2011 GAMES 10-12: The Streak Continues!

GAME 10 - April 11: Cubs 5, Astros 4
GAME 11 - April 12: Astros 11, Cubs 2
GAME 12 - April 13: Cubs 9, Astros 5


No, it's not a winning streak. The Astros have yet to get past one consecutive win, and there are only 3 of those so far. But in this "rebuilding" year, we'll have to find other things to get excited about. So here's a trend that I really like:

     The Astros are on a 12 game no-shutout streak!

Maybe that doesn't sound like a huge deal, but when you compare it to the first 12 games of last year, we're doing great! Last year this time (3-9 record, same as this season), we had already been shut out 3 times, with another 2 games in which we only scored 1 run. Last year this time we'd scored 28 runs; this year we've scored 55 runs already -- that's fifth in the league. Team BA is .272, also 5th in the league. Middle of the pack in slugging -- low on homers, but 25 doubles and 5 triples (Lee? Quintero? Really?). So even if we aren't winning any more games than we did at the start of 2010, we aren't offensive in offense. Last year we were in the cellar in virtually every batting category.

You don't lose games for no reason at all. In the Astros' case, let's just say that the pitching is still a work in progress this season.

In an effort to focus on the positive, let's talk about the middle game of the Cubs series. Astros won 11-2! On a night when manager Mills was banished to a field box, serving a single game suspension, our bench coach Al Pedrique ran a gutsy game to big success. Multiple runs in 4 different innings, including 3 in the first and another 2 in the second inning. Sanchez, our very own Angel, went 4 for 5. Pence was 3 for 5, with 4 RBI. Quintero was 3 for 3 with a double and a triple! Bourn got 2 hits and stole 2 bases on back to back pitches. Our most durable and consistent ace, Myers, pitched 7 innings, giving up 1 run (a solo homer) on 8 hits, no walks, striking out 5, and earning his first "W" of the season. One might think that if some of those extra Astros runs were spread out a bit, we'd have more wins to show for all the fireworks. True, but a blowout now and then sure is fun.

As I'm writing this, the Astros are tied with the Padres, 0-0, in the fourth inning of the first game of a 4 game home series. We're not losing, so I'm not getting too worried yet. But that 0 in the runs columns represents a potential end to this thrilling no-shutout streak! I'd better finish this up and go cheer. Can you hear me from out here in Exile?