Bud Norris debut

Cubs 12, Astros 0
51-50 (3rd N.L. Central)

The Cubs struck Mike Hampton(6-8) hard on Wednesday with six runs in the first, ultimately thumping the Astros 12-0. Houston batters ammassed just six hits, none of them for extra bases. The lone Astros hightlight was the debut of pitching prospect Bud Norris, the No. 2-rated talent in the farm system.


The 24-year-old right-hander was 4-9 for AAA Round Rock but sported a 2.63 ERA, 1.31 WHIP while strinking-out 112 in 120 IP.


Pitching the fifth, sixth and seventh innings in relief of Hampton, Norris allowed one run on three hits and one walk while striking-out four Cubs.

The Astros are still just 3.5 games behind division-leader St. Louis, where they begin a three-game series at beginning Friday. First though, Russ Ortiz(3-5) will take the hill today to try to force a 2-2 series split with the Cubs before they leave Chicago.

James Nielsen Houston Chronicle

Astros take one from division leader

Astros 11, Cubs 6

51-49 (3rd N.L. Central)

Miguel Tejada and Jeff Keppinger led a relentless Astros offense that accumulated 17 hits on Tuesday. Keppinger went 4-5 with three RBI and Tejada was 2-4 with five RBI.

Says Elias Sports Bureau:

"It was only the fourth time in team history that Houston's starting shortstop and second baseman both had at least three RBIs in the same game, although it did happen once before at Wrigley, with Joe Morgan (4) and Sonny Jackson (3) doing damage in a 17-4 win in 1967."

Charles Rex Arbogast / AP

Astros starter Roy Oswalt(6-4), a winner in his last three, went down with a back strain in the second inning, and the Chronicle's Jose de Jesus Ortiz writes that he could miss more than just his next start.

Charles Rex Arbogast / AP

Reliever Wesley Wright pitched 2.1 innings in relief of Oswalt allowing 3 runs largely off of five walks in the fouth inning, but went to the hospital where he was treated for dehydration.

Additionally, reliever LaTroy Hawkins went on the 15-DL with back shingles. Jesus Ortiz details Hawkins' injury and other Astros notes.

Chip Bailey nicely characterizes the "stupid crazy" 2009 Astros season in his Chronicle fan blog.

Plenty of fight in Astros

Astros 3, Cardinals 2
47-46 (T.3rd NL Central)

Over 6.1 strong frames, Brian Moehler fanned five and surrendered just two runs which both came off of Yadier Molina's fourth-inning single.

Carlos Lee gave Houston all the offense it would need with his 3-run blast in the bottom of the fourth. Such hits have become El Caballo's calling card as an Astro says Richard Justice.

Justice talks more Lee in his most recent blog. Leading the team with a $19 million salary, is the big clean-up hitter overpaid?

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)


The Astros are 5-2 since the break after another strong team performance against a top-NL club. After taking two of four at Los Angeles, the Astros gained ground on division-leader St. Louis. Now back just three games, look for Wandy Rodriguez to bring Houston even closer when he takes the hill tonight against the Red Birds.

Second half begins with win in Mannywood

45-44 (4th in NL Central)

The Astros finally got over the .500 hump with 3-0 shut-out of the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Remember when Wandy Rodriguez seemingly could only win at home? If you hadn't already noticed, those days are gone.

Wandy (9-6) posted another quality start, striking out six in 6 scoreless innings for the "W" at Chavez Ravine. Bullpen arms Alberto Arias and LaTroy Hawkins each pitched scoreless frames before Jose Valverde sealed the victory with his ninth save while preserving the Astros' fifth shutout of the year.

It was Dodger Manny Ramirez's first time back at Dodger Stadium since returning from his 50-game suspension, but Houston pitching limited him to a harmless single in four at-bats.



Offensively, the game was nothing to write home about.

But reserve catcher Humberto Quintero did hit his first home run of the year, a solo shot, off former Astro Randy Wolf, in the fifth that broke the scoreless tie and proved all Houston would need to win.

Game two of the four-game SoCal set proves to be another tight pitching match-up with Roy Oswalt facing All-Star Chad Billingsley.

No big trades for the Astros this summer?

Were you waiting for the Astros to make a move before the deadline? Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle writes that GM Ed Wade plans to keep this team intact for the stretch run.

Biggest summer trades in Astros history

Here are four of the Astros' biggest summer moves. Some of these examples prove that there's more to a trade than the biggest name involved.

1. August 31, 1990 - Astros send 37-year-old relief pitcher Larry Andersen to the Red Sox for AA third baseman Jeff Bagwell.

Let's pretend that Bags didn't go on to swell into a 5'11" version of Big Mac (PEDs? whisper, whisper) in the late 1990's or that he didn't sport that retched ZZ Top-ish 6-inch goatee EVER. What matters is that after he reached the majors in 1991, he went on to set team marks with 449HR and 1,529RBI over his 15 years as the Astros first baseman. Not bad to find a franchise superstar in a waiver-wire pick-up.

Not a bad return for Andersen, who posted four-and-a-half great years of middle relief for Houston. His 1989 campaign may have even been the finest of his 17-seasons: 87.2IP 85K 1.54ERA .198OAV. Getting rid of him must have raised some initial outcry.

(c) Houston Astros

2. July 31, 1998 - Astros trade pitchers Freddy Garcia and John Halama along with infielder Carlos Guillen to Seattle for pitcher Randy Johnson.

Sufice it to say, the Astros gave up some promising talent for a half-season Big Unit rental. But what a rental! He went 10-1 with a 1.28ERA and a .98WHIP over eleven starts for Houston as the Astros flew away with the NL Central en route to a 102-60 record, the best mark in team history. His 0-2 performance in the Division Playoff Series was hardly the result of his 1.93 ERA 1.00WHIP and 17Ks over 14IP, but rather the quiet Houston bats. The Astros were unable to resign Johnson following the playoffs, leaving them empty-handed from the deal in the end.

It turned out that the trio the Astros gave away for a summer of Johnson have all had nice careers. John Halama compiled a tidy 56-48 record over nine seasons as a big league pitcher. Freddy Garcia has shined brightly, going 118-77 over a ten-year career. Twice named an All-Star, he even earned a measure of revenge against the Astros when his White Sox team met them in the 2005 World Series. Garcia spun seven shut-out innings for Chicago in game four to seal a Series sweep against the team that once traded him away. Outfielder Carlos Guillen didn't bloom until he went to Detroit in 2004, where he has earned All-Star status three times, hitting .288 over 12 seasons with 104HR and 674Runs-scored.

Paul Kitagaki Jr. / P-I


3. June 25, 2004 - Astros aquire center fielder Carlos Beltran in a three team deal, sending closer Octavio Dotel to Oakland and AAA catcher John Buck to Kansas City.

What Randy Johnson did for the Astros pitching staff in 1998, Carlos Beltran did for Houston's lineup in the summer of 2004. In his 90 games with the team, Beltran hit 23HR with 53RBI and 70Runs-scored while stealing 28 bases. As potent as his offense was in the regular season, he was locked-in come play-off time. In Houston's first-round playoff series victory over Atlanta, Beltran hit .455 with four homers, 9RBI and 9R. It was the Astros' first-ever playoff series win. In the next series, against the Cardinals, Houston fell in seven games, but Beltran remained hot hitting .415 with four homers, 9RBI and 12R. Disapointingly, as with Johnson before him, the Astros failed to resign Beltran.








Nam Y Huh / AP

Octavio Dotel had notched 14 saves in 2004 as Billy Wagner's successor, but inconsistencies had worn out his welcome as Houston's closer. Dotel tallied 22 saves as Oakland's closer, but in subsequent seasons and with other teams he has been used primarily in middle relief, earning just 19 saves since 2005. John Buck was a prized hitting prospect with Houston who has hit for low average and moderate power in six seasons with the Royals. Despite Beltran's departure, one thinks the thrilling playoff run was sparked on the cheap.

(PHIL VELASQUEZ, CHICAGO TRIBUNE)

4. August 30, 1982 - Astros reel in outfielder Kevin Bass from Milwaukee as part of package for 37-year-old pitcher Don Sutton.

Don Sutton, a Hall of Famer-in-waiting, had come from the Dodgers in 1981 to join a formidable Astros rotation already veteran heavy with Joe Neikro and Nolan Ryan. But by the end of August 1982, the Astros were 62-69 and 11 games out of first. Though Sutton had posted a solid 13-8 record with a 3.00ERA, the team opted to trade him for younger offensive talent.

Included in the package of players from Milwaukee, was outfielder Kevin Bass who would be a key part of the Astros offense in the late 1980's. Over 14 years in the majors, Bass hit .270 with 118 home runs and 151 steals, but with most of that production coming during his eight seasons with the Astros.











(c) Houston Astros

Trade deadline looms...

How can this team be improved via trade?

I think the buy or sell question is moot at this point. The Astros need another bat, maybe Mark Teahen from KC? He's a super utility guy - plays the corners, second and outfield. I'd send them Kaz Mat for him. We could bring Edwin Maysonet back up from Round Rock to man second and release Jason Michaels to make room for Teahan. What do you think? A young effective starter would be nice, but I like our old guys. Plus if one breaks down, Chris Sampson could slip right in.






Copyright © 2007-2008 Total Pro Sports

At the break...

44-44 (3rd (tie) in the NL Central)

Oh those Astros just won't go away. Going 5-2 against the Pirates and Nationals over the homestand was a good sign that they have left the bottom tier of teams for good this season.
All considered, it's good to be an Astros fan right now - just ask the Houston Chronicle's Jerome Solomon.

Also from the Chronicle, Richard Justice writes about the Astros at the break and prospect C Jason Castro's fine outing at the MLB Futures game on Sunday. Not that Castro's everyday play at two minor league stops this season would have predicted otherwise. Don't be surprised to see Castro behind the Minute Maid Park dish before September.

It's safe to assume that the buy-or-sell discusion that comes for each team every July is mute for the Astros with the boys tied for third and just 3.5 games out of first. Drayton McClain has likely handed Ed Wade a blank check to add a bat(or two). Right now Houston is tied for 23rd in the MLB. A few more runs behind our servicable pitching staff would put this team at the top of the middling NL Central.

Justice Twittered on Saturday that Cecil Cooper's second-half rotation will be Wandy Rodriguez, Roy Oswalt, Mike Hampton, Russ Ortiz and Brian Moehler.











Cooper had been working a six-man rotation for a bout a month prior to the break, but decided to send Felipe Paulino down to Round Rock (AAA) for more seasoning. He really is an extra arm right now with our stogy vets delivering good outings.

Let's hope (and pray) for more good outings starting Thursday when the 'Stros begin a four-game-set in Mannywood against the best-in-baseball Dodgers. Just splitting that series would be a great way to kick-off the second half.

Astros Fun-tent

You don't wanna rumble with the Astros. Just ask H-town native and rapper Chamillionaire. His 2005 song "Turn It Up" was written while the Astros were en route to their first NL pennant and World Series appearance.

Wandy wonderful

Astros 5, Pirates 0

At the beginning of the season, the Astros rotation consisted of Roy Oswalt and a bunch of crossed fingers. I've since uncrossed my fingers about Wandy Rodriguez, Houston's best pitcher in the first half of the campaign.






(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)


Rodriguez (8-5) pitched a complete-game shut-out, the second of his career, to lead the Astros over the Pirates on Wednesday. In all, Pittsburgh had just two at bats with a runner in scoring position. The 30-year-old lefty fanned 11 Bucs while walking just one and scattering five hits.

The Dominican Republic native leads the 2009 Astros in wins (8), ERA (2.96) and strikeouts (106) and is second among starters in WHIP (1.28).

Wandy has been a big part of a successful Astros pitching staff, ranked 6th in the NL with a 4.15 ERA, that has carried an offense that has struggled, scoring the fewest runs in the NL Central.

Following their ninth series win out of their past twelve, the 41-42 Astros should finally get over the .500 mark this weekend. They entertain the 24-58 Washington Nationals who stumble into Houston on a 3-7 stretch behind the worst pitching staff in the National League.

Odds & Ends Dept

Let's play two! (Or at least finish-up the last game we started with Washington). A suspended game between the Astros and Nationals origianlly played May 5th will be completed prior to the start of Thursday's regularly scheduled contest. The Houston Chronicle's Jose de Jesus Ortiz details this and other Astros goings on.

Winning both the suspended and regular game tonight, will net the Astros their first winning record in a while, a fact not lost on the Chronicle's Richard Justice.

Remember how embarrassingly bad Michael Bourn was last year at getting on base? He's gotten better. The esteemed HighLeveragePerformer at The Crawfish Boxes compares Bourn with Boston's own speedy centerfielder, Jacoby Ellbury.

If you appreciate the nuances of each player's approach to hitting, you might enjoy this YouTube posting mimicking the batting stances of Astros, past and present. I'm a bit disappointed that they left out Jose Cruz, Alan Ashby, Glen Davis and Ken Caminiti...

Homestand begins well with Hampton

Astros 4, Pirates 1

Back from a 4-3 road trip the Astros got their home-stand off to a nice start by putting down the sinking Bucs. Hampton(5-5) looked sharp, allowing six base-runners over 7 IP to earn the win. It was also his fourth quality start out of his last five.











(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)


Jose Valverde, much maligned by this blog, struck out three in the ninth to earn his seventh save of the year. Just keep it up!

The hot offensive line of the night for Houston belonged to Miguel Tejada out of the two-hole:
AB 4 R 1 H 2 RBI 2 BB 0

Just 3.5 games back of first place, the Astros (40-41) are in a position to make hay going into the All-Star break. They have two more against the 37-46 Pirates before welcoming the reeling 24-56 Nationals to Minute Maid for a four-game set. Sweeping the two worst teams in baseball would be nice, but a 5-2 run and their first peek over the .500-mark for the season is the least I'm expecting.

All-Stars!
Miguel Tejada and Hunter Pence were named to the All-Star team over the weekend. The Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice weighs in on what makes these Astros worthy.

Lance Berkman has been a perennial representative for Houston at the All-Star game, but not this year. Justice writes in his blog that the Big Puma is still producing and may just be heating up for a big second half.

Moehler holds up

Astros 7, Padres 1

I was awful pleased to see Brian Moehler (5-4) win his third straight decision last night. The aging righty allowed just a solo home run over six innings while striking out a season-high eight batters. Moehler did walk a season-high four, but I'll let it slide since he was able to strand all of them.

Coupled with division-leading Milwaukee's loss, the Astros' win brings them within four games of first place. The Astros were 16-11 in the month of June including a 6-2 record in series play. They're currently up 2-1 in in their four-game set in San Diego. Another month of winning ball and the Astros may just find themselves in the NL Central driver's seat.

Odds & Ends Dept.

The Chronicle's Richard Justice writes why he love's baseball and the special quality of the Astros.

Also from Justice: Wandy Coming of Age

How does the Astro's payroll stack-up against the rest of the town's big clubs?
- Texans 2008-09: $108.4 (22nd in NFL)
- Astros 2009: $102.9 (8th in MLB)
- Rockets 2008-2009: $73.5 (8th in NBA)
Here's how the Astros' individual salaries stack up against Houstons' other professional athletes.

Because you asked: Here's a list from ESPN's Rob Neyer on quirky MLB park features he likes. Leading off: Tal's Hill.

Letting one get away...

Padres 4, Astros 3

Even Chris Sampson can have an off-night.
Too bad for Mike Hampton, though, who returned from athe DL to hand the bullpen a 3-1 in the seventh, hoping they'd secure him the win. But Petco Park opened up like the Serengeti to Padres bats as they dumped four hits in the frame to plate three runs and take the lead.

Tonight, Brian Moehler will be pitching for his paycheck. The Astros are currently rotating six starting pitchers - which presumably won't go on forever. With the team's highest ERA (6.05) and WHIP (1.57), Moehler figures to go the way of Brandon Backe after the All-Star Break. Thankfully, he'll have the warm SoCal air and vast recesses of the Petco Park outfield helping him to contain fly balls. In 61.0 IP this season, Moehler has given up a dozen bombs, but allowed none at Kansas City his last time out. Still, he gave up five total in the two games preceding that, though. Keep the ball down, Brian, and everything will be just fine. Maybe.

Odds & Ends Dept.:

The Astros' top pick in the 2009 draft, Jiovanni Mier, is featured here in a video interview by Astros.com with an accompanying piece on the young pro from MLB.com.

Richard Justice has a nice piece in the Chronicle about LaTroy Hawkins' solid productivity since coming to Houston in a trade last summer.

Another series win, but...

Tigers 4, Astros 3

Another series win, but it could have been a sweep had Jose Valverde held the Detroit Tigers in the ninth. With the NL Central struggling, the Astros would have climbed into fourth place and just three games back of first with that win that got away. Instead, the Astros are holding steady in fifth place after Valverde allowed a walk and a two-run bomb to steal the victory.

Call me impetuous, but it might be time to dump Valverde and his 8 mil salary. LaTroy Hawkins can, and has gotten the job done for less this year. Valverde has blown two saves in six tries since coming off the DL earlier this month. For the year, he has blown four saves to just six saves while Hawkins' numbers aren't great, but are better at 10 SV with 3 BS. With Hawkins making less than half of Valverde's money, I say we give him the job and get a young pitcher or two out of Jose before the deadline.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Berkman, Backe and Lima Time!

After belting his 300th home run earlier this month, Lance Berkman reached another milestone. Berkman became the third Astro to drive in 1,000 RBIs during his career with the team. He made them count, too. Berkman plated four on Thursday to help the Astros to a 5-4 win over the Royals, avoiding a three-game sweep. Now with 1,003 for his career, he's in the company of Killer B's Craig Biggio (1,175) and Jeff Bagwell (1,529).

The Astros showed veteran-starter Brandon Backe the door, designating him for assignment. He has no minor league options left with the team, so they must either trade or release him. Apparently, Backe had bad apples about having to work out of the bullpen. So did I, but baseball is about maximizing your opportunities. Nerves and rythem are not good excuses for running up a 10.00 ERA in relief. Just look what Russ Ortiz did with his relief load. Now 'ol Russ is in the rotation. Backe went 30-28 with a 5.23 ERA over six seasons with Houston. We'll always have your nice '04 and '05 post-seasons, kid!

(Jeff Chiu/AP)


Speaking of former popular 'Stros, have you set your watch to Lima Time lately? Phil Taylor has a nice Point After in the newest Sports Illustrated. Revealed are the whereabouts of Houston's former 21-game-winner and Casa Ole singing pitchman. Lima sings! -video found on YouTube-

No series win here...

Royals 4, Astros 3

Despite allowing a mess of hits, Roy Oswalt had surrendered just one run and Houston's struggling offense had given him just enough run support to earn his fourth win of the year.

That was before a ninth-inning debacle that one might associate with Chicago Cubs' and Boston Red Sox curse phenomena struck Minute Maid Park.

Only this is just a mid season contest for a losing team.

With one out and the bases empty and Jose Valverde on the mound, Lance Berkman, playing close to the line at first, let a routine grounder go through his legs. Score an error. The next batter then hit a fly ball to right field that was caught by Jason Michaels. Or was it? Replay showed that the ball glanced off the outfield wall prior to it's arrival in Michaels' glove. Now runners at first and third. A subsequent base hit would tie it and send the game into extra innings where the Astros would ultimately lose.

Tonight, Brian Moehler will face Brian Bannister and hopefully the Astros can avoid a spirit killing sweep. To the Royals. At Home. Let's get the bats out guys! Pitching can only get you so far, and based on Moehler's output this year, we'll need to plate four or five to get the win tonight.

Return home, not so sweet

Royals 2, Astros 1

So Greinke was back on for the Royals. He gave up 8 hits and no walks in 8 IP to hold the Astros' bats in check. Despite four straight losses and 15 ER's, Greinke's sub-2.00 ERA coming in was proof enough that the Astros might need to muster more than a solitary first inning run. But despite the Astros' tepid offense, cagey old Russ Ortiz looked sharp, allowing just 5 hits and two walks in 7 IP, his longest outing of the season. Gotta love the fight.

Lineup notes:
Cecil Cooper sat Lance Berkman yesterday, moving Miguel Tejada to fifth in the order, while Hunter Pence moved back to the three hole, from where he scored Houston's only run. Pence's improved patience at the plate has been evident this year. His OBP is over .400 behind 33 walks. He's just seven free passes off his previous season high of 40 from last year. That coupled with his ability to hit .300 and his 20-plus home run power makes him a legitimate No. 3 hitter. Ah, to see the young hitter's bloom. It might just be that Berkman will be settled in a five for the rest of the year - and perhaps the rest of his career. Berkman's .245 BA is the by far the lowest it's been since his rookie year, but he's still walking at a good clip, on pace to break 100 for the fourth time in his career. It's likely that age has slowed his swing, but Berkman still has his pop leading the team with 14 homers. Plus, having a five-holer who gets on base, gives the lower lineup more RBI opportunities going forward.

Reported this afternoon by the Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice via Twitter:
Astros top pick Jiovanni Mier received a $1.358-million signing bonus, which is $26,000 over MLB's recommended slot price for the 21st pick.

This just in: Tejada isn't getting any younger.
Mier just might be the heir apparent at short for the Astros, or, sadly, trade bait for Drayton McLain to acquire an aging veteran. *Sigh*

Old guys revisiting their youth:
In his blog for the Chronicle, Justice admires the work Mike Hampton and Russ Ortiz have done in recent weeks.

Out of the cellar!

32-35 (5th in the NL Central) Good news!

Climbing the division stairs. Destination Attic. And a better metaphor.

Not that overtaking Pittsburgh is a feat. They just traded away their best hitter (Nate McLouth) to Atlanta for prospects, which signals the start of their annual packing-it-in plunge to irrelevance. Too bad their ownership neither buys reliable (but expensive) free agents or is savvy enough with the saber metrics to assemble a cheap young talent to contend at least in spurts.

But it's not so much the slipping Pirates as it is the Astros' ascendancy that has them thinking second-half run - only five games back of the Cardinals, today.

Finishing their road trip 5-4, Houston took two of three at the Metrodome for their sixth series win of their last seven.

Hunter Pence has hit 10/22 since being moved to the sixth spot last week. His success should help Berkman see better pitches ahead of him.

With the reeling Royals coming to Houston tonight, I'm betting the 'Stros will give fading Cy Young contender Zack Greinke a punch to the gut. If they pull out this first one, a three-game sweep might just be in order. When it comes to playing losing teams, you have to beat 'um not to be 'um.

.500 is in sight!

He's Baaacke!

The ever-evolving Astros rotation will feature 31-year-old righty Brandon Backe in for tonight's series finale at the Texas Rangers.

Backe's opportunity presented itself because of Mike Hampton's trip to the DL, not because of anything Cecil Cooper or his coaches are seeing in Brandon's shoddy 12.00 ERA in just nine innings of work since coming off the DL last month.

Chris Sampson, who has 33 major league starts under his belt, should have earned the start with his shiney 2.31 ERA in 39 innings of relief this year. But the Houston Chronicle reported that the 31-year-old is experiencing dead-arm and will be unavailable for a few days. Lucky for Backe.

Backe is still running on the fumes of 2005 where he was 10-8 with a mediocre back-of-the-rotation ERA of 4.76, but had a nice post season as the Astros advanced to the World Series. This may be Backe's last chance to become a consistently decent pitcher. Even Drayton McClaine cuts ties with local boy fan favs after so much.

On a side note, Houston may have the oldest pitching staff in the bigs. Oh, wait I mean the oldest team in general. Just keep 'em healthy, doc!

With two straight losses to Texas, the Astros will lose their first series in the past six. Hopefully just a bump on the road to playoff contention. The rest of the division is languishing in .500 ball, so the Astros are missing a chance to gain ground. Sigh. Grimace. On the road to Minneapolis to finish the trip.

In last night's loss, Cooper shuffled the lineup again, putting Hunter Pence behind Berkman at sixth and shifting Miguel Tejada to third while inserting third baseman Jeff Keppinger in the two-hole. Pence had been batting third since late May when he and Berkman were switched due to Hunter's higher rate of contact and overall OBP. Me thinks this just an inter-league shuffle by Cooper and that we'll continue to see Pence back in the three spot behind Tejada. The emergence of Pence in the top of the order has given Houston a deeper lineup with slugger Berkman in the middle of the bats. After Michael Bourne leading-off, you have to respect a two through five made up of Tejada, Pence, Carlos Lee and Berkman. That's no pitcher's picnic.

Also, Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez celebrated passing Carlton "Pudge" Fisk in games caught by commiting a pair of throwing errors. That's what squating for 2,227 games will get you. Just jokes Pudge, just jokes.

Astros still stellar

Following-up back-to-back 2-1 wins over the Cubs last week, the Astros pitching staff disappointed last Friday as they dropped the opener of a three game set to the Diamondbacks in Arizona 8-1, as starter Mike Hampton was shakey walking five in 5.0 IP giving up three runs while Brandon Backe imploded, giving up five runs in 3.0 IP. While Hampton has been serviceable, Backe may be out of a job soon, given his 12.00 ERA over 9.0 IP since coming off of the DL in late May.

But why focus on the negative when Astros bats made a positive out of the weekend series?

Victories Saturday and Sunday proved the Astros are better than their current NL Central-basement address might suggest. Just four and a half games behind the first place Brewers, the Astros extended their series win-streak to five.

Sweetening the opening leg of the road trip were the achievement of milestones by Miguel Tejada who knocked hit 2,000 and Lance Berkman who went yard for the 300th time in his career.
Look out Bags, with continued health Berkman might yet supplant you as the franchise's greatest power hitter.

Equitable media coverage of female and male athletes: Is there a solution?

The article by John Vincent, Ph.D diagnosing and prescribing treatment for the ills of media sports coverage seems to have been conceived of in a vacuum of academic studies. Judging simply from this paper, one might assume an egregious breach of civil rights, that men have yet to let women outside the kitchen of athletic subordination.

That the coverage of womens' athletics in the media is secondary to that of mens' shouldn't surprise anyone who reads the sports page of a major metropolitan paper. On that platform, professional and revenue driving college sports take precedent. In this respect Vincent's citation of political economy makes sense in that the paper seeks to cover what they perceive as their readership's top interests. Given the long endurance of self-sustaining male professional team sports in our country - and the lack thereof in womens' team sports - one has to give some credence to contemporary taste in the consumption of athletic competition. But, with the curve of women in the professional workforce trending upward over the past 50 years, so too have professional athletic opportunities for women. Is there equity? Certainly not. The NBA's decade-long effort to promote it's sister league, the WNBA, is testament to the struggles that come with attempting to manufacture public interest in a new sports league, male or female based. But Fledging independent womens' softball and field hockey leagues show that the grassroots desire to build wider national audiences for women team sports exists.

The feminist and cultural studies arguments cited by Vincent stereotype the sports media as much as it accuses the media of stereotyping and reinforcing said preconceptions to subjugate women in sports. Despite the juvenile tendencies of some sports pundits to write off womens' sports simply based on their popularity, it seems condescending to assert that male dominated sports media view women in athletic competition as anything less than strong and skilled competitors. That second-rate professionals such as Anna Kournikova grab more endorsements because of their perceived "Euro-centric heterosexual femininity" is a simple reality of advertising effectively packaging their products. No one would suggest that Venus or Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova have won major tournaments based on their looks. More likely the stories about them centered on their ability to beat down and dominate their opponents, just as if they were men. Ditto Anika Sorenstam of golf and your Lisa Leslies, Sherryl Swoopes and Rebecca Lobos of the WNBA. Are they women? Yes, empirically they are. But they are not seen as wayward housewives ala Thelma and Louise, but as athletes. Vincent seems to be looking to place blame for disproportionate coverage rather than to observe that it has improved and continues to do so as womens' athletics gain popularity among the consuming public who dictate what is on their newspapers' front pages.

Vincent's recommendations seem reasonable, but consider that news stories are placed and promoted with prominence to the reader's interests in mind, not a suggestion as to what the reader should want to read. That being said, coverage for all sports within the readerships' area should receive coverage, well written and - where space permits - well illustrated - in order the build the readership of those interested in the sport. This is the same treatment given to minor male sports like indoor soccer and lacrosse, not as a matter of gender but of prominence in the public consciousness.

This might become a habit...

Astros 2 Cubs 1

Another game, another Geoff Blum walk-off single. Another series, another two-of-three for Houston, making it four straight series wins, their longest run of 2009.

Like Wandy on Wednesday night, Russ Ortiz held Cubs hitters in check, allowing just three hits and no runs while striking out five in 5.1 IP. Too bad he's still issuing walks (three yesterday). But his ability to buckle down and get outs strand those charity baserunners extended his modest scoreless streak to 17.2 innings.

With Felipe Paulino on the 15-day DL, Brian Moehler is still in the rotation. Let's hope he takes a cue from Ortiz and gets his game right - or at not a liability.

Let's see if the Astros can take their winning ways on the road as they begin play in Arizona tonight.

Ortiz earns spot start, hopefully pushes Moehler out of rotation

Tonight's game against the Cubs will be Russ Ortiz's chance to reassert himself as a starting pitcher for the Astros after nearly a month in the bullpen. The veteran righty owned a 110-82 record over 11 seasons in the majors before joining the Astros in early April but has made just four starts this season.

Out of the bullpen, Ortiz has compiled a streak of 12.1 scoreless innings in his last five appearances bringing his ERA back under 4.00 while allowing ten hits and just four walks to roll his WHIP under 2.00.

With continued success, Ortiz should supplant fellow veteran Brian Moehler, who has been less than stellar in the back of the Houston rotation. To date, Moehler has posted a 6.95 ERA and a 2-4 record over nine starts, which is just not cutting it if the Astros want to stay in ballgames.

Wandy and a walk-off

Astros 2 Cubs 1

This year clutch hitting may be something Astros fans have become more accustomed to seeing the opposition pull-out in a pinch. Last night with the bases loaded and one out the bottom of the ninth and journeyman Geoff Blum at the bat, I was waiting for the ground ball to second and the 4-3 spirit-killing double-play. That's what righty Angel Guzman and all of Cub-dom were waiting for as well. But Blum laced a fastball into center field to plate Miguel Tejada for a walk-off win. Astros win? Astros win! I'm still blinking.

Anyone notice who just came back from their unannounced effectiveness sabbatical? Wandy Rodriguez was back in form last night after a rough three-game stretch. He allowed one run on five hits and two walks over seven innings while striking out six Cubs. A relieving performance for the lefty after allowing 18 runs on 29 hits over his last three starts - all losses. Though he didn't pick up yesterday's win, the Stro's did in large part due to his efforts.

Given another sharp pitching performance and timely hitting, the Astros will look to win tonight's rubber game against the Cubs for their fourth consecutive series of the year.

Opening pitch...

My name is Lars Headington, a naturalized Texan and fervent supporter of the Houston Astros. Over the next several weeks I'll be following the ups and downs of the 'Stros as they try to turn around a 25-31 start to the 2009 baseball season. Of course, other teams and personalities will cross into my purview, so expect a take that also provides a broad context for the Astros' grand adventures(and misadventures) in Major League Baseball.