The Oakland A’s won four out of five games over the Houston Astros in early September. By the end of the series, Astros manager Dusty Baker was not happy with his team’s performance, and Houston Chronicle beat writer Chandler Rome relayed the following quote:
Dusty Baker is very frustrated with his team’s walks. Eight-hole hitting catcher Sean Murphy drew three walks on Wednesday.
“We’re pitching Murphy like he’s Johnny Bench or something,” Baker said.
It was a reasonable criticism for his staff. It’s already tough enough to beat a top opponent with a powerful lineup, and it’s even harder when you’re walking the batters at the bottom of the order.