Astros 5, Angels 4
W: Lyles (3-1)
L: Wilson (4-4)
You look at the MLB article on the game, and the headline is ‘Astros win fifth straight behind power, pitching.’
Ok. I gueeeesss, in the grains of sand that represent the totality of baseball games played, yyyyyyeah, there was some power and pitching going on, but let’s not kid ourselves. This one was a grain like an almost-infinite number of other grains, especially when you consider that Houston again tried to give the game away, and failed to hit in clutch situations, and struck out a dozen times, etc. etc. etc.
Houston is playing the role of the loose and aggressive losers who don’t stand a chance and have nothing to lose. The Angels, on the other hand, have the weight of millions of dollars in expectations pressing down on them with every pitch. It’s not like these professionals haven’t dealt with stress in their pasts, but right now the convergence is that the Astros are the beneficiaries of the numbing buzz that has gotten into the heads of the Angels. Good for us, and bad for them.
Wilson started out well for the Halos, giving up only two hits through five. Of course, both were solo home runs, but you didn’t think Lyles would keep Anaheim down, did you? And even if he did, that bullpen? That’s like taking the top off of the quart bottle of Gulf Lite and dumping it on the already-lit coals.
Sure enough, Houston matched Anaheim’s scoring, Martinez driving in Barnes and Trumbo homering in the sixth. Blackley and Peacock (sounds like an English soap company) played to the Angels’ confusement until the bottom of the ninth, when Conger homered to bring the Halos within one. Ambriz came in and nailed down the save and that was that – let the rich guys beat themselves is the mantra I wish would work more often.