The Astros won last night at Minute Maid in a slugfest, 12-9 over these same Pirates. The FUTURE, Forrest Whitley, former first round draft pick, had an inauspicious start to his career as a starter on the mound in Minute Maid, surrendering three runs in three innings including a two run home run. But four home runs by the Astros, one each by Tyler White, Myles Straw, Garrett Stubbs, and yet another by Spring Training phenom Nick Tanielu, gave the Astros the cushion they needed for the victory.
Just off his announcement as a member of the 25-man Opening Day roster, Framber Valdez made the game close by allowing five runs in 1.