Wandy's Big Night Leads Houston Over Pirates

Home Wandy, it's nice to see you again. After all that trade/waiver speculation, Wandy Rodriguez proves why we all thought he might be worth that nice, juicy contract last winter. By pitching seven strong innings and putting up one of his best strikeout performances, he not only helped Houston pick up the victory, but he also got to 10 wins himself. I know, I know, wins are meaningless, but I like at least seeing one guy on the team in double digits.

This game also saw Jose Altuve get back on track after a pretty disastrous road trip that had his batting average drop under .300 for the first time in quite a while. Jordan Schafer had two hits and is doing a little better than Michael Bourn from his first season in Houston. Jimmy Paredes showed some on-base skills with two walks (though he didn't get a hit).

And then there was Carlos Lee. El Bufalo. Mr. Shake Off A Sprained Ankle And Win The Game. That's a really long, unwieldy nickname, but you get my point. That was a big hit and some deserved production from the Astros' most senior every day player (sorry J-Mike). It was also a lineup I think we can mostly get behind. Altuve at second, Martinez batting third, Paredes and Barmes in the lineup with Bogusevic in right. 

The Pirates are playing really bad right now after mostly having a solid season. Houston may well win this series, which is nice. I mean, with all the Crane nonsense happening, this team on the field now could very well be the team we see for all of next season.