W: R. Wolf (3-2) L: W. Rodriguez (1-3)
HR: J. Towles (2); R. Weeks (5), B. Boggs (1)

Well, that was a dismal letdown. After the intrigue and promise of yesterday’s Caligariesque come-from-behinder, today Randy Wolf cast a catatonia over the Astros and their followers on the way to a 4-1 win. 3-0 with a 1.30 ERA in his last four starts against Houston, Wolf put the fatigued Astros to bed in the series finale and only allowed four hits in eight innings, two by Wandy the Enigma.

Wandy gave up homers to Boggs and Weeks but didn’t pitch that badly, considering the explosive offense the Brewers had displayed in the first two games. He got The Peen to strike out twice, including a clutch AB in the first inning with two runners on and the threat was turned back.

No, the blame for this one goes to the somnolent Astro offense. Houston maintained its league lead in hitting by pitchers with Wandy’s two hits, but the only help came in the form of singles by Jason Bourgeois and Angel Sanchez until Towles spanked a four-bagger in the ninth off of closer Axford. The lumber slumbered, especially for #s 4-7 of the lineup : Lee (.216), Hall (.225), Michaels (.111) and Johnson (.181). Even the usually active GameZone took a powder on this one.

On this day when we celebrate redemption and renewal, Astro faithful are instead bedeviled by confusion, disillusion and the weary expectation of a season filled with aspirations of mediocrity. Sometimes sleep is a salve; other times it is a refuge against the daily siege. I believe Bukka White sums up what it is like to be caught in that world where dreaming is the only escape.

When a man gets trouble in his mind
He wants to sleep all the time
When a man gets trouble in his mind
He wants to sleep all the time
He knows if he can sleep all the time
His trouble won’t worry his mind, won’t worry his mind

I’m feelin’ worried in mind
And I’m tryin’ to keep from cryin’
I’m feelin’ worried in mind
And I’m tryin’ to keep from cryin’
I am standin’ in the sunshine
To keep from weakenin’ down, keep from weakenin’ down

I want somewhere to go
But I hate to go to town
I want somewhere to go
To satisfy my mind
I would go to town
But I hate to stand around, hate to stand around

I wonder what’s the matter with my right mind?
My mind keep me sleepin’ all the time
I wonder what’s the matter with my right mind?
My mind keep me sleepin’ all the time
But when I had plenty of money
My friends would come around, would come around

If I had my right mind
I would write my women a few lines
If I had my right mind
I would write my women a few lines
I will do most anything
To keep from weakenin’ down, keep from weakenin’ down

Hank the Tank in his replica Mets uniform

Astros 4- steM 3

W – Melancon, L – Dickey, S – Lyon

When the game is on the line, you want a superstar at the plate.  A guy who rattles the pitcher.  A hitter – a pure hitter – who will do everything in his will to draw that walk, slap one to right, work the count.  The “if” is thrown out of the equation – all you’re waiting for is the “how” and “when.”

And lacking such a player, the Astros turned to Hunter Pence in the 8th.  Yep, ol’ Thunderpants hit the go-aheader, a solo laser shot to left that put the Good Guys up one for good.  And thus the season’s first two-game winning streak was born.

Beeker’s homer was hardly the game’s only highlight.  Bill Hall accidentally caught a foul ball on his way to punch a steM fan in the ‘nads in the 2nd, atoning for his 4,816 k’s this season.  Downs later replaced him due to a strained right ankle.  Hall’s day-to-day, unless somebody actually looks it up and corrects me.

Norris escaped multiple jams  and left with 3ER, 10 hits in 6IP.

Lyon induced a crucial double-play in the 9th and no outs.

Carlos caught a ball.

But the most impressive play of the night was in the bottom of the 8th, when Jose Valdez executed the classic strike-em-out, toss-em-out double play at the plate to end the inning.  steM douchebags on the corners, 1 out.  Some other steM douchebag strikes out swinging, but the ball boinks the Rodeo Clown in the shin guard and dribbles away.  The steM douchebag on third breaks for home and gets tagged out on a bang-bang play.  K, 2-1 for those of you scoring retroactively at home.

And that was about it.  A fun, relatively meaningless game for a warm night on the couch.  A night when the Astros turned to their homegrown Bud, who often pitches high and outside, while they cheered from the dugout.

Next Game: Thurs, 7:05pm.

Friars 8, Good Guys 6

WP Frieri (1-1) LP Melancon (1-1)

HR 2 by their guys

On a day where the pet canines made up a significant part of the attendance, the Astros refused to win yet another series and for the third time in this young season, blew a lead held after the seventh inning. Brett Myers set the tone by struggling with his command early but limited the damage and had a lead when he left after six innings.

Abad came in and committed two errors on the same play, leading to another run. Melancon was called on to stop the bleeding but became a victim of chance and overuse as he was unable to get the ball over the plate consistently. He got one out in the eighth before four runs scored on three hits and a walk and the game was lost.

A gallant comeback in the ninth by the Astros was turned aside when Heath Bell struck out Matt Downs with the bases loaded.

This was a fairly ugly game but suspenseful, as it was clear the Astros pitchers were teetering on the edge of meltdown the whole way. Helped by an incredibly anemic Padres offense, Myers was able to get 5 Ks, most of them courtesy of an offspeed cutter. It was Melancon’s inability to throw strikes coupled with brutal fielding and mental errors that gave this one away when it had been in hand.

The Astros invade NYC (well, Flushing) and hope to slip a couple of M-80s in their plumbing, beginning Tuesday night. Follow it in the GZ.