On this day, just three years ago, the Astros got beat 10-7 in a pretty crazy game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
Runelvys Hernandez started for Houston, giving up a mind-boggling 10 runs, four walks and 13 hits in four innings. Chad Paronto came in and pitched the final two innings without giving up a run. Hernandez was not the first Houston pitcher to give up 10 runs in a game. In fact, he wasn't close to the first. But, the 2008 Astros were the second team to have three different pitchers to give up 10 runs in a game (the first was the 2000 Astros, who had four). Brandon Backe also accomplished the feat twice that season, even doing it 10 days apart in August.
What's kind of sad is that of the 20 different times a pitcher has given up at least 10 runs in a game, six have happened since 2008. In addition to Runelvys and Backe's two games, Wandy gave up 10 runs in 2009, Felipe Paulino gave up 10 in 2010 and Nelson Figueroa gave up 10 runs in April of this season.
At the same time that Runelvys was giving up so many runs, the Astros hung around in this game. Carlos Lee hit a two-run home run, his 20th of the season. Lance Berkman also hit his 29th double, driving in a run and taking a walk. Ty Wigginton also went 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
It also made me sad to see that Darin Erstad, the newest head baseball coach at Nebraska, started in center field in this game and even led off. He went 1 for 5 with two runs scored, but that doesn't excuse Cecil Cooper one little bit.
Here's the graphic replay of the game, thanks to Back to Baseball.