In 23 starts this season, Roy Oswalt walked more than two batters in a game just once, and hit batters with pitches only five times.
Which made his sudden loss of control in the bottom of the fourth inning all the more surprising, as Oswalt needed only six pitches to walk Lance Berkman and plunk Matt Holliday. And after falling behind 2-0 to Yadier Molina, Oswalt gave up a drive to deep right field that Hunter Pence was just able to snag.
Crisis averted? Hardly.
Oswalt's first pitch to David Freese was a hanging change-up, which Freese lined into the left-corner, both runners scoring easily.
Freese moved to third on Jon Jay's ground-out, but was stranded when Oswalt retired Edwin Jackson on a fly to Pence. Oswalt lost his lead, but seems to have regained his control.