Well, the Astros finally snapped the eight-game losing streak with a 5-3 win over the Reds this afternoon.
*With ten hits this afternoon, it marks the sixth game in their last seven with 10+ hits. From May 4-28, the Astros failed to record double-digit hits in 21 of 22 games.
*After their previous win on May 25, the Astros were three games back of the division lead. After today's win over the Reds, they're now 7.5 games back.
*Jordan Lyles was the stopper, throwing 7IP, 5H/2ER, 3K:2BB, in 101 pitches and recording his first win since August 20, 2011. It was also his first 7IP outing of the season.
*Lyles got 21 non-contact strikes (15 looking, 6 swinging). He has managed 20+ non-contact strikes in each of his five starts this season.
*Wilton Lopez came on for the 8th, and allowed 2H/1ER, 1K:0BB. He has allowed eight earned runs on the season, three of them in his last four appearances. Prior to allowing two earned runs against the Dodgers on May 26, Lopez had allowed 9H/1ER, 15K:2BB in 14 outings (a .523 OPS, with a .321 BABIP).
*Brett Myers recorded his 13th save of the season this afternoon, throwing a perfect 9th inning. Last season, Mark Melancon didn't record his 13th save until August 20, 2011. As a team, they didn't record their 13th save until July 27, 2011.
*The top three in the Astros lineup - Schafer, Altuve, Fernando Martinez - went for a combined 0x11, with 4Ks, three of them from F-Mart.
*Jose Altuve was 0x4, his first 0-fer since the 2nd game of the Rockies' double-header, and was just the 7th time he had not reached 1st base this season.
*Altuve has struck out eight times in his last 81 plate appearances.
*The patience of Chris Johnson continues, as he went 1x3 with another walk, giving him four walks in his past nine plate appearances. The last time he drew a walk in consecutive games was September 22-23, 2011, against Colorado.
*Brett Wallace, Jason Castro, and Marwin Gonzalez each had two hits on the day. Castro now has five hits in his last three games (11 PAs), and is 8x21 with three doubles, a triple, and a homer, and 7K:6BB in his last seven games.
*And Justin Maxwell provided the insurance runs necessary with a pinch-hit 2-run homer in the 7th, his 4th homer of the season, which ties him with Carlos Lee for 4th on the team. Except Maxwell has his four homers in 83 plate appearances - 124 plate appearances fewer than Lee.
*That was the Astros' 4th pinch-hit homer of the season. Justin Maxwell has three of them.
*Altuve was caught stealing this afternoon, giving them one stolen base in their last five attempts, dating back to May 21.
*Man of the Match: Jordan Lyles
*Goat of the Game: Snap an eight-game losing streak? No Goat.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
