Thursday, July 21, 2016

Thursday Morning Hot Links

*The Astros beat the mess out of the A's - finally - yesterday. The Angels swept the Ramgers. The Mariners walked it off in the 11th against the White Sox. Here's your division:

*North Cedar Hill: -
*Houston: -3.5
*Seattle: -6.5
*Anaheim: -11.5
*Oakland: -12.5

*For the first time since April 30, FanGraphs gives the Astros a better chance at winning the division (46.3%) than the Rangers (44.4%). FanGraphs also gives the Astros a 16.2% chance of winning a Wild Card spot (those spots are favored towards the other two AL East teams.)

*BP isn't buying it. They have the Astros at 28.4% to win the division and 49.8% to make the playoffs.

*Neither is FiveThirtyEight, who gives the Astros a 32% chance of winning the division and a 51% chance of making the postseason.

*Carlos Correa has a league-leading 29 RBI since June 20.

*Evan Gattis was hit on the back of the hand yesterday, but X-rays showed no fracture.

*The County Mountie wrote up potential Astros trade targets.

*Doug Fister's hometown paper wrote up how he's been a steal for the Astros. Foster:
I want my team to know it can go out and lean on me every fifth day. My consistency is my biggest goal throughout the year, and I feel like I've done a pretty good job with that so far.

Read more here: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/sports/article90927717.html#storylink=cpy

*Alex Bregman made his first start in LF for Fresno last night...and went 3x5 - his 9th multi-hit game in his last 16. Teoscar Hernandez has hits in 14 of his 17 Triple-A games.

*Jake Kaplan said Bregman could get called up tomorrow. The Grizzlies wrap up a series in Round Rock (I didn't get to attend any of those games) and the Astros are off today before starting a series at home tomorrow night against Anaheim.

*Nolan Ryan was in Round Rock last night, so maybe there's something to it.

*Peter Gammons outchea blowing minds:


*ESPN: The Rangers are hurting in a few different ways. Prince Fielder's season could be over, and Shin-Soo Choo is back on the DL.

*The Indians are interested (as are a bunch of teams, likely) in Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy.

*South Korea is reeling from a game-fixing scandal.

*The Hardball Times: The Big Red Machine turns 40

*Also from THT: The physics of catchers' knees.

*The Texas connection to the failed coup in Turkey.