No Swoon in June

THe Houston Astros had their best month of the season so far in June, finishing with the fourth best record in MLB for the month. That allowed them to get back close to
.500 and within three games of the lead for the division. Their good starting pitching for the month was the biggest improvement. Now if the hitting would pick up a bit and the errors were cut down a bit, the rest of the season could be fun to watch!

Miggy on Fire!

Miguel Tejada came into the game tonight with a .353 batting average, leading the National League in hitting. Then he was on 4 times tonight, including a game winning home run in the bottom of the eleventh inning. The Astros won the game 3-2 for a four game winning streak. That is a modest streak, but it is a step in the right direction.

Hard to Be Excited!

The Houston Astros are playing so poorly that it is hard to be excited about what the dog days of summer will bring for the team. Their history indicattes that they will not give up and just be washed away by the competition. But just a few days ago I was sitting in the stands watching a game that if they won would have put them only one game under .500 for the season. Roy O. was on the mound with a lead. Relievers could not hold down the Brewers and the offense could not score again, so the game was lost. Followed by a string of losses that has put the 'Stros in the cellar and not showing any signs of getting better. Yesterday they gave up eight unearned runs and lost 8-5 in Cincinnati on a day shen the team had 14 hits. Yuk!

I'd Have Left Him In!

I went to watch the Astros and the Brewers last night. Roy Oswalt pitched into the seventh inning. He had a 3-1 lead, when he allowed two base-runners with only one out. Ryan Braun, the Brewer's young star, was coming up to bat. The acting manager, after Cecil Cooper had been ejected, decided to bring in Jeff Fulchino to pitch. When he did I told the guy with me that I would have left Oswalt to try to get out of the mess, because he is the best option. He had only thrown 104 pitches and was still throwing 95. When inning was over, the Brewers had scored three runs off three relievers and Oswalt had a no decision.

We will never know how it would have turned out, but I'd have left him in!

Did You See That?

I watched the Houston Rockets' game against the Los Angeles Lakers this afternoon and I was really shocked, almost as much as the Lakers appeared to be! The Rockets had lost their best player, Yao Ming, to a leg injury. Most expected to see the Lakers dismantle the decimated Rockets, but the reverse was the reality. The Rockets played their hearts out and blasted the Lakers. The final score was only 99-87, but the Lakers never led in the game and trailed by as much as 29 at one time. It was very sweet if you are a Rockets' fan.

Finding the Positives

The three game series between the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers finished with a bit of a bitter taste for the 'Stros, because Chad Billingsly pitched a shut out for LA. But the Astros won the series, 2 games to one, and broke the Dodgers' 8 game winning streak. All the starting pitchers pitched well enough, especially Wandy Rodriguez, who only gave up two runs in 7 innings.

Now the chore is to build on the positives when the Brewers arrive for the weekend!

Oh Brother, What a Game!

My youngest brother, who lives now in Michigan, was in Houston on business yesterday and we were able to meet for the Astros game at Minute Maid Park against the Dodgers. It was about perfect for us.

My brother and I both have a passion for the game, so we appreciate the good players from every team, though we still pull for the Astros first and foremost. So last night we admired the talent of young left handed pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, of the Dodgers and the sweet swing of Manny Ramirez, who hit a mammoth home run.

But the Dodgers could not beeat the Astros this very pleasant night, and my brother and I got to enjoy a few hours together!