Frustration continues for Oberholtzer

Frustrating. It’s the one word that best describes the 2014 Houston Astros. As fans, we are beyond disapponted. Hopeful has flown out the window and we are now unsure if it will return. We’re just plain frustrated. And so are the players.

Tonight’s starter, Brett Oberholtzer, summed it up after Monday night’s 2-0 loss to the Tigers.

(You) get the vibe from other teams that they’re just ready to come in and beat us and that’s frustrating. h/t Evan Drellich

Frustrating.

Brett’s frustration continued tonight. The world’s greatest hitter took the Astros’ lefty deep in the first inning to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Three consecutive softly hit singles off Oberholtzer to start the bottom of the third helped Detroit add on a couple more runs.

Brett Oberholtzer (Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)

Meanwhile, it was business as usual for the Astros offense. Having scored only eight runs in support of Oberholtzer in his first six starts, the ‘Stros scored only once against Tigers’ starter Robbie Ray.

Ray, who was making his big league debut, allowed five hits and one walk while striking out five Astros in 5 & 1/3 innings. Another household name, Evan Reed, came on in relief of Ray and got a couple of timely double-play grounders to quash Astros rallies in the sixth and seventh innings.

Oberholtzer would gut it out for six innings, throwing a season high 105 pitches before leaving the game on the wrong end of a 4-1 score. Jose Cisnero could provide no relief in the seventh as the Tigers tacked on a pair of runs to extend their lead.

Almost certain to see his record slip to a Philip Humber-like 0-6 for the year, Oberholtzer could be in danger of losing his spot in the Astros rotation — at least temporarily.