The Astros gave a gift to the Diamondbacks in the form of a noodle-armed bullpen, and lose 8-5 in 10 innings.
*The Astros had a 5-1 lead going into the bottom of the 8th. They had a 5-3 lead going into the bottom of the 9th. The bottom of the 9th. Again, the bottom of the 9th.
*Amazingly, the Astros have had the lead going into the 9th inning 31 times this season (did I already mention that it's the 118th game of the season?). They're now 27-4.
*They're also now 3-6 in extra innings.
*Brett Myers pitched well in the start, allowing 6H/3ER, 4K:3BB in 7.2IP - throwing 67 of 106 pitches for strikes. It's the lowest number of hits he has allowed since July 15, and the fewest number of hits when throwing 7+ IP since June 29.
*It was Myers' 25th start of the season, and he allowed zero homers (though the bullpen would make up for that). It's just the 6th start this season without a homer.
*So Myers went into the bottom of the 8th with a 5-1 lead, got the first out, walked Willie Bloomquist, allowed a double, got a groundout, and allowed a single to Miguel Montero, bringing the D'amondb'cks to 5-3, with Montero on 1st. Fernando Rodriguez got Chris Young to foul out to end the inning.
*Mark Melancon, also with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, gave up a 450-foot pinch-hit homer to Paul Goldschmidt to tie the game. It was the fourth homer Melancon gave up - three of those have been on the road, and three have been with two outs. It's the first home run he had allowed since June 26, against Evan Longoria - a span of 68 batters.
*So Jeff Fulchino came in for the 10th, allowed two quick hits, needing just five pitches to do so, and Sergio Escalona also needed five pitches to blow the game, getting Montero to fly out before allowing a Chris Young homer to left to put the game away.
*It was the 5th walk-off homer of Chris Young's career, and the 7th homer against the Astros. It was the third time Young had hit a home run in the 10th inning - the first time since June 19, 2007.
*Enough about that, the offense again did its job. Lead-off man Jason Bourgeois came into last night's game 4x35, but was 3x5 with a triple. Jose Altuve was also 3x5, collecting an RBI. Altuve has a six-game hit streak, and has hits in eight of his last nine games.
*J.D. Martinez and Carlos Lee each had 2RBI. How about this: Martinez has hit in the #3-Spot five times so far. In those five games, Martinez is 7x22. Carlos Lee is 4x19.
*Four Astros baserunners (Bourgeois, Paredes, Martinez, and Bogusevic) were thrown out trying to steal a base. Martinez was thrown out trying to steal home in the top of the 5th. That's not entirely accurate. Mills called for a squeeze play, Jimmy Paredes missed the bunt, and Martinez was easily tagged out. And then Paredes struck out swinging. So the Astros had a runner on 3rd with one out, and managed to not do anything about it.
*Clint Barmes was 0x4 with two GIDPs. It's the first time in his career he had 2GIDPs in a game. One of those was in the 8th, when the Astros got two baserunners - and neither made it to 2nd base (Paredes caught stealing, Michaels walked, and Barmes did his thing).
*Man of the Match: Brett Myers
*Goat of the Game: The new Rally-Killer Bs: Bullpen + Barmes.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
