Schafer: First career slam
(c) Associated Press
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Anyone who was watching Sunday's game and was told that one team was a 100-loss collection of cast-offs and rookies while the other was tied for the best record in the majors would have surely left confused when their true identities were revealed.
The lowly Astros beat the front-running Dodgers, 12-0, on Sunday in a game where, literally, nothing went right for Los Angeles. Dodger pitcher Chad Billingsley was behind, 6-0, after two innings despite giving up only three hits. Two of them were a two-run homer by Carlos Lee and a grand slam homer by Jordan Schafer.
The Dodgers also committed three errors and seemed to raise the white flag early on once it seemed the series sweep was out of reach. Every starter in the Houston lineup scored at least once other than three-hitter J.D. Martinez. Every starter but Martinez and pitcher Wandy Rodriguez had at least one hit.
Rodriguez tossed seven shutout innings for his first win of the year and shrunk his ERA to 1.42. He fanned six, walked three and allowed three hits. Fernando Rodriguez and Brandon Lyon completed the six-hit shutout.
There's no chance that this will continue all season, but the Astros are now on pace to be the first team in history with a sub-.400 winning percentage (.375) and a positive run differential (+10), blowing a sizable hole in the concept of "Pythagorean Record".
With a homestand sweep averted, the Astros now fly to Milwaukee to start a three-game series against the defending NL Central champion (remember that?) Brewers. Lucas Harrell (1-0) will test his mettle against Zack Greinke (1-1) in the Monday opener at 7:10 Central.
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