Thursday, April 20, 2017

Thursday Morning Hot Links

These links are late thanks to the wonders of Motrin PM.

*The Astros are 10-5, reaching their 10th win in their (stay with me) 15th game. Previous seasons, to ten wins:
2017: Game 15
2016: Game 28
2015: Game 17
2014: Game 29
2013: Game 34
2012: Game 24
2011: Game 27
2010: Game 31

*The Astros won again behind a Dallas Keuchel home start. Since the beginning of 2015 Keuchel - at home (33 starts) - is 21-5 with a 2.15 ERA/0.96 WHIP and has allowed a .205/.250/.290 slash line.

*Keuchel found his grounders again, getting DPs in three innings last night.

*ESPN: Keuchel could be back to Cy Young form.

*Josh Reddick was a (wink) single short of the cycle. The last time he had a triple and a homer in the same game? June 16, 2013 against Seattle.

*Ken Giles was used to face the heart of the Angels lineup in the 8th (rendered somewhat moot by Reddick's 1st homer as an Astro). Giles, who retired Escobar, Trout, and Pujols on eight pitches:
I mean, the whole point was to get the top three guys in that order out. Those are the important outs of this game. That's pretty much where all their hits were coming from. 

*George Springer played in his 202nd consecutive game, matching Jose Altuve's consecutive games streak. A start tonight means, of course, that he passes it.

It's also worth noting in that link that David Paulino (elbow bone bruise) has progressed to throwing off a mound in extended spring training.

*Lance McCullers goes for the Astros today in an effort to bounce back from a rough start on Saturday.

*Correa hopes to be in the lineup today, having missed three games after getting hit on the hand by Frankie "The Bastard" Montas. UPDATE: He back.

*Switching Reddick and Bregman in the lineup seems to be working.

*James Hoyt has been called up from Fresno with Jandel Gustave going on the DL with forearm tightness. "Forearm tightness" is code for "See you in 2018."

*I like the Woo.

*Bill McCurdy has a list of the surviving members of the Colt .45s.