Last night when new Astro Francisco “Coco” Cordero blew his first save opportunity with the Astros against the Reds, I thought to myself, “Self, he’s adjusting to a new team, cut him some slack.” Tonight when he blew his SECOND save opportunity, I was not so nice. In fact, I’m pretty sure I dropped a multitude of f-bombs while shaking certain fingers in his general direction.

After an impressive start by Studly Cuddly Budly Norris (7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1ER, 1 BB and 7 SO) I was optimistic that the Astros bats could maybe eek out a win.

Optimism in Houston is for fools.

There were other jewels in the night – Jose Altuve went 3-4 and scored a run, Scott Moore was 1-3 with a run and an RBI, J.D. Martinez’s shoulder seems better as he was 2-4 with a run and an RBI – so it wasn’t all depressing….just the ending.

In the top of the ninth, leading 3-2 all the Astros needed was for Coco to get three guys out. But in what seemed like a replay of last night, Drew Stubbs put the kibosh on the win when he doubled on a fly ball to center to send  Xavier Paul and Brandon Phillips home. Jay Bruce would then single off Fernando Abad when Coco got benched and that would be the ballgame….because the Astros didn’t quite have the firepower in the bottom of the ninth.

Blown Save. Again. Shit.

I don’t have high expectations for this ball club. I haven’t since the start of the season. I know what’s going on and the focus isn’t and shouldn’t be the major league club. It’s rebuilding time and that HAS to happen from the bottom up. BUT COME ON! The mistakes these “major league players” are making are little league.

I wish Lou Brown was the GM…he’d make these guys drop and give him 10 every time they screwed up. The games would be like 7 hours long, but perhaps the players would learn a lesson.

Hey Coco…drop and give me 20…you owe us for two nights. And Brad Mills, the next save opportunity that the Astros have, if we see Coco come out to the bump…you can blow me.

Terri Schlather (AGirlintheSouth) is the tortured Senior Houston Astros Writer for Aerys Sports. You can email her at agirlinthesouth@gmail.com, or follow her ridiculous ramblings on sports, vodka and the weeone on twitter @agirlinthesouth.

I begged for the bleeding to stop the other day and with a win against the Brewers last night, the Astros have ended their 9 game losing streak. But will the winning thing stick? I don’t think it’s likely for a lot of reasons.

In my house we’ve been joking that the Astros losing streak was because the weeone was at camp, but truth be told, I think the win yesterday had less to do with my daughter’s return and more to do with the insanity of the first inning and the ejection of Zack Greinke. I’m sure you’ve heard the tale or seen the footage by now, but when Greinke and Jose Altuve raced to first, and Altuve was called safe, Greinke spiked the ball in the dirt and was ejected.

I am certain that ejection was responsible for breaking the Astros losing streak.

Now, I’ll give credit where credit is due – the Astros offense was better yesterday than it’s been in a while. They put up 13 hits and attacked the bases full on, giving themselves every possible opportunity to get across home plate  and we hadn’t seen that in a while. Jordan Schafer was 2-4, Altuve 3-4, JD Martinez 3-4, Jed Lowrie 2-4 and Scott Moore hit his 3rd homer in 8 games. The bats were definitely alive. Add to that the 2 stolen bases – one each from Schafer and Altuve and the 2 sac flies from Jason Castro, and you’ve got an offense. Wandy Rodriguez put up another solid starting performance, allowing only 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5 in the 5.1 innings he spent on the bump.

But can the bandaid hold? With today’s series finale against the Brewers being the last game before the break for the All-Star Game, I’ve got to wonder if the turn in the tide yesterday was enough momentum to carry over to a second game? Add to that concern the fact that the Brewers will send Zack Greinke back to the mound today since he only threw 4 pitches yesterday. They’re trying to showcase him before the trade deadline and there was a decent crowd of scouts at Minute Maid Park yesterday who saw much less Greinke than they expected.

I applaud the Astros for taking advantage of yesterday’s events and riding the momentum they were handed in the first inning, but good baseball teams create their own momentum and that’s something this young club hasn’t figured out quite yet. So how long will the bandaid hold? Hopefully at least another game.

Terri Schlather (AGirlintheSouth) is the tortured Senior Houston Astros Writer for Aerys Sports. You can email her at agirlinthesouth@gmail.com, or follow her ridiculous ramblings on sports, vodka and the weeone on twitter @agirlinthesouth.

I called it. Okay, all of baseball called it, but the Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs last night 5-1. You know what I liked the best about it? In each of the three games in this series the Astros were out hit by the Cubs…and they still won.

In fact, in the series, the Cubs had a total of 27 hits to the Astros 21 and the run count? Cubs scored 6 and the Astros scored 15. Doing more with less? Perhaps, or perhaps it’s just improving plate discipline for the Astros. In total Houston drew 11 walks during this series while Chicago only drew 5. Was that the difference? Maybe.

Regardless, the Astros did, in general, play pretty good baseball through this series. JD Martinez hopefully got his mojo back between he game winning RBI on Tuesday and the triple and three RBIs last night. I hope he’s turned the corner because when he’s on, he’s a lot of fun to watch swing a bat.

The pitching was outstanding, both starting and bullpen. Let’s hope that trend continues as they head out on the road tomorrow to face the NL West leading Los Angeles Dodgers. Root! Root! Root!

Terri Schlather (AGirlintheSouth) is the tortured Senior Houston Astros Writer for Aerys Sports. You can email her at agirlinthesouth@gmail.com, or follow her ridiculous ramblings on sports, vodka and the weeone on twitter @agirlinthesouth.

Jed Lowrie's been spending a nice amount of time on base for the Astros.

I love when the Cubs come to Minute Maid Park. There’s a few things that I adore about it. First, the Cubs fans come out in droves. Generally that annoys me at a game, but this year in particular, the opportunity to watch Cubs fans cry at MMP is more than I can resist smiling at. Yep, I know, I’m a bit evil.

But the Cubs are the “Astros of last season” sitting in the bottom of the NL Central standings and that’s just a whole lot of fun for an Astros fan, right? Admit it…you love it too.

The match-ups for this series aren’t too shabby either. The timing in the starting rotations means we’ll see some fun baseball. But when push comes to shove, I expect the Astros to take 2 of these 3 games and really in my heart of hearts I think they should sweep this team of baby bears.

JA Happ’s coming in with momentum after his last start, the same for Cudly Studly Budly Norris and Wandy Rodriguez has to want to come out and prove that the hit parade by the Rangers last Friday was a fluke and he’s still the pitcher we all know he is. After all, at home, Wandy’s ERA is a very impressive 1.52. Come on, Wandy, we know you want to kick some ass this week.

Jordan Schafer will still be sitting out and isn’t expected to play on Monday thanks to that lower leg strain, but Jose Altuve once again proved Sunday he can hit in any spot you stick him and did a fine job as the leadoff hitter. If Schafer was missed anywhere it was in centerfield where Justin Maxwell isn’t quite as quick (or used to Tal’s hill) defensively. That should only affect Monday and possibly Tuesday.

But on the other hand….let me tell ya’ story ’bout a man named Jed…yep, that SS is finding a nice groove at the plate (.273/.354/.461) and I look for him to continue to hit well and make the plays down the middle.

In the meantime, I’ll be waiting on JD Martinez to lose the “lost” look he’s been sporting at the plate and find his swing again. And I’ll be waiting for Brian Bogusevic to fix the little things that seem to be keeping him off-balance from time to time at the plate as well. If the Astros can get those two kicking it old school, I think the Astros will continue to be the scrappy little brother who just won’t give up.

Terri Schlather (AGirlintheSouth) is the tortured Senior Houston Astros Writer for Aerys Sports. You can email her at agirlinthesouth@gmail.com, or follow her ridiculous ramblings on sports, vodka and the weeone on twitter @agirlinthesouth.

The Astros baseball season has been in full swing for eleven days. It’s been eleven days of wins (4), losses (6), hits, strikeouts and everything in between. The boys from Houston have definitely kept the past eleven days very interesting and it’s been a lot of fun watching this young team play (except for the one game that wasn’t televised!) .

One thing that wasn’t so much fun? Watching the team struggle at the plate with the bases loaded. Through Sunday the Astros had come to the plate 11 times with the bases juiced and they failed to get a hit each of those 11 times. When games are being lost by one or two runs you can’t help but look back at all of those wasted opportunities and wonder “what if.”

On Monday night the tide began to turn. In the top of the sixth Jordan Schafer and Jed Lowrie both singled to start the inning and JD Martinez followed with a walk. Perfect, right? No outs, bases loaded and your clean-up hitter is approaching the plate, it’s the scenario fantasies are made of, unless you’re the Houston Astros and then it’s just scary given their recent bases loaded track record.

The scene began to look eerily familiar when Carlos Lee logged the team’s first out of the inning with a fly ball to center and Travis Buck (my baseball boyfriend) followed with a strike out swinging. Just like that there were two outs, the bases were still loaded and the Astros bases loaded hitless streak rose to 13.

They were down to their last out of the inning and the collective hope of all Astros fans lied in the hands of Chris Johnson. With a 1 – 2 count Johnson hits a line drive single to center scoring Schafer and Lowrie to tie the game at 2 and the curse of loaded bases was broken. Hallelujah!

If only the final score had been something to rejoice about as well.

Greis Perez (AmazingGreis), pronounced Grace, is a lifelong Astros fan and contributor for Aerys Sports. You can email her at amazing_greis@yahoo.com, or follow her on Twitter, @AmazingGreis, where she professes her undying love for Travis Buck (#MyBaseballBoyfriend), Justin Timberlake and all things sparkly!

It’s no secret around here that I have much love for Study Cuddly Budly. I listened to his 3 inning start of yesterday’s game against the Phillies and knew he looked great just by the results. But this morning MLB Network graced us all by airing the game at the absolute crack of dawn.

Rather than just hearing Bud Norris’ start, I got to watch it. I’ll tell you this, not only do these boys look good so far this season, they look like they’re having fun. Now, I admit, when you’re whipping a team 10-3 it’s going to be a little bit fun, but even early in the game when the score wasn’t so drastic, there was something in their faces.

I’ve said before that I think this season will be more about hear than talent. Not to say that this team doesn’t have talent, it does. But the way they approach each game and not letting losses (even if they start to pile up) get to them could be the key to whether this team hits that 63 wins mark this year. So to see them smiling and having fun during a Spring Training game? Fantastic.

I won’t bore you with box score details you can get anywhere, but the bats were hot especially Jordan Schafer and JD Martinez.

I promised you that this Spring Training was going to be fun. It’s only been 5 games, but so far it’s been incredibly true.

Tomorrow morning I’ll start my trek to Florida to get some eyes on the boys myself. Can’t wait.

Terri Schlather (AGirlintheSouth) is the tortured Senior Houston Astros Writer for Aerys Sports. You can email her at agirlinthesouth@gmail.com, or follow her ridiculous ramblings on sports, vodka and the weeone on twitter @agirlinthesouth.

I spent my day yesterday wandering around Minute Maid Park taking in the excitement that is FanFest. It’s the one time that fans can pretty much roam all over the ballpark, get a chance to take a swing at batting practice, have the opportunity to  get autographs from their favorite players of today and yesterday and hear from the front office about the direction of the team.

I’d say this year’s FanFest was a success. With many opportunities to hear about the Astros plan for the future, you couldn’t help but be energized about the transition this club is taking on. I got a chance to talk with Brad Mills, Bud Norris and JD Martinez yesterday and I’ll have thoughts from them in the coming days, but I couldn’t wait to share this with you…

As I was taking photos at an afternoon autograph session on the club level I heard someone yell, “Throw me a ball!”

At that moment, Brian Bogusevic and JD Martinez both looked up and started laughing. I followed their gaze to see Enos Cabell and JR Richards, two of the greats of  the Houston Astros past, teasing the potential greats of the Houston Astros future. Just a taste of the fun at this year’s FanFest.

Brian Bogusevic and JD Martinez chuckling at their hecklers.

JR Richards and Enos Cabell giving the "kids" some friendly teasing.

Terri Schlather (AGirlintheSouth) is the tortured Senior Houston Astros Writer for Aerys Sports. You can email her at agirlinthesouth@gmail.com, or follow her ridiculous ramblings on sports, vodka and the weeone on twitter @agirlinthesouth.

I want THIS logo back!

This week there was an awful lot going on in the world of Houston Astros Baseball. Here’s the wrap:

The CAREavan continued around the state (and even into Oklahoma). Former and current players as well as owner, Jim Crane, and GM, Jeff Luhnow, participated in bringing some Astros joy to many fans this past week.

Over on Footnotes, Alyson Footer’s blog, you can find tips for Spring Training attendees, so check that out if you’re planning to attend!

Jessica, the caption contest winner, and me at the reception before the Baseball Dinner.

The Astros in Action Foundation hosted the Annual Baseball dinner benefitting Grand Slam For Youth Baseball last night. I was there along with Jessica (@mamu30) who won my caption contest. It was a who’s who of baseball history for Houston celebrating the 49 years of baseball in this great city and looking forward to the 50th season.

Jayne Hansen, who writes What the Heck, Bobby, a blog about the Astros minor league system, had an entertaining run in with JR Richards last night. Head over to her blog and give it a read.

Lance Berkman was there and stole the show, on his birthday no less. After taking the stage to be honored as the Houston Chapter of the BBWAA’s MLB Player of the Year he solemnly stated how touched he was to be onstage with a host of historical Astros baseball figures. He leaned over, head in hand as if to collect himself then popped up smiling and said, “Just kidding!” And then went on to tease the audience about how that probably felt as awkward for us as walking into Minute Maid Park in a Cardinals uniform was for him!

Lance was his ever-charming self when he thanked the “Houston Lonestars” for the award and then looked over his shoulder at players and front office peeps to confirm, “Wait, it wasn’t approved? We’re still the Astros?”  And yes, Lance said we.

That wouldn’t be the only reference to Lance as an Astro as stated he would always consider himself one. Later, when Jeff Luhnow took the stage he reminded Lance that in 2013 the team would need a DH and Berkman’s services may be needed. Oh, how I wish that would happen. If Luhnow could bring Lance back to HTX for one more season to end his career as an Astro, he would forever be my baseball hero.

Brad Mills even made a good funny at Lance’s expense when he wished Berkman a happy birthday and then stated, “I hope you play your age next year.”

Yes, Mr. Berkman stole the show. The other current players also honored: JD Martinez, Wandy Rodriguez, Jason Bourgeois.

With that, it’s time for me to get ready to head to Minute Maid Park. In case you’re not aware, today is FanFest! The event itself is free, and autographs are $10/ticket with 3-4 players per session. There are “Talkin’ Baseball” sessions and batting practices you can do, activities for kids and anything else you can imagine to get you ready for Spring Training. You can find the schedule of events for the day on the Astros website.

Terri Schlather (AGirlintheSouth) is the tortured Senior Houston Astros Writer for Aerys Sports. You can email her at agirlinthesouth@gmail.com, or follow her ridiculous ramblings on sports, vodka and the weeone on twitter @agirlinthesouth.

Friday, February 10th, Minute Maid and the Astros in Action Foundation will host the 27th Annual Baseball Dinner benefitting the Grand Slam for Youth Baseball Scholarship program. In the past six years this fun evening of baseball recognition and memories has funded 20 scholarships.

Not only is the baseball dinner a great cause, but it’s a fun night of baseball awards and remembrance. This year’s dinner will include past Astros like J.R. Richard, Jimmy Wynn, Larry Dierker, Bob Watson, and Jose Cruz, among others. It won’t just be a blast from the past as many 2011 roster members will be there as well – Jason Bourgeois, JD Martinez, Wandy Rodriguez and Manager, Brad Mills. You can check out the official web page for all the details.

I have an extra seat for this lovely event and I figure who better to bring as a “date” than one of you! All you have to do to enter your name into the hat is comment below and give the best caption to this lovely photo of Carlos Lee. I’ll pick the three best captions and then let all of you vote to pick the winner. Be creative….

What should this caption be? You decide and win a seat at the Houston Baseball Dinner.

Terri Schlather (AGirlintheSouth) is the tortured Senior Houston Astros Writer for Aerys Sports. You can email her at agirlinthesouth@gmail.com, or follow her ridiculous ramblings on sports, vodka and the weeone on twitter @agirlinthesouth.

Apparently if Jim Deshaies was in charge of what the Houston Astros were known as, they’d be the Houston Screaming Yellow Parakeets. I like it.

Last week’s online chat was with Astros broadcaster, Jim Deshaies. JD, as always, brought his opinion and the funny. In case you didn’t get to participate, here’s what Brownie’s sidekick had to say.

Bill Brown "Brownie" and Jim Deshaies "JD" - In my opinion, the best the on-air team in Major League Baseball.

johnny14k: A lot of fans are concerned about a possible name change; where do you stand?

Jim Deshaies: Hi, everybody, hope all is well. Fire away! As for the name change, I like Astros, but if forced to change, how about Screaming Yellow Parakeets?