Astros swat Nats

The Astros chalked up their second win in as many games with a 10-2 trouncing of the Nationals Sunday. The offense got things going early and often, scoring four runs in the third inning and five more in the fourth. Chris Snyder and Fernando Martinez both homered in their Astros debuts. J.D. Martinez added a longball of his own as part of a two Martinez launch. Stephen Strasburg started for the Nats and the Astros were able to get some good at-bats against him and put a couple of runs on the board. However, most of the damage was done against lefty Tom Gorzelanny.
All six of the Astros pitchers that appeared in the game were effective, including J.A. Happ, Lucas Harrell, and David Carpenter. Twenty-three position players also saw action for the Astros. Youngsters Jonathan Singleton and George Springer didn’t fare so well. Both prospects were 0-2 with a pair of strikeouts.
Winning this time of year is nice, but ultimately takes a back seat to the process of getting better as a team. All of the pitchers have appeared to be focused and ready to go out and do the job. The offense looked good today and hopefully they can continue to take a more patient approach at the plate. They took a few walks today, which is encouraging. I was impressed with Fernando Martinez. He hit the ball very hard a couple of times, producing a double and the aforementioned homerun. The defense was also solid today. Brad Snyder made a nice diving catch in rightfield in the ninth inning.
There are a few guys that are still working to get healthy, but otherwise things are looking good in Astros camp. Carlos Lee (hamstring) could be in the lineup as early as tomorrow but I wouldn’t mind if he sits out a couple more days. I have always wanted to see Chris Johnson moved to 1B and would like to get a longer look at him there. Jimmy Paredes (wrist) and Angel Sanchez (back) are still a few days away from being game ready and Humberto Quintero (leg) is listed as day-to-day. Jordan Lyles is scheduled to pitch Monday when the Astros host the Braves at 12:05 CST.