So it was am 8-5 win, and the Astros got some good hits. They actually came from behind to do it, which I was under the impression the Astros weren't built to perform such a task. Oswalt was shaky again, and Fulchino got his 5th win of the season.
Oswalt: 6IP, 8H/5ER, 5K:2BB, 19/28 first-pitch strikes, 26/65 non-contact strikes (15 called:11 swinging)
Byrdak: 0.1IP, 1K, 1/1 FPS, 2/3 NCS (2s)
Fulchino: 0.2IP, 1K, 1/3 FPS, 5/7 NCS (2c:3s)
LaHawk: 1IP, 3/3 FPS, 4/7 NCS (3c:1s)
Valverde: 1IP, 2H, 4/5 FPS, 5/14 NCS (4c:1s)
Oswalt either hasn't recovered totally from the back, or he has checked out of this season. Don't take this the wrong way, I still think Oswalt is a great competitor, but let's be honest here, for a pitcher who performs his best under pressure, Astros games are becoming less and less crucial with each 2-5 road trip. Credit though, to the pitching staff, the Brewers were 2x11 with RISP, and didn't score any runs with two outs. However, Roy had this to say:
Two pitches cost me four runs. Other than that, I felt pretty good. This is the first time since coming off the back injury I actually felt pretty decent. In Florida, I was hesitant about throwing too hard.”
But you still have to get your stats, and that's what the offense did. Tejada got the day off, with Keppinger getting the start at short in his place. Blum came up with a 3-run homer for a 4-RBI day, and Pence provided 2RBIs himself (Bourn and Michaels had the other two) to account for the eight Astros' runs. Four of the Astros runs came with 2 outs - including Pence's 2-run homer in the 8th that put the Astros up for good.
In the last week, Geoff Blum has been about the only one hitting. He has four hits in his last nine at-bats, and has hits in nine of his last 14 games.
Pitch Count Hero: Pudge and Berkman - 26 pitches in 5 PAs.
Pitch Count Punk: Carlos Lee - 9 pitches in 4 PAs.
Man of the Match: Geoff Blum.
Goat of the Game: Jose Valverde. Didn't officially give up any runs, but again made a game interesting, almost blowing a win. With one out, Felipe Lopez hit a ground-rule double, then after another out, Ryan Braun reached on an infield single (not totally Valverde's fault, admittedly), but then gave up a loooooong flyball to Prince Fielder that was about a short/curly from a game-tying homer.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
