From the Office of the County Clerk - G86: Astros @ Pirates

We are now entering historic levels of awfulness for the Astros. Pirates win, 5-3.

*Someone on Twitter mentioned this date earlier, so let's go with what the NL Central has looked like since June 3, 2011:

Pit: 17-12
Mil: 14-15
Cin: 13-14
StL: 12-15
Chc: 12-19
Hou: 6-22

*The Astros are 1-6 against the Pirates this season, coming after a three-year stretch (2008-2010) where the Astros were 29-17 against Pittsburgh.

*Brett Myers had a brutal day: 13H/5R (4ER), 1K:0BB in 6IP. The 13 hits are a career high, and was his 3rd 10+H start of the year.

*Myers also allowed four extra-base hits (three doubles, triple). In his last 13IP (two starts), Myers has allowed 19 hits - eight of them for extra-bases.

*But hey, to be positive, it was the first start since May 16 that Myers didn't allow a home run.

*Jeff Keppinger and Hunter Pence had two hits each, while the rest of the team combined for a 2x22 day. In his last ten games, Keppinger is hitting 13x35 (.371). In his 130 PAs this season, Keppinger has struck out six times.

*Because Paul Maholm - a lefty - was pitching, Brett Wallace had himself a seat (though he did make a pinch-hitting appearance in the 9th). That shifted Carlos Lee to 1B, and Jason Michaels - hitting .202/.245/.303 after an 0x3, BB day - to LF.

*Curious play in the 6th, with the Astros down 3-4 with nobody out: With Downs at 2nd and Barmes at 1st, Carlos Corporan sac bunted to move the runners over and bring up...Brett Myers, who grounded out, getting Downs thrown out at home. Bourn struck out swinging to end the inning. Anyone who wants to take a guess as to why this happened is welcome to comment. But if Mills was worried about the GIDP, Corporan had GIDPd once in 12 plate appearances with a runner on first.

*5-9 in the lineup (Michaels, Downs, Barmes, Corporan, #9) went for a combined 1x16, with two walks. Michaels and Downs combined for four plate appearances w/RISP, and went 0x4.

*Clint Barmes did draw two walks on the day, his first walk(s) in 40 plate appearances.

*Man of the Match: Carlos Lee - 1x3 with 2RBI, and the only Astros hit w/RISP.

*Goat of the Game: Jason Michaels.