I was at class today so I didn’t get to watch/score the game so here is the wrap from Stros.com:

Bourn 1-3, 2 BB, 2B, 2 R
Tejada 2-4, BB, R
Berkman 1-4, BB, K, 3 RBI, R, 3-run HR
Lee 1-4, RBI
Pence 1-4, BB, RBI, HR, K
Blum 1-5
Rodriguez 1-4, BB, K
Keppinger 1-2, R, BB, 3B
Ortiz 1-2, RBI

Pitching lines:
Ortiz 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO
Wright .1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER (got the W)
Sampson 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 0 ER
Byrdak 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 K, 0 ER
LeHawk 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, (save)

Good news: Berkman and Pence both went yard for the 2nd and 3rd home runs respectively. Keppinger and Tejada stayed hot and our bullpen didn’t give up any runs. Russ Ortiz also hung in there and kept Houston in the game.

Bad news: Ortiz didn’t quite go 5 innings. Houston left 10 on base.

Wright (1-0)
LeHawk (Save)

Tomorrow has Roy Oswalt taking on his favorite team the Cincinnati Reds for the start of a 10 game home stand for Houston.

Brian Moehler was pulled after 1 2/3 innings and 7 earned runs.  Moehler didn’t get any breaks as the Cubs had at least 3 broken bat singles in the first.  Those days will happen.  Russ Ortiz came in and immediately gave up a 3 run shot to Ryan Theriot.  Although the line wont show it, Russ pitched well with 6 k’s in his first outing since 2007.

The story for tonight, other than Chicago scoring 4 runs in both the 1st and 2nd inning, was the bats for Houston.  Jeff Keppinger (J-Kepp!), Lance Berkman, Kazuo Matsui, and Hunter Pence all hit solo shots with Pudge Rodriguez hitting a 2 run shot as well to account for 5 home runs and all Houston runs tonight. 

Matsui 1-5, HR, RBI, R
Keppinger 2-5, HR, RBI, R
Berkman 1-4, HR, RBI, R, K
Lee 1-4, 2B (first hit for Lee)
Tejada 1-4, R
Pence 2-4, HR, 2B, R, RBI
Pudge 2-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, R
Bourn 1-4, K

Good News: Houston’s offense was looking better with the 5 home runs.  Russ Ortiz pitched well though he gave up 3 runs.  Carlos Lee got his first hit and Bourn continues to hit.  J-Kepp is proving to be a great pick up and seems as though he can do no wrong. Hunter Pence 2 homers in 2 games and is swinging the bat well. Michael Bourn will head to St. Louis with a 3 game hitting streak.

Bad News: Obvious here, Moehler only pitched 1 2/3 inning.  He didn’t pitch poorly but the Cubs were putting the ball and play and getting hits. It will be interesting to see how Moehler bounces back.

Pitching Lines:
Brian Moehler 1 2/3 IP, 8 hits, BB, K, HBP, 7 earned.
Russ Ortiz 3 IP, 4 hits, 4 BB, 6 K, 1 HR, 3 earned.
Chris Sampson 1 1/3 IP, 1 hit, 0 earned
Geoff Geary 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 K, 0 earned
Wesley Wright 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 K, 0 earned
Doug Brocail 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 earned.

Ted Lilly gives up 4 bombs and gets the win. (1-0)
Brian Moehler takes the loss. (0-1)

Houston is off tomorrow but will travel to St. Louis to take on the Cardinals Friday with Mike Hampton facing Joel Pineiro.

The scoop from stros.com:

Carlos Lee…er the Stros at the plate: “Michael Bourn opened the game with a triple and scored on Pudge Rodriguez’s base hit. Carlos Lee lifted a sacrifice fly to score Rodriguez, who had advanced to third on Darin Erstad’s double. Lee drove in another run in the third with a double. Jason Smith led off the fifth with a double and scored on a Rodriguez base hit. Lee knocked a two-run homer in the seventh.”

More of this please. Thank you. Carlos could have won the game on his own with his four steaks.

Stros on the bump: “Russ Ortiz, the projected fifth starter, allowed three runs — two earned — on five hits over six innings. ”

Alyson Footer gives the 5th spot to Ortiz and I don’t think anyone else disagrees.

And the Houston Astros Grapefruit league record is: *drum roll please*

10-18-3

Double digit wins!

Houston won todays contest against St. Louis 4-3.

Pudge Rodriguez went yard again today.  Hunter Pence and Jason Smith each went 3 for 4.  Michael Bourn walked twice, K’d once, and had the game winning RBI.

Russ Ortiz pitched well today going 5 innings and giving up 1 earned run while walking 2 ans striking out 4. Wesley Wright pitched a scoreless frame.

Make it six in a row for houston, pushing their Grapefruit wins to 7.

Here is your Houston Astros Media Round Up for today:

Alyson Footertalks to Houston Astros Pitching Coach Dewie Robinson about what he sees in this years pitching core. “Robinson likes the quality of this group more than the pitchers the Astros had in camp during Spring Training last year.”

There is a nice article on veteran infielder Jason Smith over at Chron.com

Brian McTaggartmakes his projection for Houston’s opening day roster and I gotta say, I think he is pretty much right. I might swap Capellan for Otiz but neither is Brandon Backe which is probably the way it is going to work out. Sorry Brandon.

Astros first round draft pick and catching prospect Max Sapp has suffered two Seizures.  For more info, check out the article at Chron.com.

Finally, Jose de Jesus Ortiz has a few columns you need to check out; De La Vara Impresses, Berkman Hits Road for Game in Sarasota, and Keep Astros Sapp in your Thoughts.

In non Astros related media, there is a good video on spring training autographs that I came across at Big League Stew that will remind you why you love baseball, just in case you forgot.

From astros.mlb.com:

Stros at the plate: “Brian Bogusevic hit an RBI single and Kazuo Matsui an RBI triple, providing all the early offense. Tommy Manzella then gave them a lead in the seventh inning, when he hit a sacrifice fly to center, driving in pinch-runner Michael Bourn. First baseman John Gall tied the game in the eighth with an RBI single.”

Today was Brian Bogusevic’s first start.  Ed Wade said we may not have a lot of quantity in our minor league system but we do have some quality prospects.  I am starting to agree with Wade after seeing Johnson, Sutton, Bogusevic, and Castro.

Stros on the mound: “A non-roster invitee with only a slight chance to make the team, Jose Capellan nonetheless impressed, firing three shutout innings against a strong Venezuelan lineup. Capellan walked one, allowed one hit and struck out none. But Felipe Paulino, a product of the Astros’ Venezuelan Academy, allowed two runs in his two innings”

More on the Stros on the mound from Brian McTaggart from Chron.com:

On Paulino and De La Vara: “The good news for Felipe Paulino is the fact he says his arm and body felt good. But he didn’t pitch so well today against Venezuela, giving up five hits and two runs and one walk in two innings.

“My body and arm feel good, but I wasn’t feeling comfortable today and was pitching behind the count a lot,” he said. “I’m not happy. I just come here to do my job and that happened. I’m going to keep working and get ready for my next game.”

“Meanwhile, Rule 5 pick Gilbert De La Vara pitched excellent. He went two innings and gave up one hit and struck out one batter in two crisp innings. De La Vara, 24, has a 19-16 record and a 3.40 ERA in 145 career games in the minors, including 3-0 with a 2.76 ERA last year at Class AA Northwest Arkansas.”

“I try to take the same approach no matter what, whether it’s those guys, the veteran on the Venezuelan team, or the ‘B’ team,” he said. “My approach towards hitters is pound the ball down with quality pitches and throw strikes.”

De La Vara is a native of Arizona who was drafted in the 15th round of the 2004 draft. ”

On Capellan: “Astros starting pitcher Jose Capellan, a non-roster invitee to spring training, had an excellent outing today against a strong Venezuelan lineup. He pitched three innings and allowed a two-out single in the first and a two-out walk in the third, but no batters reached second base.

“I felt happy today. My fastball was working, but the curveballs weren’t working,” he said. “Some days you throw a good curveball, but today it was too high. I have to time to work on it.”

Capellan, 28, has a 5-7, 4.89 ERA in 99 career major league games with the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies. He was signed to a one-year minor league contract on Jan. 14 of last year.

He’s probably a longshot to make the team, but he could put pressure on Russ Ortiz and Brandon Backe if he pitches like he did today in his next few outings.

“I’m competing to stay here on the team and working (on pitches), too,” he said. ”

Good news on Capellan and not so much for Paulino.  I really want Paulino to succeed in that I have been waiting for him to impact the club for the last three years.  However, I will gladly take a capable Capellan or Russ Ortiz over a mediocre Brandon Backe. Sorry Brandon.

Astros GFL Record: 1-5-2

Houston loses 12-2 to Tampa in today’s game at Port Charlotte, Fla.

From astros.mlb.com:

Stros at the plate: “Michael Bourn displayed the speed that enabled him to steal 41 bases in 2008 when he legged out an infield hit in the first inning. He then walked in his second at-bat and stole his third base of the spring before scoring Houston’s first run when Edwin Maysonet doubled to left in the third inning.”

Hopefully Bourn can get on base more this season.  If he can, he has a great chance to to lead the NL in steals.

Stros on the mound: “Right-hander Brandon Backe made his first start and second appearance of the spring and allowed four earned runs in two innings before leaving the game in the third with no outs and the bases loaded. Righty Samuel Gervacio took over for Backe and walked in three runs by issuing consecutive free passes to Pat Burrell, Gabe Kapler and Dioner Navarro. Polin Trinidad relieved Gervacio, and the wildness continued, as the left-hander walked Adam Kennedy to bring in the Rays’ fifth run.”

The pitching getting hit like this today isn’t as big of a deal as it seems.  The only real downer is Backe’s performance.  With Russ Ortiz pitching well in his last outing, Backe is going to pick it up to keep his spot on this rotation.

Astros Grapefruit League Record 1-5-1