Astros 3, Braves 2
by Mr. Happy
Okay. A road win, which have been scarcer than hen’s teeth this season – which, as you know, are pretty fucking rare – must be savored. Like a piece of the choicest filet mignon that melts in your mouth, yet you want it to last forever.
For five innings, Lucas Harrell battled the Bravos, clad in quasi-throwback unis. Harrell didn’t have his best stuff and was up in the strike zone much more often than usual. He simply ran out of gas in the sixth as you said it, hen’s teeth? Who’s Bob? The Good Guys had been nursing a two run lead courtesy of a Justin Maxwell, who admires his work a bit too much for my liking, long two run home run in the fourth inning off of new Braves hurler, Paul Maholm. Yep. Astrokilla Paul Maholm, who had been toiling for the FTC, proved he was mortal indeed as we hung an L on his back tonight.
In the seventh inning, one man Braves wrecking crew Justin Maxwell hit an even longer solo shot to give the Astros the 3-2 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. Harrell, who threw 112 pitches in six innings, was lifted in favor of FeRod, who tossed a scoreless frame. For the second night in a row, WW came on and delivered 1.1 innings, including some really fine work to the left-handed hitting Brian McCann and Freddie Freeman, striking out both, as well as retiring the pesky Larry Wayne Jones, who had reached in all three plate appearances against Harrell.
Given that the next two hitters were righties, Millsie went to the bully again in the ninth frame and brought in newly minted closer, Wilton Lopez. Lopez promptly hits Dan Uggla on a 1-2 offering. This brought up a pinch hitter for the all-field/no hit Paul Janish, Juan Francisco. Francisco immediately grounds into a game-ending twin killing to preserve the win for Lucas Harrell.
Harrell’s record is now 9-7, which is a fucking miracle on a 36-72 club, and he cut his ERA to 3.98—not a shabby rookie season for someone who was on the waiver wire just last season. 9-7 on a 36-72 team is not ‘72 Phillies Carlton-esque, mind you, but we’ll take what we can get right now. Just think, without Harrell, the Astros record would be 27-65—wrap your arms around that one and own it. Now at least someone other than Xavier Cedeno has a save on the club.
For the second straight night, the bullpen shined brightly over its three innings of work. Millsie stayed with Harrell two hitters too long in my opinion, but he masterfully maneuvered the relievers with his normal matchup tendencies to preserve the victory. Maxwell, another waiver claim, finished with a perfect 4-4 night with two long balls and a stolen sack.
Who was not hot? Gentle Ben Francisco punched out thrice around what would be a key single, scoring on Maxwell’s – I fucking refuse Brownie’s invitation to call him “J-Max” – first home run. Twice Francisco looked dumbfounded by strike three by the crafty Maholm, who uncharacteristically K’d eight in his seven innings of work. The Astros held the Braves’ hitters to four hits this time.
The road record now stands at 11-45. Onward and upward from here? Doubtful. Let’s just remember this one fondly and move on with our lives. The GameZone featured lively banter tonight for a Saturday night game and even discussed the Beatles bootleg work, working in a “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” reset. You never know what we’ll discuss there. You just have to come check it out!