Houston Astros Regular Season Thread

First pitch just an hour and a half away!!! Lets Go Stros!

The field is in gorgeous condition! The Astros fans correctly booed every Rangers starter and JJ Watt showed quite an arm throwing out the first pitch! The home whites with the home navy caps looks clean--looks like the first day of spring!

 

Starting Lineups

Rangers Astros

1. 2B Ian Kinsler 1. 2B Jose Altuve

2. SS Elvis Andrus 2. 1B Brett Wallace

3. DH Lance Berkman 3. LF Chris Carter

4. 3B Adrian Beltre 4. DH Carlos Pena

5. LF Dave Murphy 5. CF Justin Maxwell

6. RF Nelson Cruz 6. C Jason Castro

7. C A.J. Pierzynski 7. 3B Matt Dominguez

8. 1B Mitch Moreland 8. RF Brandon Barnes

9. CF Leonys Martin 9. SS Ronny Cedeno

 

SP - LHP Matt Harrison SP - RHP Bud Norris

 

 

Top of 1st inning - Bud Norris mows down the Rangers in order. Kinsler fly out to right, Andrus K and Lance Berkman (DH) ground out to SS.

 

Bottom of 1st - Altuve leads off w/ first pitch base hit! Altuve called out on steal a attempt. Replay showed Altuve was safe. (Baseball so needs replay reviews), Brett Wallace - K, Chris Carter - K on 3 pitches. Strike 3 was looking.

Top of the 2nd - Norris got into a little jam. Beltre lines out to Dominguez. Walk to Murphy - Murphy caught stealing (nice job by Castro). Nelson Cruz BB. Pierzynski single to left. Norris K of Moreland.

Bottom of 2nd - Harrison is dominating so far. 4 K's in the first two innings. Pena - K, Maxwell scalded a line drive right to Beltre at 3B, Castro - K.

 

Rangers 0 Astros 0

Top of 3rd - Long inning for Norris. He's already thrown over 50 pitches. Inning ends with a diving catch by CF Maxwell. Totally laid out for the ball. We got a call because the replay clearly showed Maxwell short hopped the throw. Great effort though. No runs scored.

Bottom 3rd - No K's for Harrison this inning. Dominguez, Barnes and Cedeno all made contact and forced Texas to make a play. After three, still tied 0-0.

Top 4th - Lead off hit by Berkman but three fly ball outs and Norris and company go to the dugout to bat. Well, not Norris. No runs scored.

Bottom 4th - Houston scores the first runs of the 2013 season. Base hits by Wallace and Pena and with 2 outs Justin Maxwell, who hit a scalding line shot to 3B in his previous at bat, hit a towering fly ball to left that bounced off the top of the scoreboard. By the time the Rangers got the ball back to the infield 2 runs scored and Maxwell had a stand up triple. Castro grounded out to end the inning.

Rangers 0 Astros 2

Top 5th - Norris seems to have found a nice groove. 5 shutout innings after retiring the Rangers 1-2-3 on a strike out, fly out and ground out. Norris looks more in control than he did early and Harrison is struggling the last two innings.

Bottom 5th - After Dominguez strikes out swinging, Harrison gives up his first walk of the game to Brandon Barnes. Ronny Cedeno slaps an eye-high fast ball to right field. After RF Nelson Cruz plays patty-cake with the ball Barnes scores from 1st and after the 1B loses the handle on the relay allowing Cedeno to get to third. Jose Altuve hits his own eye-high fastball to right center scoring Cedeno. Wallace had a bad at bat swinging at 2 inside pitches and Chris Carter popped out to second to end the inning.

Rangers 0 Astros 4

Top 6th - It looked like Norris ran out of gas a little. He issued a walk to Kinsler, got a K on Andrus . Berkman singles to right - men on first and third. Norris caught a line drive right back at him by Beltre - 2 out. Battling with David Murphy who finally won the battle with a single to right scoring Kinsler. Bullpen up and getting warm. Norris opened up a 0-2 count before he gave up a base hit to center scoring Berkman. Pitching change - Eric Bedard comes in and faces A.J. Pierzynski who flies out to center ending the inning.

Rangers 2 Astros 4

 

Norris goes 5 2/3 giving up 2 earned runs on 5 hits, 3 walks and 5 K's. Nice outing by Norris who really battled. Now it's up to the offense and the bullpen.

Bottom 6th - Pena K's to lead off. Maxwell walks. Castro flies out to center - 2 out. Dominguez Walks. Men on 1st and 2nd. Pitching change Harrison out and Derek Lowe (RHP) in. Astros counter by pinch hitting Rick Ankiel for Brandon Barnes. Ankiel hits a 3-2 pitch deep over the right field wall for a 3-run homer. Cedeno K's for the 3rd out.

Rangers 2 Astros 7

 

Harrison's line was 5 2/3 innings giving up 6 runs, 5 earned, on 6 hits with 3 walks and 9 K's

Top 7th - Eric Bedard stays in to pitch gets the Rangers 1-2-3 on a ground out to Moreland, a K on Martin and ground out on Kinsler. No runs scored.

Doing a great job EE! Just got home a couple of minutes ago but was following your updates. Love what i'm hearing right now GO STROS lets finish and get the win! Only 5 more outs to go!

Bottom 7th - Jason Frasor replaces Derek Lowe to begin the inning. Frasor sets the Astros down 1-2-3 on a ground out by Altuve, a K by Wallace and ground out by Carter.

Rangers 2 Astros 7

 

Derek Lowe's line - 1/3 inning pitched giving up 1 run on one hit (home run) and 1 K.

Thanks Big T and +1

Top 8th - Eric Bedard is looking great. He records his second 1-2-3 inning retiring Andrus who grounds out (Dominguez to Wallace - nice play on both ends) a K of Berkman on a wicked curve ball and a pop out to SS Cedeno by Beltre. No runs scored.

Is it just me, or does this look like a really good MLB team tonight?! The Stros are playong out of their minds tonight! Just three more outs Cmon Stros!!! This team is playing with a fire that we have not seen for three years.

WHAT A PLAY BY JMAX!!!! Wow that was impressive.

Bottom 8th - Pitching change Jose Ortiz comes in for Frasor. Carlos Pena called out on strikes. He had to be fooled by the pitch because it was belt high over the plate and he just watched it. Justin Maxwell took a 92 mph fastball on the inside of the plate on a beautiful inside-out swing and he put the ball deep in the right field corner for his 2nd stand up triple of the game. Castro grounded out to 2B. Matt Dominguez singled up the middle. He got a break because he hit the ball right up the middle and P Ortiz reacted quickly enough to slow the ball rather than field it. It slow rolled to the 2B bag area where 2B Kinsler misplayed the ball trying to bare hand it. Ruled a hit and an RBI for Dominguez. Brandon Barnes struck out to end the inning.

Rangers 2 Astros 8

 

Jason Frasor's line 1 inning pitched with no runs, no hits, no walks and 1 K.

 

 

Victory is sweet!!! the Astros are in first place all alone and the Rangers are in last place! LOL

Top 9th - Eric Bedard is finishing the game and he's looked great. (No 5 starter my ass) First batter is Murphy who flies out to center. Next was Cruz to got a broken bat single to right. Next up was Pierzynski sent a fly ball deep to right-center and a blue star special catch by Justin Maxwell who caught it by the fence to the visitor's bullpen. Beautiful catch! Third out was a ground out by Mitch Moreland - Altuve to Wallace. Game Over!

 

ASTROS WIN 8 -2!!!

 

Eric Bedard's line - Bedard got a much earned save going 3 1/3 innings giving up 0 runs on 1 lone hit with 2 K's and no walks.

 

Helluva pitching job by Norris and Bedard. It looked like Norris got tired in the 6th. Understandable this early in the season. He had to battle in the first couple of innings which ran his pitch count up. No worries, mate. Nice job in his first start of the season. Bedard was dominant. The player of the game had to be Justin Maxwell. With two sparkling plays in center field and the job he did with his bat he was clearly the difference in the game for the Astros. He went 2-3 with 2 RBI's and 2 runs scored with a walk and no K's. Two of the three hits were triples. It was a nice start to the season for Houston. Jason Castro and Chris Carter both went 0-4. Carter had 2 K's and Castro 1 K. All in all it was a great start for Houston.

Late Note: Emergency medical services have been called to the Rangers locker room to remote Astros feet from Rangers asses!

HAHAHA! The Rangers looked like an old worn out team tonight. Makes you wonder a bit just how they are gonna look the rest of the year. I honestly think that they expected to come in to MMP and stomp all over the Stros and were suprised when the Stros not only did not lay down and let them win but kicked their asses from start to finish.

Tomorrow the Astros face off against the Rangers in game 2 of the 2013 season. The Astros send a guy who I thought was their best pitcher in 2012, Lucas Harrell to the hill. The Rangers 2nd year phenom from Japan, Yu Darvish goes to the mound to face the Astros suddenly powerful lineup. Darvish had a spotty season due to injuries that nagged him all year. When he's healthy though, Darvish is pretty darn good. Hopefully, Houston keeps the hit parade going. The Achilles heel for the Rangers is their pitching right now because they have so many of their best on the DL. If Houston can get to Darvish I really like the Astros chances of winning the game and the series tomorrow night.

As I'm out of the area, I don't get the Astros games on TV. This year, as in past years, I make the deal with myself that I'm willing to subscribe to MLB.TV if the Astros are at least .500.

 

This year, if they make 20 wins before 20 losses, I'll consider it a success.

 

My only big negative on the AL move is that my local tickets have become much more expensive -- I'd go and spring for some of the best seats in the house at the NL team when the Astros came to town. Now, that barely gets me in the AL ballpark....