Astros complete mini-sweep of 2-game series with a 4-1 win.

WP: Collin McHugh (8-9)
LP: Jered Weaver (15-8)
SV: Chad Qualls (17)

contributed by Sphinx Drummond

Chris Carter has become a monster. He’s a threat to hit a home run every time he comes to the plate. He set the Astros franchise record for multihomer games in a season Wednesday with his seventh. His current total of 35 is the most homers by an Astros player since Lance Berkman hit 45 in 2006. His strike outs are down too.

The Astros scored first in the second inning when Chris Carter lead off with a solo shot to LF. The Angels quickly came back to tie the game with a run of their own in the top of the third. Dexter Fowler walked with one out in the fourth and stole second with two outs. Jason Castro’s single scored Fowler to put Houston up 2-1.

The Astros entered the bottom of the 8th with a measly one run lead and following a Marwin Gonzalez line out to left field, Jose Altuve scalded one to left for a double. Dexter Fowler popped out to short and Altuve advanced to third on a balk. Chris Carter, the next batter, smacked his second homer of the game to give the Astros a 4-1 lead.

Collin McHugh pitched a fine game, allowing only 4 hits through 7.2 innings. He struck out 8 and allowed only one run to score. Jose Veras got his man to finish the top of the 8th inning and Chad Qualls was perfect to close the 9th, for his 17th save of the year.

Tom Lawless still doesn’t know the bitter taste of defeat.

Thursday is a travel day. The Good Guys head to the San Francisco Bay Area where they will continue to play the spoiler when they take on the Oakland Athletics on Friday. Hope the team’s vaccinations are up to date, the Oakland Coliseum has plumbing problems and the Samardzija virus takes the hill against Brett Olberholtzer at 8:05 PM CST.

Attendance – 16949
Game Time – 2:37
Temperature – 73

Astros 3, Rangers 2

Submitted by Reuben

Here’s another way in which Jose Altuve is amazing: you may be stunned, as I was, to learn that Sunday’s 4-hit performance tied a career high for him. As brilliant as he’s been this year, and as hot as he’s been at times throughout his young career, it’s hard to believe he’s never had a 5-hit game. Eight times he’s reached 4 hits; unsurprisingly, half of those have come this season alone.

Once again, one of those hits was crucial: a 2-out single to center off of Ranger Closer Neftali Feliz to drive in Marisnick with the go-ahead run. Earlier in the game Altuve had rapped a pair of doubles, but he was stranded both times.

Dominguez had two huge hits of his own to snap out of another slump. In the bottom of the 2nd, Matty D came up with 2 outs and Castro on 2nd base. Ashby began talking about how Dominguez had been working on nothing but hitting the ball the other way in BP, and right as he was about to say “but I doubt he can carry that over into games” Matt lined a beautiful single to right field to tie the game at 1. In the 8th inning he crushed a 1-0 slider from long-time Astro nemesis Neal Cotts into the façade above the Crawford Boxes, or maybe even up on the train tracks; either way, it was an impressive blast, reminiscent of the Matty D of 2013, who seemed to excel against tough relievers with the game on the line. Hopefully he can approximate that guy for the rest of the season.

After Dominguez’ homer tied the game, Marisnick continued the rally by getting plunked on the upper left arm. Unlike the Rangers’ Rougned Odor, who had spun around and stomped toward first like a big macho tough guy after getting hit on his 2-inch thick arm pad by Keuchel, Marisnick, with no padding safe his jersey sleeve, simply shrugged it off and took his base. He then showed off his speed and baserunning savvy, stealing 2nd base – no easy feat with a lefty on the mound and cannon-armed Chorinos behind the dish – and moving up on a grounder to the 3rd baseman, dancing off of the bag and then breaking for 3rd as soon as Beltre made his throw to 1st.

Ranger manager Ron Washington then brought in Feliz to pitch to Grossman, who worked a 5-pitch walk to bring Altuve to the plate. As Washington put it after the game, “It shouldn’t have been [Altuve]. It should have been Grossman. If you’re going to get beat, get beat by Grossman, not Altuve.”

The 3 runs wouldn’t have been enough, of course, without another stellar performance by Keuchel, who has gone at least 7 innings four games in a row, and 7 out of 8. Dallas went winless in August despite a 3.21 ERA for the month, including 42 IP and a Complete Game. Following Keuchel with mercifully scoreless innings were a wobbly Veras and drama-free Qualls to close it out and clinch the 3-games-to-1 series victory, and an incredibly-satisfying come-from-behind win.

***

Futility Watch: Bo Porter’s squad went 4-3 on the week to improve to 59-79 on the season, “good” enough for 27th-best in MLB. They are now within spitting distance of the Twins (1 game ahead), Red Sox (2), and Cubs (2.5), and have increased their cushion over the dead-last Rangers to 5 games.

Astros 2, Rangers 0

HoChen is my personal guru, so I take his Zen Teachings to heart.

“Feast your eyes, glut your soul,” as Erik the Phantom requests timelessly. Gaze upon it, Ranger bandwagon fools, for it is gone from your strip mall suburbia prison and back where it belongs, safely nestled in a downtown ballpark, safe to be ignored by the dozens who will pass it by daily. I’m glad it meant something to you, because the only thing it means to us is that you don’t have it.

Texas Team 13
Houston Team 6

contributed by NeilT

Howdy! This is a sad recap for you all, ‘cause it’s the last Friday night game of the season between the Texas team and the Houston team, and next season I won’t be the Governor of this Great State. If I’ve figured out the timing right I won’t be President yet either. Maybe General Abbott will take over these recappin’ duties, but he may be too busy suing Obama, and between you and me he’s not the charmiest fella you’re gonna meet. He’s even backed out of his debate against that little blonde hussy ‘cause he might come out looking worse than her, and that takes some doin’. I know that fellow running for Lite Governor used to be a sportscaster, so maybe he’ll take over the recapping. One thing’s certain, it won’t be a Democrat.

This summer’s been kind of rough, what with winding up my lifetime sinecure as His Governorness, and my team, the Texas team, losing the Silver Boot. Of the 14 years since the Lone Star Series was artificially inseminated, the Texas team has won the boot 10 times and the Houston team 4 times, including 2014. Now technically, there were three ties, but in my book ties go to the winner, and of course the winner is the Texas team. But just look at the win totals! It’s like Republicans whipping up on Democrats! Last year alone the Texas team went 17 -2, and the Houston team hasn’t won the boot since 2006. Overall it’s 63-41. This year though the Texas team hasn’t won much, and it’s falling. Texas still has low taxes and a balanced budget, so the only think I can think is that it’s because I’m leaving office. Texas, you’re suffering under the Curse of President Rick. Which reminds me, don’t forget to contribute to the P. Rick Pac.

You may have heard too that I was indicted. I still haven’t quite figured out what for, even after Anita tried to explain it to me, but I do know why, if you see the difference. I got this letter that explains it all:

Dir Presdent Rick:

I nose u dont no me good, but I am ur frind and loaylist fan. U were unfarly indited by a prsocutr fer doin good as govner. I no u no hu to blame. It was a plot by the Canadins who play hokky.

ur frind and loaylist fan,

Binch

P.S. I rit this so u cud understand it.

We tried to trace the letter, but it was written in magazine cut-out letters and mailed from Houston. I called up Steve Hotze but he didn’t know any Binch’s, and neither did that Patrick fella. I tell you this though, whoever he is he’s one smart cookie. Ruggedly handsome Captain Burk Lanceman of the Texas Rangers says the fingerprints of The Citizen are all over that indictment. It’s the sort of nefariousness that could only come from the minds of the Royal Mounties and The Citizen. I understand that that Austin DA was even drinking Canadian whiskey.

Didn’t my mug shot look grand though?

I guess that’s it for me, except I’m supposed to tell you something about the baseball game. 13-6. Wasn’t that as grand as my mug shot? If you’re a Houston fan, you got to be feeling pretty lousy getting beat up by the worst team in baseball, but then you had two scoreless innings by that pitcher with the unpronounceable name, a Castro home run for the second night running, and some more hits by Altuve. And everybody gets beat up sometime. Of course tonight the Texas team beat you just like I’m a’ gonna beat up that Austin DA. What’s that? Oh. I guess I’m not supposed to say that anymore, am I? What the heck, you get the idea.

And don’t forget to donate to P. Rick Pac.