GAMES 117-120: Robbing our Starters...

GAME 117 - August 16: Mets 3, Astros 1
GAME 118 - August 17: Astros 4, Mets 3
GAME 119 - August 18: Mets 3, Astros 2
GAME 120 - August 19: Astros 3, Mets 2

How's that for a close series? Every game won or lost on the last pitch.... But isn't that the great thing about baseball - there's no clock, and theoretically every game is won or lost on the last pitch. I believe in miracles...

Another week of terrific starting pitching. It's been a long time since the Astros lost a game on a bad start.  Here's what the Mets series looked like:

Monday - Wandy pitches 7 innings, giving up 1 run on 4 hits, 3 BB, and 6 Ks. Game tied 1-1 until the 9th inning, when Lindstrom gave up the winning runs.

Tuesday - Figeuroa gets his first start as an Astro, giving up 2 runs (1 earned) in 5 innings. Astros score 3 for him in the first inning, but the Mets tie it up in the 8th. Melancon gave up the tying run, but ended up with the win when the Astros got a big run in the bottom of the 8th. Lopez closes for his first big-league save.

Wednesday: Myers does it again - another 7 innings, giving up 2 runs on 7 hits, 3 BBs, and 4 Ks. The Astros didn't score until the 8th inning, and then tied it up 2-2 in the ninth on a Blum homer. I got home from work at about midnight (don't ask!), and the game was still going. Lots of relievers got their turn, but by the 14th inning, it was Chacin who gave the Mets their winning run.

Thursday: Norris threw 7 innings, giving up a pair of runs in the fourth, but looked like he would be on the losing end of the game until Carlos Lee hit a 3-run homer in the bottom of the seventh. Lopez and Lyon closed it out nicely, and Bud Lite got the win.

See the trend?  Lots of nice starting pitching, lots of no-Ds for their trouble. But who can complain about good starting pitching? And who can complain about guys coming up with big hits in the late innings? How many times in the past have we bemoaned the Astros inability to come from behind? Well, now they do it routinely. It just doesn't do much for our starters' win-loss records.

The Astros may not be winning all their games, but they sure have made it fun to watch them, win or lose.