TODAY’S GAME: The Astros and Padres wrap up their 4-game series today at 3:05 p.m. CT at PETCO Park...RHP Brett Myers (5-6) will start for HOU vs. SD LHP Wade LeBlanc (4-6).
BOURN ON THE 4TH OF JULY: OF Michael Bourn has been selected to the 2010 NL All-Star squad...for Bourn, 27, it is his 1st All-Star selection...Hunter Pence (2009) was the last Astros OF to be named to the All-Star team...in 2010, Bourn leads the NL in SB (25), OF assists (8) and infield hits (17) and is 2nd in bunt hits (5). Bourn, who led the NL in SB (61) last season and won a Gold Glove, has made just one error in his last 126 games.
ABOUT THE TRIP: Today is the finale of a 10-game (4-5 so far), three-city, road trip for the Astros...they were 1-2 at TEX, 2-1 at MIL and are 1-2 thus far in SD.
10-GAMERS: A win today would mark the 1st time the Astros have finished a 10-game road trip at .500 or better since they went 7-3 on a 10-gamer, 5/9-18, 2008.
BLUM DL’D; BOURGEOIS RECALLED: Effective today, the Astros have placed IF Geoff Blum in the 15-day Disabled List due to loose bodies in his right elbow...OF Jason Bourgeois (#11) has been recalled and is scheduled re-join the club in time for today’s game in San Diego.
LAST NIGHT’S RECAP: The Astros were blanked by the Padres for the 2nd straight night, 1-0...starter RHP Bud Norris had no decision, hurling a season-high 7.0 shutout innings, allowing three hits and three walks with five strikeouts...LHP Gustavo Chacin (1-1) took the loss in relief, allowing the game’s only run (unearned) in the bottom of the 8th inning...Chris Johnson went 3x3 with two doubles, accounting for half of the Astros six total hits...the Astros have been shutout in consecutive games for the first time since 7/3-4 of 2009 (both at SF).
STINGY STARTERS: Astros starting pitchers have posted an 0.68 ERA (2ER/26.2IP) in the last four games combined...the starters have allowed just one run in 19.2 innings of work in the current series vs. the Padres for on 0.46 ERA.
BUD’S PUNCHOUTS: Bud Norris is averaging 10.51 strikeouts per 9.0 innings, which is tops in the Majors amongst pitchers with 10 or more starts...Norris has 65 punchouts in 55.2 innings in 2010 and has tallied 119 K’s in 111.1 innings in his young career.
SO PER 9 IP - MLB (min. 10 starts)
1. Bud Norris - 10.51
2. Jered Weaver - 10.27
3. Clayton Kershaw - 10.01
HIT THE SHOWERS: Hunter Pence was ejected last night for the first time in his ML career (was his 502nd career game)...he is the fourth Astros player to get the heave-ho this year, joining Michael Bourn, Carlos Lee and Roy Oswalt. Manager Brad Mills has been ejected once in 2010.
UPCOMING HOMESTAND: After on off-day tomorrow, the Astros will begin a 6-game homestand on Tuesday during which they’ll host PIT (7/6-8) and STL (7/9-11), which will bring them to the All-Star Break...the Astros swept a 3-game series from the Pirates, 4/23-25 at Minute Maid Park and are 4-2 vs. the Cardinals in 2010.
CENTRAL FOCUS: The Astros 15-12 record vs. Central Division opponents is 2nd-best within the division...from 7/6-8/8, 27 consecutive games will be vs. Central Division opponents.
BEE ANNIVERSARY: Friday (7/2) was the one-year anniversary of the Astros-Padres game last season that was delayed due to a swarm of bees...the bees caused a 52-minute delay in the top of the ninth before the Astros eventually won the game, 7-2.
HOT ROOKIE: Rookie 3B Chris Johnson is 9x14 (.643) in his last four games and is hitting .436 (17x39) in 10 starts with six RBI since his recall on 6/22...on Wednesday at MIL, Johnson had his 2nd 4-hit game of the current road trip (other was 6/25 at TEX)...Johnson is the 3rd Astros rookie to collect two 4-hit games in a 6-day span...the others are Rafael Landstoy (1978) and Chuck Harrison (1966)...source: Elias.
TOP BATTING AVG SINCE 6/30 - NL
1. Chris Johnson - .643 (9x14)
2. Rafael Furcal - .571 (8x14)
3. Andre Ethier - .556 (5x9)
VS. THE SENIOR CIRCUIT: The Astros are 13-7 in their last 20 games vs. NL opponents...they had won five straight series vs. NL clubs entering the current series in SD.
RECENT TRADE: On Thursday, the Astros acquired IF Angel Sanchez from Boston in exchange for C Kevin Cash...OF Jason Bourgeois was optioned to Triple A Round Rock to make room on the roster for the newly-acquired Sanchez.
ROAD WARRIORS: Today is the final game of a stretch where 20 of 26 Astros games were on the road (6/7-7/4)...they are 10-15 thus far in that stretch.
VS. PADRES: The current series is the 2nd of the season for the Astros and Padres...SD took two of three from HOU last month at Minute Maid Park (5/7-9)...the Astros have won 10 of their last 15 vs. the Padres, including six of seven in 2009.
PUMA AT PETCO: Lance Berkman has had great success at PETCO Park in his career, owning the 2nd-highest all-time slugging pct. and 3rd-best on-base-pct. at this venue (min. 75 plate apps.)...in 21 career games, he has hit .324 (24-74) with 6 HR and 15 RBI.
AT PETCO PARK - ALL-TIME
SLUGGING. PCT. ON-BASE PCT.
Andruw Jones-.764 Todd Helton-.453
L. Berkman-.703 Shawn Green-.442
Adam LaRoche-.687 L. Berkman-.432
THE PH VS. THE CLOSER: With a 9th-inning single last night, Jason Michaels is 6x11 (.545) in his career vs. Padres closer Heath Bell with a HR and five RBI.
LEAVE’M HANGIN: RHP Wilton Lopez has now stranded 22 of 23 runners in 2010, which is the best pct. in the NL (min. 15 runners inherited).
Lowest Inherited Runners Scoring Pct. - MLB
1. Wilton Lopez - 4.3 % (23 IR/1 IRS)
2. Joe Thatcher - 6.3% (16 IR/1IRS)
3. Brian Wilson - 6.7% (15IR/1IRS)
CATCHING ON: Rookie catcher Jason Castro has thrown out six of nine (67%) potential basestealers...Astros pitchers have a 3.43 ERA (32ER/84IP) with Castro behind the plate.
FOR THE FOURTH: For all games on this July 4th weekend, MLB Clubs are wearing special “Stars & Stripes” caps, which have the American flag etched into the team’s logo...the Toronto Blue Jays hat will incorporate a Maple Leaf design instead of the “Stars & Stripes”. MLB will donate 100% of the proceeds it receives from the sale of the caps to Welcome Back Veterans.
MAKING CONTACT: Three of the top five hardest to strikeout hitters in the NL are Astros...SD’s David Eckstein is the toughest in baseball in 2010.
BEST SO/PLATE APP. RATIO - NL
1. David Eckstein - 27.00 4. Pedro Feliz - 10.71
2. Jeff Keppinger - 13.78 5. Carlos Lee - 9.31
3. Placido Polanco - 11.24
