The Astros Don't Need Your Stinkin' Free Passes

The old adage says that pitchers are ahead of the hitters at this point in spring training, but you'd never know that if you watched yesterday's Astros-Nationals game, where the Astros connected for 21 hits and 15 runs en route to a 15-5 victory. With Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee out of the lineup the Astros still managed to hit five home runs, including two in the fourth inning by Hunter Pence.

Perhaps more interesting, though, is what they didn't do. The Astros sent 44 men to the plate in yesterday's game and didn't draw a single walk. Those 15 runs without a walk would have been the second highest regular season total since 1954, behind a Rangers-Diamondbacks interleague game from 1998 where the Rangers scored 16.

The Astros' regular season record is ten, set against the Mets in 1985.

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