Brett Myers! (These openings are getting shorter and shorter) Astros win 4-0.
*Now this is just bizarre: The Astros have shutout their opponent nine times in 2010. All of them have been NL Central teams. (MIL - 3; CIN - 2; STL - 2; PIT - 1; CHC - 1)
*The win puts the Astros at 10-5 against the Cubs, meaning they have double-digit wins against three NL Central opponents (Pirates, Cardinals, and Cubs). The last time they did that was in 2004, when they had 10+ wins against FOUR NL Central opponents.
*The win also clinches their second straight road trip win, going 4-2 against the Diam''dback' and the Cubs, three games after going 6-4 on the 10-gamer.
*And once again, Brett Myers gets his 18 outs. That's 29 starts in a row with 18+ outs, going 7IP, 3H/0ER, 8K:1BB. Since July 1, Myers has thrown quality starts in 12 of 13 starts.
*Myers extends his K:BB to 157K:56BB, for a 2.80 K:BB ratio. This would be the highest ratio for him since 2007 (3.07) or the highest ratio as a starter since 2006.
*His 1.212 WHIP is exactly tied with his previous career-low, in 2005.
*Opposing starter Randy Wells threw first-pitch strikes to 19 of the 30 batters he faced. When getting that first-pitch ball, Astros hitters pnly went 3x12, K, BB, Sac (against all Cubs pitchers).
*The Astros got all their hits off Wells, with Keppinger, Johnson, Manzella, and Quintero each getting two hits (and Pence providing the other - more on that in a minute).
*Manzella's 2x4 night was his third multi-hit game in his last seven starts, a little run that began with the Mets, and has seen him raise his average from .218 to .224. He was hitting .212/.259/.254 when he went down with the finger injury on June 22, and is now hitting .224/.265/.263.
*Hunter Pence hit his 23rd homer of the season - a solo shot in the 3rd. He is now two homers off his career-high (he had 25HR in each of the last two homers), and one RBI off his career-high, set in 2008.
*Michael Bourn drew an intentional walk in the 6th to load the bases for Jeff Keppinger with one out. Keppinger brought Manzella home with an RBI groundout, but that means Bourn's on-base streak runs 18 games.
*Carlos Lee was 0x4 on the night, and he's hitting .148 (4x27) in September. His OPS is under .700 (.698, to be exact) for the first time since August 25.
*Pitch Count Hero: Brett Wallace (0x4) - 21 pitches in four PAs
*Pitch Count Punk: Carlos Lee (0x4) - 7 pitches in five PAs
*Man of the Match: Can't give it to anybody but Brett Myers
*Goat of the Game: Brett Wallace - 0x4 on the night, 0x2 w/RISP, and ended three innings.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
