Game Recap: Dodgers Salvage Dignity. Take Astros in Game 3, 3-2.

The Astros lost the game today in this rematch with the Los Angeles Dodgers after taking the first two in the series in LA. The Dodgers scored all three of their runs by the third inning on a two run double by Brian Dozier in the first and and an RBI double by Cody Bellinger in the third.

All three runs were scored on starting pitcher Gerrit Cole, who allowed 6 hits and a walk, but got 8 strikeouts, giving him 202 for the year. It is the most in his career and it is the first time that two Astros pitchers, he and Justin Verlander, have recorded more than 200 strikeouts in a season since 2004. There’s a decent chance that by the end of the year Charlie Morton could make that total three.

The bullpen did not allow a run in this series despite extensive use.

The Astros scored on a 452 foot home run leading off the game by George Springer and another on a solo home run by Tony Kemp in the fifth.

Given the 162 game season in major league baseball it was, all in all, a rather unremarkable game, although the Oakland A’s did close to within four games of the Astros lead. But it may be remembered as the day Astros fans began to dread the euphemistic D word in the new Astros lexicon: “discomfort.”

After Saturday night’s elbow “discomfort” put Lance McCullers on the DL with further tests pending, today George Springer suffered “discomfort” sliding into second base on a play that looked like he had broken his thumb.

The video of the play is here.

This on top of the news today that Jose Altuve’s knee “discomfort” is not subsiding and that he will return to Houston for more tests on his “discomfort.”

I think it’s fair to say that all this news makes Astros fans rather discomfortable.

On the bright side, Carlos Correa, who has been out more than a month with back “discomfort,” is expected to return to the Astros when they return home later this week. Since his last game on June 25, the Astros have won 19 out of 33 games. a respectable but slightly sub-par .575 average. But how long can they continue to compete at a championship level with injuries to their core players?

Hopefully the medical reports will all be positive and we will not have to find out.

Editor’s note: X rays negative on Springer, although time on DL is not ruled out.

It’s always fun to have Jake Marisnick roaming center field. He has hit two home runs since returning from Fresno last week, and today he robbed Chris Taylor of one . See below.

Other News:

Today Roberto Osuna joined the Astros after a private ten minute meeting in the clubhouse with the team and owner Jim Crane and General Manager Jeff Luhnow. Here is the Astros’ official statement.

Tomorrow the Astros begin a two game series in San Francisco against the Giants. Charlie Morton (12-2, 2.90 ERA) faces Derek Rodriguez (5-1, 2.59 ERA). Game time 9:10 CDT.

Box score and videos here.