NewsPaulino replaces Ortiz in rotation
San Diego (13-18) at Houston (13-17), 1:05 p.m. CT
By Alyson Footer / MLB.com
05/09/09 10:45 PM ET
HOUSTON -- Russ Ortiz is now available out of the bullpen, following manager Cecil Cooper's decision that Felipe Paulino will start the first game of the Rockies series on Tuesday. Ortiz, 2-1 with a 5.91 ERA, made four starts and appeared in seven games, but he did not stay in games long enough to satisfy Cooper's criteria for a starting pitcher. Ortiz didn't pitch more than five innings in any of his starts, and he was yanked after just 2 1/3 in his most recent outing against the Cubs. "I hate it," Ortiz said. "I'm not happy. I told him all this. I understand his point, but four starts, come on. We're 3-1 in those starts. I thought it was all about winning games. It is for me. My record's not 3-1, the team's is. That's all I care about -- the team record." Part of the decision was based on Paulino's performance. He was very good as a starter, giving up five runs over 17 2/3 innings for a 2.55 ERA. He was the complete opposite of good as a reliever, allowing seven earned runs over three innings. "That had a lot to do with it," Cooper said. "That's three quality starts. Except for Wandy [Rodriguez], who else is doing that? We think it's justified." Ortiz? Not so much. He's not exactly embracing the title of "long reliever." "They said they'll try to get me in," he said, referring to Cooper and pitching coach Dewey Robinson. "They said they won't just let me sit, but long relief is long relief. "I hope our starters go seven, eight innings every time. It might be unrealistic, but I hope they do. I know what long relief means. Long relief means you get into games when they're pretty much already decided. Long relief means your starter didn't have a good day in the second or third innings. I know what it means. You're not getting in the same situations as everybody else." Ortiz has minimal experience out of the 'pen. Of his 289 career games, 250 of them were starts. He pitched partly in relief in 2006 and '07. "The first time I worked out of 'pen was '06 for an extended period of time," he said. "I was there in long relief and hardly ever pitched." "Was he happy?" Cooper said of his conversation with Ortiz. "No. Was he mad? No. He was somewhere in between. He understood. He didn't think it was totally justified, but he was entitled to his opinion. I made my case, he made his, and I made my decision. My decision." Pitching matchupHOU: RHP Roy Oswalt (0-2, 4.26 ERA)
The bone bruise on Oswalt's right index finger was not enough to force him to miss this start. Oswalt left his start versus the Nationals after five innings with the injury. The right-hander was 1-1 with a 4.38 ERA over two starts versus San Diego last year. Lifetime versus the Padres, he's 8-2 with a 2.62 ERA. SD: RHP Josh Geer (0-0, 3.96 ERA)
Geer took a shutout into the eighth inning in his last start on Tuesday before allowing a home run to Colorado's Chris Iannetta. Geer was left with a no-decision, but that certainly didn't take the shine off a start during which he allowed five hits over eight innings. "He had command of his fastball, pitched to both sides of the plate, changed speeds and kept them off-balance," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He has a good feel for what he needed to do as a pitcher. He's a pretty heady pitcher." The start was reminiscent of Geer's first start with the Padres this season in Philadelphia on April 18, when he was promoted from Triple-A Portland to replace Walter Silva after Silva suffered a strained right forearm. He worked fast, threw a lot of strikes and, as he always does, pitched to contact. "I don't like walks," Geer said. Tidbits
Miguel Tejada's two-run homer in the first inning Thursday night was his first of the season and his first since last Sept. 11, a span of 173 at-bats. That's the longest homer drought of his career. ... Humberto Quintero began his injury rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Round Rock and went 0-for-3. He started behind the plate and caught five innings before exiting the game. Tickets
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• Monday: Off-day
• Tuesday: Astros (Felipe Paulino, 1-2, 5.23) at Rockies (Ubaldo Jimenez, 2-4, 5.45), 7:40 p.m. CT
• Wednesday: Astros (Mike Hampton, 1-3, 4.91) at Rockies (Jason Marquis, 4-2, 3.92), 7:40 p.m. CT
Alyson Footer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
