Astros Crush It. Turn Tigers into Whimpering Pussycats, 17-4

It’s a 25 hit clubbing, including five hits from Jeremy Pena

Bilbos here, subbing for our usual Sunday correspondent, Cody Poage.

A few days ago, the Astros got beat 17-1. I said the game reminded me of a Rocky movie where Balboa kept getting clobbered in slow motion the whole movie, except there was no miracle comeback.

Count today as the miracle comeback.

No time for blow-by-blow when there were 25 hits by 11 different hitters, including home runs by Martin Maldonado and Mauricio Dubon. Even the lightweight Astros hitters were scoring knockouts with their jabs today.

Plus, heavyweight Kyle Tucker opened the scoring in the third when the game was in doubt with a two-run shot of his own, his 26th. He’s heading for yet another 30 HR season, almost like a machine.

Extend his ass. Way underrated.

The hit parade was led by Jeremy Pena, who was five for six, which got his batting average above .250 and his OPS above .700. Chas McCormick and Dubon each had three hits.

In a substitute role, Yainer Diaz was two for two with a home run against a position-player pitcher who threw a pitch I will charitably call an eephus. Well, it pads his ROY stats.

Justin Verlander pitched five scoreless innings with seven Ks but had to work around two hits, two walks, and two hit-by pitches to escape unscathed.

Another quality inning of relief work by Rafael Montero, but the struggles of Phil Maton continue. He allowed three meaningless runs on a home run to Miguel Cabrera, his 510th career shot. Well, at least someone got the homer who’s a real loveable guy.

After the Astros loss to the Red Sox 17-1, a commentator said, “this is the culmination of …” fill in the blank—bad management, whatever. That was not the culmination, and neither is this.

It’s baseball, a game where luck plays more of a role than perhaps any other sport. One day, a guy gets up with the bases loaded, two outs, and hits a 400-foot bomb to center for out three.

The next day, in the same circumstance, he barely nicks a pitch foul into the backstop. On the next pitch, he hits a grand slam.

That’s why they play 162 games plus a long playoff series.

As of this writing, the Astros are one game behind the Mariners and Rangers. Wow, this is exciting. Don’t count out the proven experience under pressure of the Astros.

The Astros go to Boston to play another playoff contender, the Red Sox…again. Every game counts big.

Game time 6:10.

Oh no. Cristian Javier. Pray for rain.