So many funs. Astros win 5-4.
*The Astros won a series against the Reds for the first time this season, and since September 17-19, 2010.
*With the win, the Astros move to 19-37 at home, giving them a half-game edge over their own road record (18-37).
*The first of two big stories is that of Jordan Lyles, who got his first Major League win, his first overall win since May 25, when he threw six shutout innings at Fresno, when playing for Oklahoma City.
*Lyles allowed 6H/3ER, 3K:0BB in 7IP - giving up two solo homers (more on that in a minute). In his last four starts (27.1IP), Lyles has allowed 26H/12ER, 17K:2BB. He hasn't walked a batter in 15IP - the last one coming on July 24 at Wrigley Field.
*One notable note is that Dontrelle Willis hit a go-ahead homer in the top of the 7th. It's the fifth homer allowed by the Astros to an opposing pitcher.
*The Astros rapped out 12 hits - seven of them coming in the top third of the lineup. J.D. Martinez is the second big story of the night, going 3x4 with his first ML homer (just missing another off the yellow line of the Crawfish Boxes). The lone out he made was a flyball to the deepest part of the park, where Drew Stubbs had to chase it down at the base of Tal's Hill. Oh yeah, and he also got 4RBIs - the homer in the 1st inning, and the game-winning runs in the bottom of the 7th.
*Jason Bourgeois, Jose Altuve, Jason Michaels, and Jimmy Paredes all had two hits each.
*Humberto Quintero hit his first homer since July 17. His OPS is now .650, the highest it's been since May 5 (.664).
*Here's a good one - with Quintero and Martinez' homers, it's the first time since July 24 that they've had a multi-homer game. It's just the 12th game of the season they've had 2+ homers. Jose Bautista has had four, by himself.
*Carlos Lee hasn't gotten a hit in his last 25PAs (though he has drawn two walks, including the one tonight).
*Man of the Match: Both Lyles and Martinez
*Goat of the Game: Clint Barmes. 0x3 with 2Ks, and was 0x2 w/RISP.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
