Astros 8, Diamondbacks 3
W: Brian Moehler, L: Billy Buckner

Astros Recap
Yahoo Recap

Astros Highlights

Michael Bourn went 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 stolen bases and 2 runs scored. Seems like the boy, excuse me, young man gets on base he scores. He’s keeping that average hovering around .290, I’d love for it to go up, but I’m not going to complain. He’s been a favorite of mine since the trade. (I can’t say the favorite since Bradley Ausmus was still an Astro.)

Miguel Tejada went 2 for 4 on the day with 2 runs scored. He’s having a good season. I’m glad he’s having a good season. It will help to trade him, if that happens.

Hunter Pence scored 2 runs on 1 hit and 1 walk, he also stole a base.I really don’t know what to think about Pence. I have a hard time trusting the numbers the kid is putting up this season. I’m thrilled for him, but I just can’t believe it is for real. I sincerely hope this isn’t a career year for him. Oh, yeah, he hit a homerun too.

Lance Berkman went 1 for 3 with a walk. He had two RBIs. Good thing Tejada was on base when he hit his homerun. I’m glad Tejada and Pence are making it easier for Berkman to find his groove this season. Imagine the conversations on talk radio stations if those two were having the season Berkman was having also.

Brian Moehler went 6 innings giving up only 3 runs. The thing I now find interesting is that his ERA is now 6.66. Seems the beast is there now.

The two members from the bullpen who pitched today threw 3 innings of scoreless baseball. Good job by Jeff Fulchino and Jose Valverde.

Diamondback Highlights
Clay Zavada pitched a scoreless 8th. There are no words necessary for his facial hair but I’m going to add some anyway. JD mentioned a similarity to Rollie Fingers and there was a Three Amigos reference from a friend while watching the game (and another I can’t remember right now). I really can’t imagine the chicks dig the long handlebars. Then again, maybe he can work some magic with it.

Chad Qualls pitched a scoreless 9th inning. I always liked him and hope he does well in his career. I wouldn’t mind him back with the Astros bullpen.

The Astros gave up another first for pitcher Billy Buckner, his first double. Seems like the Astros do this a lot. I’m sure other teams do this also, it’s only reasonable, but I really wish the Astros didn’t seem to do it as often as they do.

I felt bad for Chris Snyder when Bourn went to steal 2nd and no teammate of his covered the base.

Stephen Drew and Mark Reynolds both homered off of Moehler.

Game Analysis

I watched this game at a friend’s house today, great chicken spaghetti. While the game was fun to watch, I must admit, it did not have me excited. I guess I am still expecting that other team to come back. You know the team we saw earlier this season. The team that could and would find ways to lose. I don’t know maybe it is because I don’t think the Astros have beaten any good teams in the 5 series winning streak. The Astros have won 5 series in a row and are still three games back of .500. I don’t even want to talk about how close they are to the wild card or division leader.

Bench Tidbits:
The Lakers finally ended the NBA season.

For the in-game reactions, please check out the GameZone.

The Hangover hangs on to the box office lead this weekend. I haven’t seen this movie yet, but I plan on it. Mainly because one person I know said she wasn’t impressed with it and Bradley Cooper is HOT. (Not necessarily the picture I wanted to link but one I thought was good.)

Is there a pool or something where I can wager on how long before Miley Cyrus is involved in a scandal? Seriously, the girl is a time bomb, especially now that she is 16. Only a matter of time before something breaks.

Astros 6, Diamondbacks 4
Contributed by BatGirl

Astros recap

After suffering through a 7-game losing streak in May, the Astros have gone on to win 4 series in a row, and are playing Sunday in hopes of extending it to 5 straight. Oh, and they’ve also pulled to within 5 games of first place in the Division. Also, suck it, Joe Buck.

Roy Oswalt got win number three Saturday as the Astros beat the Diamondbacks 6-4 at Chase Field. He held them to just one run in 7 innings and showed better command and more confidence in his curveball – hopefully a sign that he’s beginning his patented second-half-of-the-season-dominance.

The excitement began in the sixth inning, when Miguel Tejada hit number 2000 of his career and drove in Bourn from third to tie the game at 1. Miggy continues to have a career offensive year for the Astros, and is hitting .341. He is only the 29th shortstop all-time to reach 2000, and had his wife, kids, sister, and several close friends on-hand to help celebrate the achievement.

Lance Berkman followed Miggy’s milestone with one of his own, just one out later. He jacked one almost 400 feet off of Jon Garland to collect his 300th career homerun. That makes the Puma only the 7th switch-hitter to hit 300 HR’s.

Coop ended up using almost every single player on his bench Saturday, and acknowledged after the game that the Astros were, “pushed to their limit,” and that, “it took everybody and almost everything they had to win”.

Literally. That’s because Pence!!! was the only position player left on the bench. The Astros had to piece this one together using what little they had, considering the bench is short and the injuries just keep on keepin’ on…

Carlos Lee got crampy in the leg while galloping to first base during the 4th and had to leave the game, and the D-Backs chased Sampson out in the bottom of the 8th after he began experiencing right arm fatigue. They’ll be able to compare notes with Blum and Keppinger on where it hurts.

Jose Valverde, available for first time since April 26th, was brought on in the eighth when Arias ran into trouble getting out of the inning. Although Coop had hoped to get Valverde back on the mound in a “non-pressure situation”, he called on him with 2 out and a man on 2nd. Papa Grande looked ok, but he may have gotten lucky with the pop-up that ended the inning that came on a fastball that was up in the zone.

La Troy Hawkins closed the 9th and collected the save.

For less information, read the GameZone and embrace the brevity
(now available with 100% fewer hockey references).

Moehler takes the mound Sunday at 3:10 for the final game of the series.

That sucked.  I know that this is one of those “you gotta tip your hat to the other guy” losses, but damn.  It would’ve been better if the whole thing were pinned on Spaz’s diving gamble in the first inning, but then Brandon “IED” Backe had to go and forget that he wasn’t on a rehab assignment and throw batting practice for three innings  on top of a a fairly reasonable performance by Mike Hampton.

Dan Haren was stellar for the D-backs, only allowing two hits en route to a complete game and his fifth win of the season.  The only run came on a soloo bomb by El Caballo (his 11th of the season).  Puma recorded the other hit, which I guess we’ll take as a positive sign that his slump is drawing to its inevitable close.

In the Series Preview, I said that we should consider this Brian Moehler’s last turn in the rotation, but after Backe’s performance and seeing Russ Ortiz’s success lately, I think that the best solution of all is to have a steel cage death match between Moehler and Backe (no tasers allowed), with the winner awarded a one-way ticket to Round Rock.  Besides, with Double Dub getting stretched out down there now,  the long reliever to replace Ortiz might be a familiar face.

Up next, Roy vs. one of the worst hitting teams in MLB. Not even going to tempt the BBGs by saying anything else. Plus: the return of Papa Grande! C’mon, we’ve got to find the silver linings where we can. If only there were something to cheer us up…ah, yes. Schadenfreude is spelled M-E-T-S.