from last
year's draft to make his appear this year after phenom Mark Prior of the Chicago Cubs made his
major league debut last month.
At Class AA Round Rock, Saarloos was 10-1 with a 1.40 ERA in 13 starts, allowing 48 hits in
83 1/3 innings. He walked 21 and led the Texas League with 82 strikeouts.
Saarloos was 4-0 with a 0.26 ERA in five starts in May and was named the Texas League
Player of the month. He is the second Astro pitcher after Hernandez to make the jump from
Class AA to the major leagues since 1991.
Milwaukee hands the ball to Ben Sheets (3-7, 4.33), who is 0-4 with a 4.91 ERA in his last five
outings.
Sheets suffered his forth straight loss at Oakland on Wednesday, when he gave up seven runs
and nine hits in four innings. The 23-year-old righthander is 1-2 with a 2.25 ERA in five starts at
Miller Park this season.
Sheets, who is 2-2 with a 3.96 ERA in four career outings against the Astros, was originally
slated to start Monday's series opener but manager Jerry Royster opted to give him a extra day
of rest. The Brewers won for just the second time in 11 games with Monday's 5-2 victory as
Jose Hernandez hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs.
But the Brewers lost outfielders Geoff Jenkins and Alex Sanchez to injuries.
Jenkins suffered a dislocated right ankle and ligament damage. The Brewers said there was no
fracture of the ankle, adding that Jenkins will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the
extent of the ligament damage.
Sanchez took over in left field but suffered a sprained left wrist and bruised right knee. He is
expected to be sidelined three to five days.
Rookie righthander Kirk Saarloos makes his major-league debut tonight against the
Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
After surrendering nine runs in four innings in his first pro start, Saarloos has been virtually
untouchable, reeling off 10 consecutive victories with a 0.45 ERA for Class AA Round
Rock. He did not allow an earned run in 48 1/3 innings before giving up two runs in his
last start.
The 23-year-old Saarloos throws a sinking fastball, slider and changeup.
Saarloos, a third-round selection, will become the second player from the 2001 draft to
reach the majors. Mark Prior of the Chicago Cubs made his debut May 22.
Ben Sheets (3-7), who has dropped his last four decisions, will start for the Brewers.
........................................................................................................................
from me:
Sheets has been 0-4 of late, but all of that was on road, except a hard-luck 1 earned-run 7 inning loss to LA at home.
He has dominated Stros in past, and will have confidence to try so tonight. He will try even harder getting back in win column now that's he's at home, and off a bad start, and has more rest.
statfox sez Houston under has hit 8-2 this season on road with total between 9 and 9.5
and sez that at Millwaukee "12 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+5.1 Units) "
......................................................................................................................
from official site:
Kirk Saarloos will make his big league debut Tuesday when he makes a start against the Brewers. The 23-year-old
right-hander from Long Beach, CA was promoted from Double-A Round Rock to the Astros after veteran Shane
Reynolds had season-ending back surgery last week. Saarloos produced staggering numbers during his time with the
Express.
In 13 starts, he was 10-1 with a 1.40 ERA. He allowed 13 earned runs over 83 1/3 innings, walking 21 while
striking out 82. The newest Astros rookie impressed management from the start. In his first professional year for Class
A Lexington in 2001, Saarloos served as the club's closer, yielding just four earned run over 30 2/3 innings for a 1.17
ERA en route to a team-best 11 saves.
"Every pitch he throws is down," Assistant General Manager Tim Purpura said.
"He has great natural movement. His two-seamer sinks, and his changeup just falls off the table." Saarloss, a groundball
pitcher, is no stranger to high-pressure situations. Only a year ago, he was making his second straight appearance in
the College World Series for Cal-State Fullerton, just before the Astros selected him in the third round of the 2001 draft.
"He's been in some big games," Purpura said. "He's very composed."
..........................................................................................................................
the ticker preview:
Houston (30-38) at Milwaukee (24-45)
AP Preview 8:05pm
Probable Starting Pitchers
Houston: Kirk Saarloos (NR, 0.00)
Milwaukee: Ben Sheets (3-7, 4.33)
MILWAUKEE (TICKER) -- Kirk Saarloos becomes the latest product of the Houston Astros farm
system to make his major league debut Tuesday in the second game of a four-game series with
the lowly Milwaukee Brewers.
Over the last three seasons, Wade Miller, Roy Oswalt, Tim Redding and Carlos Hernandez
have made their first career appearances for the Astros.
Saarloos has been inserted into the rotation because Shane Reynolds will miss the remainder of
the season with a back injury. A third-round selection, Saarloos is the second pitcher from last
year's draft to make his appear this year after phenom Mark Prior of the Chicago Cubs made his
major league debut last month.
At Class AA Round Rock, Saarloos was 10-1 with a 1.40 ERA in 13 starts, allowing 48 hits in
83 1/3 innings. He walked 21 and led the Texas League with 82 strikeouts.
Saarloos was 4-0 with a 0.26 ERA in five starts in May and was named the Texas League
Player of the month. He is the second Astro pitcher after Hernandez to make the jump from
Class AA to the major leagues since 1991.
Milwaukee hands the ball to Ben Sheets (3-7, 4.33), who is 0-4 with a 4.91 ERA in his last five
outings.
Sheets suffered his forth straight loss at Oakland on Wednesday, when he gave up seven runs
and nine hits in four innings. The 23-year-old righthander is 1-2 with a 2.25 ERA in five starts at
Miller Park this season.
Sheets, who is 2-2 with a 3.96 ERA in four career outings against the Astros, was originally
slated to start Monday's series opener but manager Jerry Royster opted to give him a extra day
of rest. The Brewers won for just the second time in 11 games with Monday's 5-2 victory as
Jose Hernandez hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs.
But the Brewers lost outfielders Geoff Jenkins and Alex Sanchez to injuries.
Jenkins suffered a dislocated right ankle and ligament damage. The Brewers said there was no
fracture of the ankle, adding that Jenkins will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the
extent of the ligament damage.
Sanchez took over in left field but suffered a sprained left wrist and bruised right knee. He is
expected to be sidelined three to five days.
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