An inning after the Astros tied the game at 3-3, Arizona scores the game-winner on a sac fly for a 4-3 win over Houston.
*The Astros dropped the series-opener against an opponent on the road for the third time in the past two weeks, with the lone win coming - of course - against the Phillies.
*In the 27 games since that 18-4 drubbing of St. Louis on August 3, the Astros have scored 5+ runs six times. And it's been 18 games since the Astros scored 6+ runs.
*Houston is now 3-7 at Arizona since the beginning of the 2008 season.
*Brett Myers kept that 18+ out streak alive, to hit 28 games, throwing 6IP. However, it was the first time in four starts that he hadn't gone 7IP.
*With his 6IP, Myers has thrown 191IP. That's seven short of his highest total since 2006. Considering that he has four, maybe five, starts - if he keeps his streak alive all season, he could surpass his career high in IP (215IP in 2005).
*Myers got 19 strikes in which the batter was looking, the lowest total since August 7.
*Arizona starter Daniel Hudson did a pretty good job shutting the Astros down, retiring nine of the first ten batters before allowing his first hit to Angel Sanchez in the top of the 4th. Sanchez later scored on Keppinger's single. When Houston got the leadoff man on base, which happened twice, they both later scored (more on that second one in a minute). It happened for Arizona three times.
*Wilton Lopez got the loss, allowing a leadoff double that later came around to score on Augie Ojeda's sac fly. It's his first loss of the season. And, after making 18 appearances without allowing a run (July 19-Aug 22), he has allowed runs in three of his last five appearances - including one where he didn't record an out, and was pulled after allowing a hit. That's a 6.75 ERA, and an opponent slash line of .353/.333/.588.
*The top of the order was strong for the Astros, as Bourn, Sanchez, and Pence had two hits each. Bourn's single in the 7th extended his hitting streak to 12 games. That 12-game streak is a career-high, beating his previous record set in 2009.
*Jeff Keppinger was 1x3 with a walk last night, hitting 5th. Of all lineup spots in which he has more than 20 ABs (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th) - his OPS is lower in the 5th spot than in any other. He's been most successful in the #3 spot, hitting .414/.452/.759 in 29 ABs. Limited sample size, naturally.
*Big congratulations to Brian Bogusevic, who entered the game in the 7th, pinch-hitting for Myers. He took the first pitch for a strike, and then drilled a ground rule double to right for his first major league hit, off Blaine Boyer, and later scored on Angel Sanchez' GIDP.
*Someone needs to help me on this, but I think that if Manzella and Bogusevic get in the same game, it'll be the first time Tulane has been represented by two players on the same team.
*Pitch Count Hero: Michael Bourn (2x5) - 25 pitches in five PAs.
*Pitch Count Punk: Carlos Lee (0x4) - eight pitches in four PAs.
*Man of the Match: Any objections to Bogusevic getting it?
*Goat of the Game: Carlos Lee! 0x4, including 0x2 w/RISP.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
