SB Nation Houston: All Posts by Alex Cohn

Astros Hope For Better Fortunes Against Pirates

2011-07-04T15:28:04Z

SBN Houstion's coverage of the Pirates Astros series from July 4th-7th

(Sports Network) - Hard-luck lefty Paul Maholm tries to get a step closer to .500 today when the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Houston Astros in the holiday opener of a three-game series at PNC Park.

Maholm, 12 games below the break-even mark in his career entering this season, was 1-7 for 2011 following a 2-0 loss to Detroit on May 22. He's won three of five decisions across seven starts since, while paring his earned run average from 3.65 to 3.17.

The former first-round draft pick has allowed three earned runs or less and pitched six innings or more in six of his last 10 starts overall, including a complete-game shutout of the Chicago Cubs on May 28 at Wrigley Field.

He's won 10 of 16 career decisions against the Astros with a 3.31 ERA in 18 starts.

On Sunday in Washington, Lyle Overbay went 3-for-4 with three RBI and Kevin Correia cruised to his 11th win of the season, as the Pirates earned an easy 10-2 victory over the Washington Nationals in the finale of a four-game series.

Garrett Jones, Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker each added two RBI for the Pirates, who have split their last eight games.

Correia (11-6) allowed just two runs on six hits and a walk over six innings while fanning six.

For the Astros, durable righty Brett Myers tries to continue a recent stretch of good fortune.

The Jacksonville, Fla. native pitched six innings or more in 32 of 33 starts last season while winning 14 games, but had just two wins in 14 starts this year before June 17, when he pitched the full nine innings in a 7-3 defeat of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Myers' allowed just seven earned runs in his last three starts overall, giving up 16 hits over 22 innings while cutting his ERA by more than half a run from 5.03 to 4.60.

He is 6-4 lifetime against the Pirates in 12 appearances.

On Sunday in Houston, Kevin Youkilis' bases-loaded walk in the top of the ninth forced in the deciding run as Boston clipped the Astros, 2-1, in the finale of a three-game interleague set.

Brett Wallace posted two hits and Angel Sanchez knocked in the lone run for the Astros, who have lost 11 out of their last 13.

Mark Melancon (5-2) walked three in the ninth and took the loss.

Pittsburgh is 5-1 against the Astros this season.

Astros Hope For Better Fortunes Against Pirates

2011-07-04T15:28:04Z

(Sports Network) - Hard-luck lefty Paul Maholm tries to get a step closer to .500 today when the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Houston Astros in the holiday opener of a three-game series at PNC Park.

He's won 10 of 16 career decisions against the Astros with a 3.31 ERA in 18 starts.

Garrett Jones, Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker each added two RBI for the Pirates, who have split their last eight games.

Correia (11-6) allowed just two runs on six hits and a walk over six innings while fanning six.

For the Astros, durable righty Brett Myers tries to continue a recent stretch of good fortune.

Myers' allowed just seven earned runs in his last three starts overall, giving up 16 hits over 22 innings while cutting his ERA by more than half a run from 5.03 to 4.60.

He is 6-4 lifetime against the Pirates in 12 appearances.

On Sunday in Houston, Kevin Youkilis' bases-loaded walk in the top of the ninth forced in the deciding run as Boston clipped the Astros, 2-1, in the finale of a three-game interleague set.

Brett Wallace posted two hits and Angel Sanchez knocked in the lone run for the Astros, who have lost 11 out of their last 13.

Mark Melancon (5-2) walked three in the ninth and took the loss.

Pittsburgh is 5-1 against the Astros this season.

Rodriguez Works Seven Scoreless Innings, Astros Salvage 7-0 Win

2011-07-01T03:12:12Z

Houston, TX (Sports Network) – Jason Michaels went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and three RBI, helping the Houston Astros post a 7-0 win over the Texas Rangers and avoid being swept in the finale of a three-game interleague set at Minute Maid Park.

Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez (6-4) worked seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits — all singles — while fanning four and walking three. David Carpenter, Fernando Abad and Mark Melancon worked the final two innings in perfect fashion to seal the four-hitter.

Carlos Lee added a home run and Clint Barmes collected three hits for the Astros, who snapped a five-game losing streak and an eight-game slide at home.

Elvis Andrus had a pair of hits, while Michael Young and David Murphy added the others for the Rangers, who had won the first two games of the series after scoring a combined 10 runs.

Matt Harrison (6-7) went six innings in defeat, yielding five runs on seven hits while striking out two and walking a pair.

Astros Looks To Avoid Sixth Straight Loss

2011-06-30T15:21:43Z

(Sports Network) – The Silver Boot trophy has already once again slipped out of the Astros’ grasp, but they have more pressing matters to deal with now.

Houston is on its longest home losing streak in 45 years and will try to end that drought tonight in the finale of a three-game series with the Texas Rangers.

The Silver Boot is awarded annually to the victor in each interleague matchup between the Astros and Rangers each season. Texas has taken the first two contests of this series to claim the honor for a fifth straight time and is now 14-3 versus Houston since the start of the 2009 campaign.

The Rangers’ 3-2 victory last night was their eighth in a row at Houston and the Astros’ eighth straight setback overall at Minute Maid Park. That marks their longest home slide since a franchise-record 11 straight defeats from July 23-Aug. 17, 1966 at the Astrodome.

Carlos Lee hit a solo homer and Clint Barmes added an RBI single, but Houston lost its season high-tying fifth straight game and for the eighth time in its last nine overall. Brett Myers pitched seven innings, giving up three runs to take the loss. He gave up a homer to Ian Kinsler to begin the game and the Rangers second baseman later got him for another solo homer in the third.

“I made a mistake and they came out swinging the bats,” Myers said of his performance. “I just had to make an adjustment. I was able to do that for the most part and tried to keep us in the game the best I could.”

Kinsler is hitting just .180 on the road this season, but has four hits, three homers and five RBI over the first two games of this series. His two homers, as well as Adrian Beltre’s RBI single in the first inning, helped make a winner out of Colby Lewis, who yielded two runs over 6 2/3 innings.

“I just needed a good game honestly, it doesn’t matter where,” Kinsler said. “I just wanted to be able to help the team win. Colby did a great job tonight, and to put those two runs on the board early helped him out.”

Texas had lost three of four before arriving in Houston and leads the Los Angeles Angels by 1 1/2 games for first place in the American League West. It turns tonight to Matt Harrison, who has pitched to a 1.43 earned run average over his past six starts.

Harrison has allowed just one earned run in each of last three outings, but picked up his first victory in that span on Friday versus the Mets. The left- hander turned in seven innings in an 8-1 victory, improving to 6-6 with a 3.00 earned run average in 14 starts.

Harrison has faced the Astros three times in his career, including once as a starter, and has posted a 3.38 ERA without a decision. However, the 25-year- old is 2-0 with a 0.83 ERA in three interleague starts this season.

Wandy Rodriguez counters for the Astros and he had won three straight starts and four decisions in a row prior to a setback to the Rays on Friday.

The southpaw had yielded just two runs over his previous four outings and was coming off back-to-back scoreless outings, spanning 12 innings, before getting drilled for five runs on six hits and two walks over six innings against Tampa Bay.

Rodriguez, 32, fell to 5-4 with a 3.21 ERA in 13 starts this season and is 3-2 with a 6.49 ERA in five career games against the Rangers.

Myers Set To Square Off With Lewis, Rangers

2011-06-29T15:57:54Z

(Sports Network) – The Texas Rangers try to continue their mastery of the Houston Astros this evening when the Lone Star State rivals resume a three- game set at Minute Maid Park.

The Rangers have won four straight Silver Boot trophies, awarded annually to the victor in the interleague matchup between the two clubs each year. It hasn’t been much of a rivalry, though, lately, as Texas took two of three from the Astros earlier in the year and has won the season series in each of the last two years by a 5-1 margin, while compiling a 13-3 mark against their in- state rivals since the start of the 2009 campaign.

Texas, which has also won seven in a row in Houston, moved one step closer to locking up the trophy on Tuesday, as Ian Kinsler went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a triple to lead the Rangers to a 7-3 win.

Josh Hamilton and Mitch Moreland also blasted solo home runs while Yorvit Torrealba added an RBI double for the Rangers, who have won six of their past 10 contests overall.

C.J. Wilson (8-3) worked seven strong innings to earn the win, giving up a pair of runs on seven hits while fanning three and walking two. In addition to his work on the mound, Wilson also ripped a triple.

Michael Bourn had a pair of hits, including a triple, for the Astros, who have lost four games in a row and seven of their last eight. Houston has also lost seven in a row at home and another loss tonight would give the Astros their first eight-game skid there since a franchise-record 11-game slide July 23- Aug. 17, 1966.

Jordan Lyles (0-3) worked six innings in defeat for Houston, giving up five runs on 10 hits.

“It just didn’t fall my way tonight,” Lyles said. “I don’t know what the ball- strike ratio was tonight, but it couldn’t have been good.”

Getting the call for the Rangers tonight will be righty Colby Lewis, who is 6-7 with a 4.44 ERA. Lewis was terrific last Wednesday against the Astros, scattering three hits over seven scoreless innings. He didn’t get a decision in that 5-3 loss, though.

Lewis has faced the Astros six times (three starts) and is 1-1 with a 1.78 ERA.

Houston, meanwhile, will rely on veteran Brett Myers, who also received a no- decision against Lewis and the Rangers his last time out. Myers gave up two runs and six hits in six innings of that one. He is 3-6 on the year with a 4.65 ERA.

Myers has yet to receive a decision in two starts versus the Rangers, but has pitched to a lofty 7.88 ERA in those outings.

Myers To Square Off With Lewis, Rangers

2011-06-29T15:57:48Z

(Sports Network) – The Texas Rangers try to continue their mastery of the Houston Astros this evening when the Lone Star State rivals resume a three- game set at Minute Maid Park.

Josh Hamilton and Mitch Moreland also blasted solo home runs while Yorvit Torrealba added an RBI double for the Rangers, who have won six of their past 10 contests overall.

Jordan Lyles (0-3) worked six innings in defeat for Houston, giving up five runs on 10 hits.

“It just didn’t fall my way tonight,” Lyles said. “I don’t know what the ball- strike ratio was tonight, but it couldn’t have been good.”

Lewis has faced the Astros six times (three starts) and is 1-1 with a 1.78 ERA.

Myers has yet to receive a decision in two starts versus the Rangers, but has pitched to a lofty 7.88 ERA in those outings.

Losing Streak Hits Four Games As C.J. Wilson Downs Astros

2011-06-29T03:24:54Z

Houston, TX (Sports Network) – Ian Kinsler went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a triple to lead the Texas Rangers to a 7-3 win over their intrastate rival Houston Astros in the opener of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.

Josh Hamilton and Mitch Moreland both blasted solo home runs while Yorvit Torrealba added an RBI double for the Rangers, who have won six of their past 10 contests.

Michael Bourn had a pair of hits, including a triple, for the Astros, who saw their losing streak extended to four games.

Jordan Lyles (0-3) worked six innings in defeat for Houston, giving up five runs on 10 hits.

Neftali Feliz came on with two outs in the ninth to pick up his 15th save of the season.

Astros Go To Work On Neftali Perez, Mount Comeback Win

2011-06-23T06:25:45Z

Arlington, TX (Sports Network) – Pinch-hitter Matt Downs capped a four-run ninth inning with a tie-breaking two-run home run to lead the Houston Astros past the Texas Rangers, 5-3, in the finale of a three-game interleague set.

Carlos Lee and Chris Johnson had doubles while Jason Michaels added a pair of hits for the Astros, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Mark Melancon (5-1) worked two innings of relief to pick up the win for Houston.

Neftali Feliz (0-1) gave up four runs on four hits to record his fourth blown save and absorb the loss for the Rangers.

Nelson Cruz crushed a homer while Michael Young added an RBI double for Texas.

After entering the ninth trailing 3-1, Houston battled back to take the lead, plating four runs against Feliz. Lee led off the inning with a bang, belting a double down the left field line and Johnson followed two batters later with a double to almost the exact same spot to score Lee. Michaels’ infield single put runners on the corners for pinch-hitter Downs, who clubbed a 3-1 fastball deep into the seats in left to give the Astros a 5-3 lead.

“We fight every night, no matter if we’re down five or we’re down one,” Downs said of his team’s resiliency. “We always put rallies up in the ninth, sometimes we do it, sometimes we fall short.”

Texas opened the scoring in its first at-bat. Ian Kinsler led off the inning with a sharp single to center, stole second, advanced to third on a Josh Hamilton groundout and scored on a wild pitch by Brett Myers to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.

The Rangers extended their lead to 2-0 in the fifth on Cruz’s lead-off blast to left, his 17th home run of the season.

Houston cut its deficit in half in the eighth. Pinch-hitter Angel Sanchez stroked a single to center and advanced to second on a wild pitch by reliever Dave Bush. Michael Bourn singled to put runners on the corners with no outs and Jason Bourgeois stepped up next, grounding into a 6-4-3 double-play to plate Sanchez.

Texas extended its lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the frame on an RBI double by Young.

“It stinks that we didn’t win,” Rangers starter Colby Lewis said. “The main thing is that we all show up to win. We had an opportunity and we let it slip away.”