GAMES 36-37 - May 9-10: California Surfin'

Friday, May 9 - Houston 7, LA 1
Saturday, May 10 - Houston 5, LA 0

Quote of the Day: "Everybody's got to have a best start, and a worst one. So I think we'll have to wait until the end my career until we can properly put it into context." (Berkman on his amazing season start)

I might have had a little trepidation about the Astros' ability to keep the good times going, once they left off playing last-place the Nationals in MMP, and headed out to take on the hot-hot-hot Dodgers on the road. But the first two games, which I watched Saturday night after the Sabbath, didn't provide much reason for worry: The Astros hitters put early-inning runs on the scoreboard, while the pitchers didn't give the Dodgers much of anything to hit. Recipe for success. Perhaps Cooper will even have a chance to grow his fingernails back out for a few days!

Both of the starting pitchers - Brian Moehler on Friday night and Chris Sampson on Saturday - gave Cooper something to be happy about. Moehler, who hadn't started a game in a couple of years, pitched 5 scoreless innings, giving up 5 hits, 1 BB, and 5 Ks. Sampson, who has been beat up in his past couple of starts, only lasting a few innings, redeemed himself Saturday - he shut out the Dodgers for 7 innings, giving up only 3 hits and 1 walk, and striking out 3. With the Astros scoring their runs in the early innings, that set up both Moehler and Sampson for an elusive accomplishment - a win by the starting pitcher. (Let's hope Chacon can follow up with the same in Sunday's game!)

The bullpen was terrific: Aside from Borkowski's 1 ER in the 9th inning on Friday night, Byrdak, Geary, Wright, and Villareal combined for 5 scoreless innings in the two games - with a total of 1 hit and a pair of walks. Geary was lights out on Friday night - he threw 2 perfect innings in just 25 pitches, 20 of them strikes. Wright pitched a perfect 8th inning on Saturday night. After he walked the first runner in the ninth, Villareal finished off the inning without a hitch.

With the pitchers so dominating - giving up only 1 run in 18 innings - the hitters didn't have to do much to earn them a win. In both games, the Astros scored some runs in the early innings and coasted from there. Continuing his wild and crazy streak, Lance Berkman led the offense. He went 3 for 4 on Friday night, with a home run, double, and single, walked once, scored twice, and had a pair of RBIs. On Saturday night, he was 2 for 3, with a double, a single, and a walk. Berkman is getting a lot of attention in the baseball press: His recent amazing run of hits is starting to send them scurrying to the record books. Meanwhile, he leads the league in RBIs (35), is second in home runs (12 to Utley's 13), and second in BA (.386 to Chipper Jones .400). He also leads the leagues in slugging (.788) and OPS (1.256).

The running game continues to be on. It's pretty much a given that if Michael Bourn gets to first base, he's on second. (His problem is getting to first.) He had a steal in each game - that makes him 17 for 17 this season. But it's contagious! Carlos Lee also stole a base on Saturday night - his first of the season.

The Astros got 2 errors on Saturday night - both on the same play, a pop fly to shallow left. Tejada came way out, Wiggington following, and Lee came way in. Miggy should have just let Lee have it, but called for the ball, and flubbed the catch. Then the ball dribbled right in front of Lee, who booted it. Happily, with the runners ending up on second and third and no outs, Sampson managed to get out of the inning on a trio of ground balls, without either of them scoring.

Now that the Astros are 3 games over .500, I've started to pay a bit more attention to the other teams in the division. Things are actually getting pretty interesting: The Astros have moved up from solidly at the bottom of the division, to a mere 2 1/2 games from the top, with the Cards and Cubs close enough to spit at.