That new hitting coach freaking sucks! Astros lose 4-2.
*Wandy Rodriguez lost this game on one swing of the bat, a 4th inning three-run homer by Matt Holliday. It was Holliday's second three-run jack of the series. When Holliday hits three-run homers against the Astros in July 2010, the Cardinals are 2-0.
*Holliday's homer was on an 0-1 pitch. Coming into the game, Wandy had allowed a slash line of .444/.462/.611 - with one homer allowed.
*When starting the Cardinals off with a first-pitch strike (something that didn't happen until the leadoff batter in the 3rd inning), they were 2x11, 3K. Problem was one of those was obviously a three-run homer.
*So Wandy threw a quality start, something that he has now done for four straight starts, lowering his ERA from 6.09 (following the G68 v. TEX fiasco) to 4.97.
*Brandon Lyon gave up a run, which he has done in three of his last four games.
*The offense - such as it was - got ten hits, all singles. So for the second time in three games, the Astros had no extra-base hits.
*But it wasn't as if they didn't have their chances. The Astros were 3x16 w/RISP, with two of those three hits coming courtesy of Hunter Pence. Bourn and Feliz were each 0x3 w/RISP. So let's look at the LOBs:
1st inning: Four hits, two runs, 2 LOB
2nd inning: One hit, no runs, 1 LOB
3rd inning: One hit, no runs, 1 LOB
4th inning: One walk, no runs, 1 LOB
5th inning: Two hits, no runs, 2 LOB
6th inning: One walk, no runs, 1 LOB
7th inning: Two hits, no runs, 2 LOB
8th inning: One walk, no runs, 1 LOB
9th inning: One hit, no runs, 1 LOB
*The Astros are now hitting .241 w/RISP. Which is, amazingly, ten points higher than their average with the bases empty.
*Four of the Astros hits were infield singles.
*2-5 in the lineup (Keppinger, Berkman, Lee, Pence) went a combined 9x20 - with one RBI. 6-7-8-9-1 went 1x15, though with four walks.
Pitch Count Hero: Jason Castro (0x3, BB) - 23 pitches in four PAs.
Pitch Count Punk: Hunter Pence (2x5) - 11 pitches in five PAs.
Man of the Match: Let's give it to Pence. Both hits w/RISP and a stolen base.
Goat of the Game: Pedro Feliz. What the hell? Why is he still in the lineup? Afraid of tiring out Chris Johnson before he gets three days off? That's the second game in a row he hasn't gotten the start.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
