Vazquez (4-2, 4.41)
Oswalt (4-4, 4.02)
Tonight, we're off to see VNV Nation at the Marquee Theater. They're probably our favourite band, whom we've seen more times than any other - most recently a January trip to Denver, but previously also in Phoenix and LA, the latter including a weekend trip, when I still lived in London! They also played in AZ the very day I moved out here in 2000, and were used as the music for the first dance at our wedding reception, so expect a lot of emotional resonance in the Tempe area tonight.
With a 5pm start, might get to see a bit of what should be a good matchup. Looking at the Astros rotation, it's hard to see why they're nine games below .500: the team ERA of 4.00 is 6th best in the league, and they lead in K/BB. It's only when you see the offensive stats that you understand. In the NL, they're 15th in runs [you know we've had problems? They've scored thirty less runs than us] and OBP, and dead last in BA, SLG, and OPS. After the perils of Coors, this will hopefully be a welcome break for our pitchers.
However, it would be remiss of us to take the Astros too lightly, as they did layeth the smackdown on the Giants, 9-0, yesterday - for which they deserve thanks, and a stern warning to stop it for the next three days. With Vazquez on the mound, I think we have a definite chance to start the series on the right foot. Check out Crawfish Boxes for the Astros take on happenings.