With the Astros, Myers is back to being an ace

At some point during the never-ending lament of the infamous Cliff Lee trade, the subject of Joe Blanton always comes up.

It usually goes something like this: How could the Phillies trade Lee and give Blanton a three-year, $24 million extension?

Often forgotten in the equation was the Phillies' decision to let Brett Myers walk away as a free agent, which meant they had more confidence in Blanton than their own former first-round draft pick.

Based only on this season, a strong case could be made that parting ways with Myers instead of Blanton was also a big mistake, but you know what they say about hindsight. If you just examine the two seasons the Phillies reached the World Series, Blanton was the slightly younger, slightly better pitcher with fewer injuries and the cause of far fewer headaches.

Blanton was also the slightly better pitcher Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, but Myers, in his first outing against his former team, ended up as the winning one in a 3-2 Houston victory.

It was a highly satisfying moment for the Phillies' former righthander who spent eight often turbulent seasons in Philadelphia before signing with the Astros in January.

"This one feels pretty good just to be able to beat the team that I spent my entire career with," Myers said.

Myers admitted his return was an emotional experience from the time he checked into the Astros' team hotel to the time he stepped on the mound.

"It was kind of difficult and weird," he said. "I sat [in the hotel] and looked out the window for a good hour. It brought back good memories about the team and the city and the way they treated us when we won the World Series and went again last year. It was big for me to come and control my emotions the best I could and execute."

Myers allowed two runs on nine hits in seven innings and struck out nine. Blanton allowed one run on six hits in seven innings and also struck out nine. The difference for Myers was the bottom of the seventh and the top of the eighth.

After escaping a first-and-second, one-out jam by inducing an inning-ending double play from Shane Victorino, Myers watched his Astros teammates score twice in the top of the eighth off reliever Ryan Madson. The two runs allowed Myers to get his ninth win of the season, and first since July 27.

Myers' seven-inning effort lowered his ERA to 3.08 and marked the 26th straight time in as many starts this season that he went at least six innings, the longest such streak at the start of a season since Curt Schilling went at least six innings in 35 straight starts with Arizona in 2002.

Myers signed a two-year, $23 million deal at the trade deadline and Houston general manager Ed Wade said some interesting things to him before the news conference.

"I congratulated him on the extension and I said, 'Don't change,' " Wade said. "He said, 'I never have.' I said, 'Yes you have. I knew you when and you have. I want this guy.' He knew what I meant."

With the Phillies, Myers had become a pitcher the team no longer wanted around. With the Astros, he has become a staff ace and leader.

Blanton has a 3.63 ERA in his last eight starts, which is what the Phillies thought he'd do when they decided to keep him instead of Myers after the World Series.

The Phillies had no way of knowing Myers would put together the best season of his career.