GAME 61 - June 5: Let's Just Go Home...

Pittsburgh 4, Houston 3

Quote of the Day: "There's no place like home. There's no place like home." (Dorothy, in the Wizard of Oz)

I'll start with the good news: The Astros broke through their self-imposed Two Run Limit, and put three runs on the scoreboard in the first two innings!

Unfortunately, that's it for good news, as the Astros managed to drop their 7th game out of the last 8, sliding precipitously close to the .500 mark, and finishing the road trip with a third blown series. It's definitely time to go home.

Backe had a lousy first inning, giving up a single and a walk before allowing a 2-out home run. The Astros scored for him in the top of the first, when Pence (hitting leadoff) doubled, and Berkman knocked him in with a single. Backe helped to tie it up in the top of the second, when Wigginton and Ausmus singled, and then Backe hit an RBI single to score one run. Pence followed with a sac fly to score the second one. But having expended all that offensive effort, the Astros were done for the night. Backe did manage to hold on to the tie until the fifth inning. He got the first two quick outs, before allowing an infield single. Then a long fly ball to center - which probably should have been caught - got away from Cruz Jr, and ended up an RBI triple. Backe made it through the sixth, and Sampson and Brocail followed with perfect innings. But the game ended in the ninth with two Astros on base. Close, but no cigar.

After the game, the Astros announced that Towles was going to Round Rock to work out the kinks in his batting game, and that Quintero would be joining the team on their return home to Houston. The plan is for Ausmus - who signed on this year to be kind of a player/coach for his replacement - to be the everyday catcher, with Q backing him up.

In related news, the Astros first round draft pick today was Stanford University catcher Jason Castro. I'm guessing that pitchers will be high on the list for other picks, since they have gutted the farm in trades. Meanwhile, let's see how well they do at actually signing these guys.