Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Wednesday Morning Hot Links

Dallas Keuchel what is you doing? The Mariners got early home runs and the Astros got nothing against James Paxton for the 49th consecutive matchup. Astros lose 7-1 to fall two games back of Seattle. Houston is 37-25 and have lost seven of their last ten games.

*It's the 14th time the Astros have been held to 0-1 runs. Their nine hits are the most in a game in which they scored one run this season.

*Keuchel: 6.2IP, 7H/7ER, 3K:1BB, 3HR. Based on Seager's most-opposite field home run, Keuchel thinks he's tipping his pitches:
That's a pitch I wanted to throw. Either I'm tipping for they're getting signs from [Stassi] or something because [Seager] doesn't normally do that. You've got to tip your cap to him because it's a Major League swing. I felt like there was no way seven runs were on the board with the way I felt.

Statcast gave Seager's three-run homer a 9% hit probability.


*Keuchel's slash line, by inning, updated through last night:
1st: .357/.397/.607
2nd: .191/.224/.340
3rd: .170/.204/.213
4th: .196/.250/.370
5th: .217/.265/.413
6th: .316/.395/.526
7th: .280/.308/.520

Keuchel's 3HR allowed match the number of home runs allowed in his last six starts combined. It's the 2nd time this season he has allowed 3HR in a game, and the 9th time in his career. Before April 27 (the last time he had allowed 3HR) you have to go back to September 16, 2015, against Arlington, the series in which I broke my car keys by throwing them around the driveway so as not to wake up my wife and daughter.

He allowed 15HR in 145.2IP in 2017, and now 12HR in 80.2IP in 2018.

*The 6-run margin was the Mariners largest margin of victory since May 10. Scott Servais is placing a ton of significance on the win:
Guys made a strong statement tonight. And we're swinging the bat good. Hopefully it continues.

James Paxton:
It's big. Every series against a team in your division is big. Especially these guys, being atop the division with them right now - every game puts us ahead. So every win is big.

In ten career starts against the Astros, Paxton has thrown 59IP, 52H/19ER, 56K:15BB - a 2.90 ERA/1.14 WHIP - and has recorded 18 outs in seven of them, including five of his last six.

*Marwin was a home run shy (wink) of the cycle.

*The Astros were 1x6 w/RISP and left six on base.

*Down 6-1 in the 2nd, the Astros had runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Stassi and Marisnick both struck out.
-Bottom 4th: Marwin on 3rd, two out - Stassi grounded out.
-Bottom 5th: Astros GIDP to end the inning
-Bottom 6th: Astros GIDP to end the inning
-Bottom 7th: Astros GIDP to end the inning
-Bottom 8th: Bregman on 2nd, Altuve on 3rd - Correa grounded out

It's the 3rd time this season the Astros have hit into 3 GIDPs in a single game.

*Yuli Gurriel has an 11-game hit streak.

*Tony Sipp is working towards more consistency.

*Jenny Dial Creech says the Astros are too mature to let this stretch faze them.

*Josh Reddick was 3x4 with a double in his final rehab start before rejoining the Astros after suffering a staph infection from what may have been a spider bite. Josh Reddick's favorite superhero is Spider-Man. If Josh Reddick's season comes back like Lazarus after getting bitten by a spider then I'm going to buy three Reddick shirseys. J.D. Davis was optioned to Fresno.

*Brian McCann is shooting for a Friday return.

*Fresno got a 1-0 win over Colorado Springs on a walkoff single from Jon Kemmer. Starting pitcher Josh James (2014 - 34th Round) threw 7IP, 3H/0ER, 13K:1BB. James' last five starts: 28.1IP, 19H/8ER, 42K:9BB.

*Check the write-ups on 1-28 Seth Beer, 2-66 Jayson Schroeder, and the selections from Rounds 3-10 here. 2018 Draft financials and latest updates can be found here. Heads up: I'm not doing write-ups on Rounds 11-40.

*10th Round pick Chandler Taylor doesn't want to be known as just a hitter:
I don't want to be known as a guy that can only hit right-handed pitching or is a liability in the outfield. I want them to be able to put me out there every day and not worry about it.

*SI's Emma Baccillieri: Justin Verlander has been even better than you think

*On May 1, the Yankees' Jordan Montgomery left his start against the Astros after one scoreless inning. Yesterday he found out he needs Tommy John.

*Kyler Murray doesn't actually have to choose between football and baseball...for now.