contributed by austro (dude went on the DL with writing cramps after this contribution)
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Astros 1
Rangers 10
WP: Hunter (4-0) LP: Oswalt (5-10)
Well, now the Astros have BOTH of the pitchers with the most losses in the big leagues (Wandy, of course, being the other). The defense behind Oswalt let him down again, coughing up a monster 2-run jack to Hamilton in the second, and then collapsing for another homer to Young in the third. With help like that, it’s easy to understand why a guy might take the rest of the afternoon off, which Oswalt did after 4 2/3 IP, 8 R, 7 ER, and 7 hits. Of course, that’s a week’s worth of runs for the Astros offense, so there wasn’t really any doubt about the outcome by the time Roy ambled off the hill. Roy’s seeming indifference to the whole spectacle is troubling, as is the increasing doubt about getting back anything of value in a trade. Perhaps we can borrow Evan Longoria from the Rays for an inning or two to let Roy know that we’re not seeing the sort of effort that is expected.
Not a lot of highlights in this one. The Astros lone run scored when Bourn knocked in Blum in the top of the fifth, but the game was already decided by that point. Bourgeois made a nice diving catch on a fly ball, but there is some question about whether that became necessary because of a bad read. Johnson had yet another error at 3B, giving him a total of five since rejoining the big club last Monday; keep that up, and you’ll be back in Round Rock soon, son. And Berkman’s homer on Friday is looking more and more like an aberration rather than the start of something good, since he hasn’t really struck anything solidly since then.
But at least Arlington is in the rear view mirror now, along with the rest of the AL. Now it’s off to Milwaukee to face the Brewers, who are finally starting to show a pulse.