Friday, May 12, 2017

Friday Morning Hot Links

*The Astros have won the opening game in nine straight series after beating the Yankees 3-2 last night on Keuchel's strong start, Correa's 2-run homer, and Jake Marisnick's outfield assist to end the game. Keuchel threw 6IP, 5H/1R (0ER), 9K:1BB. Keuchel, who has a career 1.24 ERA in seven starts against the Yankees:
Maybe I just like the New York lights

And the entire fan base's nose starts bleeding. 

He sinks it, he cuts it, his curveball, his changeup. We did a much better job in the fifth and sixth innings, we made him work and got him out of the game. We just never really got the one big hit.

You have to take that shot. It took a perfect throw to get him. If there's less than two outs, you don't do it, but it's the right call. He made a perfect throw. 

*The Astros are seven games up on the 2nd-place Angels, matching the biggest lead the Astros enjoyed in the 2015 season, last on May 4, 2015 before going and getting swept by Flower Mound. 

*Luhnow said the team is in no rush to make a rotation move:
We're going to be active in conversations so we know who's available and when they might be traded, but I don't feel like we're going to be in any hurry, especially since we've gotten off to a good start. As long as we continue to play well, there's no urgency to solve a problem right now. 

*The New York Post's Joel Sherman looked at the two paths the Astros and Yankees took to get to 1st place in their division. Yankees GM Brian Cashman:
(Tanking) is not something that was afforded to us here. So we had to go a different route. 

*Ken Giles thanks the Phillies' organization, and Jonathan Papelbon, in particular. Giles, on this year:
I am in more of a comfort zone this year. Things feel so much better this year.


*Beltran was hopeful to re-sign with the Yankees for 2017, but didn't want to wait around for an offer. 

*While this isn't the point of the article, Beltran got to pick his kids up from school yesterday. 

*Jon Heyman's AL Notes column is out and the first note on the Astros is about.............Doug Fister.

*Updated Baseball America Top 100 Prospect rankings! (Pre-season rankings in parentheses):
15. Kyle Tucker (19)
19. Frankie Tuesday (16)
39. Franklin Perez (54)
66. A.J. Reed (72)
67. David Paulino (51)

*Sam Miller: Just tell us if you're juicing the ball.

*MLBTR has a great look back at the 1992 Expansion Draft.

*David Roth: Roger Clemens, Suzy Waldman, and the Freakout Heard 'Round the World