/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12440101/20130429_lbm_aw8_457.0.jpg)
Don't tell Lucas Harrell, Brandon Barnes or Carlos Corporan that Houston was nearing a breaking point. All three were key parts of Houston's streak-snapping 9-1 victory over the Yankees Monday.
Harrell pitched into the seventh inning and utilized his great control to baffle the Yankees hitters. The right-hander gave up eight hits and one run while walking one and striking out four. Harrell also managed to generate 11 ground ball outs to zero fly ball outs. He also threw just 105 pitches, 15 more than Brad Peacock used to throw 3 1/3 innings on Saturday.
Barnes and Corporan did their parts to stake Harrell to his third victory of the season. Barnes got the start in right field and seemingly answered our question from this morning on whether he should get more playing time. He went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and a strikeout, clubbing a double in the top of the fourth that scored two runs and made it 5-0 Astros.
Corporan was in on multiple offensive rallies, as Harrell's non-personal catcher hit a line-drive double in the first to score two runs before hitting a two-run home run to right in the fifth that made it 7-0 Houston.
At that point, Houston just had to cruise home to the finish, as cool cat Travis Blackley threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings before Rhiner Cruz closed things out with a scoreless ninth.
After the misery that was the Boston series, this might qualify as the brightest Houston moment in New York since that 15-pitcher no-hitter, amirite?
Oh, and we haven't even mentioned Andy Pettitte, who is still pitching even after he was washed up and let go by Houston after his contract was up back in 2006.