The Chicago Cubs (and their inexplicable legion of local fans) arrived Monday at Minute Maid Park on top of the NL Central division, ready to put some distance between themselves and the Brewers in the standings. The Astros had other plans. Led by strong pitching performances by Wandy Rodriguez, Woody Williams, and Roy Oswalt, the Astros swept the series and bumped the Cubs below Milwaukee in the NL Central race.
The offense was on for the series as well, ranging from late inning heroics by Eric Munson (walk-off single in the 10th inning Monday night) to the seven-run outburst last night. Now, lest anyone get too excited, the 'Stros are still 8.5 games out of the NL Central lead, and 10.5 away from the Wild Card. But with solid play this week from youngsters Luke Scott and Munson, 2008 isn't looking quite so bleak.
The Astros face the Brewers for the next three games at The Juice Box. Hunter Pence's recovery from a wrist injury last month has been progressing nicely, and it's possible he could be back in center field by the end of this homestand. If you're planning on going to a game this weekend, Houstonist recommends Saturday's matchup between Wandy and Jeff Suppan. Wandy has been positively sick at home this season: 1.69 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and a 6-2 record. Unless you're really into going to games where the Astros lose horribly, in which case we recommend tomorrow night's game, where you'll have the possibility of watching Jason Jennings repeat his 11-runs-in-one-inning train wreck from last week.
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photo: Flick user Frank Pereiro
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