Brett Myers' streak continues, and so does this losing thing. Astros lose 5-2.
*Things didn't start off so well, what with Rickie Weeks taking the third pitch for an inside-the-park home run, and then a Corey Hart double to left center, who later scored on Prince Fielder's groundout.
*Earlier in the season we had talked about Myers' struggles in the first inning. Lately he had not struggled, really at all, but with those two runs last night in the first, it became the inning in which Myers has allowed the most earned runs - with 12.
*Myers in the 1st: 26H/12ER, 11K:13BB - 4.70 ERA, .779 OPSa
Myers in the 2nd: 19H/6ER, 17K:5BB - 2.35 ERA, .576 OPSa
3rd inning: 21H/8ER, 22K:4BB - 3.13 ERA, .658 OPSa
4th inning: 24H/10ER, 20K:9BB - 3.91 ERA, .806 OPSa
5th inning: 19H/5ER, 15K:10BB - 1.96 ERA, .622 OPSa
6th inning: 18H/7ER, 19K:4BB - 2.74 ERA, .609 OPSa
*This game did, however, go much better than Myers' last start in Milwaukee on June 29, when he allowed 9H/7ER, 5K:2BB. From that start through last night, Myers threw 49.2IP, 33H/13ER, 37K:10BB, .506 OPSa - and a .217 BABIP.
*Well, of course Pedro Feliz got the start at 1B. Many were ready to bring their pitchforks down to Minute Maid and just wait for Brad Mills to get back. However, Feliz has hit Randy Wolf to a .318/.360/.727 line for his career - second highest OPS against Wolf for the Astros with at least ten plate appearances.
*Following an 0x4 game at San Diego on July 4, Hunter Pence's batting average was .254, the lowest it had been since May 25 (.252). Since July 4, however, Pence has hit .340/.372/.528, with 11 extra-base hits.
*Along with Pence, Angel Sanchez and Chris Johnson got multi-hit games. It's Chris Johnson's 17th multi-hit game of the season, only eleven behind Carlos Lee.
*The Astros had a pretty good chance in the 5th inning. Sanchez and Pence singled (Sanchez took the extra base at third) with one out. Carlos Lee flied out, but not deep enough to score Sanchez, and Keppinger flied out, as well. And the Astros were 2x11 w/RISP.
*Since July 1, Humberto Quintero is hitting .122/.200/.146 (5x41, 8K:3BB).
*What does history tell us about the third game of the series, after the Astros lose the first two games of the series? The Astros are 4-9 in the third game.
*Pitch Count Hero: Jason Bourgeois (1x5) - 26 pitches in five PAs
*Pitch Count Punk: Humberto Quintero (0x3) - 5 pitches in three PAs
*Man of the Match: Hunter Pence - 2x5, RBI
*Goat of the Game: Going with Jeff Keppinger. He got a hit, but was 0x2 w/RISP and ended two innings.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
