Rodriguez threw a bullpen session on Thursday without incident, and he’ll throw one more Saturday in Los Angeles. If all goes well, he’ll throw a simulated game while the team is in San Francisco next week and could be ready to begin a Minor League rehab assignment a few days later.
Paul Lo Duca re-injured his hand on a swing in the 7th. As he walked down the dugout steps, Lo Duca began jawing and pointing at some fans in the front row, at one point pausing to make another point.
“It’s a struggle for me,” Cooper said of dealing with the younger players.
Astros have 81 walks, the fewest in the league, and the team on-base percentage of .306 ranks 29th in baseball.
Sampson vs Sheets was a mismatch from the start. The defense tried to keep it close, Lee got two assists in the first two innings. Berkman tried to keep it close, a homer and an RBI double provided 2 runs of support. But Sampson, even though he was getting the groundballs, couldn’t get them hit at anyone.
