The Astros get two late runs and Melancon gets his 1st career save for a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh, avoiding becoming the first NL team to 20 losses.
*The Astros were 11-4 against the Pirates in 2010, but just 2-4 at PNC Park.
*And the Astros improve to 6-5 in one-run games, while this is their fourth win in the last six games.
*Wandy did his thing, throwing 7IP, 5H/2ER, 4K:2BB. He has thrown 7IP in each of his last four starts, and has allowed 25H/7ER, 26K:88BB in those 29IP.
*Before Brandon Wood doubled in Lyle Overbay, he had thrown 16 consecutive IP without allowing a run.
*Mark Melancon got the first save of his career, getting three outs - all flyballs - in eight pitches, with seven for strikes.
*Jason Bourgeois was 3x5 with his 12th stolen base, but Michael Bourn was 1x4 with a walk and two stolen bases to reclaim the league lead at 13. Bourgeois, with 87 fewer ABs, is tied for 2nd with Jose Reyes.
*Hunter Pence was 2x4 with 2RBI, to extend his hitting streak to 10 games - in which he is 15x42 with 10RBI.
*In his first game back from injury, Carlos Lee was 2x4 with a walk and the go-ahead RBI. His 8th inning single, scoring Pence, was the 3rd go-ahead hit of the season for Lee.
*The top four in the lineup (Bourgeois, Bourn, Pence, Lee) went for a combined 8x17 with 1K:2BB. 5-8 in the lineup (Hall, Sanchez, Barmes, Towles) went 1x14, with 3K:2BB - and both BBs were Sanchez'.
*Towles' 0x4 night marked the first time in 12 games that he didn't get on base, and his 2nd 0-fer of the season (the other one, in G18 @ NYM, he drew two walks.)
*Bill Hall was 0x4 with 2Ks, giving him 37K in 99ABs, one behind Drew Stubbs for the NL lead. Of the top-10 in NL Ks, only Kelly Johnson has a lower OPS (.580 to Hall's .588).
*Hall has struck out in 37.4% of his ABs. He probably shouldn't be the #5 hitter, what with his six extra-base hits in 105 PAs.
*The Astros have now gone three games without a homer for the first time this season. They went seven games between homers in 2010 (between June 16-June 24).
*Man of the Match: What the hell, Carlos Lee!
*Goat of the Game: Bill Hall - 0x4, 2Ks, 0x3 w/RISP.
*You may as well mark it down, if Brett Wallace comes in as a pinch-hitter, he's drawing a walk. In 3PAs as a PH, he has 3BB.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
