Game three of four in Houston's Minute Maid Park features:
Mike Bacsik (5-6, 4.6 ERA) vs Woody Williams (7-12, 4.92 ERA)
The Washington Nationals have already earned a split of the four games road series with the Houston Astros by winning the first two games in Minute Maid Park by a combined score of 18-6. Mike Bacsik attempts to extend the winning streak when he faces Woody Williams at 8:05 pm Texas time.
"Hollywood" Mike Bacsik, the Nationals Most Famous Pitcher, has faced Houston twice in his career, once as a starter, in a no decision outing this past July 16th against Woody Williams when the Astros visited DC. Bacsik, the left-handed starter, allowed 2 runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings of work in a game the Nationals eventually won.
Since then nothing much has happened in Mike Bacsik's life...
Woody Williams, in his first season in Houston after 14 years spent in Toronto, San Diego and St Louis, has struggled along with all the other Astros starters to a (7-12) record so far, after going (12-5) in 24 starts last season with the Padres.
(2-3) in six career starts against the Nationals, Williams was the losing pitcher on July 16th when the Astros were in RFK Stadium, where he allowed 4 runs on 6 hits over 6.0 innings pitched, including Dmitri Young's three-run shot in the sixth that held up as the winning runs in the 4-3 Nationals victory.
The Astros have lost three straight, and four of the six overall while the Nationals have taken two straight on the road after losing five of six at home. Throw the numbers out the window and prepare for some scoring...
Anyone watching? I'll keep checking back. There must be someone...