The season is officially halfway over, and that makes the math easier. With the 3-0 loss to the Padres, yet again at the hands of Mat Latos, the Astros are on pace to finish 64-98.
*After 81 games, the 32 wins the Astros have recorded to date are the lowest since 2000, when they were 28-53 after G81. They haven't had a winning record at the halfway point since 2004, when they were 42-39 at the midway point.
*The Astros' offense was miserable yet again. Carlos Lee got two of the four hits (Keppinger and Angel Sanchez, in his debut, got the others.) In his last ten games, Lee is hitting 13x38 with four extra-base hits - all doubles - and three RBI. He also has 2K:6BB in that span, and has raised his average from .223 to .238.
*The Astros posted 9K:0BB as a team. Incredibly, it's the fifth time this season the Astros have been struck out 9+ times and not drawn a walk.
*The offense got to a three-ball count six times, and in those PAs went 0x6, 4K. Four strikeouts with three balls!
*This is something I'm calling out The Constable to make something of, but Mat Latos posted an 81 Game Score. This is after Latos threw an 87 at the Astros on May 7. This is the first season since 2006 that one opposing pitcher has thrown two starts in the same season with an 80+ Game Score (Carlos Zambrano: June 5 - 86; July 20 - 80).
*Pence was 0x3 on the night, and is 5x31 on this road trip. Three of those hits came on June 28 in the first game of the Milwaukee series.
*Roy threw 7IP, 3H/0ER, 7K:2BB. It's his 14th quality start in 17 starts. When Roy throws a quality start, he's 5-7 with two no-decisions, thanks to the 33 runs the Astros have scored for him in those quality starts.
*Roy's 76 Game Score was the highest he's posted since May 26 at Milwaukee.
*When Roy pitches, the Astros are 6-11.
*Brandon Lyon took the loss, allowing all three runs in the 8th. It's the 5th time this season Lyon has allowed multiple runs in an outing, and the third time he's allowed three runs.
*From June 1-July 1 (so not including last night) Lyon had allowed 3ER in 13IP.
Pitch Count Hero: Keppinger (1x4) - 19 pitches in four PAs
Pitch Count Punk: Pence (0x3) - 7 pitches in three PAs
Man of the Match: Roy!
Goat of the Game: The entire offense - save Carlos Lee - is on the hook for this, but Brandon Lyon is the one guy we can point to and say, "You!"
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
