*The Astros took care of the Angels, yet again, this time with two swings of the bat. Houston won 5-2. They're 84-47, 48-16 at home. Here are the "relevant" standings, with 31 regular season games left:
AL West
Houston: -
Oakland: -8.5
AL Overall
Houston: -
New York: -
(Houston holds the tie-breaker over NY due to the 4-3 season series win)
MLB Overall
Los Angeles: -
Houston: -2
The Astros have won six of their last seven games.
*Alex Bregman hit his career-high 32nd home run of the season. Bregman, on adjustments he's made:
I've been chasing a little higher rate lately because I think I was trying to chase hits, I guess, instead of chase good pitches to hit. I kind of made that adjustment today and started swinging at pitches I could hit.
Hall of Famer Mike Trout, on Bregman:
I'm definitely a fan. He comes out ready to play every day. He hits the ball out of the ballpark, drives in runs. He's a good player, he can play anywhere, any field. He's fun to watch, hopefully not against us. But he's been getting us lately.
*Michael Brantley extended his hitting streak to 17 games with his 19th home run of the season. He is one shy of his career-high of 20, set in 2014.
*Chirinos-Toro-Reddick combined to go 0x12, with 2K:0BB.
*Wade Miley was back to being Wade F. Miley after holding Anaheim (whose lineup is legitimately Not Terrible) to 5H/1ER, 4K:1BB in 5IP.
*The Bullpen threw 4IP, 2H/1ER, 4K:6BB. Yeah I don't like the six walks, but the one run is alright.
*Mike Trout was 1x5 with an RBI, and flew out to center with the bases loaded in the 5th. Hinch:
It's very uncomfortable when Mike Trout comes up to bat. It's really hard when he comes up to bat with a chance to tie the game or just in general. He's a dangerous guy. I'm never comfortable, even though we've had a good last couple days against him.
Trout, 2019 vs errbody: .293/.435/.649.
Trout, 2019 vs Astros: .194/.257/.516.
*Yordan hit a BP Home Run (it deserves to be capitalized) that broke the big-ass jumbotron in center field. Yordan:
Definitely was not thinking about that, but from the time I've been here, the players have been asking me, 'When are you going to hit one off the scoreboard?' I was just trying to hit the ball hard, man, and it got up into the scoreboard.
It was estimated at 455 feet. There's no way that was only 455 feet.
He went 1x4 with a double. It was Yordan's 58th game with the Astros. He has a hit in 42 of them, and an extra-base hit in 29 of those.
*Ryan Pressly is "determined" to make it back from knee surgery before the playoffs. Pressly:
It's always frustrating when you miss time...Spring Training or offseason, or even now. Stuff like this happens. It's a baseball injury and you just have to figure out a way to get back as fast as you can.
*The Astros have a series with Tampa Bay coming up next Tuesday. It'll be the first time all season that Houston will roll out a series rotation of Verlander-Cole-Greinke.
*Framber is getting two more auditions: today, and Aug 31. Related: The Astros probably aren't going to include someone on the Call-Up List for September who hasn't played in Houston before. Yes, that means Kyle Tucker is probably on his way up...in a week or so.
*The Detroit Free-Press' Chris Thomas has a "here's what happened" between Verlander and Anthony Fenech that led to the post-game blow-up. Ultimately, according to Fenech, this whole things started when Verlander didn't like that Fenech reported on Verlander's interest in astronomy and eclipse-viewing. For real. It goes into greater depth on how the Verlander/Fenech relationship soured, and is worth your time. And while it serves Fenech and the Detroit paper well to make Verlander look like a foot-stompin child, Thomas (the Free-Press' Sports Editor) admits that in one instance Fenech crossed an ethical journalistic line with Verlander.
*Kyle Tucker stole his 30th base of the season in Game 1 of the Round Rock double-header with New Orleans (both of which Round Rock won), making Tucker the 5th member of the 30-30 club in 116 years of the Pacific Coast League. Aledmys Diaz was 0x4 with 2K.
*There's just over a week left in the minor-league regular season. Here's the playoff hunt for the affiliates:
Round Rock (79-52): Up 2.0 games on San Antonio.
Corpus (64-66): They're 31-30 in the 2nd Half, 3.0 games behind Amarillo for the 2nd Half division title.
Fayetteville (64-65): They're 33-27 in the 2nd Half, 1.5 games behind Down East for the 2nd Half division title.
Quad Cities (77-50): The River Bandits won the 1st Half division title, so they're in.
Tri-City (26-39): Already eliminated from playoff contention.
*An Act of Hope: The fairy-tale rise of the Real Kashmir football (soccer) team.
*I (not "I") became a cyborg to manage my chronic pain.
*It's Elvis Costello's 65th birthday. One of my favorite musicians, Joe Pernice, wrote about Elvis Costello a while back, and it's worth another read.
*A Musical Selection:
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Showing posts with label Anthony Fenech. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anthony Fenech. Show all posts
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Friday, August 23, 2019
Friday Morning Hot Links
Holy Hannah. What a day yesterday was. The Astros beat the Tigers 6-3 but there was so much going on that it felt a little bit like an after-thought. Houston is 82-47. There are 33 regular season games left.
Let's get some game stuff out of the way. The Astros have won four of their last five games. They're one game back of the Yankees for the best record in the American League.
*Houston is 46-16 at home. The 2013 Astros won 24 home games all season. The 2018 Astros went 46-35 at home.
*Best home record, franchise history:
1998: 55-26
1980: 55-26
2015: 53-28
2005: 53-28
1986: 52-29
1979: 52-29
1969: 52-29
1999: 50-32 (they played 82 home games, and 80 road games in 1999. I'm looking into it.)
1978: 50-31
2019: 46-16
Remaining home series in 2019 are against the Angels (6), Rays (3), Mariners (4), A's (4), and Rangers (2). The Astros are a combined 30-13 against these teams and would need to go 10-9 to break the franchise home single-season record.
*Gerrit Cole's hamstring is apparently okay, as he threw 7IP, 2H/0ER, 12K:1BB. His outing put him in 1st Place in the ERA Title, at this point. Verlander is 2nd, CFM is 3rd, and Wade Miley is 5th.
It's the 10th time Cole has struck out at least 12 batters while allowing no more than one walk. Nine of those have come with the Astros. It's worth noting again, because it's absolutely remarkable:
Cole, 10+ strikeout starts, by year:
2013: 1
2014: 2
2015: 1
2016: 0
2017: 2
2018: 8
2019: 14
So, six double-digit strikeouts in 127 starts for Pittsburgh (4.7%). 22 double-digit strikeouts in 58 starts for Houston (37.9%). Hinch, on Cole:
He was letting it go and pitching very effectively. I was very impressed with how he approached the game from the very beginning. He was going to set a great tone for us after a tough loss. Comes out and punches out a bunch of guys and commands the game.
The 14 double-digit strikeout starts tie J.R. Richard's 1978 and 1979 franchise record.
Cole's 13.09 K/9 rate is 4th in MLB history for a starter, behind:
1. Chris Sale, 2019 (13.32, and he's done for the regular season, so...)
2. Pedro Martinez, 1999 (13.22)
3. Randy Johnson, 2001 (13.20)
4. Gerrit Cole, 2019 (13.09)
*Michael Brantley has a 15-game hitting streak dating back to August 3, with ten of those being multi-hit games. He's hitting .476/.522/.762 in that span. Brantley is leading the AL with a .338 average, and Sarah Langs takes a look at how he's doing it.
*Bregman's 31st home run of the season ties a career-high.
*The Biggest News of the Day was from Baseball Writers who were Outraged over Justin Verlander's actions after last night's CG 2H loss. So let's try to recreate this:
The Astros blocked the Detroit Free-Press' Anthony Fenech from entering the Astros' clubhouse to ask Justin Verlander questions. Verlander was "adamant" about this. That was wrong. They should not have done that. It's a violation of the CBA, and the CBA is what keeps the gears of baseball moving. Don't like it? Negotiate a new one. The link outlines all the ways the Astros and Verlander decided to avoid the issue/violate the CBA.
Now, Anthony Fenech has been around for a while. He has reported on the Tigers for a good while, and doubtless has had a number of interactions with Verlander. There's no way of knowing what happened between those two in the past that would create the animosity that would lead Verlander to ask Astros' staff to not let One Guy in. Fenech released a statement (because that's apparently what happens now):
I'm extremely disappointed with the Astros' inexplicable decision to limit my [BBWAA]-credentialed clubhouse access on Wednesday night. In my time as the Tigers beat writer for the Free Press, my foremost goal has been fair and ethical coverage. I am confident that goal has been clearly and consistently achieved in my body of work and with the personal and professional way I build relationships across baseball. As I do with every player in the clubhouse each season and dozens whom I have covered over the past five years, I wish Justin Verlander good luck and good health for the remainder of the season.
This is the statement of someone who has had a lot of time to craft a response. It's well-written, but Anthony Fenech is a good writer. I have had no issue with any of his reporting across which I have come. The Free-Press editor said they'll protest. And of course the Baseball Media rallied around Fenech.
But we don't know why Verlander freakin hates Fenech. Our Dude McTaggart has been around for a while and has not embarrassed himself or his employer. Alyson Footer, Richard Justice, Chandler Rome, hell, Hunter Atkins. It had to have been egregious enough for Verlander to act this way.
Verlander tweeted:
I declined to speak with the [Free-Press reporter] last night because of his unethical behavior in the past. I reached out to the [Free-Press] multiplie times before the game to notify them why and to give them an opportunity to have someone else there. Ironically they didn't answer.
Predictably, Verlander - and the Astros - got savaged by The Media, one of which Fenech is obviously one. Gene Dias, the Astros' VP of communication, decided to side with Verlander, and why wouldn't he (this is not a position I'm endorsing). Verlander is The Man in this team, and if The Man decides to bust up the CBA, then what team executive is going to stand in the way?
But still, the Collective Bargaining Agreement trumps all of this. If Verlander had just stood before Fenech and maintained awkward eye contact while not saying a word, that would have beenballer acceptable, I guess. Ultimately, Verlander won this round, because the organization rallied around their guy at the expense of the CBA. Not sure if/how this is a long-term win.
I bet it gave Gerrit Cole the Cy Young Award. I don't approve of the way the Astros handled this situation. And in response, the BBWAA will collective blast Springsteen's "Born To Run" as they remove Verlander from their consideration.
*MEANWHILE: Ryan Pressly is going to have arthroscopic knee surgery today. Hinch:
You lose an All-Star reliever, it's a tough blow for the bullpen and for our team. Quite honestly, I'm glad we have answers. We've been battling something similar for a few weeks - sometimes getting the good version of Pressly and sometimes getting the sore version of Pressly. It got to the point we were seeking answers.
Pressly will be out 4-6 weeks. Four weeks would bring him back on September 20. Six weeks would be October 4. The regular season ends on September 29, so there is the possibility that Pressly is not on the ALDS roster. Luhnow:
Worst-case scenario, he's not available for the division series. But I think he will be. And I think we need him because whoever we face is going to be a strong opponent. And, late in games, Pressly knows how to get those guys out.
Luhnow deferred comment on what the "small issue" is in Pressly's knee to Pressly himself, who was not made available to reporters.
*Chandler Rome went on 790 and said that Correa will be out until early September. No surprise there. There is no structural damage to Correa's back. I'm glad he didn't structurally damage his back swinging in the 1st inning. Correa told reporters that it's not as bad as it was last year. He plans to play rehab games during the first week of September.
*Abraham Toro made his major-league debut and Hinch says he'll primarily play 3B. Bregman played SS last night. And that's probably how we'll see the lineup shake out. Jake Kaplan wrote that Toro, with the help of hitting coach Troy Snitker, made a mechanical adjustment last fall which led to his breakout season. Toro went 0x4 last night, but absolutely smashed a ball that went foul. To make room for Toro on the 40-Man Roster, Brady Rodgers was DFA'd.
*FanGraphs: The best bullpens in baseball.
*SI's Stephanie Apstein: MLB's punishment under the domestic violence policy needs to change. (Inject boner sauce into your veins? No playoffs! Violent towards your spouse/significant other? Playoffs!)
*A Musical Selection:
Let's get some game stuff out of the way. The Astros have won four of their last five games. They're one game back of the Yankees for the best record in the American League.
*Houston is 46-16 at home. The 2013 Astros won 24 home games all season. The 2018 Astros went 46-35 at home.
*Best home record, franchise history:
1998: 55-26
1980: 55-26
2015: 53-28
2005: 53-28
1986: 52-29
1979: 52-29
1969: 52-29
1999: 50-32 (they played 82 home games, and 80 road games in 1999. I'm looking into it.)
1978: 50-31
2019: 46-16
Remaining home series in 2019 are against the Angels (6), Rays (3), Mariners (4), A's (4), and Rangers (2). The Astros are a combined 30-13 against these teams and would need to go 10-9 to break the franchise home single-season record.
*Gerrit Cole's hamstring is apparently okay, as he threw 7IP, 2H/0ER, 12K:1BB. His outing put him in 1st Place in the ERA Title, at this point. Verlander is 2nd, CFM is 3rd, and Wade Miley is 5th.
It's the 10th time Cole has struck out at least 12 batters while allowing no more than one walk. Nine of those have come with the Astros. It's worth noting again, because it's absolutely remarkable:
Cole, 10+ strikeout starts, by year:
2013: 1
2014: 2
2015: 1
2016: 0
2017: 2
2018: 8
2019: 14
So, six double-digit strikeouts in 127 starts for Pittsburgh (4.7%). 22 double-digit strikeouts in 58 starts for Houston (37.9%). Hinch, on Cole:
He was letting it go and pitching very effectively. I was very impressed with how he approached the game from the very beginning. He was going to set a great tone for us after a tough loss. Comes out and punches out a bunch of guys and commands the game.
The 14 double-digit strikeout starts tie J.R. Richard's 1978 and 1979 franchise record.
Cole's 13.09 K/9 rate is 4th in MLB history for a starter, behind:
1. Chris Sale, 2019 (13.32, and he's done for the regular season, so...)
2. Pedro Martinez, 1999 (13.22)
3. Randy Johnson, 2001 (13.20)
4. Gerrit Cole, 2019 (13.09)
*Michael Brantley has a 15-game hitting streak dating back to August 3, with ten of those being multi-hit games. He's hitting .476/.522/.762 in that span. Brantley is leading the AL with a .338 average, and Sarah Langs takes a look at how he's doing it.
*Bregman's 31st home run of the season ties a career-high.
*The Biggest News of the Day was from Baseball Writers who were Outraged over Justin Verlander's actions after last night's CG 2H loss. So let's try to recreate this:
The Astros blocked the Detroit Free-Press' Anthony Fenech from entering the Astros' clubhouse to ask Justin Verlander questions. Verlander was "adamant" about this. That was wrong. They should not have done that. It's a violation of the CBA, and the CBA is what keeps the gears of baseball moving. Don't like it? Negotiate a new one. The link outlines all the ways the Astros and Verlander decided to avoid the issue/violate the CBA.
Now, Anthony Fenech has been around for a while. He has reported on the Tigers for a good while, and doubtless has had a number of interactions with Verlander. There's no way of knowing what happened between those two in the past that would create the animosity that would lead Verlander to ask Astros' staff to not let One Guy in. Fenech released a statement (because that's apparently what happens now):
I'm extremely disappointed with the Astros' inexplicable decision to limit my [BBWAA]-credentialed clubhouse access on Wednesday night. In my time as the Tigers beat writer for the Free Press, my foremost goal has been fair and ethical coverage. I am confident that goal has been clearly and consistently achieved in my body of work and with the personal and professional way I build relationships across baseball. As I do with every player in the clubhouse each season and dozens whom I have covered over the past five years, I wish Justin Verlander good luck and good health for the remainder of the season.
This is the statement of someone who has had a lot of time to craft a response. It's well-written, but Anthony Fenech is a good writer. I have had no issue with any of his reporting across which I have come. The Free-Press editor said they'll protest. And of course the Baseball Media rallied around Fenech.
But we don't know why Verlander freakin hates Fenech. Our Dude McTaggart has been around for a while and has not embarrassed himself or his employer. Alyson Footer, Richard Justice, Chandler Rome, hell, Hunter Atkins. It had to have been egregious enough for Verlander to act this way.
Verlander tweeted:
I declined to speak with the [Free-Press reporter] last night because of his unethical behavior in the past. I reached out to the [Free-Press] multiplie times before the game to notify them why and to give them an opportunity to have someone else there. Ironically they didn't answer.
Predictably, Verlander - and the Astros - got savaged by The Media, one of which Fenech is obviously one. Gene Dias, the Astros' VP of communication, decided to side with Verlander, and why wouldn't he (this is not a position I'm endorsing). Verlander is The Man in this team, and if The Man decides to bust up the CBA, then what team executive is going to stand in the way?
But still, the Collective Bargaining Agreement trumps all of this. If Verlander had just stood before Fenech and maintained awkward eye contact while not saying a word, that would have been
I bet it gave Gerrit Cole the Cy Young Award. I don't approve of the way the Astros handled this situation. And in response, the BBWAA will collective blast Springsteen's "Born To Run" as they remove Verlander from their consideration.
*MEANWHILE: Ryan Pressly is going to have arthroscopic knee surgery today. Hinch:
You lose an All-Star reliever, it's a tough blow for the bullpen and for our team. Quite honestly, I'm glad we have answers. We've been battling something similar for a few weeks - sometimes getting the good version of Pressly and sometimes getting the sore version of Pressly. It got to the point we were seeking answers.
Pressly will be out 4-6 weeks. Four weeks would bring him back on September 20. Six weeks would be October 4. The regular season ends on September 29, so there is the possibility that Pressly is not on the ALDS roster. Luhnow:
Worst-case scenario, he's not available for the division series. But I think he will be. And I think we need him because whoever we face is going to be a strong opponent. And, late in games, Pressly knows how to get those guys out.
Luhnow deferred comment on what the "small issue" is in Pressly's knee to Pressly himself, who was not made available to reporters.
*Chandler Rome went on 790 and said that Correa will be out until early September. No surprise there. There is no structural damage to Correa's back. I'm glad he didn't structurally damage his back swinging in the 1st inning. Correa told reporters that it's not as bad as it was last year. He plans to play rehab games during the first week of September.
*Abraham Toro made his major-league debut and Hinch says he'll primarily play 3B. Bregman played SS last night. And that's probably how we'll see the lineup shake out. Jake Kaplan wrote that Toro, with the help of hitting coach Troy Snitker, made a mechanical adjustment last fall which led to his breakout season. Toro went 0x4 last night, but absolutely smashed a ball that went foul. To make room for Toro on the 40-Man Roster, Brady Rodgers was DFA'd.
*FanGraphs: The best bullpens in baseball.
*SI's Stephanie Apstein: MLB's punishment under the domestic violence policy needs to change. (Inject boner sauce into your veins? No playoffs! Violent towards your spouse/significant other? Playoffs!)
*A Musical Selection:
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