Wish We Could Have Done THIS in October 2005!

GAME 42: White Sox 7, Astros 2
GAME 43: Astros  6, White Sox 5
GAME 44: Astros 8, White Sox 2

Back to back series wins! This time it was against the White Sox -- the team that shut us out in the World Series 9 years ago. WOO HOO! A winning homestand!

Disclaimer: I only got to watch a couple of innings at the end of today's game. The first two games of the series were played on the Sabbath, and I was at a special synagogue event today. There is only a tenuous connection between the event and the Astros, but it was very exciting, so I'll describe it on the blog.

One of the members of our community just completed the writing -- by hand -- of a Torah scroll, and today we celebrated its new home in the synagogue with a parade, dancing and singing, and of course food. Carried in the arms of the scribe, Dr Richard Epstein, the Torah led the parade down Seven Locks Road to another neighborhood synagogue, whose members brought out their Torah scrolls to dance. Then we all marched back to the third synagogue (the one next door to my house) and danced with their Torah scrolls. Then back across the street to Chabad synagogue, for more celebration, special prayers and a reception. Mazel tov to Richard, who has worked on this major accomplishment for the past 8 years, and mazel tov to his wife Judy, who gets her husband's free time back! Oh yeah, what's the tenuous connection to the Astros? Judy is from Texas. Okay, it's San Antonio, but close enough. I said it was tenuous!

I skipped out on the lox and bagels to rush home to watch the end of today's tie breaker, hoping to get to see the Astros pull off another series win. And I was rewarded with an easy win. By the time I got home, the Astros were leading, with 8 runs scored - again largely on home runs. Two by Dominguez (way to go, MattyD!) and one by Chris Carter. Buoyed by all the defensive support, the Astros' starter, Brad Peacock, was still throwing when I got back. It's another solid start by our rotation -- we have to feel good about that!

Today's fun and games comes on the heels of another good offensive game yesterday. Multi-hit games for Altuve, Springer, Fowler, and Presley. The fun started in the first inning, with a leadoff hit by Altuve, followed by Springer's first triple of the season. The after a walk to Fowler, Castro hit a 2-run homer to put the Astros up 4-0. Fowler added another run on a solo homer in the fifth. All these runs were a good thing too, since the starter Cosart was not at his best, reaching 100 pitches in only 5 innings. He left with tenuous 5-2 lead. The bullpen managed to hold to eke out the win for Cosart though, although not without some tense moments for those fans who were watching the game live. Fields and Sipp each pitched a scoreless frame, and then the new setup guy came to the mound in the 8th.

Who? What new setup guy? Apparently Qualls wasn't enough for Throwback Time; the Astros have acquired Kyle Farnsworth. We all remember him, of course. He was the Braves pitcher who blew a 5 run lead in the 2005 playoff game that went 18 innings before the Astros won, sending them to the NLC, and on to the pennant. One of the greatest games in Astros history! Coming in with a 6-1 lead, Farnsworth gave up an eighth inning grand slam to Lance Berkman, and then a two-out home run in the ninth -- to Brad Ausmus. The game didn't end for another 9 innings, on Chris Burke's walk off homer, with Roger Clemens earning the save for his three innings of relief pitching. It was certainly the highlight of Chris Burke's not-so-stellar baseball career, and one of Clemen's few times to pitch in relief.

But Farnsworth? Oh good grief! I'm not being fair, of course. Farnsworth has had a good career, and he and Qualls will likely be good veterans for grooming our bullpen youngsters. However, getting back to yesterday's game, Farnsworth came in with that 5-3 lead intact and proceeded to give up a walk, a double, an RBI sac fly, another walk and a single, to knock the lead down to one run. Nail biting time for poor Cosart. Been there, done that; he's left with leads three times already this year, only to have the bullpen present him with a no-D. In this case, Downs came in with 2 on in the eighth and got his guy, then Qualls (who's now graduated to closer, in place of the end-game rotation) threw a 1-2-3 to get the save. Whew! Good game, guys!

Moving backwards to Friday night's series opener, Colin McHugh got off to a good start through the first 5 scoreless innings, while the Astros put on a couple of runs on 4 singles in the bottom of the fifth. But the wheels came off for McHugh in the 6th, and he was beat up for 4 ERs. Three came on a walk-HBP-homer trio, then he gave up a double before he was yanked from the game. Zeid in relief allowed that runner to score, the 4th ER on McHugh's line. Clemens gave up 3 more runs in the eighth inning, but it didn't matter -- the Astros didn't score again in the game. Win some, lose some. For McHugh, it was a good start with a bad ending, and now his record is 2-2. It will be interesting to see if he can capitalize on his earlier success and stay in the Houston rotation, or whether he'll go back down while the Astros give Oberholzer another try.

All in all, a very successful 4-2 homestand! Our record is now .364 - almost 50 points higher than last season's total. Too bad I'm not on my West Coast trip now, as the Astros are off to Anaheim and then Seattle this week! See you online...