It's important to remember that the Astros had already won this road series with the Dodgers before Sunday's game. That doesn't make it any less frustrating. Astros lose 1-0.
*The Astros are now 1-2 in 1-0 games, having lost by that score twice now in the past five days.
*They have scored 0 or 1 run in 12 games this season (1-11), and <2 runs in 22 games (3-19).
*Astros pitching has allowed three or fewer hits in four games this season, but that's the first time they've lost when doing so. In fact, it's the first loss while giving up three hits since August 27, 2010 (more recent than I guess I expected), when Nelson Figueroa and Mark Melancon combined for a three-hitter against the Mets, and lost 2-1.
*Bud Norris allowed 1H/0ER, 5K:1BB in 6IP, throwing nine first-pitch strikes to 20 batters faced. Since taking the loss at St. Louis on May 18, Norris has thrown 39IP, allowing 27H/10ER, 31K:15BB for a 2.31 ERA/1.08 WHIP.
*Norris' 1H allowed set a career low.
*Three Dodgers saw a 3-0 count, but only Matt Kemp was able to get that fourth ball and get on base. The other two grounded out.
*Sergio Escalona made things interesting, walking Andre Ethier and allowing a single to James Loney (with a Matt Kemp flyout in between). But Wilton Lopez got Casey Blake to GIDP to end the inning. That was Escalona's first walk since June 5 (15 batters faced), and the first time he had allowed multiple baserunners since May 30.
*Lopez gave up the game-winning homer to Dioner Navarro, marking the first homer Lopez has allowed this season. He last allowed a homer on September 26, 2010 against the Cubs - a span of 153 batters.
*The Astros set a season-low with three hits, something they had already done three times by this point in 2010. Interestingly enough, the Astros set a 2010 season-low with two hits, against the Rangers, on June 19, 2010.
*Chris Johnson got two of the Astros' three hits, with Keppinger getting the other one, plus a walk. Barmes also got a walk. Johnson has an eight-game hitting streak, with two hits in each of his last three games (six hits - four doubles), is hitting .435 in the last week, and .317 in June.
*The Astros were 0x5 w/RISP, with Carlos Corporan going 0x2. Corporan, though, has caught 63IP, allowing 49H/17ER, with 59K:13BB, and a .622 OPS - coming into yesterday's game. Opponents OPS with Towles behind the plate is .762, and it's .795 with Quintero catching.
*Man of the Match: Bud Norris
*Goat of the Game: Hard to find a goat when nobody hits. So how about everybody?
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
