I don't know if it's the effects of being dislocated by a hurricane, or playing "neutral" games in front of a big Cub crowd at Wrigley North in Milwaukee, or if it's simply a case of a team this hot finally cooling off, but the Astros set a standard for futility in their two games against the Cubs this week.
The first 47 hitters they sent to the plate in Milwaukee failed to get a hit. Carlos Zambrano faced 28 in his no-hitter on Sunday, and Ted Lilly got into the 7th inning before finally giving up a hit to Mark Loretta.
That was it. One hit in two days. The Astros were outscored 11-1 in the series. They finally scored in the 8th of game two with two walks, a wild pitch and a sac fly. Even Bob Howry, the designated lead blower this season, couldn't give up a run.
The Cubs are the first team to ever put a no-hitter and a one-hitter back-to-back.
Meanwhile, in a very strange twist to the playoff chase, the Brewers fired manager Ned Yost today. Milwaukee is tied for the wild card lead entering the day, and although they have faded a bit in their chase of the Cubs, I can't remember a manager ever being fired in the middle of a playoff race like this. The Brewers have lost seven of their last eight, and collapsed in the second half of last season as well. Perhaps this is just a desperate attempt to shake things up.
Dale Sveum will take over for the remainder of the season. The Brewers are in Chicago for three beginning tomorrow.
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The closest equivalent to the Ned Yost firing was the 1981 Montreal Expos firing Dick Williams in August and having Jim Fanning being the interim manager. That year was the strike-shortened season in which the division winners of the "first half" and "second half" would square off for the right to play in their respective League Championship Series. Montreal would make the playoffs, win the first round against the defending champions Phillies and lose to the eventual champions Dodgers.
Side note: Cincinnati had the best overall record in the NL and didn't make the playoffs. St. Louis had the best overall in the NL East and didn't make the playoffs.
I guess the Yost firing is baseball's equivalent to the Hail Mary pass.
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