Dallas Keuchel (1-2, 5.53) vs Tommy Hanson (2-1, 3.86)
So this is how winning feels, eh? I like this winning thing, and what they call a win streak. An early 2-0 deficit was no barrier to the Astros tonight, as the offense provided a pair of three-run frames, and Dallas Keuchel put the brakes on the Angels. Houston wins 6-3, tying their season high win streak of 3, maintaining their 4 game lead over Miami, and improving to 18-37 overall.
On the Mound:
*Kid Keuchy! Putting it all together tonight. He had not been great in his previous three starts, surrendering at least 4 ER in each, but tonight he held Los Angeles to half of that while logging his longest outing of the season. His line: 7 IP / 6 H / 2 R / 2 ER / 0 BB / 4 K.
*Paul Clemens pitched the first 0.2 of the 8th, serving up a solo HR to Erick Aybar, while Travis Blackley got the third out of the inning.
*Jose Veras was back in the 9th, and back to the form that had us feeling hopeful before his recent struggles. He fanned two in a perfect 9th for his 9th save.
At the Plate:
*Great job top to bottom by the Astros lineup tonight, as every starter had a hit, except for Carlos Pena... who had 3. Pena finished 3 for 5 with a double, a run scored, a steal, and a RBI.
*Jason Castro is starting to get a little more All-Star chatter, and he kept it going with his 7th home run of the year - a solo shot to finish 1 for 5 with a K.
*Brandon Barnes (R, RBI), Jose Altuve (SB, R), and J.D. Martinez (R, K) each went 1 for 5.
*Chris Carter was 1 for 1 with a sac fly RBI and two walks.
*Ronny Cedeno had a triple to go 1 for 4 with a run scored.
*Matt Dominguez went 1 for 3 with an unconventional sac fly RBI (just watch the video) and a K.
*Jimmy Paredes rounded out the attack, going 1 for 4 with a K.
Turning Point:
Los Angeles had taken a 2-0 lead in the 2nd, but Houston responded in the 4th. Castro the Astro led off with a home run, then J.D. Martinez followed with a single and Carlos Pena with a double. Chris Carter hit a sac fly that got J.D. home for Houston's second run, then Jimmy Paredes singled to move Pena up to third. Matt Dominguez's sac fly came next, entertainingly scoring Pena, before Ronny Cedeno flew out to end the inning. That put Houston ahead to stay, then they added insurance with three more runs in the 7th.
Man of the Match:
Dallas Keuchel! Great job by the kid left against the Angels' much ballyhooed lineup.
Goat of the Game:
Paul Clemens, I guess? In two-thirds of an inning, he had time to surrender a HR and two walks, and make an error on a pickoff play.
