Now this is just getting silly. Astros lose - again - at Florida 6-3.
*The Astros had a 2-0 lead going into the 6th inning. They are now 32-8 when starting the 6th with the lead.
*Houston had not given up 6+ runs in back-to-back games against the same opponent since July 23-24 against Cincinnati (also, both losses). This is the 12th time this season it's happened, though.
*Wandy pitched well - allowing 7H/3R (2ER), 10K:1BB in 6IP, and he lowered his ERA to 4.00. It's just the lowest his ERA has been all season. After his second straight disaster start on June 18, Wandy's ERA was 6.09. Since that start, Wandy has posted 73.1IP, 57H/15ER, 75K:15BB.
*Wandy threw first-pitch strikes to 17 of the 27 batters he faced (including first-pitch swinging ABs). When throwing a first-pitch strike, the Marlins were 1x15, 8K.
*He really struggled in the 6th inning, though. Gaby Sanchez led off with a first-pitch single. With one out, Cody Ross and Wes Helms hit back-to-back triples (!), resulting in three runs. He had allowed just two triples all season long before tonight, and gave up two in two batters.
*Aside from the 3rd inning, which has been Wandy's most problematic inning (by ERA - 9.75), the 6th inning has been his 2nd-most troublesome, allowing a 6.35 ERA and an .833 OPS-against.
*Mark Melancon have up two walks and two hits, resulting in three runs - but only one was earned.
*So by now you've figured out that the defense was pretty brutal, accounting for the margin of the Marlins victory in unearned runs. This is the 10th game this season in which the Astros have allowed 3+ unearned runs. Seven of those games were from Opening Day-June 24.
*Call it growing pains for the rookie corner infield position. Brett Wallace committed his first error of the season, and Chris Johnson his 9th and 10th of the year.
*42 of the Astros' 158 pitches seen were non-contact strikes (21 called, 21 swinging).
*The Astros were 2x13 w/RISP tonight, with Angel Sanchez and Carlos Lee getting your hits, and Wallace/Bourn/Pence going 0x2 each, Castro and Johnson going 0x1. They're now hitting .250 w/RISP.
*Sanchez and Pence had two hits each, with Sanchez collecting an RBI and Carlos Lee getting 2RBI.
*Brett Wallace was hitting .333 after a 1x3 night against the Braves. Since then, he's gone 2x28 with 10K:0BB, and his average has dropped to .200. It's now been 12 starts since Wallace drew a walk (35 ABs)
*So the Astros fielded a lineup tonight in which - after the game - five of the eight position players were hitting under .250. Angel Sanchez (.286), Hunter Pence (.284), and Chris Johnson (.338) are the exceptions.
*Perhaps the best chance the Astros had to retake the lead came immediately following the first 3-run inning of the night. Yeah. There were two. Castro led off the inning with a walk, the 5th time he's done that in 27 plate appearances. Michaels grounded into a fielder's choice, and Manzella singled to left to give the Astros runners on 1st and 2nd with one out and the top of the order coming up. And Bourn and Sanchez didn't get the ball out of the infield.
*The Astros actually led off the inning with a walk three times (including Castro's 7th inning walk). None of them scored.
*Michael Bourn saw 23 pitches tonight, and made contact on six of them. Twelve were balls, four were swinging strikes, one was a called strike, five were fouls, and one was an in-play strike. 23 pitches, one put in play. It's the eighth game this season Bourn has drawn multiple walks.
*Pitch Count Hero: Michael Bourn (0x3, 2BB) - 23 pitches in five PAs.
*Pitch Count Punk: Hunter Pence (2x5) - 12 pitches in five PAs.
*Man of the Match: Wandy Rodriguez.
*Goat of the Game: Chris Johnson. Although we can overlook the defensive shortcomings if that average can stay around .340.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
