Garrett Richards (4-2, 3.65) vs Jarred Cosart (4-4, 4.18)
Day 2 of the #Springleton Era in Houston: You can't win if you don't score. Some nights you'll run into a buzzsaw, and Garrett Richards was just such a buzzsaw tonight. Jarred Cosart was also good, pitching into the 7th while displaying some of the best control he's shown all season. But you can't win if you don't score, and the Astros never managed to score tonight. Angels take game 2 of the series by a 4-0 final, setting up the rubber match on Draft Day tomorrow. Houston drops back to 25-35 on the season.
On the Mound:
*Jarred Cosart was, in fact, good tonight, holding his opponent to one walk or fewer for just the second time this season and the fourth in his big league career, while matching a career high in strikeouts. He also held the Angels hitless through 3, scoreless through 4, and to just one run until two outs in the 6th. His final line of 6.2 IP / 8 H / 3 R / 3 ER / 1 BB / 8 K officially qualified as a quality start. But with a near total lack of offense to support him, any mistake at all would be one too many tonight.
*Kyle Farnsworth got the last out of the 7th, then walked one and struck out one in the 8th, for 1.1 IP of scoreless work. He's not given up a run now in 5 outings (5.1 IP) since his Houston debut.
*Jerome Williams worked a sloppy 9th, which featured a walk, a wild pitch, a double, and a passed ball, leading to an at-least-inconsequential insurance run for the Angels.
At the Plate:
*Dexter Fowler led off the game for Houston with a fly ball to right that should have been good for at least a triple, but somehow the right field fence ate the baseball, forcing Fowler to go back and stop at second. That was the most exciting moment the Astros managed on offense tonight, so you know how the rest of the game went. Fowler, at least, finished 2x4 with a K.
*Jose Altuve got his major league-leading 80th hit of the season and finished 1x4 with a K.
*Jason Castro went 1x4.
*And that was really it for the Astros offense. No walks for anyone, 10 team strikeouts, and only Fowler in the 1st ever advanced as far as third base. George Springer (0x3, 2 K) and Chris Carter (0x2, K) were each hit by a pitch for the only other Houston baserunners.
Turning Point:
After retiring 13 of the first 14 Angels hitters to start the game, Jarred Cosart allowed a one-out double to David Freese in the 5th. Jarred got Raul Ibanez to ground out next, moving Freese up to third, but then a RBI single by C.J. Cron put the Angels up 1-0. The Astros would never get another baserunner further than second base, so after this, their fate was already sealed.
Man of the Match:
Dexter Fowler. Furshlugginer right field fence.
Goat of the Game:
I don't want to give it to Jarred Cosart, so we'll go with the tried and true Every Astro with a Bat (besides Fowler).
