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.

Astros 2 Halos 0

contributed by Mr. Happy

I listened to part of last night’s game at Fifth Third Field, the home of the Toledo Mudhens, who entertained the Louisville Bats last night, courtesy of my At Bat app on my trusty Samsung Android phone. The Tigers, who are the parent club for the Mudhens, have nothing but journeymen AAAA players here right now as far as I can tell. Phil Nevin manages the Mudhens, and Leon “Bull” Durham is the hitting coach. University of Toledo icon A.J. Sager is the pitching coach. They have some good looking gear. However, I resisted the urge to take one of those jerseys home last night, but I strongly suspect that it is only a matter of time.

Norris apparently had command problems early, but he wasn’t missing over the plate like Matt Cain did in yesterday’s horrific third inning against the Terdinals. I am convinced that Cain has started tipping his pitches out of the stretch because his stretch numbers are awful this season and are vastly different from his historical line with runners on base. Those wascally Terdinals (and some other clubs) are on to something about Cain when they have him in the stretch. Cain threw five perfect innings yesterday in addition to the forgettable seven run third inning. Cain has 14 innings this season where he’s allowed four or more runs. That’s about one Oswalt inning per outing.

Last night, Norris gave us six shutout innings, giving way to a bully that somehow did the job again, throwing 100 pitches, 60 for strikes. Cisnero, who gave us two solid shutout innings last night, has pitched to a 2.88 ERA this season.

Some of you have been rather hard on closer Jose Veras. However, the facts are that Veras has converted ten of 13 chances, which, while that’s not great, could be worse. I like his arm. He’s got two plus pitches.

The Astros got all of the runs they needed in the seventh inning courtesy of Chris Carter’s 11th home run, which was a two run shot.

I always look forward to NeilT’s Friday night game recaps. I learned about Astroleena and am convinced that she’s a messenger from the BBG’s.

The Good Guys make the drive for five in a row against the Halos on Sunday. Young Jordan Lyles toes the slab against crafty portsider C.J. Wilson. Come join us in the Game Zone. You might learn what a footy is, as well as other important things.

Astroleena 6, Angel 3

contributed by NeilT

When I came through the door Honey told me she was in my office. “I couldn’t keep her out Brad. I would have had to call the cops, and I knew you didn’t want that.”

It had been years since I’d seen her, and she looked the worse for wear. She was still beautiful though, but harder around the mouth and eyes, more frayed around the edges.

“Astroleena.” I sat down behind the desk and started opening mail, bills mostly, and advertising. I stayed quiet, waiting for her.

You could tell she was nervous; there was none of the old assurance, none of that feeling that she was one trade away from respectability. “It’s been a hard few years Brad. I don’t know who else to turn to. I know you don’t owe me anything, but I was hoping something was still there.” She paused, reached across the desk and gently touched my hand. If I’d been smart I’d have thrown her out then and there.

I’m smart, but not about Astroleena.

“I’ve lost it, Brad. I’ve lost my ability to string together three wins. I think it may be in Anaheim. I was hoping you’d go look for me.”

***
I hate Anaheim, that damned Disney town. It’s dirty, and I’m not talking about trash. If you want to know what’s going down in Anaheim, there’s only one place to start, Boss Rat. He owns that city.

Boss Rat

I called Rat and he said he was looking for Astroleena, because she owed a friend of his some wins. He told me to meet him at the Magic Kingdom. I drove up Highway 1 from San Diego then stood in line to see the Rat.

“Cheese,” he offered, pushing a plate of bright yellow cheddar across a table to me. “I love cheese,” he said. “Since Annette died I can’t get enough. It’s grief.”

I asked him what he knew about the third win.

“You think that’s why I agreed to see you? She told you she was missing a third win? I’m out of baseball, it’s a rich man’s game, but she’s been taking wins from my friend Angel. You go talk to Angel.” He reached for another piece of cheese.

***
Los Angeles Angels Stadium of Anaheim isn’t far from the Magic Kingdom, but when I got there Astroleena was ahead of me, facing off against Angel. I knew immediately that she had set me up. She thought I’d take her side. She thought I’d pop Angel for her. She had never figured out that I might not be as bad as my reputation.

And I won’t be played for a patsy. I sat down in the stands and watched.

***
Keuchel went 7 innings, throwing 90 pitches, with 14 groundouts, 4 strikeouts, and no walks. He gave up two ER in the second. In the GameZone, people seriously asked why Keuchel was taken out after the 7th. I never thought I’d hear that.

Clemens ran into homer trouble with Erik Aybar in the 8th and got pulled for Blackley. Hamilton popped out to Dominguez to end the inning. Veras, our 4.50 ERA closer, got the save with Iannetta and Conger SOs and a ground out by Callaspo to Carter.

It was a good night at the plate. Castro started off the Astros scoring with a homer in the 4th. Carter and Dominguez each drove in an RBI in the 4th with Sac Flies. Carter hit a single in the 6th and walked in the 2d and the 7th. A Barnes single drove in Cedeno after Cedeno led off the inning with a single. Pena was on fire with a double and two singles in 5 ABs.

Pena stole second on a single in the 1st but was stranded. Altuve stole third in the 7th and then scored on a Pena single.

The Astros are 5-5 over their last 10 games. That’s real baseball. The Los Angeleeeez Angels of Anaheim are 7-3.

***
After the game she stood in front of me, beautiful as ever.

“You didn’t need me Astroleena.”

“Brad,” she said, gazing at me with those baby blues, “I need your help.”

“I can’t help you Astroleena. You’re trouble.”

“But I need you Brad. I think I know where I can get a 4th win. I think it’s in Anaheim. I was hoping you’d go look for me.”

Astros 7 Rockies 5

contributed by Mr. Happy

The Astros rode back-to-back jacks by Chris Carter (a three run shot) and en fuego Matt Dominguez (his eighth) to gain a rare come-from-behind road win against the Rockies 7-5. In what is becoming all too common, Lucas Harrell battled his command and himself, but he pitched well enough to garner the W. Brad Peacock relieved Harrell in the sixth inning and incredibly tossed 2.1 frames of one hit relief for a hold. Because Jose Veras wasn’t available after having thrown three days in a row, Hector Ambriz relieved Wesley Wright in the ninth inning to gain his first save.

Harrell came perilously close to getting tossed by Balking Bob Davidson after questioning a time out call that Harrell felt was too late. I had the opportunity to spend a little time with Davidson back in the late 80’s or early 90’s. Davidson takes no shit from players or managers; he has very rigid ideas about how to run a game. When his mask comes off, as it did with Harrell last night, he’s close to forcing someone to take an early shower.

According to Steve Sparks last night, Harrell also got upset about a play that Chris Carter didn’t get to in left field. At this level, Harrell needs to get past that shit. If he can’t, then he either needs therapy or medication or both. Umpires and teammates are going to not measure up in your eyes regularly. If he continues to let that get to him, then it will arrest his development as a pitcher. Just sayin’.

I listened to much of this game on my phone while driving around Toledo, interspersed with oral directions from my phone GPS since I don’t know Toledo and have no sense of direction or spatial awareness, i.e., north, south, etc. I plan on venturing to Fifth Third Stadium, the home of the storied Toledo Mudhens. I’ve already purchased the obligatory Mudhens cap as well as a Toledo Rockets cap and tie, me being a company man and all.

The Astros head to Anaheim to take on the Halos. Come join us in the GameZone. We might even discuss the game.

Astros 6, Rockies 3

contributed by Sphinx Drummond

Wednesday the Astros faced the same team in Denver that they faced the day before in Houston, the Rockies. I don’t recall such weird scheduling. Is it a back to back two game series or is it a four game series in two towns with different DH rules for half the games? I don’t know. For some reason, this year inter-league play has become amorphous, blurry, and diluted. Like peeing on a water colored piece of art, Bud Selig continues to change the game into something less than it was. FYB.

In either the third game or first game of the series, with 26,881 in attendance, in a stadium named for a beer that nobody I know drinks, the Astros had Erik (the Red) Bedard going against the Rockies’ Tyler Chatwood. After a scoreless first inning, the Astros got the scoreboard working in the second with a single by J. D. Martinez followed by a double from Chris Carter. A sac fly by Matt Dominguez allowed J. D. to score and put the Astros up 1 to 0.

The Rockies came back to tie the game with one run in the fourth inning on a Troy Tulowitzky solo homer. A run in the fifth off an RBI double by Tulo gave them the lead. The Astros tied the game back up in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Jason Castro, scoring Brandon Barnes. The score stayed knotted up until the eight inning when J. D.’s single scored Marwin Gonzales, giving the Astros the lead for good, but they would need some insurance before it was all over.

A homer by Carlos Pena, his fourth, in the ninth was all the insurance the Astros needed but for good measure, Marwin Gonzalez sac bunted in Trevor Crowe and Brandon Barnes singled to center field, scoring Jimmy Paredes. Tulowitzky added his second home run of the night in the Rockies’ ninth but it was not enough to stop the Astros.

Bedard pitched six strong innings for another solid outing. Paul Clemens pitched an inning and 2/3 of solid relief and raised his record to 3 wins against 2 losses.

I’m not sure who the baseball gods are. Their names remain a mystery but with the success of the Astros on Wednesdays, I think it’s possible that Wotan or Wodan, the guy Wednesday is named for, the Norse god of war, battle, victory and death, but also wisdom, Shamanism, magic, poetry, prophecy, is probably the norse god of baseball too. The Astros are 6 and 3 on Wednesdays.

Tonight Lucas Harrell, who hopes to bounce back after his horrendous last start, goes up against the Rockies’ Juan Nicasio, in the final game of the 2 or 4 game series.