To be honest, the Astros are 3-1 since I last did a County Clerk report. I'm tempted to not do them anymore and see what happens. Astros win on a walk-off, 4-3.
*As mentioned, the Astros are 3-1 after the L5 streak from May 15-19.
*For the four games against the Braves and Cardinals, the Astros did not score more than two runs. They've now scored 3+ runs in their last four games. Is it a lot of runs? No. But they're wins.
*The Astros have won back-to-back games for the first time since May 1/3, against the Brewers and Reds. It's only their 3rd win streak of the season.
*Bud Norris threw 7IP, 6H/3R (2ER), 5K:3BB. He now has a perfect 3.00 K:BB ratio (69K:23BB) on the year, and has gotten 18+_outs in eight of his ten starts. He's gotten 21+ outs in four of his last five starts.
*Jeff Fulchino threw 1.2IP, walking one batter. Since his Brian McMeltdown on May 17, he's thrown in two games (2.2IP), with 1H/0ER, 2K:1BB.
*So of course the Astros got three runs in the 9th inning with a Hunter Pence walk-off. Those three runs are the most the Astros have scored in the 9th inning this season, and it was the first time in 28 games this season that the Astros have won when trailing at the beginning of the 9th inning.
*Bill Hall had a big day, going 4x4 with two doubles. That's the first 4-hit game Hall has enjoyed since June 3, 2010, when he got four hits against the A's. It was also Hall's first multi-XBH game of the season. He raised his batting average 23 points, and his OPS 54 points (.611 to .665).
*Hunter Pence was 2x5 with the GWRBI, and has had five straight 2-hit games, and had two hits in six of his last seven games.
*Houston had three doubles, giving them their first 3+ XBH game since May 15.
*The Astros did strike out 10 times last night. It's their 9th 10+K game of the season. Since May 1, the Astros have struck out 171 times in 794 PAs, for a 21.5% K/PA rate. They did, however, draw four walks, for 3+ walks in four straight games.
*Big AB of the Night: Angel Sanchez' 11-pitch walk in the 9th, establishing him as the game's tying run. It was the first pinch-hit walk he had drawn of the season, in addition to the first 9th inning walk of his career
*Clayton Kershaw got a Game Score of 65. It's the 6th time in the last eight games that the opposing starter has had a game score higher than 65.
*Man of the Match: Hunter Pence!
*Goat of the Game: I'm just happy. No Goat.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
