Starters, both teams: 7.1 IP, 17 ER

Bullpens, both teams: 9.2 IP, 0 ER

The player of the game, as predicted, was Runelvys Hernandez, who got pelted for a remarkable ten earned runs. Thanks, Astros! That was enough to win, even though Phil Dumatrait wasn't much better. With the seven earned runs he took, his ERA is now 5.26. So much for his being the Pirates' ace. Now, that's... well, I'm not sure who it is.

In any case, the Pirates got excellent relief work from Denny Bautista (2.2 innings, 3 Ks and an RBI single as a hitter), Tyler Yates (2 IP, 4 Ks and no walks) and Damaso Marte. With Ian Snell and John Van Benschoten starting the next two games, the 'pen could really be strained by Wednesday, but today it worked perfectly. I'm sure I'll regret saying this in a week, but Bautista could turn out to be a valuable addition for the Bucs, if only because of his ability to pitch long stretches. The Pirates need that desperately right now.