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Scott Feldman has been exactly who the Astros hired him to be this season. And thanks to the front-loaded nature of his contract, he'll actually be cheaper next year and in 2016 than he was this year, which gives the Astros payroll flexibility to sign top of the line talent when they'll actually need it. I liked Feldman's deal when he signed it, and I like it even more after he's turned in a solid first season with the club. Tonight Scott gave up 1 run over six innings while tossing his 7th straight quality start, finishing up the year with an 3.74 ERA and an ERA+ of 102, or just above league average. He did labor a bit, needing 111 pitches to complete only 6 innings, allowing 9 base runners and working out of a bases loaded jam in the 4th, but you can't argue with the result.
If only he had gotten a little help from his teammates. Lisalverto Bonilla (who, by the way, is now my favorite named player in the Bigs) struck out 7 'Stros over 6 innings and did not allow any runs. Jonathan Villar had yet another throwing error on the night, but in his defense, he also hit his 7th home run. Chris Carter's slump continues, as he went 0-4 for the second night in a row and is now 1 for his last 19 at bats. Here's hoping Trogdor blasts like 10 home runs over the last three games of the series.
Also, Jose Veras was not very good tonight.
Despite getting swept out of Arlington, the Astros finished the season series against the Rangers 11-8 – a drastic improvement over last year's 2-17. The 'Stros also take home their first Silver Boot since 2006, so there's that for people who care about such things. Your Houston Astros finish up the season with a 3 game series against the New York Mets at Citifield.