The Astros didn't trail the Pirates at any point during this game, and they have six wins against one team. Yes, the Pirates, after the Astros win 5-2.
*Can we just point out that when Jason Bourgeois starts for the Astros, they are 3-2, and two of those losses came against Texas with Carlos Lee also in the starting lineup? It's an extremely small sample size, but still...interesting.
*Bourgeois got on base twice, once by hit and once by walk, scoring two runs for the Astros. He also stole two bases, meaning that in his short time with the team, Bourgeois is third on the team with five stolen bases.
*Hunter Pence extended his hitting streak to seven games (10x23, 4K:6BB) with a 2x3, BB night.
*Angel Sanchez got his first career RBI, on a 6th inning sac fly, scoring Pence and second Johnson to 3rd for a 4-1 win.
*Tonight, Jeff Keppinger went 2x4 with 3RBI. It's his fifth 3+ RBI night of the season, and his 4th home run of the year. He's now three home runs short of a career high, set last year, with seven.
*Chris Johnson had an all-or-nothing night, going 1x4 with 3Ks. Of the 21 games Johnson has started, he's struck out more than once in just three of them (though he has struck out at all in 16 of the 25 games in which he's appeared.
*Of the 13 pitches Johnson saw tonight, he only made contact on two - singling on one, and fouling off another.
*Brett Myers pitched well, in what may be an audition start for potential dance partners, throwing 7.2IP, 5H/2ER, 4K:1BB.
*Of the 19 starts that Myers has made to this point in the season, he has gone 7.1IP+ in just three of them. However, he has not gotten fewer than 18 outs in any start this season. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 12 of those 19 starts.
*Myers got the first nine batters he faced, allowing a leadoff double to Andrew McCutchen in the 4th inning, and got 16 of the first 17 batters he faced (and 23 of the first 26). He allowed a leadoff baserunner in two innings, and both later came around to score.
*Five of Lindstrom's last six outings have been perfect appearances. Tonight was the first night since June 25 (four outings) that he didn't strike out a batter.
*When starting the 2nd inning with the lead, as the Astros did tonight, they are now 14-13. They've been tied or behind in 63 of the 90 games they have played.
Pitch Count Hero: Jason Bourgeois (1x4, BB) - 30 pitches in five PAs.
Pitch Count Punk: Jeff Keppinger (2x4) - 8 pitches in four PAs.
Man of the Match: This one goes to Keppinger.
Goat of the Game: We're going with Berkman. 0x4, 1K. Ended two innings.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
