Taijuan Walker (0-0, -.--) vs Collin McHugh (4-6, 2.86)
Interesting day in Astroland. Bad night at the ballpark. It was vintage American League baseball, as every run for both teams had scored on a home run until the 9th, and by then the runs were just for show anyway. Astros hit two home runs, but give up four, and lose the last game of June 10-4. They finish June 12-15, and are now 36-48 overall.
On the Mound:
*Collin McHugh was Not Good tonight. Three home runs allowed were 3x as many as he had allowed in any other start, and 5 ER matched his season-worst from May 4. Four walks were also one off his season high, so he clearly wasn't fooling Seattle tonight. Line: 6 IP / 5 H / 5 R / 5 ER / 4 BB / 8 K.
*Josh Zeid only got one inning, but he made the worst of it, allowing back-to-back singles before a 3-run homer from Robinson Cano, then settled down to business for three straight outs.
*Jerome Williams made his first appearance since getting stung by a particular 3-run home run himself, and was the only Astros hurler not to surrender a long ball tonight. But he still allowed 2 more runs on 3 hits and a walk, against 2 strikeouts in 2 IP.
At the Plate:
*George Springer tagged young Seattle phenom Taijuan Walker early, destroying a 1st-inning fastball onto the train tracks in left for a 2-run homer (his 16th of the year). George finished 1x3 with a SB, a BB, and 2 K.
*Seattle tied the game in the top half of the 2nd, but Marwin Gonzalez quickly put Houston back in front - and won Astros fans free Chick-Fil-A - by homering off the right field "fowl pole" in the bottom half. He drove in another on a groundout in the 9th, and finished 1x4 with 2 RBI.
*Alex Presley is still playing center, and doing a great job at the plate, going 2x4 with a run scored and a K today.
*Matt Dominguez (1x4) and Jesus Guzman (1x4, 2B, K) each also had hits.
*Jason Castro was 0x3 with a K, but scored after a walk in the 9th.
*And Jose Altuve returned to Earth tonight, going 0x3, but still stole a base after a HBP.
Turning Point:
The Astros were up 3-2, and Collin McHugh retired the first two Mariners in the 4th, but a wild pitch on strike three let Mike Zunino reach first safely. That began the downhill slide for Houston, as Michael Saunders followed with a 2-run homer to right. McHugh struck out Dustin Ackley after Bo Porter successfully challenged what was initially ruled a double, but Brad Miller followed with another home run that put Houston down 5-3, and down for good.
Man of the Match:
Uhh. Marwin, for free chicken, I guess.
Goat of the Game:
All The Arms. But Collin McHugh was worst.
