How to Respond to Last Night's Loss

Ok, so obviously I have no say in what happens to the Astros as they move forward from last night's debacle, but here's what I would do:

1) Send Jimmy Paredes back down to AAA where, if we're serious about making him an outfielder, he plays nowhere but the outfield EVERY DAY. Just pencil him in there: Paredes, 9. While the error was inexcusable last night, let's face it, the guy was a second baseman, we turned him into a third baseman, then last year he was a second baseman again, and now he's looking like an outfielder. Yes, playing the outfield is easier than playing the infield, but a guy's still not going to be good at it without playing time. Paredes can hit, but letting him learn the outfield at the Major League Level isn't going to do anything but mess up his confidence.

2) Keep Jake Elmore around. Elmore is versatile, and he can hit, run, doesn't strike out... In three games in which he spelled Jose Altuve, he basically was Jose Altuve hitting safely in every game and batting .364 (4/11). Reminds me of a faster Mark Loretta.

3) Make Brandon Barnes our every day centerfielder, shift Grossman to left and put J.D. Martinez out in right. Barnes is the only outfielder on the roster hitting above .240. And he's hitting .320. He's our best defensive outfielder, he runs well, he has some pop. LET HIM PLAY.

4) Move Hector Ambriz out of the 8th inning slot. Hector gets a bad wrap for what's really only amounted to two blown leads, but I don't see him as an 8th inning guy. I'd like to see him flipped with Paul Clemens or Travis Blackley and take some of those 6th inning responsibilities until he can harness his stuff. The only pitcher in the Astros pen with worse numbers is Edgar Gonzalez, there's no way he should be in there with the game on the line right now.

5) Less over-managing. I appreciate that we're playing the percentages, but I'd like to see our lefties face more than just lefties. Travis Blackley was an effective Major League starter last year, and Wesley Wright sports the lowest ERA in the bullpen. They don't have to come out of the game every time they're due to face a right-handed hitter.

Week 6 in Review

Humber is out. Ankiel is out. F-Mart is back in AAA. Edgar Gonzalez is an Astro again... BUT, despite a 2-4 week, the boys showed a lot of fight and nearly swept a 3-game series with the Angels before a bullpen meltdown in the final game of the series. Hey, it's progress...

Weekly Results

5/07   W Angels 7-6
5/08   W Angels 3-1
5/09   L Angels 6-5
5/10   L Rangers 4-2
5/11   L Rangers 8-7
5/12   L Rangers 12-7

Overall Record: 10-28
Team Batting Average: .247
Runs For: 154
Runs Against: 235
Home Runs: 39
Strikeouts/Walks (Hitting): 381/100
Stolen Bases: 18
Caught Stealing: 8
Team ERA: 5.79
Team WHIP: 1.66
Starters ERA: 6.19
Bullpen ERA: 5.36
Strikeouts/Walks (Pitching): 239/153
Times Shutout: 4
Shutouts: 1

Team Leaders (Hitting):

Average: Jose Altuve .336 (51/152)
Runs: Carlos Pena/Chris Carter 20
Hits: Jose Altuve 51
Doubles: Jason Castro 11
Triples: Justin Maxwell 2
Home Runs: Chris Carter 9
Runs Batted In: Chris Carter 22
Walks: Carlos Pena 21
Stolen Bases: Jose Altuve/Brandon Barnes 4

Team Leaders (Pitching):

Games: Wesley Wright 18
Innings: Bud Norris 45
Wins: Bud Norris 4
Saves: Jose Veras 4
Holds: Hector Ambriz 6
Strikeouts: Bud Norris/Erik Bedard 31
Quality Starts: Bud Norris 4
ERA: Bud Norris 3.40
WHIP: Bud Norris 1.49

On the Farm:

Oklahoma City (AAA) - 22-14
Corpus Christi (AA) - 21-15
Lancaster (AdvA) - 22-15
Quad Cities (LoA) - 20-15

Minor League Leaders:

Runs: Nolan Fontana (AdvA) - 34
Hits: Nolan Fontana (AdvA) - 43
Walks: Nolan Fontana (AdvA) - 34
Home Runs: George Springer (AA) - 12
RBIs: Andrew Aplin (AdvA) - 33
Stolen Bases: Jonathan Villar (AAA)/Austin Wates (AA/AAA) - 13
Wins: Bobby Doran (AA)/David Martinez (AA) - 5
Saves: Jose Valdez (AAA) - 9
Strikeouts: Vincent Velasquez (LoA) - 44

Week 5 in Review

The Astros ended the week with 6 straight losses. Brad Peacock and Rhiner Cruz were sent down, Erik Bedard lost his spot in the rotation, and Philip Humber fell to 0-7 on the year. No one ever said this year was going to be easy...

Weekly Results

4/29   W Yankees 9-1
4/30   L Yankees 7-4
5/01   L Yankees 5-4
5/02   L Tigers 7-3 (14 innings)
5/03   L Tigers 4-3
5/04   L Tigers 17-2
5/05   L Tigers 9-0

Overall Record: 8-24
Team Batting Average: .245
Runs For: 123
Runs Against: 198
Home Runs: 30
Strikeouts/Walks (Hitting): 323/83
Stolen Bases: 12
Caught Stealing: 7
Team ERA: 5.70
Team WHIP: 1.65
Starters ERA: 6.53
Bullpen ERA: 4.90
Strikeouts/Walks (Pitching): 199/128
Times Shutout: 4
Shutouts: 1

Team Leaders (Hitting):

Average: Jose Altuve .323 (42/130)
Runs: Carlos Pena 17
Hits: Jose Altuve 42
Doubles: Jason Castro 10
Triples: Justin Maxwell 2
Home Runs: Chris Carter 6
Runs Batted In: Jose Altuve 15
Walks: Carlos Pena 17
Stolen Bases: Marwin Gonzalez/Brandon Barnes 3

Team Leaders (Pitching):

Games: Wesley Wright 16
Innings: Lucas Harrell 39 1/3
Wins: Bud Norris/Lucas Harrell 3
Saves: Jose Veras 2
Holds: Hector Ambriz 5
Strikeouts: Bud Norris 29
Quality Starts: Bud Norris/Lucas Harrell 3
ERA: Bud Norris 3.89
WHIP: Bud Norris 1.54

On the Farm:

Oklahoma City (AAA) - 18-11
Corpus Christi (AA) - 18-12
Lancaster (AdvA) - 17-12
Quad Cities (LoA) - 17-11

Minor League Leaders:

Runs: Nolan Fontana (AdvA) - 28
Hits: Jimmy Paredes (AAA) - 41
Walks: Nolan Fontana (AdvA) - 28
Home Runs: George Springer (AA) - 10
RBIs: Andrew Aplin (AdvA) - 26
Stolen Bases: Austin Wates - 12
Wins: Bobby Doran (AA)/Michael Dimock (LoA) - 4
Saves: Jose Valdez (AAA) - 7
Strikeouts: Vincent Velasquez (LoA) - 35

So Close... Yes So Far...

I'm trying to put a positive spin on last night's game, but it certainly isn't easy. For the second time in as many nights, we let a game slip away against the Tigers. This time, closer Jose Veras surrendered a 9th inning 2-run homer to Alex Avila, who's now hitting an Astro-like .179 on the season, dealing us a 4-3 loss. On top of that Jose Altuve got robbed on a great play by Omar Infante in the 9th and Jason Castro hit a line shot, but right at left fielder Don Kelly to end the game. So, positive spin... right. The only thing I can really think to say is that we're in these games, and we're actually expecting the results to be different. A couple of weeks ago, we expected to lose EVERY game, and by a lot. But now the starting pitching is getting better, and with the exception of Veras, both Hector Ambriz and Travis Blackley were solid out of the pen. Robbie Grossman reached base 3 more times as he continues to work his way out of that 0 for 17 skid in Boston, Jose Altuve had 3 hits, we actually rallied from a 2-0 deficit late in the game to take a 3-2 lead... Good things are happening with this club, they just aren't translating into wins yet. And let's face it, this year isn't about wins, it's about next year, and the year after that. It's about figuring out what we have, and who's worth keeping. Did anyone really think Jose Veras was the long term solution at closer? No, he's there the mentor younger guys in the bullpen. But as guys like Ambriz and Clemens and Blackley and Cisnero start to emerge out of the pen, and Harrell and Norris and Lyles have successes in the rotation, Castro emerges as an every day player, Dominguez plays his Gold Glove defense at third, you're starting to put together a team, which is something we haven't been doing since the early 2000s. Don't get me wrong, I hate losing, and it's frustrating to look at our record and see we're 8-22. But we are making progress, however small, and you've got to buy into what the organization is trying to do otherwise you're in for a long couple of months/years. So hang in there, Astro fans, and stay positive. Take the small victories for what they are and a few years from now, you'll be able to say you were there through the dark years, and always believed. It'll make the end reward that much sweeter.

Another Series Slips Away - Changes on the Horizon

The Astros overcame an early 4-0 deficit, but fell short in the end, losing to the Yankees 5-4. As the Astros now prepare for Detroit, they'll do it with some new, albeit familiar faces, as Jordan Lyles and Dallas Keuchel are back up, and Brad Peacock and Rhiner Cruz are bound for Oklahoma City (no real surprises there). Some more thoughts on the loss:

1) Jason Castro is really getting things going at the plate. With two more doubles last night, he now has 10, and if you take away that 0/11 in the Rangers series, he's hitting .325 (25/77) on the year. He's really taken to the 3-hole too which is only going to help the guy hitting ahead of him (Jose Altuve). Speaking of Altuve, he's just a machine. The Pocket Jesus is hitting .336 now and has 38 hits to go along with a team high 14 runs batted in.

2) Over his last 4 games, Carlos Pena is 7 for 14 with 3 of his team high 16 walks. Could he be starting to get things going? His average is still a pedestrian .234, but that's a heck of a lot better than the .180 range he was living in last week. I'd still like to see more power from him though. Two homers in 28 games just isn't going to cut it.

3) Brandon Barnes continues to do little things that are going to keep him in the lineup. He beat out a double play ball to drive in a run, got a bunt down, and even started a failed 9th inning rally with a leadoff single off of Mariano Rivera. This kid is making it really hard on Bo Porter which is every manager's dream.

4) Speaking of the failed 9th inning rally, how many games are we going to endure just ZERO luck at all. Barnes gets a big jump, Dominguez hits into a line drive double play. We're going to lose enough games just on talent, we don't need any help from the baseball Gods.

5) Erik Bedard endured another subpar start lasting just 4 innings and allowing 4 runs on 6 hits to go along with 4 walks. He also gave up a home run to Ben Francisco (former Astro) who with the home run is now hitting .133 on the year. It's getting harder to defend the guy, so hopefully he figures it out soon. With 4 long relievers on the Astros roster right now (Keuchel, Clemens, Cisnero, Blackley) and Josh Fields on the mend, Bedard has to be next in line to get sent down or let go. I really want the guy to succeed and he's shown glimpses of what he can do, it's just got to be more consistent and more efficient. That said, time is running out for him to prove himself.

6) Big time pitching from Hector Ambriz last night who pitched his way out of a bases loaded, one out jam in the 8th without allowing a run to keep Houston in the game. That very easily could have turned into a big inning, and it was nice to see one of our relievers pitch their way out of trouble and getting some big strikeouts when they needed to.

7) Wesley Wright has really turned into a nice find. A Rule 5 Draft Pick back in 2008, it was touch and go for a while, but he's followed a solid 2012 and a good start to 2013. After last night's outing, Wright has now put together 7 straight scoreless outings spanning 9 innings.

Humber Falls to 0-6 in Loss

Missed opportunities early and a failed rally late resulted in a 7-4 loss for the Astros last night. The loss dropped righty Philip Humber to 0-6 on the year, although it was a much better result for him than his previous 2 starts. Some more notes on last night's game:

1) Houston had 1st and 3rd with one out in the first, bases loaded with two outs in the second, and first and second with none out in the third, and couldn't push a run across. That's just not a recipe for winning baseball. Eventually Hiroki Kuroda got into a groove, and the Yankees offense pushed some runs across, and before you knew it, the game was over. The Astros did rally scoring twice in the 8th and twice more in the 9th, but it's all about capitalizing on opportunities early (see Game 1 in this series)  and getting teams on the ropes. We did not do that last night.

2) Philip Humber gave up 9 hits in 6 innings, but 8 of them were singles. He did have four wild pitches though, two of which led to runs. I don't know if he was trying to be like his teammate Rick Ankiel, or if Jason Castro was just having an off night, or if Humber's stuff was just moving all over the place (the 9 hits would suggest otherwise), but that's a lot. Overall, Humber didn't pitch terrible, and this was a big improvement over his previous outings, so I think his spot in the rotation continues to be safe for the time being, despite calls from the armchair GMs for his head.

3) Rex Robbie Grossman reached base 3 more times yesterday drawing a pair of walks and then singling in the 9th. Hopefully he's starting to get more comfortable at the plate even though his average (.138) isn't really reflecting that yet. 

4) Trogdor the Bombinator (Chris Carter for those of you who don't regularly follow the blog) blasted a 2-run homer in the 8th inning off of David Roberton to start to bring the Astros back into the game. The homer was Carter's team-best sixth of the year and he remains tied with Jose Altuve for the team lead in rbis with 14. Carter's homer was his only hit of the night, but it was clutch, and he showed that he has big time power to all fields, driving that ball out to right.

5) The Peacock did not fly last night. After a solid start to the evening coming on in relief for Wesley Wright, the wheels came off in this second inning of work. All three hitters he faced in the 8th reached base safely, and all of them came around to score. His ERA on the year is now 9.41, and with the Astros announcing today that they're ready to call up both Jordan Lyles and Dallas Keuchel, you have to think he's on his way to Oklahoma City. I think the kid has a lot of potential, but when things start to go bad for him, they just seem to snowball and he loses all confidence. Hopefully he can get back on track and become the guy we hoped he'd be when we traded for him.

6) I have no idea who the two guys are that are going down for Keuchel and Lyles. I think it's pretty easy to say that Peacock is one, but the second one? Veras is safe. Wright is safe. And I don't know how you could justify sending down Cisnero or Clemens, both who have been very good. Travis Blackley just keeps improving so I think he's in the clear. So all that leaves are Hector Ambriz and Rhiner Cruz. And Ambriz leads the team in holds with 3. So to me that means it's going to be Rhiner. But if that's the case, who gets sent down when Josh Fields finally comes back? Keuchel again? Lyles? Bedard? It'll be interesting see where we go with this.

Week 4 in Review

The week started out well with a series win over the Mariners, but things quickly soured as the Astros franchise stayed winless at Fenway Park. Things aren't going to get any easier next week either with upcoming series against the Yankees and Tigers.

Weekly Results

4/22   L Mariners 7-1
4/23   W Mariners 3-2
4/24   W Mariners 10-3
4/25   L Redsox 7-2
4/26   L Redsox 7-3
4/27   L Redsox 8-4
4/28   L Redsox 6-1

Overall Record: 7-18
Team Batting Average: .247
Runs For: 98
Runs Against: 148
Home Runs: 25
Strikeouts/Walks (Hitting): 248/68
Stolen Bases: 11
Caught Stealing: 4
Team ERA: 5.51
Team WHIP: 1.62
Starters ERA: 6.34
Bullpen ERA: 4.61
Strikeouts/Walks (Pitching): 151/95
Times Shutout: 3
Shutouts: 1

Team Leaders (Hitting):

Average: Jose Altuve .317 (32/101)
Runs: Carlos Pena 13
Hits: Jose Altuve 32
Doubles: Matt Dominguez 6
Triples: Justin Maxwell 2
Home Runs: Chris Carter/Rick Ankiel 5
Runs Batted In: Chris Carter/Jose Altuve 12
Walks: Carlos Pena 14
Stolen Bases: Marwin Gonzalez 3

Team Leaders (Pitching):

Games: Rhiner Cruz/Wesley Wright/Hector Ambriz 12
Innings: Bud Norris 30
Wins: Bud Norris 3
Saves: Jose Veras 2
Holds: Hector Ambriz 3
Strikeouts: Bud Norris 22
Quality Starts: Philip Humber/Bud Norris/Lucas Harrell 2
ERA:  Lucas Harrell 4.08
WHIP: Lucas Harrell 1.57

On the Farm:

Oklahoma City (AAA) - 13-10
Corpus Christi (AA) - 13-10
Lancaster (AdvA) - 14-9
Quad Cities (LoA) - 13-8

Minor League Leaders:

Runs: Nolan Fontana (AdvA) - 21
Hits: Jimmy Paredes (AAA) - 31
Walks: Nolan Fontana (AdvA) - 26
Home Runs: George Springer (AA) - 7
RBIs: Marc Krauss (AAA) - 23
Stolen Bases: Austin Wates - 9
Wins: Bobby Doran (AA)/Vincent Velasquez (LoA) - 3
Saves: Jose Valdez (AAA) - 6
Strikeouts: Nick Tropeano (AA) - 29

Bottom of Sox Order Buries Astros

When you think about all the powerful hitters in the Boston lineup, there's some names that don't usually come up: David Ross, Will Middlebrooks and Pedro Ciriaco for example. Last night, Boston's 7, 8 and 9 hitters went 8 for 12 with a triple, three home runs, four runs scored, and 3 runs batted in. By contrast, Houston's 4, 5, and 6 hitters were 1 for 10 with 8 strikeouts. Hard to win when you put up numbers like that. More thoughts on last night's loss:

1) Brandon Laird went 0 for 4 in the cleanup spot striking out in all 4 appearances. He did not look comfortable at the plate at all, and as a result, the Astros missed some opportunities. Houston has yet to really identify a solid option as the cleanup hitter this year. If you're looking for more evidence, look no farther than the fact that Jose Altuve is now tied for the team lead in rbis.

2) It was nice to see the Astros actually bring home some runners with productive outs for a change. Despite going 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position, and not homering, the Astros scored 3 times. This was a result of an rbi ground out from Robbie Grossman (his first Major League rbi) and two sacrifice flies from Jose Altuve. The Astros had just 2 sacrifice flies in their first 22 games. Obviously you want hits, but just getting the runs in was a good first step.

3) Erik Bedard was roughed up last night for 7 extra base hits in just 3+ innings of work in which he threw 91 pitches. This is what the Redsox have been doing for years. They wear pitchers out. Every hitter up and down the lineup seems can work counts. And while Astros pitchers didn't issue any walks last night, they eventually made mistakes (4 homers - albeit all solo shots), 4 doubles and a triple. On the whole, Astro pitchers needed 186 pitches to get through 8 innings. Houston hitters could certainly learn from the Boston hitters' approaches.

4) Paul Clemens was once again sharp in long relief going 3 innings and allowed just a David Ortiz blast while striking out 4. Clemens has pitched REALLY well when the Astros have been trailing, so much so that I think he's earned an opportunity to get some more meaningful innings. I know there's a lot of grumbling about how he should be getting an opportunity to start, but I don't see Bedard or Humber losing their jobs any time soon, mainly because they're both potential trade pieces, and it's in our best interest to let them work out the kinks so we can get more in return for them. As the saying goes, what's the worst that could happen? We gonna fall out of last place? Clemens has a live arm and I think he could help out in the 7th or 8th innings. Heck, he might even be able to close if we move Veras at the deadline. Anyhow, lots of options for him, the big thing right now is that he's performing.

5) Rhiner Cruz's struggles continue. He didn't exactly get lit up last night, but he did give up 4 more hits, and he's not hitting his spots when he pitches. I maintain what I've been saying that he needs to head down to Oklahoma City when Josh Fields gets back to work out some of the finer points of pitching. A gifted reliever with a big arm, he shouldn't be allowing so many baserunners.

6) The Astros banged out 5 doubles last night which was nice to see. Their 14 strikeouts really prevented them from making more of those opportunities though. We touched on it already the importance of productive outs. A weak grounder to the right side will get a runner from 2nd to 3rd, and a fly ball into the outfield can score a runner from third. We need out hitters to do a better job of putting the ball in play. Everybody who's played the game knows you're supposed to shorten up your swing with 2 strikes and put it in play. Hard to force the opposition into making a mistake if you never make them make any plays.

7) As bad as last night seemed to go at times, Houston still had their chances. Jonny Gomes made a diving grab in left to rob Jason Castro of extra bases and save a run in the 5th, and Brandon Laird actually represented the tying run when he came up with two men on against Junichi Tazawa in the 7th. So we're in these games. And whether you want to admit it or not, we are improving. More hitters are squaring up baseballs, we're drawing more walks, and with a little bit better efforts from our starting pitching, we're a decent team. Not a GOOD team, but we're decent.

Winning is Way More Fun

VICTORY! The one thing about pulling for a team that isn't very good is that the wins are a lot more fun. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather go back to winning most of the time, but the wins are a little sweeter when they're harder to come by. On a down note, last night's win came at a price as starting centerfielder Justin Maxwell broke his hand when he was hit by a pitch, so he's headed to the DL. Some more thoughts on last night's big win:

1) Bud Norris didn't have his best stuff last night, but pitched out of trouble all game and earned his third win of the season. That means he has 50% of our 6 wins. With lots of speculation that Norris is going to get moved come the trade deadline, it's beneficial to Houston that he continues to perform so if we do end up dealing him, we can justify getting a lot in return. If it comes to that, I'll certainly be sorry to see him go, but if you believe in what the organization is trying to do right now, it makes sense. And if you want proof that we're on the right track, all four of our minor league clubs currently have winning records.

2) The loss of Maxwell is going to hurt, but Houston's got some intriguing options able to take his place. First off, defensive specialist Brandon Barnes who's been solid so far this year off the bench. And then there's newly recalled prospect Robbie Grossman who's been tearing it up in AAA. Grossman is especially enticing because he does something most of the current Astros don’t do: he draws walks!! If he can hit at the big league level, he might even be the leadoff hitter we're looking for which would allow us to drop hit machine Jose Altuve down in the order where he might actually be able to drive in some runs.

3) Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi Oi Oi! Travis Blackley was solid in relief last night retiring the first six hitters he faced before surrendering a mammoth home run to Kendrys Morales. With three long men now on the roster (Blackley, Clemens, Cisnero), it'll be interesting to see how roles evolve as we go forward. I personally think Clemens has the stuff to be a back of the bullpen type guy, but I don't know that his long term role won't be in the starting rotation. Things are going to get even more muddled up when Josh Fields comes off the DL in a little bit. Don't be surprised if Rhiner Cruz draws the short straw and gets sent down. While he has the physical tools, I think he'd benefit from some more time in the minors to hone in his stuff. Plus, everyone else is starting to pitch better: Ambriz has only allowed 1 run over his last 7 outings, Wesley Wright has been pitching better, Veras has 2 straight saves, and all the long men in the bullpen have been delivering. I think the only other real plausible option if it's not Cruz is for it to be Cisnero, but after his performance against Seattle on Monday, he's kinda earned the right to stick around a bit. We'll see though.

4) Speaking of Veras, the closer finally delivered last night making by far his most dominant appearance of 2013 setting down all three hitters he faced, two by strikeout. That makes 4 straight scoreless outings for Veras after his blown save against the Angels including a pair of saves. As a former collegiate closer, I can speak to how important confidence is when you're that guy and it's looking like Veras is starting to grow into the role. Over the past week, Veras has seen his ERA drop from 9.64 to 5.19. Still not great, but getting better. It should also be noted that both of his converted saves were 1-run games with no margin for error.

5) I thought it was kind of funny that twitter was blowing up last night with people dogging Hector Ambriz before he'd even thrown a pitch. Including last night's 1-2-3 8th, over Hector's last 7 appearances, he's thrown 8 1/3 innings and allowed just one run (solo homer to Mark Reynolds) on 6 hits while walking 1 and fanning 5. He's had 3 holds, more than anyone else on the team, and has held hitters to a .207 average during this stretch.

6) "Defensive Specialist" Marwin Gonzalez set a new career high in home runs last night with his 3rd of the young season (and it's till April!). He's also just 5 RBIs shy of the 12 he had in his rookie season. One of Houston's more consistent hitters this year, Marwin's power surge is a pleasant surprise to say the least and while he probably won't stay on this pace and eclipse 20+ homers, he may end up with 10 or 12 which would be great. I'd really like to see Marwin get a shot at hitting higher up in the order instead of sitting down in the 9 hole, but as long as we win, I suppose I can deal. All three of Marwin's homers have come against Seattle, and all of them from the left side of the plate.

7) Lefty reliever Xavier Cedeno was claimed off waivers by the Washington Nationals after being designated for assignment by Houston. The 26 year old Puerto Rican pitched in parts of 3 seasons with the Astros posting an ERA of 6.00 with 1 save and 6 holds over 52 games. In 44 games in 2012 he had a 3.77 ERA striking out 36 in 31 innings.

Cisnero Debut a Success, but That's About It

The losses are starting to pile up again, but the truth is, there's not a lot of shame in getting shut down by King Felix. It would've been nicer to see Peacock go a little deeper into the game, but short outings are apparently all the rage right now. At least we got a great outing from Jose Cisnero in his debut. Some more thoughts on last night's game:

1) Brad Peacock had his worst outing of the season allowing 3 homers in 4 1/3 innings skyrocketing his ERA up to 7.50. After striking out 7 his last time out, Peacock managed just 1 strikeout last night, and once again just threw too many pitches. Unfortunately, no one else is pitching any better right now, so it's hard to justify making any sort of move.

2) Jose Cisnero was terrific last night in relief logging 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his Major League debut. He becomes the latest in a long line of long relievers that have appeared on the Astros roster this year: Edgar Gonzalez, Travis Blackley, Dallas Keuchel, Paul Clemens, Brett Oberholtzer, and now Cisnero. If nothing else, Cisnero has earned the right to stick around a bit. The kid has pretty good stuff, so many he can help out sooner than expected. I just wish we could have a game where our best player wasn't one of our long relievers.

3) All or Nothing Ankiel crushed another homer last night raising his average up to .237. Ankiel is now  9 for 38 with 24 strikeouts. He has two singles, two doubles and five home runs for a team high 11 runs batted in. When he puts the ball in play, he's batting .643. Simply ridiculous. Even more ridiculous is that he still hasn't drawn a walk in 2013.

4) Jose Veras tossed a scoreless inning in relief last night, but once again allowed a hit so he's now gone 8 straight outings without retiring the side in order. On the plus side, he has gone 3 straight appearances without allowing a run after blowing that save against Albert Pujols and the Angels.

5) Jason Castro had his 3rd multi-hit performance in the last 4 games with a pair of doubles and a walk raising his average up to .242. Unfortunately, the walk was just his 2nd of the year which is way down from his walk rate a year ago. He's not the only one this applies to on this roster, but Astro hitters need to work more counts, and draw more walks. Cutting down on the strikeouts would be nice too. Yes, I'm talking about you, Chris Carter. Carter picked up a hat trick last night giving him 31 strikeouts in 70 at bats this season. No good.

6) Jose Altuve went 1 for 4 to extend his hitting streak to 8 games and he's now hitting .377 on the year. The only other Astro hitting over .300 right now is reserve outfielder Brandon Barnes (.333 - 8/24).

I Hate Losing...

As much as it sucks being down 2 touchdowns in the second inning, losses like that are almost easier to swallow than what we endured yesterday. I mean, you lose a game 19-6, and there's no doubt that you got beat. You lose a game 5-4 where you had multiple opportunities to tie or win the game and failed to execute, and you're left wondering what might've been. Some more thoughts on yesterday's loss:

1) Erik Bedard fanned a season high 8 in just four innings of work yesterday showing that he's obviously still got it. Bo Porter's still using the kid gloves on him to make sure he's able to make it through the season, which given our current competitive state I'm fine with, so we haven't really seen him get stretched out. But other than the Oakland game in which he couldn't find the plate, he's been really good this year. If he can stay healthy, and build up the arm strength a bit, you have to figure he could at least fetch us SOMEthing at the trade deadline which really has to be the end goal with a veteran guy like him on a team like this.

2) So, per Bo after the game, Marwin's failed bunt attempt with two strikes was something Marwin took upon himself to do, and not a call from the dugout. Now I'm not mad at a young player for pressing to try and make something happen. I am, however, frustrated at our inability to get a bunt down in THREE TRIES. If you're a major league baseball player, there's no excuse for not being able to bunt a ball fair. It's not even like he was trying to bunt for a hit, he was giving himself up to sacrifice. All you do is stand there and bunt the ball. So that was disappointing; even more so when you consider that Marwin's like the only guy we ever have bunt.

3) Chris Carter is in a FUNK. He went from crushing baseballs to the moon to looking the way he did in the Texas series: Just absolutely lost at the plate. I know he has a longer leash than some other hitters in the lineup, but at some point, don't you at least have to drop him down a few spots? It's a bad sign when the bases are loaded in the 9th inning with 1 out, and your "cleanup hitter" steps up to the plate, and your reaction is NOOOOOOOOO! NOT HIM!

4) Fernando Martinez made his 2013 debut yesterday and greeted Ubaldo Jimenez with a 2-run homer in his first at bat. This is EXACTLY what we need out of F-Mart as he tries to prove himself. He's out of options, so if we try and send him down, someone else will likely take a flyer on him, so it's in everyone's best interest that he perform. Hopefully yesterday was just a sign of things to come.

5) Brett Oberholtzer made his Major League debut and surrendered a pair of solo home runs in two innings of work. Obie hadn't exactly been lighting it up in AAA, so all things considered it wasn't a TERRIBLE debut. If he can get some of his command issues worked out, there's a good chance he makes it back to the show at some point. In the meantime, he's headed back to OKC as Jose Cisnero is the next man up through the revolving door of long relievers. And on that note, someone in the starting rotation has to bear down and get us some innings. It's been over a week since someone got through 6.

6) Jose Altuve drew his first intentional walk of the season yesterday. You figure it was going to happen eventually. Why would you pitch to him when no one else in the lineup is hitting? On a semi-related note, this is how I'd like to shake up the batting order:

vs Righties                   vs Lefties

SS Marwin Gonzalez            RF Brandon Barnes

C Jason Castro                SS Marwin Gonzalez

2B Jose Altuve                2B Jose Altuve

LF Fernando Martinez          LF Chris Carter

1B Carlos Pena                CF Justin Maxwell

CF Justin Maxwell             DH Carlos Pena

DH Chris Carter               1B Brandon Laird

RF Rick Ankiel                C Jason Castro

3B Matt Dominguez             3B Matt Dominguez

Thoughts?

Week 3 in Review

Rough week for the Astros as three times they saw their starters knocked out in the first inning and they finished the week 1-5, dropping them to 5-13 on the season. On the bright side, they didn't get shutout:

Weekly Results

4/15   L Athletics 11-2
4/16   L Athletics 4-3
4/17   L Athletics 7-5
4/19   W Indians 3-2
4/20   L Indians 19-6
4/21   L Indians 5-4

Overall Record: 5-13
Team Batting Average: .250
Runs For: 74
Runs Against: 108
Home Runs: 20
Strikeouts/Walks (Hitting): 173/47
Stolen Bases: 7
Caught Stealing: 3
Team ERA: 5.40
Team WHIP: 1.58
Starters ERA: 5.73
Bullpen ERA: 5.04
Strikeouts/Walks (Pitching): 100/73
Times Shutout: 3
Shutouts: 1

Team Leaders (Hitting):

Average: Jose Altuve .370 (27/73)
Runs: Carlos Pena 12
Hits: Jose Altuve 27
Doubles: Carlos Pena 5
Triples: Justin Maxwell 2
Home Runs: Chris Carter/Rick Ankiel 4
Runs Batted In: Chris Carter/Rick Ankiel 10
Walks: Carlos Pena 9
Stolen Bases: Justin Maxwell/Jose Altuve 2

Team Leaders (Pitching):

Games: Rhiner Cruz/Wesley Wright/Hector Ambriz 10
Innings: Lucas Harrell 21 2/3
Wins: Bud Norris 2
Saves: Erik Bedard/Jose Veras 1
Holds: Hector Ambriz 2
Strikeouts: Lucas Harrell/Brad Peacock 15
Quality Starts: Philip Humber 2
ERA:  Bud Norris 4.74
WHIP: Bud Norris 1.47

On the Farm:

Oklahoma City (AAA) - 10-7
Corpus Christi (AA) - 9-7
Lancaster (AdvA) - 11-6
Quad Cities (LoA) - 10-5

Minor League Leaders:

Runs: Nolan Fontana (AdvA) - 17
Hits: Jake Elmore (AAA) - 23
Walks: Nolan Fontana (AdvA) - 17
Home Runs: Preston Tucker (AdvA) - 5
RBIs: Marc Krauss (AAA) / Zachary Johnson (AdvA) - 18
Stolen Bases: Austin Wates - 9
Wins: 9 tied with 2
Saves: Jose Valdez (AAA) - 5
Strikeouts: Luis Cruz (AdvA) - 22

A Touchdown and 4 Field Goals Later...

Not much to say about last night. I feel like I've said that a lot this week. For the third time in 5 games, a Houston starter failed to make it out of the first inning. 19 runs later, well... you get the picture... Still, even as bad as last night was, there were some positives. My thoughts on last night's blowout:

1) Despite everything else, Jose Altuve continues to get hits. The diminuitive second baseman had two more hits to commemorate his bobblehead night, and extended his hitting streak to 6, and raised his batting average to .371. At some point, don't we have to stop viewing him as our leadoff hitter and start considering him in the 3-hole? I wouldn't mind seeing Brandon Barnes or one of the shortstops hitting leadoff. It can't hurt, right? As Danny Glover said in Angels in the Outfield, 'What are we gonna do? Fall out of last place?'

2) Paul Clemens has to be viewed as the big winner this week. In two blowout losses, Clemens tossed 8 2/3 scoreless innings allowing just 2 hits. He's certainly made the most of his opportunity and I'm fairly confident when I say that he'll be a staple in the Houston bullpen for the rest of the season. Now if we could just get him some meaningful innings.

3) Travis Blackley made his Astros debut last night and Jason Giambi wrecked it with a 3-run homer. I'm not going to put too much stock in last night's appearance though. It was his first game as an Astro, his first game back off the DL, and a blowout. Let's see what he can do now that he's got the first game jitters out of the way.

4) Brandon Laird homered in his second at bat showing the hot bat he had this spring wasn't a fluke. He finished 2 for 5, but he did strikeout out with runners on 2nd and 3rd an 1 out in the 5th. It wouldn't have changed the game any, but if he's going to be a middle of the order guy on this team, he's got to do better with situational hitting.

5) Philip Humber's ERA jumped from 2.89 to 6.63 after he allowed 8 runs in just 1/3 of inning. Figures this would be the game where we finally scored him some runs too. Humber is now 0-4 and on pace for a 30-loss season. Yeah...

6) Carlos Corporan was hit by a pitch in the 7th inning making him the first Astro all season to get on base that way. That's unbelievable. 16 games without a hit batsman? By contrast, Astros pitchers have hit 7 batters this year. I don't know if it's just bad luck, or if there's just no need to pitch our guys inside because they don't intimidate anyone. Either way, I found it interesting.

7) Brandon Barnes ripped his first home run of the year last night. He's hitting .333 now and I'd love to see him keep getting playing time. In fact, an outfield of Fernando Martinez, Justin Maxwell and Barnes intrigues me. Throw in Rick Ankiel here and there just to mix things up. Again, worth a shot, right? Let's find out what we've got with these kids.

Sweet, Sweet Victory

Nothing quite like ending a long losing streak. Houston finally got win #5 last night holding on to beat the Indians 3-2. Yeah, it was a former Astro that we beat, but that doesn't cheapen things any for me. Some more notes on last night's win:

1) It was nice to see the Astros aggressive on the basepaths for a second straight game. After just one steal in the first 13 games, Houston has had back-to-back 3 steal games. Jose Altuve stole his second base of the season, and Justin Maxwell stole second and third on back-to-back pitches at one point. I think this aggressiveness is going to pay off if we keep it up. It was certainly effective during the spring, and when you don't get a lot of baserunners, you've got to do whatever you can to get them in scoring position.

2) Tough break for J.D. Martinez last night who sprained his knee on a check swing in the 4th inning. J.D. had slugged an opposite field home run in his first at bat, before being forced to leave the game in the middle of at bat. With his roster spot sort of in jeopardy with Fernando Martinez on a rehab stint in Oklahoma City, the timing of the injury certainly isn't good. Hopefully it's nothing too serious, and he'll just be out a couple days, but it certainly doesn't help his rhythm any. On the bright side, Brandon Barnes stepped right in for him and picked up 2 more hits to raise his average up to .350. Barnes, who has some pop, runs very well, and plays terrific defense might now finally get a chance to show his stuff this season.

3) All-or-nothing Ankiel struck again yesterday with his 4th home run of the season. Ankiel is now 6 for 31 with 4 home runs and 21 strikeouts. That means when he hits the ball, he's hitting .600. Which is ridiculous. He's also the team leader in runs batted in with 10. If only he could hit the ball just a LITTLE bit more often...

4) Lucas Harrell earned his first win of the season, but his command failed him again. For the second time this season he walked 5 hitters in a start, and that's just no good. Of the 98 pitches he threw, just 49 were strikes, and it was only thanks to some solid defense behind him that the Astros managed to escape with a win. It continues a trend of shortened outings by Astros starters. Only 4 of 15 Astros starters have made it through a full 6 innings. And that means a bigger load on the bullpen. Granted, last night the pen did what it's supposed to holding the Tribe at bay, but they can't log that many innings over the course of a full season without consequences. In short, the starting pitching has to get better.

5) Jose Veras rebounded from his blown save against the Angels to earn his first save as an Astro last night. Once again though, he failed to set down the side in order which continues to raise my concerns as to whether or not he's the answer for us. Don't get me wrong, the guy's a solid reliever and he's got good stuff, I just don't know that he's a 9th inning guy. Here's a name to keep in the back of your mind moving forward: Josh Zeid. Part of the Hunter Pence trade a few years back, Zeid has been solid in AAA this year fanning 11 in 6 1/3 innings while allowing just 3 hits. He picked up a 4-out save for the RedHawks last night too. Probably too early to give him a shot with the Astros, but certainly a name to remember.

6) Scott Kazmir returns to the Majors today making his first start since 2011. The injury-prone lefty has made 30 or more starts just twice since 2004, but there's never been any doubt about his stuff. Don't be surprised to see Brandon Laird and Brandon Barnes in the lineup to give the Astros a right-handed heavy look.

Astros Swept By A's Again

Another sweep at the hands of the Oakland Athletics. At least we were in a couple of the games this time around. Heck, if J.D. Martinez doesn't strike out with the bases loaded and one out in the second game, or Rick Ankiel's rocket line drive down the first base line doesn't miraculously find the first baseman's mitt, we probably come away with a win. We knew the 'Stros weren't going to be great this year, all you can really ask is for them to be competitive. Some more thoughts on the past two games:

1) I love Brad Peacock's stuff. I'd love it more if he'd pitch deeper into games, but he's showing more and more every outing. I know he's failed to get out of the fifth in two of three starts, but his 7 strikeouts were a team-high this year. I look forward to seeing him develop over the course of the season.

2) Nice to finally see Carlos Pena start hitting the long ball. Two home runs in two days after none in the first 13 games of the season. And now he's back to where he should be, with more home runs than bunt singles. I would like to see a few more rbis from him though as he only has 6 through 15 games, but I could say that about almost anyone on the team. Like I said the other day, it's not like anyone other than Jose Altuve is a really tough out right now.

3) What's up with our starters not getting out of the first inning? Twice in the same series? I read that this was like only the third time since 1900 that pitchers on the same team had allowed at least six runs in a start while pitching less than an inning in the same series. Awesome! Of course one of the guys involved in the most recent time prior to this one was a former Astro. Hooray Jim Clancy! Anyhow, if there's a silver lining to the poor starting pitching it's that our long relief was terrific. In this series we got 5 1/3 scoreless innings from Paul Clemens, 3 scoreless innings from Dallas Keuchel, 2 1/3 scoreless innings from Wesley Wright, and 2 2/3 innings of one run ball from Xavier Cedeno. Now we just need to figure out how to translate those performances into games when we NEED them!

4) Nice to see the Astros FINALLY start stealing some bases. After just 1 steal (and 3 caught stealings) in the first 14 games, the Astros stole three bases on Wednesday afternoon (Brandon Barnes, Marwin Gonzalez and Jose Altuve). I really think this is a MUST for this team. If you're not going to hit for a high average, you have to be proficient on the basepaths. Get 'em over, get 'em in. Hopefully we'll see more of that moving forward. And yes, its helps if you have guys on base to start with.

5) Brett Wallace is headed back to Oklahoma City to get some more playing time and figure out what's going on with his swing. As a result Brandon Laird got the call, but it wasn't thanks to John Ely going on the 60 Day DL like I'd initially thought. Instead, Xavier Cedeno and his 11.37 ERA was designated for assignment which means he's off the 40-man roster. I'll be the first to admit, I'm somewhat surprised that that was the route that took. But then again, you can't average 3 baserunners an inning, and pitch at the Major League Level. Plus, we do still have to lefties in the pen with Keuchel and Wright. And another one starting a rehab assignment in Oklahoma City in Travis Blackley. So maybe having that lefty specialist isn't all that valuable. You could probably also argue that having a closer on this team isn't very valuable, but that's another story. Anyhow, Brandon Laird, who was hitting .353 for the RedHawks with 5 doubles, 2 homers and a team high 14 runs batted in is going to get his shot. Now 25 years old, Laird was 9 for 35 over 17 games for the Astros late last year with a homer, a double and 4 runs batted in. He was absolutely smoking the ball this spring though, and has continued to play well in AAA. He certainly deserves the opportunity. But now with Wallace gone, it will be interesting to see who goes down if/when Fernando Martinez finishes his rehab. My money is on J.D. Martinez (.227 1 HR), especially with Laird (a righty) replacing Wallace (a lefty). We'll see though. I've been wrong many times before.

6) The A's have now swept us twice this month. The good news for Astros fans? We get THIRTEEN MORE SHOTS AT THEM! We're bound to win at least ONE, right?

7) Jose Veras pitched a scoreless inning on Wednesday, but he still has yet to put together a 1-2-3 inning this season now allowing baserunners in each of his first six outings.

8) Next up, the Cleveland Indians and a return to Houston for Brett Myers and Brad Mills. It'd be a homecoming for Michael Bourn as well, but he's on 15-Day DL right now. Cleveland was 5-8 heading into today, so let's see if we can snap this skid and get Win number FIVE!

Ex-Astros Lowrie and Freiman Bury Houston

Not a whole lot of positives to take away from last night's beatdown at the hands of the Oakland Athletics. Erik Bedard, after being so good in his first two appearances, couldn't throw strikes and the Astros found themselves down 6-0 after just one inning. It was a fairly ugly game, but those happen every now and then. All you can do is take your lumps and move on. You'll always have more chances for it is, after all, a LONG season. Here's some more thoughts on last night's game:

1) I'm not going to harp too much on Bedard's performance since there's pretty much nothing good to take away from it. Instead I'll focus on rookie Paul Clemens who came out of the bullpen and fired 5 1/3 scoreless innings allowing just 1 hit and 2 walks. The kid showed some real heart out there and even gutted his way through a dislocated pinky after trying to barehand a grounder up the middle. If Clemens pitches like he did last night, it creates all kinds of possibilities for him, both in the starting rotation, or in the back of the bullpen. And hey, with the way the bullpen's been pitching, there's no reason he couldn't take just about anyone's job. The only downside to Clemens' performance last night is that we won't be able to see him pitch again for like 4 days or so.

2) I heard last night that Carlos Pena now has 26 career bunt singles. I never would have guessed that. I also would not have predicted that 13 games into the season he'd have more bunt singles than home runs... Even after last night's 2 for 4 showing, Pena is slugging just .326.

3) Jed Lowrie is absolutely killing the Astros this year. After last night's 4-rbi performance, Lowrie is now 9 for 17 with 5 runs, 2 homers and 7 runs batted in in just 4 games (all A's wins). And speaking of former Astros coming back to haunt us: remember when we opted to go with Brett Wallace over Nate Freiman? Yeah, the Rule 5 draft pick from San Diego hit an absolute moonshot off of Bedard in the first inning. All together, Lowrie and Freiman drove in 7 runs yesterday. Nice to see you too.

4) It seems like every guy in the A's lineup is a tough out. They work counts, they hit for power, they hit for average, they run the bases well... There's a reason they're 10-4 right now while Houston is 4-9. Let's face it, no matter how much you love the Astros, I don't know that anyone other than maybe Jose Altuve would be characterized as a tough out. Still, it could always be worse. At least they're not striking out in double digits consistently any more.

Week 2 in Review

The Astros went 3-3 on the first six games of their 9 game West Coast road trip, and they certainly played a much more competitive brand of baseball. Here's a rundown on some of the numbers for both the big league club, and the up-and-comers:

Weekly Results

4/8     L Mariners 3-0
4/9     W Mariners 16-9
4/10   W Mariners 8-3
4/12   W Angels 5-0
4/13   L Angels 5-4
4/14   L Angels 4-1

Overall Record: 4-8
Team Batting Average: .254
Runs For: 51
Runs Against: 60
Home Runs: 12
Strikeouts/Walks (Hitting): 121/31
Stolen Bases: 1
Caught Stealing: 2
Team ERA: 4.26
Team WHIP: 1.37
Starters ERA: 3.39
Bullpen ERA: 5.72
Strikeouts/Walks (Pitching): 62/39
Times Shutout: 3
Shutouts: 1

Team Leaders (Hitting):

Average: Jose Altuve .333 (17/51)
Runs: Justin Maxwell/Chris Carter 8
Hits: Jose Altuve 17
Doubles: Carlos Pena 4
Triples: Justin Maxwell 2
Home Runs: Chris Carter 4
Runs Batted In: Rick Ankiel 8
Walks: 5 tied with 4
Stolen Bases: J.D. Martinez 1

Team Leaders (Pitching):

Games: Rhiner Cruz 8
Innings: Philip Humber 18 2/3
Wins: Bud Norris 2
Saves: Erik Bedard 1
Holds: 3 tied with 1
Strikeouts: Bud Norris 14
Quality Starts: Philip Humber 2
ERA:  Bud Norris 1.96
WHIP: Bud Norris 1.09

On the Farm:

Oklahoma City (AAA) - 5-5
Corpus Christi (AA) - 7-3
Lancaster (AdvA) - 7-3
Quad Cities (LoA) - 7-2

Minor League Leaders:

Runs: Drew Muren (AdvA) - 10
Hits: Jake Elmore (AAA) - 19
Walks: Robbie Grossman (AAA) - 11
Home Runs: Matt Duffy (AdvA) - 4
RBIs: Matt Duffy (AdvA) - 14
Stolen Bases: Austin Wates - 5
Wins: 3 tied with 2
Saves: Jason Stoffel (AA) - 3
Strikeouts: Nick Tropeano (AA) / Luis Cruz (AdvA) - 15

Week 1 in Review

Well, we're one week into the season. Here's some stats to note:

Weekly Results

3/31 W Rangers 8-2
4/2   L Rangers 7-0
4/3   L Rangers 4-0
4/5   L A's 8-3
4/6   L A's 6-3
4/7   L A's 8-3

Overall Record: 1-5
Team Batting Average: .199
Runs For: 17
Runs Against: 36
Home Runs: 2
Strikeouts/Walks (Hitting): 74/9
Stolen Bases: 0
Caught Stealing: 0
Team ERA: 5.00
Team WHIP: 1.54
Starters ERA: 4.55
Bullpen ERA: 5.64
Strikeouts/Walks (Pitching): 34/24
Times Shutout: 2

Team Leaders (Hitting):

Average: Justin Maxwell .381 (8/21)
Runs: Justin Maxwell 5
Hits: Jose Altuve/Justin Maxwell 8
Doubles: 5 tied with 1
Triples: Justin Maxwell 2
Home Runs: Rick Ankiel/Jason Castro 1
Runs Batted In: Rick Ankiel/Jason Castro 3
Walks: Jose Altuve/Justin Maxwell 2
Stolen Bases: None

Team Leaders (Pitching):

Games: Wesley Wright 4
Innings: Bud Norris 11 1/3
Wins: Bud Norris 1
Saves: Erik Bedard 1
Holds: None
Strikeouts: Bud Norris 9
Quality Starts: Lucas Harrell 1
ERA:  Bud Norris 3.18
WHIP: Bud Norris 1.32

On the Farm:

Oklahoma City (AAA) - 3-1
Corpus Christi (AA) - 3-1
Lancaster (AdvA) - 3-1
Quad Cities (LoA) - 4-0

Minor League Leaders:

Runs: Robbie Grossman (AAA) / Nolan Fontana (AdvA) - 5
Hits: Jimmy Paredes (AAA) - 8
Walks: Robbie Grossman (AAA) / Nolan Fontana (AdvA) - 5
Home Runs: George Springer (AA) / Preston Tucker (AdvA) - 2
RBIs: Preston Tucker (AdvA) / Carlos Correa (LoA) - 8
Stolen Bases: Delino DeShields (AdvA) - 3
Wins: 13 tied with 1
Saves: Jason Stoffel (AA) - 2
Strikeouts: Asher Wojciechowski (AA) - 7

Harrell Roughed up as Streak Hits 5

Lucas Harrell had far from his best stuff today as the A's lit him up, knocking him out of the game before he could get through 5 innings. Harrell struggled with his control, and when he did find the plate, the A's made him pay. At the end of the day, he'd walked five and conceded three home runs. Not exactly what we were hoping for. Some other thoughts and observations from Game 6:

1) Brett Wallace looks like he's lost all confidence at the plate. He went 0 for 3 today with 2 more strikeouts bringing his season totals to 1 hit in 17 at bats with 13 strikeouts. You can tell he's all up in his head right now, and that's a tough thing to break out of. He needs a hit, and he needs it bad. The only guy who probably needs one worse right now is Rick Ankiel who fanned for the 10th time in his last 11 at bats as a pinch hitter in the 9th. If they keep it up, you have to wonder how long they'll last, especially when you've got guys like Brandon Laird (6/16 with 6 rbis), Jake Elmore (7/16), Jimmy Paredes (8/15 with 3 doubles), and Robbie Grossman (5/13 with 5 walks) off to fast starts in AAA.

2) Am I the only one who's wondering where the heck is Josh Fields? With our bullpen logging crazy innings, our Rule 5 draft pick has faced just 2 hitters. Surprised he didn't get work yesterday or today, especially when you consider we were extending Dallas Keuchel and Xavier Cedeno beyond two innings of work.

3) Speaking of Xavier Cedeno, it was nice to see him have some better luck today. After facing seven hitters on Friday night and retiring ZERO, he tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings today. His control was still a bit shaky, but he appeared to be able to work through some of that and he got stronger as he went. It was also nice to see a 1-2-3 inning from Hector Ambriz, especially after allowing 7 hits in his previous 2 innings of work.

4) Carlos Corporan and Brandon Barnes each logged their first hits of the season today meaning every position player on the roster now has at least one hit this year. It was nice to actually see Barnes in the lineup today too, especially with the way Ankiel has been struggling.

5) I'd say I was concerned about Jose Veras being our closer, but the way we're playing right now, we don't really need a closer, so I guess it doesn't matter. Veras has yet to record a 1-2-3 inning in three appearances this year and he's allowed 7 baserunners (5 hits, 2 walks).

6) Nice to see Chris Carter finally get an extra base hit. I think it's funny how everyone was ragging on Justin Maxwell this spring, when it's been Carter who's been ice cold out of the gates. Carter, who legged out a triple to left center in the 8th, is now 2 for 22 with 11 strikeouts. Conversely, Maxwell, who only had 9 hits all spring, is 8 for 21 and has scored a team high 5 runs. Meanwhile, our leadoff hitter Jose Altuve has scored ZERO. Figure that one out.

7) Edgar Gonzalez, who was designated for assignment following the trade for Travis Blackley, didn't clear waivers and is headed for Toronto. Gonzalez, who did not pitch for Houston this year, was 3-1 with a 5.04 ERA in 6 starts in 2012.

8) Next up for the Astros, a West Coast road trip that includes stops in Seattle, L.A., and Oakland. Things aren't going to get any easier for this club, they're just going to have to keep fighting. Eventually the hits will start dropping in there. As frustrating as it is, it's still really early in the season. There's lots of time for the boys to turn things around.

Errors Will Kill You Every Time...

The Astros took a 3-1 lead into the 6th, but an error by shortstop Ronny Cedeno led to three unearned runs and Houston dropped a fourth straight, this one by a final score of 6-3, to the Athletics. Some notes on last night's game:

1) Houston hitters struck out only four times after fanning an average of 14 times a game through their first 4 contests. They still didn't manage to draw any walks and have just 5 on the season, but at least they're putting more balls in play. The absence of Rick Ankiel and Brett Wallace from the lineup may have contributed to the reduced strikeout numbers, but across the board, at bats were better.

2) Jason Castro clubbed an opposite-field 3-run home run in the fourth to give Houston a short-lived 3-1 lead. This was what I was envisioning when I said that he's going to have a big year this year. His ability to drive the ball to all fields gives him 20-homer potential in my opinion which is almost unprecedented for an Astro catcher.

3) Jose Altuve extended his hitting streak to 5 games when he "beat out" an infield single to former teammate Jed Lowrie. Replays show that Altuve was out by half a step, but his hustle got him the benefit of the doubt. Now, if somehow Altuve breaks DiMaggio's record, does it come with an asterisk? These are the things you think about when you love a team like the Astros.

4) I know hindsight's 20/20, but I really think Bo Porter should've pulled Bud Norris in the 6th rather than let him tally 122 pitches. I know he's the ace, but this is April, and it's not like we're playoff bound or anything. Was our bullpen really that spent that we didn't have anyone we could throw out there? What about Josh Fields?

5) Is Brandon Barnes in the doghouse? The guy got the start on Opening Night, but hasn't gotten into a game since. Instead, we've seen a steady diet of J.D. Martinez who wasn't even supposed to make the team out of camp (he's here because of the Fernando Martinez injury).

6) Dallas Keuchel looked decent out of the bullpen last night after getting the call to replace newly injured Travis Blackley. Nothing like trading for a guy and having get hurt throwing a bullpen session...

7) Astro starters are now just 1-4 on the year, but boast a 2.63 ERA. Only one Astros starter has made it through 6 innings which will have to improve to save the bullpen, but at least the starters are keeping us in games.