Dallas pitches a gem in Astros 8-1 victory
WP: Keuchel (10-7)
LP: Hammel (0-4)
contributed by Sphinx Drummond
I like day games when I remember them. It gives me something different to listen to as I go about the work day. I remembered the Astros were playing around 2:30 or so Wednesday afternoon and tuned in to find that Jose Altuve made the first and last out of the first inning, but in between the Astros were busy putting up six runs…the Astros already had a 6 run lead over the A’s, and it was just the second inning.
I wasn’t sure what to make of this, so I thought to asked my imaginary friend but she was nowhere to be found, just an imaginary note saying she had gone to France and will be back in a week or so. So I asked the dog that was hanging around where I was working but dogs don’t talk. I would have called Jeff Luhnow but he isn’t answering my calls. The only thing I could figure was that it must be because of me, I started Jason Hammel.
In the Mihoba’s SnS War fantasy baseball league (the official league of Orange WhoopAss), I have Jason Hammel on my team. He was pretty good for the Cubs but since the trade to the Athletics, he has been awful. The A’s have lost all four games he has started. He ERA as a Cub was 2.98, as an A prior to Wednesday’s game it was 7.11.
Dallas Keuchel on the other hand, pitched brilliantly. He picked up his fourth complete game of the season, allowing only a solo homerun to Josh Donaldson in the second inning and scattered three more hits along the way. His ERA is now down to 2.97 and his record is at 10 wins and 7 losses.
The Astros scored 8 runs on 8 hits. Altuve eventually got a hit, all the Astros got one hit, except for Marc Krauss. And Krauss at least drove in a run with his ground out in the first inning. Jonathan Singleton and Robbie Grossman both hit home runs, Singleton’s 8th and Grossman’s 4th. However, both are still batting under .200 for the season.
Thursday the Astros welcome the hard hitting Toronto Blue Jays to Minute Maid Park with Jarred Cosart (9-7) looking for win number 10, matched up against Drew Hutchison (7-9) in a 7:10 pm CST start.
Game Time: 2:35.
Weather: INDOORS
Wind: 0 mph, .
Attendance: 17,637.