It must feel like Christmas in May for Roy Oswalt. His team finally scored runs for him. They gift-wrapped a 5-spot for him, as Hunter Pence and Jeff Keppinger led an offensive charge against abused starter Chris Narveson.
How did Mr. Oswalt respond? By getting five of his nine total strikeouts in his final three innings of work. I have to imagine he wanted to finish the shutout, having thrown 109 pitches to end the eighth. Mills saved his arm, though, and Brandon Lyon pitched a scoreless ninth to preserve the victory.
It was exactly the kind of game Oswalt needed. His team scored runs early and often, so he could settle into a groove and not worry about being too fine with his pitches. It paid off handsomely for the Astros, but it remains to be seen whether they can do this against David Bush on Thursday. That's why I'm deliberately keeping this recap short. Don't want to jinx anything for the rubber game.
I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas...(Lyrics in MORE) (via DavidLeStrange)