Astros go quietly in 3-2 loss to White Sox

The Astros started the second half of the season much like they ended the first — with an uninspiring offensive performance. After scoring a couple of gift-wrapped runs in the second inning, the Astros offense fell into a coma. White Sox pitchers retired 22 straight Astros to end the game.

Houston batters struck out 14 times while managing only three hits and two walks. A few fly balls to the warning track (two by Matt Dominguez) were about the only thing keeping this Astros fan awake.

Scott Feldman was nursing a 2-0 lead into the sixth inning before things went south. The Astros righty walked Jose Abreu in front of a Dayan Viciedo homerun that tied the score. A couple of hits in the seventh pushed across the go-ahead run and that was all she wrote.

Feldman took his seventh loss of the season despite a gutsy performance that consisted of seven innings pitched, seven hits, three runs, three walks, and two strikeouts. Scott didn’t appear to have his best stuff, but he was able to throw strikes and keep his pitch count low. Josh Fields looked good in the eighth, striking out two of the three batters he faced.

It was the second game in a row in which the offense disappeared early. Clay Buchholz retired 17 straight to end the last game prior to the All-Star break. I know it’s only two games — but this is a discouraging trend. Maybe the boys can get things turned around tomorrow against Hector Noesi.