Or was it Astros @ Cubs. You wouldn't be able to tell from the crowd at MMP. But the Astros won in what is easily the best game of the year - 6-5.
*The loss snaps a seven-game losing streak, and a four-game losing streak to the Cubs.
*The four runs in the 9th were the second-most in the 9th inning all season.
*Brett Myers did what Brett Myers does: Throws seven innings, gave up 4ER, 5K:2BB, and yes, a homer - to Tyler Colvin. It's been since July 9 (seven starts) that Myers hasn't recorded at least 18 outs, and he's given up 12 hits in his last 14.2IP.
*Wilton Lopez allowed 2H/1ER in 0.2IP - it's the third time in his last four appearances that he has allowed two hits.
*And congratulations to Aneury Rodriguez, who got something he couldn't get in eight starts - his first ML win.
*Now. On to the drama. The Astros weren't doing much in the way of "hits." Down 5-2 going into the 9th, it didn't look good. When trailing going into the 9th inning, the Astros were 3-73.
*Paredes lined out to left, Shuck singles to right and then advanced on a wild pitch. Barmes singled to left. Downs - hitting for Quintero - walked. In 38 pinch-hit plate appearances, Matt Downs has seven walks. In 86 plate appearances as a starter, he has six walks.
*And then Brian Bogusevic happened. He got down in the count too quickly - swinging strikes on the first two pitches, then a foul, then two balls. On the sixth pitch of the AB, Bogusevic deposited Marmol's pitch 430 feet away to left center for a walk-off grand slam.
*It was Bogusevic's 2nd career homer. And in 6.1IP against the Astros this season, he has allowed 10H/6ER, 10K:5BB.
*Bogusevic's homer was the 3rd grand slam that Marmol has allowed (first since September 6, 2008), and the 3rd homer at Minute Maid Park courtesy of Marmol. Marmol has also allowed three homers this season - one of those to Hunter Pence on May 31.
*Anyhow, Jimmy Paredes had two doubles and an RBI - he has multi-hit games in four of his last ten games (nine starts).
*Shuck (two runs scored) and Barmes (BB) also had two hits each. 1-4 in the lineup (Bourgeois, Altuve, Martinez, and Lee) were 1x14, 2BB. 5-8 in the lineup (Paredes, Shuck, Barmes, Quintero) went 6x13, BB.
*Man of the Match: Are you kidding? Bogusevic.
*Goat of the Game: In too good a mood. No Goat today.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
