The Astros split a double-header yesterday against the Angels. Houston is 17-14. The season is 51.6% of the way over. The Astros' scheduled game today has been postponed to a double-header in September. There is also no game on Thursday, because they played that one yesterday. Please everyone take the precautions you need to today.
Game 1:
Houston put up a 5-spot in the 1st Inning and sailed to a 6-3 win. Cristian Javier had a no-hitter in the 5th, which in these uncertain times is the equivalent of taking a no-hitter into the 16th Inning wait that's the Bad Math. Former All-Star Jason Castro broke it up like a punk.
Javier: 5.2IP, 3H/3ER, 5K:2BB. Javier:
I felt good out there. I felt my pitches were falling when I needed them to be, and I felt I made good adjustments as the game went along.
Dusty, on the game:
We've been getting the large crooked number in an inning, but we've got to add on from there, because they were still within three runs...We've got to get better at the add-on runs and put them away. Just right now, it doesn't seem like we have the killer instinct to really put them away, but we'll get it.
James Click gonna add a literal serial killer to the team in the next five days.
Jack Mayfield: 1x3, 2RBI
Jose Altuve: 1x2, 2BB. It's his 3rd 2BB game of the season.
Game 2:
Yeesh. Hey, look at that shiny object! Brandon Bielak couldn't get out of the 1st inning, the Astros turned a 6-0 deficit into a 6-4 one in the 5th inning, but the Angels scored six of the next seven runs for a 12-5 win. Houston pitchers walked ten batters in Game 2. Unfortunately, the Astros lose 15-11 on aggregate and have been eliminated from the Champions League.
Brandon Bielak's 1st five appearances: 21.1IP, 13H/4ER, 15K:11BB, 2HR
Brandon Bielak's last two appearances: 2IP, 8H/11ER, 2K:4BB, 4HR. Jessica Biel > Brandon Bielak.
Dusty, on Bielak:
We have to cut down on our bases on balls. It's a lot more pitches and the defense isn't as sharp. It's a total negative all the way around. We've just got to throw more strikes, but that's what you get with young guys. Young guys, they would have been here a long time ago had they thrown strikes. You kind of have to live with it right now until we get all our guys back.
That is a brutal, brutal quote.
Joe BBiagini: 0.2IP, 3H/4ER, 0K:2BB.
BBiagini has faced 27 batters in 2020: 13 outs, 10 hits (four doubles, one homer), 4 walks.
Yuli and Kyle Tucker each had two hits. Kyle Tucker is 12x24 with eight extra-base hits and 2K:7BB since August 19. He has five triples in 31 games. It's happening. Maybe.
Blake Taylor appeared in both games, the first Astros pitcher to pitch in two games in the same day since Michael Feliz did it after Hurricane Harvey's double-header against the Mets.
Chase De Jong became the first Astro to wear #69. The weed number.
*FanGraphs has the Astros finishing the season 33-27, 2nd in the AL West (three-ish games behind Oakland), and a 97.1% chance of making the playoffs, with a 6.8% chance of winning the World Series.
*George Springer didn't bat in either game, giving him three days off before the Astros allegedly go to Oakland on Friday.
*The Astros' alternate site in Corpus reopened after a positive COVID test last week.
*I made a list of actually helpful Twitter accounts giving out actually helpful information related to Hurricane Laura. It's gonna be a rough few days and weeks.
*The Astros had scouts in Sugar Land last night to watch Former Astros Great Scott Kazmir.
*A-Rod and Former Astros Great Jeff Luhnow have been in contact as Former Rangers Great Alex Rodriguez is looking to buy the Mets and apparently McKinsey them right up.
*The Athletic: The ball is different, again.
*Smithsonian Magazine: The inside story of the $8 million heist from the Carnegie Library.
*Boston Globe: This math problem stumped experts for 50 years. A grad student from Maine solved it in days. Next ask him how the 2019 Astros lost every damn home game in the World Series.
*I know it sounds silly to say, "Be careful! everyone in Southeast Texas/Southwest Louisiana!" like you're not already being as careful as you can. But it makes me feel better to say, "Be Careful!" Please do as I say.
*A Musical Selection:
