by NeilT

My dad was a pork belly magnate, and I grew up in Lincoln Park.  On Saturdays we’d leave our humble home, just me, Mom, Dad, Sis and the driver, and head to Wrigley, where we had tickets behind one of the steel supports just back of third base.  Dad would buy us each an Old Style and we’d sit in the stands shivering as the wind whipped in off the lake.  I couldn’t see, because as the youngest I had to sit behind the column, but Sis told me that it was Cubs baseball and watching it didn’t matter.
 
I still wear my baby blue Cubs sweatshirt with a hoodie and a baby bear, the one that looks just like Sis, to every game. I love me some Cubbies. But I love this Astros club too—they remind me so much of my great Cubs teams, now and forever.  They share that mix of random performance coupled with spunky inconsistency.  Take me out to the ballgame!  Buy me an Old Style!
 
I couldn’t see the game today, I was behind a column, but I did look at the box score. The Cubbies carried a one-hit shut-out into the 8th, and the Astros gave up 4 runs on 3 home runs, 9 hits.  Norris, who returned to the mound for the first time since June something or other was pulled after 6 innings and 80 pitches.  And of course 4 ER.  On 3 home runs.  My favorite reliever, Abad, got through an entire inning without any ER, which means he has an ERA for the season of 3.14.  Who’d have thought?  There were Astroducks on the pond in the 9th, but Myers wasn’t the pitcher so nothing happened.  6 LOB.

Castro had a throwing error, so all’s right with the world.   We’ll get ’em next time.

Padres 7, Astros 3

WP: Vincent (1-0, 3.00)
LP: Myers (0-3, 3.71)

by Mr. Un-Happy

For six innings the Astros were no hit. What Dallas Keuchel didn’t demonstrate in command tonight was outweighed by the calm, cool and collected poise out there In traffic, because he had lots of it. Fortunately for him, the Padres were only able to scratch out one run on a Chase Headley solo no doubter in the third inning. Then, in the seventh inning, with one out, Carlos Lee broke up the nono with a sharp single to CF, followed up by monster two run jack by cleanup hitter du jour Brian Bogusevic, which chased Cashner, who had abused the Astros primarily with cheese aided quite a bit by Derryl Cousin’s wide and high strike zone.

The Astros added an insurance run in the eighth with a little bit of slapdickery from the Padres: a wild pitch scoring a what we thought at the time was an insurance run. We got decent bully action tonight out of Rhiner Cruz (who I think was pitching for his spot in the organization tonight), Lyon and Wright. So that takes us to the top of the ninth inning and our closer, Brett Myers, who has been just a bit wobbly lately.

After I woke up from shock after watching Clank II boot his second ball of the night on a potentially game ending twin killing, I noticed that the Padres had tossed a six run hand grenade, four of which scored courtesy of the first big league home run from Alexi Amarista. Lucky for Myers, who departed with two outs in the frame in favor of Xavier Cedeno, only one run was earned courtesy of the Clank II choke. Cedeno coaxed the final out in the ninth , ironically handled by Clank II. Do we have someone-anyone-who could come in as a 3B defensive replacement, because I think that Clank II needs one? Every night. Oh. I almost forgot. Marwin Gonzalez is on the DL but should be out on a rehab assignment as of tonight.

On a night that was shaping up as magical, with Fuckhouse as the Patti Smith fan of the game and a majestic clutch home run by Bogusevic in what was a ten pitch at bat, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. The Padres threw a hand grenade in the ninth inning. Ouch. This one hurts. As Austro in the Game Zone observed, that plane ride to the Windy City ought to be just a barrel of laughs. Clank II and Myers should be forced to sit together on the plane.

by Sphinx Drummond

Astros over Padres 1-0

Harrell W 7-6
Richard L 5-8

In a delightfully fast paced game, and battling against mound opponent Clayton Richard in somewhat of a semi-classic pitchers duel, Lucas Harrell threw the first complete game shutout of his career to lead the Astros to a 1-0 victory over the San Diego Padres. The game took one hour and 57 minutes to play and it was wonderful. It was a National League game.

I’m going to remember this game, and cherish it, because next year, the likelihood of seeing this kind of game will be quite diminished as AL ball is simply not conducive to low scoring, fast paced baseball. For instance, next years division rivals the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim scored 17 or 23 runs in last nights 2 hour and 49 minute thumping of Baltimore and the DFW Rangers had 11 or 14, or something like that, in a 3 hour and 20 minute snooze fest. After a fashion, runs are just runs. Boring. They’re everywhere, who cares.

Clayton Richard pitched a nice game for the Padres, giving up only two hits, striking out five, walking none over 7 innings. Unfortunately, one hit was all it took, a Matt Downs solo shot, a 410 foot blast to left center field was the difference on the scoreboard. The homer by Downs started the third inning, then Richard retired the next 15 batters he faced. If he were Roy Oswalt, he would have commented after the game, that he “has to pitch a shutout for a chance to get a win.”

If possible, the game was closer than the score would indicate. The bottom of the ninth was a nail biter, Lucas had to work out of a 9th inning bases loaded jam, striking out the Nick Hundley to secure the victory. It also took a stellar defensive play – throw by Martinez and tag by Snyder to save a run at the plate by gunning down Alexi Amarista to get the second out of the inning.

Harrell was fantastic. He takes about 12 seconds between pitches. He knows when to nibble and when not to. He struck out 7 while walking 4 and allowed 6 hits over the 9 innings he turned in. He’s been one of the best surprises on the Astros this year. I’m sure he is exceeding even the most optimistic fan’s expectations.

And even though Jose Altuve missed his third game in a row with a hammy strain, this game still had a lot to offer, great pitching, good defensive plays, it was decided by a home run. The game even had some comedy relief. In what MLB.com called a nice play, Carlos Lee did his soon-to-be-famous beached whale routine. Check out the videos here.