Roy dominates and the Astros sweep the Pirates, 2-0.
*Roy threw a one-hit, complete-game shutout. It's the first time he's thrown a complete game shutout since September 11, 2008 against...yes, the Pirates. It's the first time he's thrown a complete game shutout, with only one hit against the start before that one, on September 6, 2008 at Colorado.
*Roy's gem today was the second complete game for the Astros this season (Brett Myers - @ San Francisco on May 16).
*Oswalt faced 31 batters, tying for the lowest number of batters faced in a game by an Astros pitcher this season.
*Roy's 37 non-contact strikes (28 called/9 swinging) are the highest since May 26, at Milwaukee.
*Roy's 91 Game Score ties his career high from April 16, 2004 - a three-hit, 10K CG shutout of the Brewers.
*The Astros have won three straight games for the sixth time this season. Season-high is four games, which they've done twice.
*Berkman had the 25th multi-homer game of his career, providing both runs for the Astros. 180 of his 325 home runs have been solo homers. The second homer today was on the first pitch, the 64th such homer of his career. He's now only 124 homers short of Jeff Bagwell for the franchise lead.
*With his first homer of the day, Berkman did score his 1000th run, becoming the third Astro to achieve that feat. I think you know the first two.
*Berkman has now hit five homers in four games for the first time since August 29-September 1, 2004.
*Angel Sanchez collected the first triple of his career.
*Jason Castro, after an 0x4 day, is 1x14 for July.
*And after getting 14 hits against the Rangers, Brewers, and Padres, Chris Johnson finished the Pittsburgh series 0x11.
Pitch Count Hero: Keppinger (0x4) and Castro (0x4) - 21 pitches in four PAs.
Pitch Count Punk: Sanchez (1x3) - eight pitches in three PAs. (Roy matched this, but pitchers are exempt from Pitch Count Hero/Punk)
Man of the Match: It's hard to choose between Berkman and Oswalt, so we'll give it to both.
Goat of the Game: Jason Castro. Called a great game, but went 0x4, and 0x3 w/RISP.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
