It's been a while since Astros County was active, and a while longer since I have posted anything here. Y'all may remember me - I used to write inane and annoying Game Recaps when the Astros weren't televised much. If you also have a look at the archives of this blog, you might see the odd longer-form article that I wrote as well.
I *like* to think that some of that writing has stood the test of time without looking totally stupid. I was most active around 2013-2016 from memory. I really enjoyed writing when I got the time, and it was an amazing way to de-stress from work for a period of my life when the kids were really young.
I have an article planned for shortly, which is one I have wanted to write for years and years. In that article (probably published tomorrow-ish), I will talk a little bit about who I am, where I live, and my strange path to Astros super-fandom.
Before I go, I want to acknowledge the tireless work of Astros County in putting together a really cool niche community for those who love the 'stros.
In what has to be one of the dumbest games in recent memory, the Astros coughed up a lead five times against Cleveland and lost 10-9 in 14 innings. At 4 hours and 3 minutes, it was the longest game of the season. Houston is 36-28, having lost a season-high four straight games and five of their last six. They've played a game in each of the last 15 days.
*The Astros are now 5-1 when they score 9+ runs in 2023. They're now 54-1 since the beginning of the 2021 season when they score 9+ runs. It's the first time they've scored 9+ runs and lost the game since September 5, 2020, when they lost 10-9 on an Anaheim walkoff.
That was like a 15-round fight, but we only went 14. We would score, then they would score. My guys battled hard, they battled hard. That's a tough one to lose.
Houston is now 6-7 in one-run games. Cleveland is now 13-17 in one-run games. It's only the 4th time this season Cleveland has put up double-digit runs.
*Houston went 6x28 with runners in scoring position. Surprisingly, for the year, Houston is hitting .273/.349/.454 w/RISP, good enough for a 124 tOPS+ (that's above average for the league).
*Jose Abreu was 2x7 with a 3-run home run. The Astros are now 1-1 in games where Jose Abreu homers.
*Jeremy Pena was hitting 7th in the lineup and went 4x6 with two doubles, but only scored one run. It's his 18th multi-hit game of the season, and the second 4-hit game of his career (July 3, 2022 vs Anaheim). Since May 27 (13 games), Pena is hitting .289/.373/.500.
*Astros pitchers struck out seven Guardians, and walked eight. It's the second time this season they've walked more batters than they struck out. Over this four-game losing streak, Astros pitchers have struck out 29 batters and walked 24. The Astros are 2-3 when they walk 6+ batters.
Astros pitchers, first 60 games: 3.39 K:BB ratio.
Astros pitchers, last 4 games: 1.21 K:BB ratio.
*Yordan Alvarez was placed on the 10-Day IL with a strained right oblique. McTaggart: How can the Astros replace Yordan's production? Bourbon sounds like a plan, for me.
*FanGraphs: Houston's Top 38 Prospects. The Top 10:
1. Hunter Brown (Houston)
2. Yainer Diaz (Houston)
3. Drew Gilbert (Corpus)
4. Korey Lee (Sugar Land)
5. Ryan Clifford (Asheville)
6. Luis Baez (Florida Complex League)
7. Camilo Diaz (Dominican Summer League)
8. Joey Loperfido (Corpus)
9. Trey Dombroski (Fayetteville)
10. Kenedy Corona (Corpus)
*Check out Friend of Astros County David Coleman's new Substack: Three Astros Things.
*ESPN: How the Rangers went from rebuild to contenders, in one offseason. (Hint: It's probably the $775 million they spent on Semien, Seager, Gray, Eovaldi, Gray, and de Grom.)
*Texas Monthly: 100-degree days are coming next week. How does that compare to the past? On the subject of "teh weather," make sure you've bookmarked The Eyewall - a new joint from Matt Lanza and Eric Berger in which they use the same no-spin approach from SpaceCityWx on potential storms in the Atlantic.
*Vice: The Psychic, the Sheik, and the $90 Million Diamond Heist.
*From the dudes that brought you "Drive To Survive," I watched "Tour de France: Unchained" in two days.
*Leeds United's relegation to the Championship cost Andrea Radrizzani probably $250 million. Good. Now the financial arm of the San Francisco 49ers own Leeds United.
*The Champions League final - between Manchester City and Inter Milan - is today at 2pm Central. Watch and see if City can be the first English team to win the Treble (domestic league, domestic cup, international cup) since 1999.
Good morning. This week I was co-hosting a summer camp that required 20 volunteers and 142 campers. I had to be at work at 7am. That alarm has been my nemesis all week. But it's over now, just in time for me to be on the radio at...7am. Rest, wicked, etc. The Astros lost again. They're 36-27, five games back of Southwest Texarkana.
*Houston's division deficit is the largest they've seen since September 27, 2020. Or, since 2020 was a Mickey Mouse Season, October 2, 2016.
*It was the Astros' 2nd consecutive one-run loss (and 2nd consecutive 3-2 loss). They're 6-6 in one-run games.
*Houston has lost four of their last five games, scoring two or fewer runs in each of those losses.
*It's the Astros 3rd three-game losing streak of the season.
*The Astros scored a total of five runs in the three games following an 11-4 win on Monday.
*Houston is now 14 games into a 17-games-in-17-days stretch. One more series at Cleveland and the Astros finally get a day off.
*Framber threw 5IP, 4H/3ER, 5K:4BB. It was his second 4+ walk game of the season, but the 6th time he's allowed four or fewer hits in 2023. Three of those four walks later scored.
*Alex Bregman hit his 9th home run of the season, and his second in seven games in June.
*Jose Abreu was caught leaning too far off of 2nd base in the 7th inning. Abreu:
I take, obviously, full responsibility there for the mistake I made...I'm a man of my word. I made a mistake, and we lost because of me today. I take full responsibility.
Out of 161 qualified batters in MLB, Abreu's -1.3 fWAR ranks 161st. His 52 wRC+ ranks 160th.
Apropos of nothing in particular, Yuli Gurriel (who turns 39 today) is hitting .275/.333/.416 in 40 games for Miami.
*Yordan Alvarez was replaced by Corey Julks after grabbing at his oblique. This is, obviously, Not Great! Dusty:
We'll re-evaluate him tomorrow. That's a tough blow right there. We've just got to regroup and try to figure out how we're going to win some ballgames and get through this.
*Chandler Rome: The story of Phil Maton's lone MLB hit.
*Lance McCullers is getting an MRI today after feeling more discomfort in his right forearm and might not pitch at all this season. It is June 9. An updated timeline of Lance's 2023:
*Lance McCullers Jr is no longer throwing off a mound, only further leading me to believe that they're really slow-walking the "Yeah okay he had Tommy John Surgery again last fall" announcement. A timeline of Lance's "rehab:"
April 4: LMJ is "ahead of schedule," throwing from 90 feet on flat ground, and is close to throwing on back-to-back days. It's also now described as an elbow strain.
*The Athletic: How US Soccer Fans Fell Out Of Love With Leeds United.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that it's because they fired the American manager (deservedly so), Brenden Aaronson sucks, Weston McKinnie sucked and went back to Italy, and Tyler Adams has been hurt since March, and Leeds got relegated. They weren't Leeds United fans at all. They're American Soccer fans.
The Astros dropped the final game of the series against Anaheim, 2-1, after J.P. France did a damn thing. Houston has dishonored J.P. France and heaped ashes upon his head. Houston is 35-24, and just 18-14 at Minute Maid Park.
*The Astros are now 13-6 against the AL West: 2-4 vs Arlington and Seattle; 11-2 against Anaheim and Oakland.
*J.P. France turned in the best start of his career: 7IP, 3H/1ER, 3K:1BB. And it was all for naught. Houston has lost each of France's last three starts, scoring one run combined in two of those. Despite six starts with a 3.44 ERA, Houston is 2-4 in France's starts.
Nathan Han: France overcomes first-inning jitters to go hitless through five.
*Having given up two earned runs in 23 appearances to start the season, Phil Maton has now given up an earned run in consecutive outings. The Angels got him for 5H/3R (2ER), with 1K:1BB in two games this series.
*Yainer Diaz was 2x4 with a double and a solo home run - the lone Astros run of the game. Diaz has appeared in three of the Astros' last five games and has gone 4x9 with a double and two homers.
*Alex Bregman went 2x4 and is hitting .425/.500/.625 over the course of this 11-game hitting streak. I know I keep coming back to this, but Bregman bottomed out on May 7 with a slash line of .195/.322/.320. Since then he's hitting .337/.407/.516 with eight extra-base hits, 10K:11BB.
*Jake Meyers was 0x3 and has four hits in his last 30 Plate Appearances.
*Despite going 0x4 yesterday, Jeremy Pena has raised his OPS by 51 points since May 24.
*Jose Altuve was out for the second straight game, dealing with an oblique issue. He ran and threw before Sunday's game but did not hit, and his status for the Toronto series is uncertain. Related: the Astros are calling up 2019 2nd Round pick Grae Kessinger from Sugar Land. He's hitting .284/.400/.443 for the Space Cowboys this season.
*Should he ever come back from the IL, the Astros are planning on using Forrest Whitley out of the bullpen.
