Was it Hunter Pence striking out in the ninth with one outs and the bases loaded that cost us the game? What about Pence losing the ball in the sun to allow a lead-off triple in the tenth? Or maybe it could have been that the 5-8 hitters (CJ, Wallace, Matt Downs, and Quintero) combined to go 1-16 with 8 strikeouts?
Missed opportunities aside, this was one of the most frustrating losses of the season. Just when you think that Carlos Lee's two-run homer in the eighth was going to be enough for a victory, Wilton Lopez implodes in the bottom half to allow the tying run. I could go on and on about the rough patches of this loss, but it wouldn't be pretty...
What must Jordan Lyles do to ensure his first win as a major leaguer? Throw a no-hitter? Hit a solo shot and throw a shutout?
Whatever the case may be, Lyles certainly deserves to get that first victory. He says it doesn't bother him, and maybe that's true. Come on, just get it over with already.
Lyles has now officially tied the franchise record for consecutive winless starts to begin his Astros career with ten outings. You might not believe this, but Lyles threw a decent ballgame and was a victim of poor run support. I know, what a surprise right?
While Lyles didn't pitch as well as he did in his major league debut, his return to Wrigley was still equally impressive for a different reason. He got into early trouble when he surrendered three runs in the second on lots of hard-hit balls, but he was able to pitch out of multiple jams and record his fourth quality start of the year. Lyles allowed nine hits, but he showed some real grit and toughness pitching through a rough day on the mound.
Please erase this game from my memory.