You read that right... The Houston Astros are FINALLY over the .500 mark with a 17-16 record and sit in sole possession of 3rd place in the NL central with the Brewers losing to the Marlins 3-0. 

What a game!!!  I don't really even know where to start, but I guess it would be wrong to start anywhere else than Lance Berkman.  Lance Berkman ended the night with his 1st career 5 hit game and brought his average up to .353 to take the lead from Miguel Tejada.  Not only did he have 5 hits, he had 2 doubles, 2 stolen bases, an RBI and scored 4 times.  I guess I should also mention that he scored the game winning run.  Lance's .353 average is good for 5th in all of baseball behind Chipper Jones(.426), Rafael Furcal(.366), Chase Utley(.362) and Albert Pujols(.355).   **note** These stats(other than Berkman's) are based upon numbers not updated to tonights games.  Lance was 20th in all of baseball before tonight's game.

Carlos Lee didn't have too bad of a night either, going 3 for 4 with 3 RBI's and a walk.  Two of those RBI's in the 8th inning to put the Astros ahead for the win.  I don't know what to think about Lee yet.  He started getting hot over the last week or so and was up to a 5 game hit streak, but then went 0-5 in the last game against the Brewers.  He now comes back and goes 3-4... hopefully this is a sign of him turning it around and reverting back to the player that we signed for 100 million dollars. 

Shawn Chacon failed to record a decision for the 7th time this season, but pitched decent enough to keep the Astros in the game and not waste the bullpen.  Chacon went 7 innings tonight and gave up 4 earned runs while striking out 4.  This wasn't Chacon's best outing of the season, but it was better than his last start in which he only went 5 innings against the Diamondbacks and gave up 5 earned runs.  Honestly, I think I'll pretty much take 7 innings and 4 earned runs from Chacon on most nights, so I can't be too unhappy with this performance. 

Don't look now... but Jose Valverde might actually be a decent closer.  I'm not getting too excited about him yet, but tonight's save(his 7th of the season) makes 5 straight save opportunities without blowing it.  If my stats are correct(and they should be, they come from MLB.com), that makes 9 straight appearances for Valverde and 10 2/3 innings without giving up a run.  Hopefully he will continue to add on to that.  Valverde is now 7 for 10 in save chances.

Wow....It's like Yogi says... It's like deja-vu, all over again.  Maybe I'm just a ignorant, but I don't see why managers(specifically Garner over the last few seasons and now Cooper), pull a starting pitcher out of game when they have yet to give up a run and have a pitch count under 10,000...  Especially when you have a struggling closer?  WHY!  It seems the only thing that ever comes out of this is that the starting pitchers brilliant outing goes completely to waste. 

Chacon was brilliant tonight, going 8 strong innings and allowing only 4 hits.  Valverde allowed 3 hits, 2 home runs and 4 runs in ONE THIRD OF AN INNING!!!!!!!  AHHH!!!  Fire him now.. trade him now.. whatever... I don't care...  but he better get his crap together fast.  We only have him for 1 season(guaranteed), and if it's going to be a losing season because he can't keep runs off the board, then what's the point of even putting him out there.  The only thing Valverde's done successfully this year is managed to get his ERA higher than Roy-O's...  Wow, he has 2 saves...   Yea, well he's blown 2 as well.  I could close 50% of games for the Astros and I'd take a hell of a lot less money than Valverde is getting paid... and I haven't pitched in 10+ years!!

I don't think there is one thing in baseball that pisses me off more than a manager pulling a starting pitcher that hasn't given up a run only to watch his outing be completely wasted by a closer who couldn't close the fridge door.  (sorry that was lame)  What happened tonight bothers me to no end.  There is no way I could be a major league owner... the 1st time my manager did this, I'd be in his office after the game... he'd walk into his office and I'd be there sitting in his chair with my back turned towards the door.  As he walks in I'd turn around slowly in the chair with a straight look on my face, not blinking and just stare at him.  Then I'd calmly tell him without any emotion that he screwed up tonight and that he better never do it again.  The next time it happens... there would be a help wanted sign on the door before he even made it into the locker room. 

This pretty much happens every year and I doubt we'll go through the entire season with out it happening again, but who do you think will be the 1st Astros starter to lose their job due to poor play?  Last season we had both Brad Lidge and Chris Burke lose their starting jobs pretty early in the season.  Who will it be this year? 

*note* I'm including Valverde in this, even though he isn't technically a starter... but he is the "starting" closer... so it fits in my opinion.

Not exactly the ending we all hoped for, but a win is a win; and a win on a walk-off shot is exciting...  but I would have rather seen Wandy get the win that he earned after going 7.1 innings of 3 hit ball.  You don't get much better than Wandy did tonight.  Wandy struck out 6 and didn't walk a batter allowing just 3 Cardinals to touch 1st base before he left.  Wandy is hands down my player of the game.

Now, my Game Hero has to go to Miguel Tejada who saved Jose Valverde by going yard in the 9th, opposite field style to win the game for the Astros, 5-3.  Tejada was also 2-4 on night. 

Other Notables

• Lance Berkman, came back from a "pain in the neck" to go 1-3 with a home run.
• Carlos Lee, finished off the back to back jacks in the 7th and also went 2-4.
• Michael Bourn, 2-4(raising his avg to .250) with 2 stolen bases; that makes 6 on the year. 

And the downside of the game... I have to start with Valverde who totally ruined the excellent game by Wandy by blowing the save in the 9th and taking away Wandy's win, as well as giving up 3 earned runs.  If he's going to be a dominant closer.. he can't give up runs.  His ERA is now 11.25!!!  It needs to be closer to 3.25.  Hunter Pence is another downside.  Hunter has looked like he does indeed need to go back to Triple A by going 0-4 tonight with 3 strike outs, lowering his average to .171.  Not exactly the guy who led the team in avg last season(of those with 100+ runs).  I think he'll turn it around though.

Listening to the post game interview with Cooper, someone asked if Cooper learned anything tonight concerning Valverde... Cooper just responded with "I learned that will go with Valverde in the 9th inning if he's available".  Not really what I wanted to hear...  Sounds like blind faith to me... blind faith in someone who hasn't proven to be faithful...  We'll see how it goes. 

One of our readers went to some of the pre-game activities and e-mailed me a few pics.  The pics are from "Kelly", but I"m not sure the name on the blog, so I'll leave it at that. 

The Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs played game 1 of a 3 game series today at Wrigley Field in Chicago with the Astros winning 4-3 behind 6.2 strong innings of 2 run work by Chris Sampson.  These last 2 outings by Sampson and Chacon have been really impressive for our #4 and 5 starters.  Sampson who didn't win a position in the rotation until the Saturday before the season, might not have been in the rotation if Woody Williams wasn't terrible this spring.  That's over with, and Sampson is in; and if he keeps pitching like this... he'll stay in.  The only bad thing about Sampson's outing today, is that he got a no decision, which was picked up by Wright who finished off the 7th for Sampson by getting the last out. 

The offense was just okay today with Towles hitting his 1st home run of the season and Tejada going 2-4 with a double and a triple.  I'd like to see more hits from the team(as well as more runs).  The Astros were actually out hit today by the Cubbies 9-5. 

I can't say that I've been too impressed with Valverde thus far.  Two straight games with giving up runs in both.  Luckily he's been saved by the offense in both games and actually has a win(albeit a cheap win) and a save in his 2 outings this year.  He needs to start having scoreless outings if he expects to be anything close to an elite closer.  I know I'm past sick and tired of seeing the Astros closers giving up dingers in the 9th, and Valverde did just that today.  Oh well, a win is a win, and if the Astros win every time that Valverde gives up a home run... then he can give one up every game.

Next up, the Astros take on the Cubs again for game 2 of the series, tomorrow at 12:05 PM CDT as Roy Oswalt takes on Jason Marquis.  Oswalt is 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA and Jason Marquis has yet to make an appearance this season.