Ok, so much for the idea of these games being close.

Houston (69-62), after falling behind 3-0, absolutely clocked the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday night, 18-4, as LA's Odalis Perez was ripped and the Dodgers played a terrible game in support of him. Among the highlights: Jeff Kent's two-run homer to LF in the first, which cut into that early LA lead; Kent's three-run double in the fifth, part of a six-run frame that helped put the game out of reach; and Jason Lane's three-run double to RF in the sixth, significant not only for what it meant at the moment, but also for what it could mean as a sign of things to come off the Houston bench. With the win, Houston takes sole possession of first place again, but by only one half-game over the Cubs.

Ron Villone (6-2) had little as the Dodgers jumped all over him in the first inning, including a Fred McGriff homer, but the Houston attack, pounding out seventeen hits, was relentless in getting quickly back into the game and eventually pushing ahead. It might be too much to hope for, but because the Astros have played two well-rounded games in a row, it makes me think that this might be the beginning of the prolonged hot streak we've been looking for essentially all season. It's unlikely to come against the Dodgers, I know, but if it is to come against any team at all, it might as well be LA or San Diego just as much as St. Louis. Wednesday night, we may be right back where we started from in bemoaning the Astros' lack of punch and cleverness against good pitching, but maybe not. The players themselves certainly know what they need to do; they've gotten the command from on high to just button up and go do it; and they've done everything a good team should do in winning the last two games. So, it's not unreasonable to hope that the Astros have turned a corner of sorts after Sunday.

Lane's double in the sixth I regard as the best hit of the night. I've been cryin' all year for a right-handed bat off the bench so that Jimy Williams wouldn't get backed into a corner by teams willing to turn Lance Berkman around to the right side in the late going. While I fully recognize the value of a left-handed bat as a pinch-hitter, I want a right-handed one, too, preferably one like Lane's, with some RBI potential. Jose Vizcaino's stick is fine if the club needs a rally-starting single, but if you want a bases-clearing hit, Lane's got to be your man. He's fresher than Ensberg off the bench at this point, fresher even than the lefty Orlando Merced. Sunday's fortuitous start against the Reds might be the best thing that has happened to Lane (and to the Astros' bench) all season. By getting those extra ABs under his belt, Lane might have set himself up for a productive final month, and that could lead to a productive stint in the playoffs. Whether it does or not, Williams now has an option off the bench that frees him to play Ensberg more often or even to keep Ensberg on the bench as well, when Geoff Blum starts at 3B. If Lane can continue to emerge, it means a deeper, more formidable team for the stretch run.

Villone survived his rocky first and went six, followed by Mike Gallo, Ricky Stone, and Jared Fernandez for an inning each. Fernandez's appearance was interesting because of his previous work as a starter. Perhaps because of the rout and perhaps because he's a knuckleballer he might have relieved anyway, but it would not surprise me to see the Astros tighten the rotation just a little over the last month and throw Fernandez into the relief mix more often. His dancing pitches might be more effective over a one-inning stint than over a start, although I think Wagner's job is still safe. Brad Ausmus came alive as well, with four RBI. His batting average is now .229, within six points of the "magic" figure I set down for him a few days ago.