Fernando Abad (0-2, 4.83) vs Kevin Correia (9-8, 4.40)
While two of the Astros' Minor League affiliates began their playoff journeys, the big club did what they could to help Pittsburgh's longsuffering playoff quest. Fernando Abad gave the Pirates an early lead, and they never looked back, winning 6-3. The Astros bid farewell to PNC Park and moved one step closer to the century mark, now 42-95.
*The Abad-as-a-starter experiment took another beating tonight. Fernando pitched a perfect 3rd, but he coughed up five runs in his other three innings, ending with this line: 4 IP / 6 H / 5 R / 4 ER / 3 BB / 3 K. Mickey Storey pitched 1.1 innings and left with two runners on, but Hector Ambriz allowed one of those two to score on a sac bunt. Xavier Cedeno and Wilton Lopez each had a scoreless inning thereafter to finish out the game.
Observations:
*No Astro had a multi-hit game, but every Astro 2-7 in the lineup had one hit each.
*Brandon Laird didn't start the game, coming in on a double switch in the 6th, but he made the most of the opportunity. After 100 career home runs spread across six seasons in the minors, Brandon hit his first career big league bomb - a two-run shot in the 9th. He finished 1 for 2 with a K.
*Brian Bogusevic went 1 for 4 with 2 K and had Houston's other RBI, on a single in the 4th.
*Jimmy Paredes moved back to right field, going 1 for 4 with a double ahead of Bogusevic to score the first Astros run.
*Carlos Corporan also went 1 for 4 with a double and a strikeout.
*Brett Wallace went 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored, but he also had a fielding error in the 2nd that led to Pittsburgh's unearned run.
*Jason Castro singled as a pinch-hitter in the 8th.
Turning Point:
Houston cut into Pittsburgh's 3-0 lead with a run in the top of the 4th, but the Pirates struck back in their half of the inning. Rod Barajas led off with a single, followed by an Alex Presley triple that put them up 4-1. Brock Holt then followed a strikeout by Carlos Kevin Correia with a sacrifice fly to center to pad Pittsburgh's margin.
Man of the Match:
Brandon Laird. Kudos to the newest Astro on his first Major League home run.
Goat of the Game:
Fernando Abad. His future may be as a starter, but it's been a rough transition with Houston so far.
