Sunday, March 31, 2019

Sunday Morning Hot Links

The Astros lost 3-1. They are 1-2, and are under .500 for the first time since June 20, 2016. Stop me if you heard this before: the early-season offense wasted a pretty good pitching performance. I go back and forth from shaking anger to contemplative chuckling over games like these. It'll all be fine. This morning I'm running 13.1 miles.

*There was a little scare in BP as a liner from Yuli Gurriel hit Altuve.

*Rays starter Tyler Glasnow topped out at 100.4mph, tied for the fastest pitch he had ever thrown.

*A.J. Hinch:
They did a lot more with their opportunities than we did. We put a little bit of pressure on them at the beginning of the game and then there toward the end but couldn't quite break through. One run on eight hits is tough to win in this ballpark, and they came up with some big hits when they needed it most.

*The Astros' entire offense was Bregman's first hit/home run of the year, and on his 25th Birthday. It was the Astros' only extra-base hit of the night and, despite out-hitting the Rays 8-7, the Rays had more ABs w/RISP (The Rays were 3x9, the Astros were 0x3.)

# of Plate Appearances on Bregman's 1st home run of the season:
2016: 86
2017: 144
2018: 57
2019: 9

*The Astros are 9-17 all-time at Tropicana Field.

*Houston is 1x10 w/RISP in the last two games.

*Yuli Gurriel drew another walk! That's a walk in two consecutive games! He did that twice in all of 2018: a two-game Walk streak on September 14/15 and a three-game Walk streak from April 23-25, 2018.

*Josh Reddick was 2x4! It's his first multi-hit game since ALCS G4. Reddick had 25 2+ hit games in 2018.

*Robinson Chirinos had a throwing error, giving the Astros four errors in their first three games.

*Collin McHugh threw 5IP, 3H/2ER, 9K:1BB.

*Carlos Correa is expected to play today.

*Gerrit Cole wants players to push back against owners after the Arbitration Championship story broke. Cole:
We understand business, but if you were looking for a way to antagonize players, this would be a great way to do it. If it's not intentional, it certainly is a pretty fascinating move by them because I don't think there's one player in this room that's worked hard for his salary through arbitration or gone through the process and taken it seriously like I have or Collin has that really wants to kind of be treated with a lack of respect.

*Dallas Keuchel is throwing 95-pitch simulated games every five days in order to prepare for the season, whenever that may start for him.

*Josh Hader threw an Immaculate Inning: three strikeouts on nine pitches.

*Good article from SI on Tommy Pham.

*Check this Top of the 9th in Seattle, against the Red Sox. Scene: Mariners up 6-2 in the top of the 9th, Red Sox batting:
-Vazquez singles to left
-Bradley strikes out swinging (1 out)
-Nunez grounds out to short (2 out)
-Benintendi walks
-Betts reaches on error by Seattle 3B Dylan Moore (6-3, 2 out)
-Devers reaches on error by Dylan Moore (6-4, 2 out)
-Martinez reaches on error by Dylan Moore (6-5, 2 out)
-Bogaerts strikes out looking.

*Blessed:

*This Newsday piece details the sexism and abuse Suzyn Waldman has dealt with over the years.

*Leeds United 3 - Millwall 2. Leeds are back in the automatic promotion with seven games remaining.

*A Musical Selection: