Roy Oswalt gave his all, as usual. He never ceases to amaze us. Always on top of his game. He was able to get out of most jams he had to deal with: a single there, a double there. Solid enough to keep himself together for the whole nine innings, granting a run and eight hits.

That is remarkable enough, but baseball is based on a relationship between the pitcher and his batting teammates. And the Astros found themselves dealing with great pitching, headed by starter Sean Marshall, not being able to draw a run. That’s why Oswalt got his second complete-game loss this year. A pitcher’s duel in which the Cubs got the victory by the minimum margin.