Astros 3
Angels 0

WP Gregerson (4-1)
LP Alvarez (2-2)

Time: 3:02
Attendance 27,598

submitted by Mr. Happy

What were you doing when Castro the Astro parked the three run shabby that ended last night’s game? I was lying in bed all prepared to stay up for free baseball. Unlike BudGirl, I personally had no faith that Castro could end that game. I’ve not been so glad to have been wrong in quite some time.

Frankly, while I love Castro’s arm (and what’s not to love about it?), he has regressed offensively to the point where I don’t mind him not being out there anymore (except that we have to contend with the frontal assault on Conger’s noodle arm). I’ve learned not to expect much O from catchers, but it’d be nice to get a catcher who had the whole package of good hit, good arm and good handler of pitchers psychologist. But these birds are scarcer than hen’s teeth.

This was the type of game that I love so much—a pitcher’s duel, with both Scott Kazmir and Matt Shoemaker matching zeros through seven frames. Fuck a bunch of hitters-grab some pine, meat. Shoemaker exited after the seventh inning, but Kazmir pitched into the eighth frame, exiting in favor of Pat Neshek, who was boss in striking Trout out with runners on 2B and 3B.

In the home ninth, after Valbuena does what he seems to do best, which is strike out, pesky Jed Lowrie coaxed a walk. After Colby Rasmus flew out, Marwin Gonzalez, who’s been strong lately, singled to CF, moving Lowrie to 2B, bringing Castro to the dish. The ball he hit-in a 1-2 count-must have been a mistake because Castro doesn’t usually make you throw him a strike to get him out. But it’s a mistake that I’ll take.

The GameZone was slow at first but built up a healthy head of steam as the game progressed. I appreciated more baseball talk and less backbiting snark in last night’s effort. Come check out the GameZone; you might learn something.

Strong pitching and solid hitting push Astros ahead of Angels in the standings.

submitted by Sphinx Drummond
BOX

GAMEZONE

Video Highlights

The Announcers like to talk about a play-off atmosphere surrounding Astros games of late. It’s exciting but there is still a ways to go. In the meantime the Astros are keeping in position for a nice run as the season winds down. Lance McCullers was solid in his seven innings, allowing 5 hits and 1 run. He picked up 5 strikeouts and walked none while picking up his 5th victory against 3 losses. Pat Neshek pitched the 8th without harm but Luke Gregerson struggled in the ninth giving up 2 runs and allowing the tying run to the plate before closing the door and securing the victory.

The Angels took an early 1 to nothing lead with a run in the third but that would be all until the ninth. The Astros took the lead with two runs in the fifth when Luis Valbuena scored on Rasmus’ sac fly, then a few batters later Hank Conger scored on Jose Altuve’s infield single. Some poor base running ended the inning with Preston Tucker at the plate. Tucker lead off the sixth inning with a solo dinger to stretch the lead to 3-1.

Jon Singleton finally hit his first homer of the season, a laser shot to the bullpen in the seventh inning that made the score 4-1. The Astros added a couple of insurance runs in the 8th inning giving them a 6-1 lead heading into the ninth.

This is the latest the Astros have been atop their division since Sept. 21, 2003, when they led the NL Central. The Astros have spent 92 days in 1st place this season, including a run from April 19-July 11, while the Angels have spent 21 days in 1st. Of course first place is just a position in the standings that is only meaningful at the end of the season, but still…

Thursday the Astros try to complete the three game sweep when the Angels with send Matt Shoemaker (5-7 4.55 ERA) to the mound to face Scott Kazmir (6-5 2.24 ERA) in a 7:10 pm CST start. Promotions: Coca-Cola Value Days and Young Professionals Night.

Game Time: 2:50
Attendance: 31,272

Astros 5
Red Sox 4

WP Fields (3-1)
LP Breslow (0-1)

submitted by Mr. Happy

Attendance 30,748
Time 3:31

The Good Guys rode a 4-5 night by the Piranha, culminating in a walk-off shibby, together with two other longballs, in besting the BoSox 5-4 in the third game of a three game set, resulting in a sweep of the nine from Beantown. The Red Sox are clearly a mess right now.

Young Lance McCullers wasn’t his best on long-time rest, suffering from poor fastball command. McCullers was battling himself a bit out there too. However, he did manage to give the club five innings of six hit two run ball, which kept us in the ballgame. Despite not having good command either (55 strikes 52 balls), Wade Miley survived six frames of one run ball and left with a lead.

The BoSox were winning 2-1 at the end of six frames, but the Good Guys put up a crooked (three) number in the seventh to take a 4-2 lead, thanks in part to a solo pinch hit dong by Colby Rasmus and doubles by Marwin Gonzalez (who’s been absolutely locked in from both sides of the dish for a few weeks now) and phenom Carlos Correa. In the first inning, Marwin Gonzalez hit his seventh home run in the first frame off of Miley, batting right-handed. His double over the head of Red Sox CF Mookie Betts came from the left side off of Junichi Tazawa, who’s a tough hombre.

However, what the Good Lord giveth, He also taketh away. The normally reliable Will Harris surrendered the lead with some help from the equally reliable Luke Gregerson, one on a solo shot by Big Papi, whose bat looked a little slow to me. This knotted the game at four. After Josh Fields pitched a scoreless top of the ninth, the Good Guys took their cuts in the bottom of the ninth, trying to avoid free baseball. And avoid it they did! With one out, Jose Altuve parked one for the walkoff winner.

There was excitement in Astroland yesterday, with the acquisition of portsider Scott Kazmir. Kazmir makes his Astros debut in Kansas City tonight. Come check us out in the Game Zone, unless you’re a know-it-all sabermetric troll.

Preston Tucker slugs two homers and Collin McHugh solid through seven innings.

WP: C. McHugh (11 – 5)
LP: J. Kelly (2 – 6)
Save: L. Gregerson (20)

Submitted by Sphinx Drummond

BOX

GAMEZONE

It worked again. The recurring theme, hit homers-score runs, get nice starting starting pitching and lock down relief work. The Astros scored all of their runs off of the long ball on Wednesday, Preston Tucker started it off with a solo shot in the first inning to get things rolling and to give McHugh a lead. Evan Gattis chimed in with his own solo dinger in the fourth to build the lead to 3 to 0. In the fourth inning, with Jose Altuve on base, Tucker hit is second homerun and third RBI of the night, giving the Astros a 4 to 0 lead, which would prove to be enough for the victory.

Collin McHugh, didn’t have his best but what he had was pretty good and he was able to work out of a couple of tight jams, he did get hit around for 2 runs in the sixth, but was never in serious trouble thanks to the run support. McHugh worked seven innings allowing 7 hits, while walking 2 and striking out 4. In the eighth inning it was Pat Neshek time and he worked 2 strikeouts around 1 walk in his inning of work before giving way to Luke Gregerson who got all three of the batters he faced in the ninth out for his 20th save of the year.

Currently the Astros are 2 games behind the Burning Angels in the division and .007 percentage points behind the Evil Empire in the league standings for fourth place overall. Thursday the Astros try for a series sweep when Lance McCullers (4 -3, 2.52) takes the mound against Wade Miley (8 – 8, 4.49) in a 7:10pm CST start time.

Attendance – 31104
Game Time – 2:44