Wandy: Muy especial
(c) Associated Press
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J.A. Happ hasn't seen the Astros scored upon yet. After Happ and three relievers blanked the Brewers on Friday, Wandy Rodriguez and two friends shut out Milwaukee on Saturday, 6-0, as Houston closed out a winning month with a modest four-game winning streak.
As Carlos Lee sat out on a scheduled day off, the Astros played small ball for five runs in the first two innings and coasted to victory. Seven of the eight Houston starters got hits - the one exception being first baseman Brett Wallace in his big league debut - with Jeff Keppinger and Chris Johnson leading the way, notching three hits apiece.
Rodriguez is scorching hot, tossing eight innings of five-hit shutout ball. He struck out nine and walked just one. Nelson Figueroa bailed out Tim Byrdak in the ninth to preserve the whitewash. The Astros have allowed just two runs in their last 36 innings.
The Brewers are probably tired of seeing lefthanders but they'll see one more in the Sunday finale when Wesley Wright (0-1) pitches against ex-Astro Randy Wolf (7-9) in a 1:05 Central start to begin August.
As expected, the Astros made official the trade of Lance Berkman to the New York Yankees on Saturday. Houston received reliever Mark Melancon, currently at AAA, and A-ball infielder Jimmy Paredes. The Astros sent New York $4 million to pay part of Berkman's remaining salary, ironic since the Yankees don't need any help meeting payroll.
The Astros, after rejecting trade offers for Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers, now seem set to tie up Myers in a multi-year contract extension. Terms had yet to be announced as of Saturday.
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