Paul Clemens (4-4, 6.36) vs Jose Quintana (7-4, 3.67)
Stupid Bullpen of Stupidness. Erik Bedard seems to have adapted to his surprise demotion from the rotation in much the same way that Lucas Harrell did - which is to say, he sucked, and therefore cost the Astros the game. White Sox steal one 4-3, and the Astros fall to 44-87 on the year.
On the Mound:
*Paul Clemens, on the other hand, seems to have adapted to his shot at the rotation in much the same way that fellow Bourn tradee Brett Oberholtzer did - which is to say, he was outstanding. (Not Roger)'s first ever big league start: 6 IP / 4 H / 1 R / 1 ER / 2 BB / 2 K.
*Then Bedardadonk had to come in and shoot it all to heck. Presented with a 3-1 lead, he quickly and efficiently turned that into a 4-3 deficit, allowing 3 runs (all earned) on 5 hits and a walk in 1.2 IP.
*Josh Fields fanned the final batter of the 8th, but the damage was already done.
At the Plate:
*Matt Dominguez was all set to be the story of the game alongside Clemens, before Bedard happened. Matty D went 3 for 4 with a 2B, 2 RBI, and K.
*Robbie Grossman is en fuego, with a 3-for-5, 2B, R night to up his hitting streak to 14 games. He's hitting .365 (23 for 63) over the course of those 14 games. He also turned in a Barnes-ian diving catch in LF in the 8th to rob Alejandro De Aza of a likely double.
*Jason Castro went 1 for 2 with 2 BB and scored both of Houston's other two runs.
*Chris Carter had a RBI single to go 1 for 4 with a K, and also somehow managed his first stolen base since 2010.
*Brett Wallace (1 for 4, 3 K) and Jonathan Villar (1 for 3, BB, K) also had a hit apiece.
Turning Point:
The Astros carried a 2-1 lead into the top of the 8th. They extended that to a 3-1 lead before the bottom of the frame. But Bedard. It took a highlight reel play from Robbie Grossman to start the inning with an out, then walk, single, K, single, single, single, and Erik had earned both a blown save and a loss.
Man of the Match:
(Not Roger), returning from OKC in fine form.
Goat of the Game:
Bedard. Because Bedard.
