The Masked Marvel has the recap of a Mother's Day win over Seattle.
FanGraphs' playoff odds: 22.6% to win the division, 32.6% to make the playoffs.
FiveThirtyEight odds: 11% to win the division, 20% to make the playoffs.
Baseball Prospectus odds: 14.7% to win the division, 25.6% to make the playoffs.
*Save for a(nother) Robinson Cano home run, Collin McHugh was in complete control of the G31 win yesterday. Hinch:
Collin was as in control of this game as any of our starting pitchers have been this entire season. Landing breaking balls, making big pitches, using his changeup...just a complete effort out of him...
*It's looking more likely that Lance McCullers could make his Astros season debut this weekend at Boston. Hinch:
If he responds well and favorably, his arm feels good, his bullpen goes well, it's very possible that he could make a start in Boston.
*The Astros activated Max Stassi from the DL and optioned him to Fresno. Well, he was already in Fresno, going 2x11 in his rehab appearances. With Gattis getting sent to Corpus to work on his catching, and Stassi's extended stay in Fresno, the Astros are rolling with Castro and Kratz...just the way they drew it up at the Winter Meetings.
*Gattis was nervous but excited about catching Saturday night for Corpus.
*Gattis' Corpus stint opens up more opportunities for Preston Tucker.
*Jerome Solomon says that Keuchel was good on Saturday, but not good enough, and that's a perfect metaphor for the 2016 Astros right now. Keuchel, after Saturday's 3-2 loss:
I feel like some conspiracy's out against us...and I know that's not the case, but the guys are grinding and we're quality major league players and sometimes it feels like we're all rookies. That's just debilitating because we're going up there grinding. Valbuena hits a rocket to tie the game up in the ninth inning and then all of a sudden...we're getting strike calls at the ankles.
*Shout out to Astros promotions coordinator Nasser Kyobe for stopping a little boy from running into a Collin McHugh warm-up pitch.
*Gaze upon the Braves and despair.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
