Shawn Chacon unexpectedly pitches 8 very strong shutout innings and exits the game with a three run lead. Chacon has definitely been a pleasant surprise for the team as he has had three very solid outings in three starts this season. And as much as Chacon has been a pleasant surprise, Astros' closer Jose Valverde has been an alarming train wreck of a closer.
I don't question Cooper for bringing in Valverde to close the game out, nearly every manager in the league would have done the same thing. However, after blowing the lead by giving up four in the ninth against the Phillies, the question now becomes is how long does Coop continue to have Valverde be his closer?
Over the gut-wrenching past two seasons of Lidge closing out games, the Astros always had some decent options in Qualls and Wheeler. This year they really have no one who can step into that role. The only guy I can potentially see doing it is Brocail who has been a career middle-relief guy.
Not that they're asking me, but I'm going to offer up my suggestion on this one anyhow: move Valverde into a set-up role, ship the disappointing Oscar Villareal to Round Rock and call up Fernando Nieve and have him try closing. The guy has great stuff (when healthy) and he seems like the type of guy who is more suited toward letting it fly for an inning or two rather than trying to stretch it for 5 or 6.
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