My guess right now is Ryan Pressly, who did a great job last year, save for two games. He only had like two bad outings last year...one game in Arizona that kind of blew him up a little bit, and then again in Texas, where his velocity was way below and a guy hit a home run to tie it up. Right now, I would say he is probably the leaders, having been with us.
Pressly allowed 5H/3ER, 1K:2BB in his first two appearances (0.2IP, nine batters faced), settling at a 40.50 ERA by the time both Verlander and Osuna were done for the year. Over his next 21 appearances, Pressly allowed 16H/5ER, 28K:5BB, 2.21 ERA / 1.03 WHIP, including that Texas game Strom mentioned. Dusty Baker just wants him healthy.
Strom also noted that Steve Cishek (which seems like a promising report on the chances of Cishek making the Opening Day roster), Joe Smith, and Pedro Baez could factor into the closer role, and that it's up to Dusty Baker.
In that link we also find that Andre Scrubb and Bryan Abreu are drawing early praise, there's an awful lot of pitchers in camp, and Dusty Baker had very nice things to say about Pedro Gomez (who seemed like a very good person).
There's this feeling out there that we do something super special as an organization. I think we just do our due diligence and we turn every rock over to try to find how we can help whatever pitchers we acquire.
Joe is one of the leaders on this team. Guys listen to him, they gravitate toward him, they follow him. Not only is it great to have Joe in the bullpen, but he's a quality guy that we all trust.
*Framber Valdez: "I want to have some nasty pitches this year." I, too, would like Framber to have some nasty pitches this year.
Occasionally, out of an abundance of caution, there are protocol steps that have to be taken players and personnel are cleared to report. We expect those steps to be completed soon, which will still give everyone enough time to prepare for the season.
Everything I've done since I've been with the Astros has...pretty much been self-driven. I haven't had much outside influence. I'm pretty stubborn. I don't always like to listen to people.
If there's anything that the Astros have been about since 2012, it's definitely without a doubt just sort of letting players do whatever they want. (But also keep in mind the above-linked interview with Brent Strom).
But there's also this one: "It goes without saying that this season is super, super important for me."
It's a really, really insightful read, lots of mechanics/grip analysis. Good interview, and it's not pay-walled, so have at it. I'm actually really excited to see what Forrest Whitley does this year. But also I hope he stops listening to Tyler Bauer.
The Astros are still finding hidden value through R&D and some great work on the player development side, and have a number of guys who look like breakout candidates for 2021, if we get a minor-league season.
The Top 20 - click the link to read the write-ups:
*This run of exhibition games at Choad Life Park saw an empty stadium last night, as though "taking a day off" is something that happens in baseball in 2020. It's 1-1 and the off-season barnstorming tour continues tonight.
*Brent Strom talked to Mark Berman about coming back in 2021, Correa, and Dusty, and the stable of pitchers the Astros have. It's a really good interview.
*Took a little longer than I expected, but there's a response to Luhnow's Monday Night Interview. The Athletic's Evan Drellich:
People with knowledge of the investigation said that 'there was direct testimony that Luhnow was aware of the sign-stealing scheme.' The league's department of investigations, headed by former federal prosecutors, gathered a combination of direct evidence, circumstantial evidence and testimony that a source said would hold up in a legal forum, despite Luhnow's suggestion to the contrary. 'Luhnow received emails that put him on notice of the activity, but claims he only read parts of the emails even though he responded to the emails,' the person said. 'One witness clearly stated and provided evidence that Luhnow know, and others identified facts indicating that Luhnow knew. The best interpretation of the evidence is that Luhnow either knew exactly what the video room was doing, or knew generally what they were doing and willfully chose to keep himself in the dark.
It's not out of the realm of possibility that you could find someone in MLB's New York office who has committed themselves to burying Luhnow and the Astros at every opportunity. It's also not out of the realm of possibility that the Astros did something wrong and answered MLB's questions far more whole-heartedly than any other team had/has answered them, and they have paid more dearly than any of them. [Ed. Note: I have downloaded Ben Reiter's podcast The Edge, but have not yet listened to it, something I plan on remedying today. Ben Reiter wrote Astroball, so there's reason to believe that what he has to say is worthwhile.]
Whether he exactly knew what was going on or not is really beside the point. I wrote to all the GMs. I put them on notice that it was their obligation to make sure that their organizations were not violating any of the sign-stealing rules...He damaged the game, and as a result, he was disciplined.
This is utterly exhausting. And I'm just a fan. It's a fair question to ask, Why did the Red Sox do the Apple Watch stuff AND the video room stuff and only the film room guy get re-assigned for a year, while the Astros got the worst penalty in sports since SMU? Because MLB likes to do their killin' before breakfast, they're keeping a not-small amount of the findings of their investigation private. Other teams saw what happened to the Astros and shut the hell up. I've just sort of come to terms with the idea that this is/was a league-wide problem, and Manfred decided to let everyone think that it was an Astros-only problem (in the same way that the Mitchell Report scapegoated teams on the coasts). The noisiest opponents have been the Yankees, Dodgers, and Indians, for what it's worth.
Wow. After the first six innings, I didn't expect that. The Astros beat the Twins in Game 1 4-1, and there was great rejoicing. FanGraphs gave the Twins a 57.6-42.4 edge in Game 1, and a 62.5-37.5 edge on the series. Well! Now it's 65.5-34.5 Astros (even though the Twins have the edge in the next two games? I don't understand FanGraphs' Hard Math.) It was the Astros' 10th road win of the season. What happened to the Twins in the 9th usually happens to the Astros. God bless us, everyone. The Astros face Jose Berrios today at 12pm Central on ESPN2. If there's a Thursday game, it'll be at 12:08pm Central.
*You could hear music during Dusty's post-game Zoom media availability. Dusty:
It is loud, should be loud. Hasn't been loud in a while. Let them party. Let them enjoy themselves. Savor the victory.
*There were a lot of "game-saving moments" but Alex Bregman's throw to first in the 1st Inning was a massive one. Brantley, on that throw:
When they challenged it I got really nervous. I thought initially he was out, but any time [you] go to replay, you got to hold your breath a little bit. It was a phenomenal play. Big momentum swing.
*Greinke, Inning by Inning:
1st: 30 pitches, 1H/0ER, 0K:2BB
2nd: 11 pitches, 0H/0ER, 0K:0BB
3rd: 22 pitches, 1H/1ER, 1K:1BB
4th: 16 pitches, 0H/0ER, 0K:0BB
Greinke had three walks in four innings. He had issued walks to three batters in his previous 33.2IP. The last time he struck out exactly one batter was August 23, 2019, also an Astros win. It was Greinke's fourth straight postseason start of allowing two or fewer earned runs.
Zack Greinke, 2nd time through the order: .283/.330/.404
Zack Greinke, 3rd time through the order: .298/.305/.491
Jake Kaplan: How the Framber Game came to pass. Kaplan:
[Dusty's] proactive decision to not let Zack Greinke face the Minnesota lineup a third time and hand the game over to the rubber arm of Framber Valdez exemplified the type of aggressive, creative bullpen management the Astros will need this postseason.
"Aggressive, creative bullpen management" and "Dusty Baker" have not often collided in the same sentence before...
He's been throwing the ball great all year. He's been attacking the strike one. He's got plus pitches across the board. I love hearing the opponents talk about how nasty he is. I'm glad he's on our side because I don't want to face him.
Shoutout to Framber, about to be A Dad for a second time. Give him, like, six months, and he's gonna have some Wilco on vinyl and get really into "Jesus, Etc."
Chandler Rome: Framber is the first relief pitcher to throw five scoreless innings in a playoff game since Madison Bumgarner in the 2014 World Series. Rocco Baldelli:
We weren't exactly expecting their lefty to go out there and throw all of those innings.
*The Astros allowed four hits. It's the 18th time in franchise postseason history that the Astros' opponent has been held to four or fewer hits. Ten of those games have been since the beginning of the 2015 postseason. The Astros are 14-4 in postseason games allowing four or fewer hits.
*Jose Altuve was 0x3 with 2BB and an RBI. It was his 4th 2BB postseason game, and his 30th postseason RBI.
Astros' Postseason RBI leaderboard:
Carlos Correa: 33
Jose Altuve: 30
George Springer: 29
Alex Bregman: 28
Lance Berkman: 26
Yuli Gurriel: 24
Morgan Ensberg: 18
Carlos Beltran: 15
Marwin Gonzalez: 13
Jeff Bagwell: 13
Craig Biggio: 11
*Michael Brantley got a massive 2RBI single in the 9th inning. It's the 2nd 2RBI postseason game of his career - the last coming in 2019 World Series Game 3.
*The Minnesota Twins' last postseason win was October 5, 2004. They're 0-17 in the postseason since. God bless those Lake Wobegon Twins fans.
*As cool as Nelson Cruz's story is, don't forget he was a Biogenesis guy who took - and got suspended 50 games for taking - PEDs because he said he had a GI infection. Oh, that was a few years ago and shouldn't be brought up again? Tell that to Karl Ravech and Eduardo Perez.
*Kenta Maeda threw 5IP and allowed 0ER. The last time he did that and his team lost was April 29, 2019.
*Pat and I are recording a special postseason postgame show for patrons of Lima Time Time. Last night's was originally going to be 20 minutes long where we just clapped for Greinke and Framber the whole time, and then it turned into dropping as many 90s Twins as we possibly could. It was impossibly fun, and for $5/month, you can get at least two more of these shows (though, I think it'll be more). Join our Patreon! It's literally the only monetary request I've made of you in the last 12 years, other than, like, helping people in a disaster.
*Before Game 1 the Astros announced that they have extended Yuli Gurriel for 2021 with a $6.5m deal, and a club option for 2022 for $8m. He'll get $250,000 for each of his 300th and 350th Plate Appearances in 2021, $350,000 for 400 and 450 PAs, $400,000 for 500 and 550 PAs.
*Freaking Joe Biagini got DFAd, and I'm quite fine with this. Among pitchers in franchise history with a minimum of 10IP, Joe Biagini's 10.42 ERA is the 5th-worst.
*Chas McCormick - owner of a .276/.360/.400 MiLB slash line - made the playoffs roster. Here's why.
*Wired: Your photos are irreplaceable, get them off your phone.
I did Monday's Hot Links on Sunday night, because I thought I might want to sleep later than my usual alarm of 4:30am. Why do I get up so early? It's not all Hot Links, though it does take a little bit of time in the mornings. I wake up, have a cup of coffee in the dark like a serial killer, meditate, read the Good Book, and I've been doing yoga since this persistent foot injury just sort of refuses to get back to normal (after almost three months). Anyway, I was awake at 3:45am because I had a dream my dog's leg fell off in the kitchen and when I jerked awake I thought, "Well that's it for sleeping tonight. Let's try again here in about 20 hours." There was absolutely no chance of me staying awake for last night's game. And I, and my blood pressure, was better for it
The Astros and Mariners met for the most important September series for Seattle in quite some years (I have zero interest in going back through Baseball-Reference to see just how long it's been since the Mariners have been four games out of a playoff spot in September). The Astros...crapped the bed, 6-1. Four of the Mariners' six runs were unearned, thanks to Altuve kicking a double play ball. The Astros were 1x8 w/RISP. It's eight straight games of scoring four or fewer runs, and 11 of their last 13. The loss also means that Oakland wins the 2020 AL West, not that it's any kind of surprise. Houston was 24-2 against Seattle in the last two seasons and are now 24-3.
What are you going to do, just going to give them the next two days? They have to earn the next game first. The Angels are knocking at the door behind them. We've just got to take care of our own business.
*Prior to last night's game, the Astros' playoff odds sat at 99.7%. This morning it's...99.1%. FanGraphs feels way better about it than I do, apparently. Though, Houston is three up with six to play.
*Jose Altuve had two hits and a walk. It's the 6th time Altuve has gotten on base three times in a game in 2020, and the first since August 25.
*Michael Brantley: 3x4, his 4th 3-hit game of the season.
*On September 7 Carlos Correa went 2x4 against Oakland and was slashing .301/.367/.441. Since then he's "hitting" .122/.178/.146, lowering his season line to .261/.325/.375.
*Lance McCullers didn't allow a hit until the 6th inning: 6.2IP, 3H/4R (0ER), 7K:2BB.
McCullers' last two starts: 13.2IP, 5H/0ER, 15K:2BB...and the Astros scored zero runs through all of that.
I was talking to the batting coaches tonight and they're not sleeping. They're trying to figure it out. I'm trying to help them figure it out.
Six of the Astros' nine hits were singles. Brantley:
We're all right. This is a professional team. A great team. We've been here before. We lost tonight. That's why you play the series. We'll come back tomorrow, hopefully even up the series and then win it.
It's been an unforgettable experience for me playing in Houston. Regardless of whatever happens in the offseason...the city will always be in my heart.
As much as he brings to the table, both on and off the field, the group we have right now was not really planning on it happening. There was a lot of noise out there on Twitter and a lot of noise in the media about this, and the fact we came to a tipping point didn't cause any alarm or cause any consternation or anything like that. I think we're ready to go with what we have, and I feel confident in them.
*Buzzfeed: The FinCEN Files offer "an unprecedented view of global financial corruption, the banks enabling it, and the government agencies that fail to stop it."
Well well well. It's going to be a really dumb time to be online. The Dodgers beat the Astros 5-2, getting all their runs in the 5th while the Astros got all their runs from Carlos Correa. Meanwhile, Joe Kelly - who was with the Red Sox in 2017 and 2018 - threw behind Alex Bregman and over Carlos Correa in the 6th, which led to the benches clearing. The Astros are 3-2. There are 55 games remaining, assuming the season is completed.
Dave Roberts, on Kelly's intent: I really don't know, to be quite honest. I know he got behind Bregman 3-0 and lost a fastball. I really don't think there was intent behind that. I think those guys took a little bit of offense. Even the one to Correa, that was a breaking ball that just backed up.
Dusty: I didn't anticipate that. I didn't anticipate throwing over somebody's head three balls and no strikes. One of our more important guys. If you're going to throw at somebody, you don't throw at the head...That's playing dirty baseball.
It's fair to wonder about Joe Kelly's intent. We are talking about a guy with a 4.46 ERA in 2018 and 2019 who walked 54 batters. It could just be that Joe Kelly kind of sucks. Kelly said it wasn't intentional: No. When I was with the Red Sox we beat them in '18. It's one of those things that I pitch competitively. With no fans here, it's easy to hear some stuff (from the opposing dugout)...there's something they apparently didn't take too kind to.
Anyway, should be a fun one tonight. On to the game:
Carlos Correa was (wink) a triple shy of the cycle, had three of the Astros' four hits, and both of the extra-base hits. It's the 26th time in Correa's career that he had three hits with a home run. It's the 18th time he got two extra-base hits in a game. Everyone else went 1x27 with 8Ks.
Framber Valdez threw 4.1IP, 4H/3R (2ER), 2K:1BB.
Enoli Paredes faced four batters and didn't record an out.
Andre Scrubb and Nivaldo Rodriguez made their MLB debuts, throwing 4.2 scoreless - though not uneventful (four hits, two strikeouts, three walks) - innings.
George Springer's slow start continued with an 0x4 to bring his five-game total to 1x20.
7-9 in the lineup (Reddick-Tucker/Toro-Maldonado) went a combined 0x11 with 7K:0BB.
Alex Bregman walked twice but committed two errors.
I know everyone had the pipe dream that the Astros would go back to Hinch the day after the 2020 World Series, but this is really fair to Dusty, and it gives him what would appear to be a normal shot to win a World Series after a 162-game season. It's fair, and I have zero problem with it. It also guarantees that Dusty has a chance at 2000 wins - he's at 1,866.
Dusty: I've been a lame-duck manager four or five times. I was one of the lamest ducks walking around. It feels pretty good not to be a lame duck. This is the best that I've been treated in quite a while.
*James Click said that Verlander will be shut down for "a few weeks" and that it's too soon to say whether or not he'll pitch again this season. He's also hopeful that Devenski and Pressly will be able to avoid the IL. Yordan is close to taking BP in Corpus, but there's not a timeline for him rejoining the Astros.
The Astros beat the Royals 6-3. Lance McCullers threw 5IP, 4H/1ER, 6K:0BB.
McCullers: The word for the day for me was 'grateful.' I was grateful for the ability for the stars to align for us to play tonight with the weather that was possible. Grateful for my teammates and the opportunity to pitch on a big league mound. It was a good day.
Chandler Rome: McCullers showed the Astros he's ready for the regular season.
Josh Reddick and Martin Maldonado each hit two-run homers.
*Ryan Pressly will be the Astros' closer until Roberto Osuna returns from...whatever he is returning from. Also, Dusty on traveling to Kansas City: The major difference was guys were yelling across the cabin versus going over and talking to them because you had to stay in your seat. That's going to be really challenging, especially for the real social guys, to stay in your seat. Guys like to play cards on long trips to Seattle or something like that. *Dusty said that the travel to Kansas City was "typical minor-league activity" *Justin Verlander, on what getting the ball on Opening Day 2020 means to him.
*The Athletic did an AL West roundtable. It's very well-done, and I love Jake Kaplan, but Levi Weaver needs to be a National Baseball voice.
1. No, no one in Minute Maid Park would boo the Astros on Opening Day.
2. It's a good history of booing and sign-stealing.
3. Sam Miller is a good writer, and has been a Net Positive for baseball coverage at ESPN dawt cawm.
4. Aubrey Huff is an insufferable prick, and needs to be remembered forever as such.
5. Boo whoever and whatever you want.
*The Brain Geniuses at MLBHQ started to take a look at modernizing Base Ball. Did it include accountability of umpires? No! Did it include making sure that you could take your family to a game for less than $200? Haha! Did they save the minor-leagues? Getouttatown! No, the Best and Brightest decided that maybe you could press a button to boo someone and it would play over the loudspeakers. You know that saying that the worst thing about Christianity is actual Christians? The worst thing about Baseball is MLB.
*AL.com: Inside College Football's Coronavirus Information War.
*Freakin' Bryan Adams and Sporty Spice did a duet a long time ago that I had forgotten about, but remembered this morning, so if this (banger) has to be in my head, then it shall be in yours also:
First off: Thanks for sticking with me while I fight the Sads and try to find motivation to do normal things. Hot Links *should* return daily starting...right now, transitioning back to mornings next week.
*The Astros played an inter-squad game today, with Josh James squaring off against National Treasure Zack Greinke.
Zack Greinke on Brent Strom referring to him as the silent assassin: “First I’ve heard of it..probably not the most creative thing I’ve ever heard.”
*For the 12th time in his career, and the 3rd time as an Astro, Justin Verlander will start Opening Day. Verlander: One of my goals was to get my mechanics back to what they had been and get my velocity up to what it used to be, or better than last year anyway. I looked at this as an opportunity to get better. I went through a full rebuild process, working on getting my mechanics where I wanted them. I went down the rabbit hole. *McTaggart also has an Inbox, in which he addressed the Astros' DH until Yordan's return, the Astros' bullpen with Joe Smith opting out, Forrest Whitley, and Cristian Javier.
*In yesterday's Notebook, McTaggart talked about Joe Smith, Austin Pruitt's impending IL stint, Bryan Abreu ready to come out of the bullpen, and Yuli Gurriel's desire to end his MLB career in Houston.
Brent Strom on game7 of the World Series:”I know people will laugh at me,but on my screen saver on my computer is the 2-1 changeup (Greinke)threw to Soto that was a strike that got called a ball n the 7 inning & I think changed the entire World Series..I’m still pissed about it” pic.twitter.com/dOfncre6Ts
*Former Astros Great Bud Norris was released by the Phillies. I had not noticed that Norris was not with a team in 2019 - he last pitched for St. Louis in 2018.
*Back in April I wrote up a history of Leeds United on this here bolg. You would have to be deliberately obtuse to not know that I'm a fan. Today, Leeds beat last-place Barnsley 1-0, though to be fair, the one goal was an own goal on Barnsley. I had some definite World Series Blood Pressure going. Doesn't matter. What it means is that, with a West Bromwich Albion and/or a Brenford tie or loss, or - should those two teams win out - Leeds only need one point in their last two games to go back to the Premier League for the first time since 2004.
*A Musical Selection:
*Vice: 26 essential albums you may have missed in 2020.
Today is the beginning of Month Three of being a vegetarian (except for last Monday when I randomly ate a Popeye's Spicy Chicken Sandwich and immediately fell asleep and felt like crap for the rest of the day). I'm down 14 pounds and I feel really good. I've mentioned my struggle with depression and anxiety #onhere before, and I appreciate those of you who have reached out. Lately I've been thinking a lot about the 1992 NLCS, and how the fortunes changed after Sid Bream's slide for both the Braves and the Pirates. I don't know why. Anyway, if you would read a deep dive into that series and the years preceding and following, comment down below. Just kidding, you can't do that, and my life is happier for it.
Catching up on a few Hot Links as I get back in the habit of thinking about this blog...
*Pitchers weren't part of today's workout at Minute Maid Park, and that included Brent Strom, as they await (yet again) the results of their COVID test. Dusty: You don't like it, but you have to adjust and make the best of a potentially bad situation. I'm proud of how the guys responded. I haven't heard any complaining.
Like anyone would complain within earshot of Dusty Baker. Click that link and stay for some thoughts on the back-end of the rotation, as well as Aledmys Diaz. Also, we don't know when Strom - or the pitchers - can return.
Twelve days from their season-opener, the Astros:
- Have canceled two workouts
- Had Alex Bregman miss another because of delays
- Don't have their major league pitching staff or pitching coach in camp and are awaiting COVID-19 results on all after a "potential exposure"
*Aledmys Diaz plans on wearing a mask during games, as he has kids at home. Diaz: I have kids, I have my wife at home. I just try to do everything I can to protect them. The same thing with my teammates. If it's something that's not uncomfortable and it lets me do my job when I'm taking ground balls or hitting, I'm going to use it.
Anyone who has an issue with Diaz, or anyone opting out of the 2020 season, is kindly invited to consume all of my genitals and never visit this site again.
*Chandler Rome: Astros lose more ground as pitchers miss time.
*Check out McTaggart's 2020 Milestone watch - there's some gems in there. Add Carlos Correa's quest for four straight years of playing less than 110 games. SMH.
*I'm pretty obsessed with Alex Honnold's "Free Solo" documentary. You can find it on Hulu and Disney+ and it will 100% make your palms sweat and elevate your heart rate. This is the one where he attempts to climb Yosemite's El Capitan without ropes. Just...start at the bottom with no support or back-up plan, and hope you make it to the top. I've seen it 50-60 times. I'll probably watch it again tonight. My wife can't figure out why I watch it...so many times. I just like to watch people try to do cool s*** that I won't ever try to do. Anyway, here's a 2017 profile on Alex Honnold: Less and Less Alone.
*Scott Boras urged the MLBPA not to accept the owners' proposal for a season restart. This compensation fight is going to get ugly. FanGraphs' Craig Edwards: After years of profits, owners ask players to subsidize losses. I swear to God, if you are on Team Billionaire over Team Millionaire, I will figure out how to block you from reading this website.
The governor of Illinois said the players were holding out. The governor of Illinois is part-owner of Hyatt Hotels and has a personal net worth of $3.4 billion.
*Dusty Baker and Brent Strom will not [slams fist on table] back down from COVID-19. Dusty: It's going to be impossible not to take a risk, but a calculated risk. Safety is number one. Not only for yourself, but I worry about other people as much as I worry about myself.
*The Baseball-Reference OOTP Simulation currently has the Astros at 23-20, in 3rd place in the AL West. Again, I do not know why I care about this. I also don't know why George Springer is batting 7th. Zack Greinke threw a complete game three-hitter with 14 strikeouts as the Astros beat Kansas City 7-0.
*Brian McTaggart has the franchise's best RFs, with George Springer leading the way.
*Ten years later, Former Astros GreatArmando Galarraga is still grappling with the loss of his Perfect Game. Counterpoint: Galarraga's Imperfect Game is actually more memorable than any other Perfect Game, otherwise we wouldn't be talking about a 26-34 pitcher with a 4.78 ERA, a 91 ERA+, and a 0.9 career fWAR.
New Stuff *GAME 8 LET'S GO. Astros vs Nationals in West Palm Beach. Dusty Baker said it's going to be younger players in the lineup at 5:05pm (MLB Network) and veterans will start to work in for a few innings beginning on Sunday. We also find that Riley Ferrell (3rd Round - 2015) has been sent back to Houston for tests on his right shoulder, and Rogelio Armenteros is still in West Palm Beach, but has "right shoulder and elbow injuries that have shut him down."
*Dan Szymborski posted his "insanely early" ZiPS projected standings for 2020 over at FanGraphs. Here's how his projections have the AL West shaking out:
Houston: 95-67 (74.5% to win the division)
Oakland: 88-74 (19.4%)
Anaheim: 83-79 (5.6%)
Arlington: 75-87 (0.4%)
Seattle: 62-100 (0.0%)
Worth noting that the Astros win the World Series in 11.7% of the simulations, third-highest behind the Yankees (18.3%) and the Dodgers (17.9%).
*George Springer is on MLBTR's Top 10 Free Agents of 2021 list. I think the Astros should take a run at him in the offseason.
Sign Stealing Stuff *The Astros have been getting death threats, because being Online is like having have a half-melted ice cream cake in your skull. Someone wished cancer on Josh Reddick's newborn twins. Correa: Everybody in here is getting death threats. It feels like when you open social media these days, it's the norm. You don't see positive comments anymore. You just see, 'If you come to New York, you better watch out. Your wife better watch out.' They start talking about raping, killing, all this stuff.
So we've narrowed it down to New York...
And here's the thing: If you're mad at the Astros, disappointed in the Astros, cannot be convinced that they weren't cheating in 2019, fully believe they were the only team cheating in 2017, etc., then that's your prerogative. But if you're sending death threats to the Astros, or to Mike Fiers, for that matter, then please pick up a book and slam your reproductive organs in it.
MLBPA President Tony Clark: There's no doubt making sure that making our players and their families are able to go to and from the ballpark and perform safely is a huge piece of the puzzle.
*Brent Strom talked with Jake Kaplan and indicated this might be his last season: I initially thought I was going to do a couple years. This is going to be a very trying year. I'll see how I feel at the end of this year. I fully expect an onslaught from opposing teams, opposing fans and everything. And so I'll see how I feel physically at the end of this year and see what direction the organization wants to go in. Whether I want to continue to do it, I don't know yet.
On his role in the sign-stealing: I knew it was wrong, but I kind of wrapped myself into the idea that I'm on the pitching side of the thing. I think I did that to myself to kind of alleviate some of the guilt that was in my mind about this stuff going on. I kind of stayed in my lane. I was as complicit as anybody. *Check out this steaming turd from Rick Reilly. He's cute and called them "the Asterisks" the whole time.
*Oh don't worry: Mark Teixeira said the Yankees' sign-stealing is nothing like what the Astros were doing.
Heads up: For a few days now I've been working on kind of an over-arching timeline regarding the whole [waves hands] Astros sign-stealing scandal. Might be ready today, I'm not sure. In the meantime.
New Stuff:
*Brent Strom sat down with Chandler Rome and Brian McTaggart for a Q&A. Some highlights:
-The SP5 spot seems to now be between Austin Pruitt, Josh James, and Framber Valdez.
-The Astros used Gerrit Cole's delivery as a model for Josh James.
-He's "willing to bet" Forrest Whitley debuts in Houston this season.
-Strom likes Bryan Abreu.
-He misses A.J. Hinch.
In the Chandler Rome version, they've already identified some areas of improvement for Pruitt, especially with how he uses his pitches.
*Justin Verlander threw his first official bullpen session of Spring Training: I felt good. I threw everything. I definitely wouldn't say everything was working, but I would say it's where it needs to be now.
And Dusty, on the new three-batter minimum (or end of the inning) rule: It's a challenge for how you set your lineup, a challenge for how you bring in certain guys at certain times. I think the challenge is, especially the lefty. He might go to the wayside. That was a big job for some of these guys.
Tony Sipp was the last Astros' lefty-specialist.
*Jared Hughes will make $1.5m in 2020 if he makes the Astros, and can opt out of his contract if he is not added to the 40-Man Roster by March 18.
*Former Astros Great Scott Kazmir is 36 and will start throwing for teams this week in a comeback attempt. The only comeback I'm looking for from Kazmir is for Daniel Mengden and Jacob Nottingham to come back to the Astros. HEY-O.
Sign-Stealing Stuff
*Someone named "Jorge Castillo" wrote a BIG EXPOSE in the LA Times in which Rob Manfred confirmed, kind of, that the Astros used the trash can in the postseason. Manfred: There was conflicting evidence on that point. But, you know, in an investigation you often have conflicting evidence and it was my view that the more credible evidence was that they continued to use the scheme for the postseason.
Castillo: Astros players, most notably shortstop Carlos Correa, have insisted the trash-can system was abandoned in the postseason because Minute Maid Park, their home stadium, was too loud for batters to hear the bangs.
Not true! Six days ago Carlos Correa already admitted that the trash can was available in the playoffs. Correa: The trash can was there. Yeah, I mean, if we had a chance, but I remember them coming using multiple signs and impossible to decode all those signs.
It wasn't how loud it was, it was the teams using multiple signals. None of what I just wrote makes anything Okay, mind you. If we're going to start quoting players, let's at least quote them correctly.
*Manfred talked to Evan Drellich and explained why MLB stuck with the immunity pledge to players who talked. Essentially: the MLBPA would have won any grievance they brought. Manfred: Given the fact that we didn't think we could make discipline stick with the players, we made the decision we made. Having said that, I understand the reaction.
*Braves "star" Nick Markakis thinks every Astro "needs a beating." Big talk from over yonder in the National League. Also Aaron Judge said more things.
The Astros won a game I was really sure they were going to lose when Christian Yelich tied it in the bottom of the 9th off of Roberto Osuna. But a Springer Dinger and some "clutch" "Pitching" (and some help from an umpire for once in their wretched lives) means the Astros are 90-49. Still fully expecting Richie Sexson to be in tomorrow's lineup for Milwaukee.
Houston: 90-49
New York: 90-49
Oakland: 78-58 (-10.5)
*Gerrit Cole threw 6IP, 3H/1ER, 14K:2BB. Two of those hits were infield hits. It's the first time teammates have posted 14Ks in consecutive games since the mound was moved to 60'6"...in 1893. That's four straight double-digit strikeout starts for Cole, and 16 on the season. The Astros haven't lost a game Gerrit Cole started since July 12.
Strikeouts, 2019:
Cole: 266
Verlander: 257
Cole is currently 7th on the Astros' all-time single-season strikeout list. Verlander is 8th. Only J.R. Richard (twice) and Mike Scott have struck out 300+ batters in a season. Hinch, on Cole: Those guys, 1-2 punch, are really tough. We have a ton of confidence when [Cole is] pitching. We know we're going to be in the game, we know we're going to miss bats. His competitive fire is really second to none. He knows what he's doing out there and when he's in control of the game, he's completely dominant.
Impressive how absolutely nothing was actually shared in that paragraph.
*Roberto Osuna allowed a game-tying home run to Christian Yelich to lead off the bottom of the 9th, made a dumb error, but was *otherwise* unscathed. I'll talk about him another day.
*Josh Big Flames James walked two batters but had some help striking out the side, including Yelich and something called Hernan Perez to end the game. Brewers manager Craig Counsell: It's two awful calls. I don't know what to say. It's the magnitude of the spot, it's the hitter. It's just bad calls, it's bad umpiring. When it's Christian Yelich and the game's on the line and you miss calls, it hurts and it dramatically affects the outcome of the game.
Yelich: You guys saw it, so I'll let you guys all make your own judgments. I don't want to say anything that's going to get myself fined.
Just horrific grammar by Yelich, there.
*The Astros were 1x12 w/RISP. Bregman got the lone hit, while Yordan went 0x3 w/RISP.
*George Springer ended up with the go-ahead/game-winning home run in the top of the 10th - his 30th of the season. It's the 151st home run of his career, and his 64th go-ahead homer. It's the 4th home run of his career in extra innings, and the first since he bombed Wade Davis in the 10th back on July 24, 2018. Springer: I'm just trying to get on base. Leading off the inning, hopefully I can get to first base somehow and let the other guys do the work, but I was able to hit one hard.
It's the 68th home run he's hit when leading off the inning. Springer is four home runs shy of his career-high of 34, set in 2017.
*Alex Bregman was 4x5 with a double and an RBI. It's Bregman's 5th 4-hit game of his career. The last one came on August 18. It's the first time he's had four hits in a game and one of them wasn't a homer. Scrub.
*Yordan Alvarez tied Carlos Correa's franchise rookie home run mark, with his 22nd of the year. Since June 9. Yordan, by month:
*Jake Marisnick was 0x1 in a pinch-hitting appearance. From August 1 to before his pinch-hit AB, Marisnick: .215/.262/.329 in 84 PAs.
*You're going to want to spend some cash on this new "Where The F*** is Toro?" shirt from Breaking T.
*Brent Strom said his hands were shaking in the 9th during Verlander's No-No. Strom: He's a throwback. He's a special guy. I often kid him, I think he should be pitching back in the day with Seaver and that group. That's the era he belongs in.
*Kyle Tucker, Cionel Perez, and Garrett Stubbs were all called up for Monday's game. Another wave of call-ups is expected on Thursday.
*Jake Kaplan has a mailbag in which he discusses Yordan's ROY case, what to expect from Kyle Tucker, Gerrit Cole's plans this offseason, and more.
*Hinch, on Kyle Tucker's second stint in the Majors: I think he's matured over the year, which is going to be helpful for him. Now that he has a second opportunity here to come up, he has a long list of guys in there that he can watch prepare as he familiarizes himself with the at-bats he's going to get. It's important for him to learn that preparation, routine and cage routines.
*Wade Miley, returning to Milwaukee for the first time since 2018, told Adam McCalvy that he doesn't have any regrets about turning down Milwaukee's "offer:" I mean, it wasn't close enough, obviously. And it was getting late in the year. It was kind of the same as the year before when I signed [with the Brewers] late on a Minor-League deal. It's like, I'm the type of person that I want to pitch. I don't want to drag this thing out into Spring Training again. I just told my agent, 'I want a job.' Houston's close to home. It's nice. It's been great. I went with it and no looking back, no regrets. There's no hard feelings anywhere.
The Astros completed the sweep of the Mariners with a measly 3-1 win. Trash offense. Houston is 73-40. They have won four in a row, seven of their last eight, and 14 of their last 17 games since the Angels tried to flex on the Astros (this is going to be a Thing). The Astros are good. Oakland and Arlington won, because the Cardinals and Tigers are trash, respectively.
This week! The Astros have a two-game home stand against Colorado, then start a ten-game road trip at Baltimore (3), Chicago (3), and Oakland (4)
And the Astros are off today and then start Greinke every five days. Good luck.
*Hinch: Everything from the attention to detail to the game planning to the execution and then to the bullpen coming in and getting huge outs, it's a really good stretch for us. One of the things that we pride ourselves on is preparation, and I think this series and leading up to this series it's been excellent.
*Let's start with Justin Verlander: 6IP, 3H/1ER, 10K:2BB.
It's his 7th 10+ K game of the season, and his fourth in a row. That's insane. It's the 2nd 4-game double-digit strikeout streak of his career, the first being from September 10-29, 2018.
Verlander's last four starts:
25IP, 15H/3ER, 46K:5BB. 1.08 ERA / 0.80 WHIP, 9.2 K:BB ratio.
Shoutout to JV, who became the 7th pitcher in MLB history to strike out 200+ batters in nine consecutive seasons.
Verlander's 2.68 ERA is the best in the American League. Verlander: Each guy, when you create a competitive atmosphere like we have here, not that you want to one-up the guy before you, but you want to go out there and compete against some of the best in the world, and we've got a lot of the best in the world right here in the starting rotation...It's pretty incredible. You just kind of stay in your own lane and try to keep doing what's making you great, and at the same time you appreciate everything that's going on around you.
Astros starters are 14-1 in their last 17 games. That's crazy.
*Joe Smith, 2019: 7.2IP, 6H/0ER, 3K:0BB.
*Will Harris has appeared in 48 games this season. He has allowed a run in nine of them. He has a 1.69 ERA.
*Astros pitchers vs Seattle, this weekend:
27IP, 7H/3ER, 33K:14BB.
*Bregman, who does not want an off-day today, marveled at the pitching staff: They're incredible. They pound the zone, work fast and give us a chance to win every time out. It's a lot of fun to play defense behind them.
*The Astros won a game in which they got five hits. They're 5-12 in those games. Two of those wins are against Seattle.
*The Astros won a game in which they didn't hit a home run. They're 6-19 in those games. Three of those wins are against Seattle.
*Seattle has a right fielder apparently named "Dylan Moore." He said this: It's tough. They're obviously a good ballclub, but we can do better than that. Everybody in here is going to tell you that we didn't play offensively to our standards that we hold ourselves to.
Bro you hit 9th on a team that is 34-65 in their last 99 games and you have a .692 OPS. The Astros have won more games since June 1 than you have all year. FOH.
*Josh Reddick was 0x2 with a sac fly and got his first RBI since July 18. He's been hot garbage lately.
Reddick vs LHP: .342/.383/.487
Reddick vs RHP: .256/.298/.374
Reddick since the All-Star Break: .206/.253/.235. He has two extra-base hits since the break.
-Hinch, on Martin Maldonado: He just looks like he's at home. He's a true catcher. He cares so much about what his pitcher is doing on the mound. I have great respect for that. Chirinos is the same way. I demand that of our catchers because that's where we're going to impact the game the most. We love hitting homers and getting base hits. I say every day we want him to catch a winner and get a base hit. That's a good day for our catcher.
-Ryan Pressly and Brad Peacock looked rusty, but healthy, in their bullpen session and rehab appearance, respectively.
*Forrest Whitley: 4IP, 2H/1ER, 5K:2BB and threw 43 of his 69 pitches for strikes in a Corpus win.
*Reymin Guduan was suspended for the rest of the season due to a "disciplinary issue." So it's not PEDs or domestic violence - those get announced as such. Weird. Luhnow: He broke our team rules and is being disciplined because of it.
*The Detroit Free-Press' Anthony Fenech has a story about the 2017 Trade Deadline and hoo boy. Fenech: In what looms as the biggest mistake of their rebuilding process, [the Tigers] rebuffed an offer for (Michael) Fulmer involving two young players who are now among the best in baseball. According to multiple persons with knowledge of the talks, the Cubs offered shortstop Javier Baez as part of a three-player package and the Astros offered third baseman Alex Bregman for Fulmer and lefty reliever Justin Wilson.
Sometimes you look smart because everyone around you is dumb.
*Bristol City 1 - Leeds United 3. Manager Marcelo Bielsa: We managed both halves very well in the first 30 minutes, but at the same time, in the last 15 minutes we conceded too much possession.
Love too wish you could have put your foot more on the neck of your opponent.
*Hahahahahahahaha. The Astros threw a combined no-hitter against the Mariners in Aaron Sanchez's Astros debut and got seven extra-base hits for a 9-0 demolition of Seattle. Houston is 72-40. The lead on Oakland is still 8.5 games. There are 50 regular season games left.
Record, after 112 games:
2019: 72-40
2018: 71-41
2017: 71-41
The 2017 Astros went 11-17 in August. I don't think that'll happen to this team.At this point the Astros will need to 32-18 to reach 104 wins and set a franchise record. That's a .640 winning percentage down the stretch. Given that their win% right now is .642, it's doable.
Houston is 15-7 since the All-Star Break.
Game Notes
*You have to go back all the way to July 12 to find the last time the Mariners were no-hit.
*It's the first time since August 21, 2015 that the Astros have thrown a no-hitter, when Former Astros Great Mike F. Fiers did it against the Dodgers. It's the 12th time in franchise history that they've recorded a no-hitter. They're 11-1 in games in which they do not allow a hit. On April 23, 1964 the Reds beat the Astros 1-0 because starting pitcher Ken Johnson and Nellie Fox committed two infield errors in the top of the 9th and Pete Rose scored the winning run.
*Aaron Sanchez was brilliant: 6IP, 0H/0ER, 6K:2BB. Sanchez's previous career-long with 0H allowed? 2IP, on August 30, 2014. Last night was his first win in 17 consecutive starts.
ESPN: Sanchez threw his curve on 30.4% of his pitches, the highest curveball percentage of his career with a minimum of two batters faced according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Scott Servais: He certainly wasn't dominating anybody coming into the game, so we expected to do a lot more against him and just weren't able to get it done.
Hinch: I don't carry the burden of the early-season losses for him because he wasn't with us. I am proud of him for containing his energy and containing his excitement...I feel so good for him because he was able to channel that inner energy that he has and deliver a huge start. He really did step onto this team and provide a great first impression.
Sanchez's last three starts: 16.2IP, 11H/5ER, 22K:2BB. 2.70 ERA / 0.78 WHIP. Sanchez: It's hard to come to a team and feel like you can contribute right away when they're already so good. So for tonight to end the way it did, these guys coming in behind me and doing their part, too...I'm so happy.
Sanchez is the 2nd pitcher in MLB history to be part of a combined no-hitter in his first start with a new team.
Devenski: When I saw Vogelbach hit it in the air and Redd catch it and everyone came running at me, it was pretty cool...I kind of looked up when I was walking in from the bullpen and saw a 0 up there. I had to step off the mound and take a step back and gather myself. Going out there and being able to finish this, with these groups of guys, is something that's going to live on forever. I'm happy to be a part of it.
*Seattle's Mallex Smith: It's kind of embarrassing. But it's baseball. It's sports, you know. Sometimes the dice roll your way, sometimes not.
Seattle started the season 13-2. They're 34-64 since.
*Hinch, on the Astros' seeming ability to turn pitchers around: We don't have magic dust. There's a lot of people in the organization that go to work to try to find the one thing that can unlock people's potential.
Aha! But there's this from Hinch, as well: I want to credit Aaron Sanchez more than I credit the magic dust we sometimes sprinkle on these guys.
There is absolutely a jar of Magic Dust.
Gerrit Cole wasn't terribly thrilled with some fans who were leaving in the 9th Inning: I just don't think everybody was aware of what was going on. I certainly wouldn't leave. But if you want to leave, you can leave. I'm not telling you to stay or leave, I just hope that you know that it was a no-hitter.
*Will Harris: 1IP, 0H/0ER, 0K:1BB.
Joe Biagini: 1IP, 0H/0ER, 1K:1BB
Chris Devenski: 1IP, 0H/0ER, 1K:0BB
Chandler Rome: How the bullpen locked down the no-hitter.
*2-6 in the lineup (Altuve-Brantley-Bregman-Yordan-Correa): 11x25 / 8 RBI with four doubles, a triple, and a home run.
*Michael Brantley was 3x5 with two doubles and 4RBI. He's hitting .320/.379/.516 with a career-high in OPS. It's his 11th 3+ hit game of the season.
*Astros hitters have recorded at least three hits in a game 70 times this season:
Brantley: 11
Gurriel: 10
Altuve: 9
Springer: 8
Bregman: 7
Reddick: 6
Correa: 5
Yordan: 4
Marisnick: 3
White: 3
Chirinos: 1
Kemp: 1
Mayfield: 1
Straw: 1
*Jose Altuve was 2x5 with his 18th home run of the year. On June 20 his OPS was .769. It's now .907. Over those 35 games he's hitting .373/.417/.633. He has a 1.212 OPS since the All-Star Break.
*Bregman, Yordan, and Correa each had two hits.
If you're a GM and the Astros call asking to trade for one your players, and you don't know why they want said player, you should immediately hang up the phone and figure out what you're not seeing.
*The Astros had a successful inaugural Hall of Fame class last night. Shoutout to Mike Acosta. J.R. Richard: I cannot explain the feeling that's going through me right now. I'm just appreciative to be here with such a bunch of great guys. To have played with those guys has been a true pleasure and honor. And I'm so happy for the franchise and how it's grown.
*The pairing of Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke is extremely rare in MLB history, writes Andrew Simon. Simon: It's not just that the Astros have two likely future Hall of Famers. It's that they have them at a time when both pitchers are both so highly accomplished already (60+ WAR, Cy Young Awards), and still highly effective.
*There are three pitchers in MLB with 140+ IP thrown and a WHIP under 1.00: Verlander, Cole, Greinke.
*July AL Player of the Month: Yuli Gurriel
July AL Pitcher of the Month: Gerrit Cole. The last pitcher to win back-to-back Pitcher of the Month awards was Blake Snell, who later won the AL Cy Young.
July AL Rookie of the Month: Yordan Alvarez
It's the first time since June 2006 (Minnesota) that one team has swept all three awards in the same month.
*Zack Greinke is a really interesting guy with a well-documented history of social anxiety. Brian T. Smith writes that, with the Astros, Greinke can just be himself. Luhnow: He's not a guy that seeks the limelight, and that actually works well for us here in Houston and slotting in with Verlander and Cole. He's not going to have to be the guy that's in front of the camera the whole time. But he's a competitor. The one thing I've heard about him is he's really intelligent...The GM of the Diamondbacks told me that he loves to study the draft, he loves to absorb the draft, he knows all the draft players. So I'm looking forward to having him as a special assistant.
The Astros have so many Personalities on the team: Bregman, Reddick, Correa (and Daniella, of course), Springer, Yuli. Verlander and Cole. Yordan is a serene lake at dawn. Greinke doesn't have to provide a soundbite. It's perfect. I have a fairly decent case of social anxiety, or maybe anxiety/depression in general. It manifests itself in different ways. I drink a decent amount, but I'm working on that. Hot Links, and Astros County in general, has helped. Running helps more. I didn't really feel this anxiety during the live show but I would much rather, 99% of the time, to just stay home. Maybe it's teaching/coaching that forces me to be social and caring and accommodating, and there's something to taking on the weight of 120+ students and all of their emotions and the weight of their general existence. I tell my students that if they just can't deal with the cafeteria then my room is open (provided the door stays open and I tell our hall security guard that I have a student in there - can't be too careful) for them to just sit and eat lunch. We can talk if they want, or I can get some work done while they remove themselves from a situation if they don't. I'm exhausted when I get home.
So to the Houston reporters - and I know at least a couple of you read this blog - just leave Greinke alone. He'll talk when he wants to talk. If you're reading this, do not think that Greinke is "such a weirdo." Laugh at the legitimately funny stories surrounding Greinke, but do not just chalk him up to being a head case. Because in reality, who isn't?
*Round Rock beat Sacramento 10-9. Kyle Tucker was 2x5 with a double and his 28th home run of the year. Abraham Toro was 2x3. Alex De Goti was 2x4 with a home run and 3RBI. Brad Peacock "threw" 1.1IP, 3H/5ER, 2K:2BB in a rehab start.
*Corpus won 5-1. Colton Shaver hit a three-run home run and JJ Matijevic added another long ball. Forrest Whitley gets the start for Corpus today.
*Cal Stevenson made his Astros org debut last night, hitting 6th for Fayetteville. He went 0x3 with an RBI and a stolen base in a 4-3 Fayetteville loss. Shawn Dubin (13th Round - 2018) threw 4.2IP, 2H/2R (0ER), 11K:1BB.
Dubin's last two starts: 9.2IP, 5H/2ER, 20K:3BB.
*Quad Cities lost to Kane County 2-1 in 10 innings. Jose Alberto Rivera and Jonathan Bermudez combined to throw 8IP, 7H/1ER, 8K:4BB. The game-winning run for Kane County was unearned.
Other Stuff
*FanGraphs' David Laurilia has really great background on Former Astros Great Corbin Martin's development all the way to Arizona.
*Patrick Sandoval is getting called up to Anaheim. Sandoval, drafted by the Astros in the 11th Round of the 2015 Draft, was traded to Anaheim in 2018 for Martin Maldonado.
