2nd Straight Win | OrangeWhoopass

Astros 8, Reds 3
W: Wandy Rodriguez, L: Aaron Harang

For Wandy Rodriguez in Cincinnati, the 11th straight win for the Astros in Cincinnatti and the 3rd straight win for the Astros.

Wandy Rodriguez is doing his best to show that there is more to him than being a good man at home. He’s proving he can pitch on the road. He pitched 7 innings, giving up 1 one run on 5 hits and 2 walks. Outstanding work. Geoff Geary and Wesley Wright each pitched an inning of relief giving up a run.

Aaron Harang for the Reds did not fair so well. He went 6 innings giving up 5 earned runs (6 total in the 6 innings) on 6 hits. Nick Masset pitched two scoreless innings, Mike Lincoln toss 1 inning of 2 run baseball and Jared Burton closed out the 9th scoreless.

The bats came out for the Astros tonight. Kazuo Matsui led the game off with a single, then Michael Bourn reached on an error and Matsui scored on the throwing error to give the Astros the lead. Both Matsui and Bourn stole second.

Willy Taveras led off the bottom of the first with a walk. Jeffy Hairston Jr. followed with a single, moving Taveras to third. Joey Votto grounded into a double play, but that allowed Taveras to score. Brandon Phillips followed with a double, but was left standed at third (which he stole) when Jay Bruce grounded out to Lance Berkman at first.

Ivan Rodriguez homered to deep center in the second to give the Astros the lead again.

In the top of the fifth the Astros decide to bring the bats out again. Geoff Blum led off with a single to right, the Ivan Rodriguez double to deep left which Blum was enabled Blum to score because of Darnell McDonald’s error. Pudge moved to third with Wandy’s sacrifice. Top of the line up had Matsui hitting a single which scored Pudge. Matsui stole his second second base of the night, Bourn walked and Lance Berkman did what he’s been doing a lot of this season, he made an out. Carlos Lee double to center which was more than enough for Matsui and Bourn to score. Miguel Tejada struck out swinging to end the top of the 5th.

Top of the 8th brings the next bout of excitement. Tejada doubled to deep center, Hunter Pence moved him over by grounding out to the pitcher. Blum struck out looking, which makes one think the Astros were going to strand Tejada at third but Pudge walked allowing Darrin Erstad to pinch hit. Erstad hit a single scoring Tejada. Matsui follows up with a single, but Bourn leaves them all hanging by striking out. One insurance run is all the boys get.

Laynce Nix homered off of Geoff Geary to bring the Reds one run closer in the bottom of the 8th. Brandon Phillips homered in the bottom of the 9th, but that was all the Reds could do on the night.

Bench Tidbits:

Ricky Stone at the game tonight. Hope he is doing well.

On the DL goes Jose Valverde.

Check out the GameZone for game time reactions.

Limey’s Series Preview is worth a read to know more about game 3 in the series.