The Astros got a hit for every ten fans at Nationals Park last night in an 8-2 win over Washington.
*The Astros scored 8+ runs for the 11th time (11-0) this season.
*Courtesy of AstroBrit, we see that the seven runs the Astros scored in the 5th inning are more than they have scored in 133 games - total - this season.
*Interesting: the Nationals got their two runs in the bottom of the first. When starting the 2nd inning behind, the Astros are now 15-29.
*Bud Norris threw 6.2IP, 6H/2ER, 6K:4BB for his 9th win of the season. Fifteen of the 77ER he has allowed have come in the 1st inning.
*Norris has thrown three straight games with 4+ walks, with a K:BB ratio of 20K:13BB. However, he didn't allow a homer last night, breaking a four game streak.
*Bud got 15 swinging strikes against Washington - the most in a game since he struck out 14 Pirates.
*The bullpen of Byrdak (0.1IP), Fulchino (1IP), and Abad (1IP) dominated the Nationals. In 2.1IP, they racked up 0H/0ER, 4K:0BB, and got seven outs on 32 pitches.
*The offense was helped out by some poor fielding - four of the Astros' eight runs were unearned. When starting pitcher Livan Hernandez got the leadoff batter in the inning (three times), he threw a perfect inning. When the leadoff batter reached (twice), the Astros went on to go 6x11, sac, ROE after the leadoff batter reached.
*Five of the Astros runs came via the longball. Humberto Quintero hit his 4th homer (tying a career high), and his first since June 10. Geoff Blum provided a three-run homer later in the inning, his 2nd of the year.
*It was Blum's 97th career homer, but his 20th career homer in the 5th inning, and his 16th three-run homer. Nationals Park became the 27th different stadium in which Blum has hit a homer.
*Chris Johnson was 1x3 with 3Ks. It was his 5th 3K game of the season, and in four of those games, he has gotten a hit in his other AB. Since August 1, he has 47K:9BB - and actually has more doubles (11) than walks (9). Last night, Johnson saw 13 pitches, nine of them were strikes, and five were swinging.
*The Astros were 5x11 w/RISP (Blum, Quintero, Lee, Keppinger, Bogusevic).
*Congratulations to Brian Bogusevic, who got his first multi-hit game of his career. Two of his four hits this season have been doubles.
*Pitch Count Hero: Jeff Keppinger (2x4, BB) - 18 pitches in five PAs.
*Pitch Count Punk: Chris Johnson (1x4) - 13 pitches in four PAs.
*Man of the Match: Geoff Blum - because I'm feeling froggy!
*Goat of the Game: Jason Bourgeois - 0x5, and led-off the inning with an out three times. (Nice catch in CF, though).
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
