Mike Hampton AGAIN?

Mike Hampton is an aging former All-Star that has been more heralded for his injury problems and expensive contract over the last few years than anything that he has been able to do off the mound.
However,Hampton is beginning to revert to his past form,but only against the Pirates.
Hampton is 5-5 on the season with a 4.16 ERA and some pretty decent splits,but take into consideration his 4 starts against the Bucs that account for four of his five wins and a dazzling 1.00 ERA in those four starts before any proclamation about Hampton being back in classic form.
Hampton dropped the Pirates again last night in a 4-1 Houston win that was paced by Hampton's seven strong innings.
Only a seventh inning single off the bat of Robinzon Diaz that scored Garrett Jones dented either Hampton or the Astros on this evening.
The season continues tonight at 8 with the suddenly struggling Paul Maholm facing off against the Texans Brian Moehler...

Pirate Hooks

1) Hampton has defeated the Buccos in his last ten appearances.
I could see that earlier in his career when he was one of the best in the game,but now???
Hampton's splits look more like Warren Spahn against the Pirates...

2) Virgil Vasquez allowed two runs in the first that basically ended the game,but would allow only two more in the next five innings showing some tenacity and saving the Buc bullpen from what could have been a long evening.
Not a terrific evening,but the type of night that a bad team needs in order to keep a bad bullpen from overwork...

3) Nice inning of mop up work from Evan Meek,who blew the Astros away with three fans in the eighth.
Meek continues to progress from his struggles last season as a Rule V pick.

4) When you look at the improvements made by Meek,it makes it difficult for me to understand the reluctance by some to keep Donald Veal around for the last three months of the year.
I understand Veal has control issues and being the "lost cause" guy makes it tough to get Veal innings,but is Donald Veal being on the roster or not going to make the Pirates contenders?
Bad is bad,keep the guy around,allow him to get more time with Joe Kerrigan and get him to Indianapolis next season.

5) Rough night for Steve Pearce against Hampton,3 at bats and three walks to the dugout without contact.
Nights that like that will not give John Russell confidence with Pearce that he already seems to lack.

Bonus Round

I'll be watching Paul Maholm closely tonight.
Maholm has been ripped in three of his last four starts and the Post-Gazette reports rumors of possible knee and groin problems as a cause....

Bullpen Notes

Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh have debuted in Bradenton for the GCL Pirates and dominate the news from there,but the more interesting player to me is Wesley Freeman.
Freeman was a 16th rounder in 2008,but the Pirates paid above slot to bring him into the fold and the Florida native has leaped to a fast start in hitting two homers and a OPS of over 1,100 in the baby Bucs first eight games.

The Pirates also have second round pick Brooks Pounders on the squad along with rehabbing Lastings Milledge and Neil Walker....

Forgot to mention a Devils trade from a few days back as Ben Walter and a 2012 draft pick were obtained from the Islanders for the rights to center Tony Romano.

Walter played four games in Long Island last season,was a twenty goal scorer for the Islanders AHL affiliate in Bridgeport and is the son of one of my favorite players as a kid-Ryan Walter.

Look for Walter to be an top gun in an attempt to juice up the Lowell offense.

Photo Credits
Hampton:David Phillip-AP Photo
Walter:Topps
Freeman could see State College if the pace continues...