Doug Fister (4-0, 2.38) vs Bud Norris (3-3, 4.20)
Well, dammit. For the second straight game, the Astros carried a 3-2 lead into the 8th inning. Thursday night it was an 8th inning Ankiel error that led to extra innings and ultimately a loss. Tonight it was another Jose Veras misadventure, and the result was fundamentally the same. Houston drops this one 4-3, and falls to 8-22 on the year.
On the Mound:
*Bud Norris out-dueled mound mate Doug Fister and was in position for a well-deserved win when he left. Cuddly Budly's studly line tonight: 7 IP / 5 H / 2 R / 2 ER / 3 BB / 7 K.
*Hector Ambriz (0.2 IP, K) and Travis Blackley (0.1 IP, BB) combined on a scoreless 8th to hold the lead.
*And then, JOSE VERAS'D. Handed a 3-2 lead, Veras turned that into a 4-3 deficit on a two-run HR by Alex Avila, earning both the blown save and the loss.
At the Plate:
*This Altuve kid is pretty good, y'all. Tonight he was 3 for 5 with the go-ahead RBI in the 7th, and he's now leading the team in RBI with 15.
*Robbie Grossman is up to a 5-game hitting streak with tonight's 1 for 3 effort, including a BB, a K, and a HBP.
*Marwin Gonzalez was 0 for 4 with a K, but he both drove in and later scored a run on a groundout that turned into an Omar Infante error.
*Matt Dominguez had another good night, going 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored.
*Rick Ankiel was 1 for 3 with a run, a walk, and (of course) a strikeout.
*Carlos Pena (1 for 4, K) and Chris Carter (1 for 3) each added hits, as the Astros out-hit the Tigers 9-6.
*Jason Castro's hitting streak stopped at 9 games, after he went 0 for 5 with a K including a game-ending lineout tonight.
Turning Point:
Jose Friggin' Veras. He started the 9th by walking Don Kelly, then got Jhonny Peralta to fly out to center. But after falling behind 3-1 to Alex Avila, his next pitch landed in the centerfield seats, saving Detroit from a slew of "how did we lose to them?!" articles.
Man of the Match:
Jose Altuve. Doing everything he can to make your Astros "watchable" on a nightly basis.
Goat of the Game:
Jose Veras. Now 2 for 4 on save attempts in his big shot as a big league closer.
