Altuve: Handshake on HR trot
(c) Associated Press
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First of all, let's tip a cap to the Miami Marlins who, with a payroll lower than any team not named the Houston Astros, have managed to hover near the .500 mark all season and are keeping themselves in the discussion for a wild card berth. That success includes a three-game sweep of Houston this weekend capped off with a 4-2 decision on Sunday.
The Houston offense managed just five runs in the three-game series and have upped their losing skid to five with the league-leading A's coming to town for three.
Back at the beginning of the month, I noted how horrific the Astros have played in July the past three years. 2014 appears to be no different. Other than a three-game sweep of the lowlier (by one game) Rangers, Houston has posted just three wins against 15 defeats this month.
Collin McHugh struggled in the first inning, allowing three runs on a single, triple, sacrifice fly and a solo homer by Garrett Jones. That turned out to be the ballgame right there.
Jose Altuve belted a solo homer in the bottom of the first and Jon Singleton homered with one out in the bottom of the ninth to account for Houston's runs. Altuve had another three-hit game, pushing his batting average back up to .344. Why teams still pitch to him is one of baseball's great mysteries.
Marcell Ozuna homered off McHugh to account for Miami's other tally.
Perhaps in two years, the Astros can be that economically-efficient contender the Marlins have become this year. Until then, they can continue to look like the worst team in the majors and pile up the draft picks.
Another team with an efficient payroll, the Oakland Athletics, are next up for the Astros. Brett Oberholtzer (2-7) will try to snap the skid Monday night when he faces Jesse Chavez (8-6) with the first pitch at 7:10 Central. Oberholtzer, you may recall, pitched well in Oakland in a game that Houston won in extra innings.
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