Can somebody in an Astros uniform please hit the ball!

The Astros lost their 100th game of the season today, falling 2-1 to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Astros batters fanned 12 times this afternoon and were 0 for 14 with runners in scoring position. The offense is suddenly missing in action, having scored a total of four runs in their last three games, all losses. Carlos Lee is the only Astro to drive in a run during that time. Lee exited todays game early for a pinch runner and missed out on a chance to hit with the bases loaded in the ninth. Jose Altuve struck out instead.

With just a little bit of offense in the last three games we might be talking about a winning streak right now. The pitching has been excellent, giving up only nine runs in the last five games. But a 1-0 loss, an extra-inning loss, and today’s debacle add up to a three game loser. This game was about as much fun as dental surgery. Most 2-1 games don’t take 3 hours and 16 minutes to play. Henry Sosa walked four Cubbies in a 33 pitch first inning. The inning took so long that Sosa forgot how many outs there were, throwing the ball to the plate after fielding a comebacker with two outs. Then there was the seventh. Mike Quade used three pitchers in the frame and Brad Mills countered with a couple of pinch hitters.

On the bright side Jimmy Paredes had three hits and a stolen base. Henry Sosa settled down after the shaky first, going six innings and showing some ability to pitch out of trouble.  The bullpen pitched two scoreless innings and Wesley Wright lowered his ERA to 0.92 for the season. Brett Myers tries to get the Astros back in the win column tomorrow. Ryan Dempster takes the mound for the Cubs at 1:20 CDT.