If the playoffs started tonight . . . the stay-at-home Astros would have finished their season 11 - 14 against NL playoff participants.
Combined Records vs. New York, St. Louis, LA, and San Diego
Team
Record
Cincinnati
13 - 16
Philadelphia
16 - 22
San Francisco
20 - 21
Florida
10 - 20
Houston
11 - 14
Atlanta
18 - 15
Arizona
16 - 21
Before last night's 8 - 7 loss, the Astros hadn't scored more runs in a loss since July 28, when they lost by an identical 8 - 7 score to the D-Backs at home. The Astros hadn't had as many as yesterday's 11 hits in a loss since August 6, when they lost to the D-Backs 4 - 3 at Arizona.
John Maine's first complete game shutout victory is still his only complete game shutout victory. Maine was an emergency starter for the Mets July 21 because Willie Randolph was worried how a rain delay might have affected Orlando Hernandez. Maine gave up four hits to the Astros that night in going the route.
There is hope for Houston, though. Despite taking the loss, Sean Marshall of the Cubs dropped seven innings of 4-hit, one run ball on the Astronomicals June 7th--and then a week later, gave up five runs over 4 abbreviated innings in the Astros' 9 - 2 walkaway victory. Perhaps the second look at Maine helps us as much as it did vs. Marshall.
Were you aware that the Cubs have shut us out four times? Yikes.
The company Jason and his ERA have been keeping is a little less ignominous this week
Astros Pitchers With an ERA higher than Jason Hirsh's Over a Full Season
Year
Name
ERA
1970
Scipio Spinks
9.88
1985
Mark Knudson
9.00
1992
Ryan Bowen
10.96
1996
Jim Dougherty
9.00
1999
Wade Miller
9.58
2001
Joe Slusarski
9.00
2005
Brandon Duckworth
11.02
Last week, there were only two pitchers in the history of the organization doing worse. . . .
