Angels 7 Astros 2

contributed by Mr. Happy

In reviewing this 7-2 loss to the Halos and in studying the box score, I was struck by the number of twos that appeared. Jordan Lyles threw 22 innings, surrendering 22 earned runs and walking two hitters, both of whom scored. The Astros garnered but 22 hits in the ballgame, collected two walks (both by Chris Carter, who’s been showing signs of better plate discipline of late), only had 22 LOBsters, scored but two runs and committed two errors, both by SS Jake Elmore.

The sole Astros runs scored on a, you guessed it, two run home run by Brett Wallace. Two Astros, Jose Altuve and Jason Castro each struck out twice. Five Astros had 22 official plate appearances, and Chris Carter had two official plate appearances. pitching only recorded two strikeouts and surrendered two home runs. Josh Fields pitched two innings. Travis “I’m tatted all over” Blackley surrendered two earned runs in his inning of work. This game gave Joe Blanton his second win (against ten losses).

Three Halos had two hits and three of them had two RBI’s. Two Angels pitchers had two strikeouts in one inning of work. You get the picture. Too many twos. This concludes the first half of the season where the Astros are 30-51, which is three games ahead of the pace that I predicted before the season began in our annual contest that BudGirl runs so well.

The Astros have the Halos again Sunday, sending Lucas Harrell to the bump against crafty portsider C.J. Wilson. Which Harrell will we see? That will determine how we fare today. I wouldn’t put two dollars on an Astros win.

Angel 4
Astrolina 2

contributed by NeilT

It was three in the morning, a time I should have been asleep but couldn’t sleep. I was in my other room, the one where the bed wasn’t, waxing my surfboard and drinking rye from a jelly glass and the phone rang. Nothing good comes from a 3 am phone call, but then it kept ringing and I answered.

“Brad,” I knew that voice. I’d known that voice for too long. I should have hung up the phone, but I’m a sucker.

“Brad,” she repeated, “it’s me, Astrolina.” It was a voice that stirred honey and whiskey and smoke, and it was always trouble. At three in the morning if a voice like that’s on the phone, it’s never good.

“Brad,” she says, “Angel’s followed me to Houston.”

“What do you want me to do Astrolina. I’m home in San Diego, and I’m not coming to Houston. I’m done with that town.”

“She’s brought guys, and they’ve got guns. I need you. There’s no one else I can trust.” What can I say? I was on the next flight to Houston.

Angel’s muscle

***

Angel is from Anaheim, that damned Disney town. It’s Boss Rat’s town, but it’s a tough town, a mean town, and there’s a guy with a price on every corner. Angel for once had firepower, and she’d come for a win.

***

Norris pitched another nice game, going 7 innings with 4 hits, 1 run, no earned runs, and 5 strike outs. Castro put the Astros on the board first with a HR leading off the 4th. With Clemens on the mound Bourjos scored on a Shuck fly out and a Cedeno error in the 8th. With Ambriz on the mound Angel scored two more in the top of the 9th on an Aybar single. Dominguez drove in Pena on a sac fly in the bottom of the 9th.

Barnes had some highlight reel defensive plays in center. http://wapc.mlb.com/play?content_id=28421917He also managed an error. There were two Astros’ double plays, 1-4-3 and 5-4-3. Williams, for the Angels, pitched a nice game with a pink glove.

***

I woke up in the weeds by the bayou. Those dwarves hit hard and long for more than three hours. Astrolina was there too, in not much better shape than me, and she was mad, and for some reason she was mad at me. You let them take it Brad. You let them take my win.

At least for once she thought it was hers.

Astros big inning is enough.

contributed by Sphinx Drummond

After falling behind by three runs, the Astros stormed back with a four run fourth inning that proved to be enough for the victory. Eric Bedard pitched an effective 6 innings, raising his record to 3-3, scattering seven hits, striking out six and walking one. Cardinal starter Lance Lynn took the loss, his record is now 10-2 and 0-1 when he faces the Astros on Wednesdays.

Jose Altuve led off the fourth with a single, Castro followed with another single, and Chris Carter walked to load the bases. Carlos Pena took a base on balls and picked up an RBI when Altuve walked home. J.D. Martinez hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Castro and advanced Carter to third with Pena getting out at second. Brett Wallace singled, scoring Carter, followed by Matt Dominguez fielder’s choice that got Martinez out at third. With Wallace on second, Brandon Barnes singled, scoring Wallace for the final run of the inning.

After Bedard left at the end of the sixth frame, the big question was, could the relief staff hold the Cardinals down for the final three innings. One never knows with the Astros but Wednesday night they held tight and shut the Cardinals out for the rest of the game. Jose Veras worked the ninth for his 16th save of the year.

The Astros’ Wednesday record for the year is now 9 wins and 4 losses. Pretty remarkable. Also remarkable is the fact that they’ve been basically playing .500 ball for a few weeks now. Thursday the Astros send… What?!?!? Okay, no game Thursday. I don’t understand the scheduling anymore. A lot of two game and four game series this year. So on Friday the Astros will host the Angels with Jerome Williams (5-3) facing off against Bud Norris (5-7) for the first game of a two or three or four game series.

Attendance – 17,428
Game Time – 2:47
Temperature – 73

W: Old Man Westbrook
L: Lucas the Lad

Contributed by Reuben

Lucas Harrell has been remarkably consistent in his inconsistency this season, hasn’t he? He’s either great, or he’s not and completely implodes and melts down in an enormous ball of wildness, frustration, and rage. Unfortunately the Astros got the latter result Tuesday night, and the game was basically played and done with all in the course of one incendiary top of the 4th that included a diving catch attempt that resulted in a mild concussion for Justin Maxwell. Hopefully he is alright.

But there were some positives for the evening!

-Astros pitchers struck out 14 batters! The cardinal pitchers sucked by comparison of that one statistic!

-Matty D hit another Dinger, which also happened to break up a no-hitter in the 6th inning.

-Brett Wallace announced his return from Triple-A with authority, hitting a 2-run triple and striking out 0 fucking times.

-Marc Krauss notched his first big-league hit.

-The score will reset itself to 0-0 for the start of tonight’s game, where Erik Bedard will try to continue building his trade value, er, lead his team to victory against Lance Lynn, who has/had a ridiculously huge hipster beard and is 10 and fucking 1 this season.

Not in my house, anyway.

FTC 14, Astros 6

W: Samardzija (5-7)
L: Lyles (4-2)

Some of the bats showed up. 13 hits, 7 of them by Castro and Carter; 6 runs scored. Not nearly enough when a combination of bad pitches and worse fielding yields 16 hits, spread throughout the lineup as doubles, triples and home runs en route to a 14-6 humbling of the Astros.

At least three runs scored on Lyles were the direct result of misplays, leading to the inevitable hammering of the bullpen after he was lifted before the sixth, down 8-3. LeBlanc gave up a three-run homer to Sweeney, and Rizzo got a two-run job off of The Kid in the eighth.

Houston gets the day off tomorrow before hosting the 3rdinals for a pair.