Yep, just checked again, last night actually happened. We're one ridiculous Game 2 First Inning away from last night being the Series. Let's check in on the morning after, and the day before. Everything is Cope-acetic up in Aledo.
I don't think anybody is mad about him pimping a homer, it was the biggest homer in his career, quite honestly.
Nathaniel Lowe:
Wearing this jersey, having Adolis be my teammate, it feels pretty intentional. There's a history, obviously, between these two teams. I'm sure Alvarez didn't like the ball high and tight to him either. But in today's game, we throw fastballs up. If you want to get emotional about something like that and take it out on a guy that hit a three-run homer, that's too bad. I don't really stand for it.
That's some mental gymnastics, saying it's okay for Alvarez to get brushed up and in by Aroldis Chapman (who does have a history of hitting people) but not Garcia because Garcia is a hot-head. It's ackshually Alvarez's fault for not getting mad. Hmph. [stomps foot].
When half your bench is running out in a hurry and guys on the injured list want to run their mouth and starters who aren't involved want to get involved, it seems like there are more emotions tied in than gameplay.
*An anonymous Ramger:
One of the best relievers in baseball just suddenly lost command? Maldonado's smart. They got exactly what they wanted, Adolis riled up. Crazy coincidence, isn't it?
Willing to put a small amount of money on the Anonymous Ramger being GM Chris Young. But if Maldonado told Abreu to hit Adolis Garcia to put two men on with nobody out in the bottom of the 8th, down 4-2, just because he knew Adolis Garcia would get pissed off and delay the game for 11 minutes, thus icing Jose LeClerc, who barely ever gives up home runs, so that he would give up a single to Yainer Diaz, who hadn't gotten a hit since September 24, and then walk Jon Singleton, who hadn't received an AB since October 1, thus allowing Jose Altuve to hit a go-ahead three-run home run and take the series back to Houston up 3-2...then Maldonado's new name is Baba Yagaldonado, because that's 18th Dimension Wizard Chess.
What this tells me is that there are various and sundry Rangers who have night terrors and Martin Maldonado is always holding the knife.
That helped us out a little bit, I think, focus a little bit more. It's crazy. The emotions were high. Everyone knew what was going on. It's baseball. It's fun baseball. It set a different fire, I think, inside everybody.
Everybody on their side is going to say it wasn't [on purpose]. Everybody on this side is going to say it was. The only one who really knows was the pitcher.
Ahem. Now we have a rivalry. The Astros won Game 5, 5-4. It was the Astros' 7th straight postseason road win, their last postseason road loss coming in 2022 World Series Game 3, the "Let McCullers Get Shelled and Then Throw A No-Hitter" game.
9th Inning - Jose Altuve 3-run homer: 82.9% Astros
9th Inning - Mitch Garver single: 65.2% Astros
9th Inning - Jonah Heim single: 53.2% Rangers
9th Inning - Evan Carter strikeout: 100.0% Astros
*Let's talk about that Adolis Garcia HBP:
-Did Adolis Garcia pimp his three-run homer in the 6th? Absolutely! Did he have every right to do that? For sure! I would still be moonwalking between 1st and 2nd base if I had hit that home run, which was actually Adolis Garcia's 100th career home run. That home run was massive. Absolutely no issue with Garcia slamming the bat down and yelling.
-Did Abreu try to hit him? Obviously I'm biased. I've spent a number of years referring to the Rangers as being located in a different random Metroplex suburb. I hate that team. That said, there is absolutely no reason to hit Adolis Garcia. Evan Carter was on 1st base after Abreu walked him. It was 4-2 Rangers, and the Astros had three outs to play with before having to go back to Minute Maid Park needing to win both games to win the Pennant. I'm sure the Astros have won back-to-back home games in 2023...but I can't quite remember when. (September 9-10 vs San Diego).
-What I'm trying to say is that intentionally hitting Garcia would be the height of stupidity. Garcia had woken up the World's Largest Storage Unit already, there would be no reason to fan the flames. I think Abreu was trying to blow an fastball by him. There were 0 outs. Maybe get a GIDP.
-I also understand why Garcia was pissed off. If someone hit me with a 97mph fastball you would see my soul ascend (I'm assuming I'm going to Heaven) on a cloud, playing a harp. There wouldn't even be dental records, such would be my demise.
-Shoutout to Dusty Baker for actually getting out of the dugout and putting his finger in one the faces of this awful umpiring crew. Dusty: "I haven't been that mad in a long time."
-Altuve's homer got Marvin Hudson off the hook for what was an absolutely God-awful job behind the plate. I didn't know Dusty had it in him. It also got Altuve off the hook for trying to bunt with Tucker on second base.
-Ultimately Garcia's outburst may have actually cost the Ramgers that game. He iced LeClerc, which is French for "The Clerc," for 11 minutes after he got Michael Brantley to juuuust get under one to end the inning with Kyle Tucker on second base. LeClerc's 9th Inning: Walk, Walk, Homer (then some outs).
I was concerned about that delay. I really was. It as a long one. It was taking too long, to be honest. The whole thing is a bunch of crap, to be honest, what happened there. Who knows what intentions are, but it's not the first time it's happened, and couldn't get the game going again.
LeClerc:
I'm not used to waiting around that long to pitch again, but it's no excuse. I needed to execute my pitches and do a better job.
That doesn't happen if Adolis Garcia just walks to first.
-But if Abreu did it on purpose, then he's dumb as hell and deserved to get tossed. And suspended.
Verlander made one bad pitch. That pitch also moved Verlander out of a tie with Clayton Kershaw for the 2nd-most postseason home runs allowed and past Andy Pettitte's 31 playoff homers and into sole possession of most postseason home runs allowed, at 32.
Of the 32 postseason home runs Verlander has now allowed, 19 have come with the Astros. That breakdown:
Solo: 13
2-Run: 3
3-Run: 3
Grand Slams: 0
It's the 9th time Verlander has allowed 2HR in a postseason game, and the 6th time it's happened with the Astros, who are now 2-4 in postseason games in which Verlander gives up 2HR.
*Jordan Montgomery vs Houston, ALCS: 11.2IP, 10H/2ER, 9K:3BB.
*Shoutout to Yainer Diaz, who got his first career postseason hit.
*Shoutout to Jon Singleton, who drew a walk that became the tying run in his first plate appearance since October 1. Singleton:
You put in the hard work, and you stay ready so you don't have to get ready. That's been my motto so far this year.
*Jose LeClerc had only allowed 23 homers in 302.1 career IP. He had given up 5HR in the 2023 regular season. Only one of those career home runs had more than one on base - a grand slam to Julio Rodriguez on July 15, 2022. And then came Jose Altuve.
*Jose Altuve hit his 26th career postseason home run to record his 54th career postseason RBI. It was his first multi-RBI game since 2021 ALCS G2. Altuve had 3RBI in his previous 25 postseason games combined. Listen to Robert Ford's call of the home run.
I know everybody is talking about the homer. But if you go and see Diaz's base hit and then Singleton's walk, especially when he hasn't played in a lot of days...coming from the bench facing probably one of the best closers right now in the playoffs, I think the key was these two guys and to be able to score all those runs.
*Alex Bregman's 18th career postseason home run moves him into a tie for 3rd in franchise history with Carlos Correa. He needs one more to tie George Springer for 2nd.
*Kyle Tucker got two hits in a postseason game since 2022 World Series Game 1.
*It was Ryan Pressly's first career postseason six-out save, and just the 2nd six-out save of his career.
The Astros have advanced to the ALCS for the 7th straight year, or every single year in which Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez, Jose Urquidy, Framber Valdez, and anyone else whose career began with the Astros after 2016 have been in the Majors. This is a dynasty, and anyone who says otherwise deserves to get their teeth knocked into their throat.
*Franchises to make seven straight League Championship Series:
Atlanta: 8 (1991-1999, there were no playoffs in 1994)
Houston: 7 (2017-2023)
*Playoff Wins, 2015-2023 (as of the morning of October 12):
We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the bond that we have and the relationships that we have in this locker room, and we hold each other accountable in a good way. Obviously, this team is built different. These guys are built different. When it's time to step up, we play our best baseball.
*The Astros were held to six hits. Two of them, accounting for all three runs, were home runs. Houston is now 16-32 in postseason games in which they've recorded six or fewer hits.
Houston is also now 1-5 in games where they do not draw a walk.
15 straight Astros were retired until Jose Abreu got a base hit with two outs in the top of the 9th.
*Jose Urquidy: 5.2IP, 3H/2ER, 6K:1BB. 53 of his 82 pitches were for strikes. Three of his 17 starts for the 2023 Astros went 17 outs or longer. Urquidy has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 11 of his 13 career postseason appearances.
We've seen that since his rookie year, winning World Series games for us. We have a lot of confidence every time he goes and takes the mound. We know what we're going to get every single time: a guy who's competing, a guy who's trying to go execute pitches.
*The bullpen of Neris/Abreu/Pressly struck out eight of the last ten Twins batters in G4.
*Bullpens:
Houston: 15IP, 10H/6ER, 26K:4BB (4ER were courtesy of Hector Neris in G1)
Minnesota: 19IP, 16H/8ER, 21K:7BB
*Carlos Correa watched Max Kepler watch Strike Three to end the series from the on-deck circle.
Correa, Games 1/2: 5x8, 3 doubles, 3RBI, 2K:1BB
Correa, Games 3/4: 1x7, 0RBI, 2K:0BB
Correa:
I wanted that at-bat (in the 9th) so bad. I know Pressly very well, and it would've been a fun matchup. It didn't get there, but that's the way it's supposed to be.
Imagine moving Correa down in the order so that Max Kepler can represent the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the 9th and swing twice.
*What a find by GMs Jim Crane/Jeff Bagwell in this Jose Abreu fella. Abreu was 2x4 with the eventual go-ahead 2-run homer. Abreu had 2HR/7RBI in Games 3&4. Abreu:
The only thing I can say is thank you.k The person that's not grateful with what life has given them isn't going to reach many goals. I can't say anything other than thank you. I'm just very grateful to be here.
*Michael Brantley hit his first postseason home run since 2020 ALCS G3 - a span of 22 games. Brantley:
The core guys that have been here the last seven years, they know how to win games. Since I got here five years ago, you can call it pressure, or when our back is against the wall, we play our best baseball. We always have. And it's a testament to those guys.
*Jeremy Pena went hitless for just the second time in 17 career postseason games.
*Bryan Abreu: 1IP, 0H/0ER, 2K:0BB.
Bryan Abreu since July 18: 31IP, 13H/0ER, 41K:13BB
*Ryan Pressly: 1IP, 0H/0ER, 3K:0BB.
Pressly, postseason career (all with Houston): 40.2IP, 30H/11ER, 53K:12BB. 2.43 ERA/1.03 WHIP.
Pressly last gave up an earned run in the postseason in 2021 ALCS G1. In the 17 postseason games since: 18.2IP, 6H/0ER, 28K:5BB. 0.00 ERA / 0.59 WHIP.
He knows what he's doing behind the plate, and he knows every hitter's weaknesses and he's going to try to exploit. He pitches against the xSLG...and we knew it, and still it was hard to make the adjustments, the way he was pitching backwards. Hitters counts, he would go off-speed, and then a count where he would go off-speed regularly, he would go fastballs up.
There's been a culture established here that hasn't faded away. It's still very present, and that's a testament to the guys that were here before and the guys that remain here and the guys that are leaders of this ballclub. They don't allow slacking off, but they do it in a respectful manner. They expect the best of everyone because they're giving their best every single day. What a great way to lead by example. I think our culture is something not tangible. Funny that one (for) one of the most analytic-forward teams in baseball, something that makes this team so special is something that's not measurable.
For seven years - one short of Atlanta's record eight-straight championship series appearances - the Astros have managed to win at least one playoff series. And as dissatisfying as that might be for those who harbor resentment against the organizaiton for its cheating in 2017, anyone who refuses to acknowledge the Astros' exceptional staying power is just willfully ignorant.
*100-win teams (Baltimore, Atlanta, Los Angeles), 2023 postseason: 1-8.
Pretty sweet to watch the Astros clinch the ALDS and then turn it over to watch the Dloldgers get swept by a team that went 5-8 against them in the regular season. The Dodgers are the second team in MLB history to win 100 games in the regular season and never even hold a lead in the postseason. The Bastard Dave Roberts:
There's some things with the format that people can dissect or whatever, but the bottom line is we've gotten outplayed in the postseason.
Read every single word above this section to see why maybe the playoff format isn't the reason.
The Astros do not care for Making It Easy. Houston wins 1-0 to clinch at least a playoff spot. A win today combined with a Ramger loss gives Houston the division, though we'll talk in a few minutes about whether or not that's something you want. Houston is 89-72. There is one game remaining in the 2023 regular season.
*AL Playoff Picture
1. Baltimore (101-60)
2. Six Flags (90-71)
3. Minnesota (87-74)
4. Tampa (98-63)
5. Toronto (89-72)
6. Houston (89-72)
7. Seattle (87-74)
So the permutations for the Astros for G162 are as such:
HOU win + 6FL loss = AL West Title
HOU win + 6FL win + TOR win = 3rd Wild Card
HOU win + 6FL win + TOR loss = 2nd Wild Card
3rd Wild Card is a matchup against Minnesota
2nd Wild Card is a matchup against Tampa.
Houston is -178 in the Money Line, Seattle is -120 today.
*If you just took the teams with the six best records in the AL, Seattle and Minnesota would be tied at 87-74 with one game to play. Instead, Minnesota has locked up the #3 spot and Seattle is cleaning out Layne Staley shrines in their lockers today.
*Here's what we know about the Postseason Matchups:
1. Baltimore will have a Wild Card round bye.
2. Tampa will host the Wild Card Round against the #5 team.
3. Minnesota will host the Wild Card Round against the #6 team.
The Wild Card Round starts Tuesday. The Division Series starts Saturday.
In the NL, Atlanta and Los Angeles have clinched 1st Round byes. Milwaukee has clinched the #3 spot.
*Houston is going to the postseason for the 7th year in a row. Franchises to make the postseason 7+ years in a row:
Chandler Rome: The Astros' celebration after last night's game was muted. The ragers are reserved for something else...which could come today. Verlander:
The celebration was a bit muted. Keep your eye on the prize.
*The Astros have won three straight games for the first time since sweeping the Ramgers from Sept 4-6.
*It's the Astros' 2nd 1-0 win of the season, the first being against Tampa on April 26.
*The Astros have won back-to-back games scoring a total of three runs. It's the fewest total of runs scored in back-to-back wins since the Astros won 2-0 at CitiField on June 30 and 2-1 against the Yankees on July 1, 2022.
After what was a far lengthier and more exhaustive search than I had imagined due, in part, to both myself and B-Ref forgetting my Username/Password, the last time the Astros won back-to-back games scoring a total of three or fewer runs was June 20/21, 1992, when they beat the Dodgers 1-0 and 2-0.
*Houston was 1x8 w/RISP.
*Jose Abreu had the game-winning RBI off a double - it's the second game in a row that Abreu has driven in all of the Astros' runs. Abreu has a three-game RBI streak. In September, Jose Abreu has 26 RBI in 25 games.
*Alex Bregman enjoyed hisself a double - his first extra-base hit since hitting a home run on September 19. Bregman is hitting .232/.348/.343 in September.
*Justin Verlander recorded his 3,342nd career strikeout last night, tying him with Phil Niekro for 12th all-time. He's 25 short of Max Scherzer for 11th, and 29 short of Greg Maddux for 10th. Verlander, on last night's start:
Five innings is not what I consider a job well done. I'd like to have gone deeper, but to hand it over to the bullpen tonight and have them perform the way they do, Hector stepping up was absolutely huge, it makes it easier on us starters.
*Kendall Graveman has a 2.45 ERA with Houston on a 4.89 FIP. Out of 163 qualified relievers, the -1.73 difference from ERA (3.12) to FIP (4.89) is the 159th luckiest. Hector Neris ranks 162nd with a -2.12 ERA-FIP.
Graveman has pitched in 23 games for the 2023 Astros. He has allowed at least one baserunner in 20 of those appearances. He hasn't thrown a clean inning (no hits, no walks) since August 26 - a span of 11 games.
*And speaking of Hector "Los Cojones Grandes" Neris, he threw 1.2IP of hitless/scoreless relief, getting out of a Graveman-induced jam to preserve the narrowest of leads. It's his longest outing of the season since getting six outs on April 3. Neris has allowed one earned run since August 19 - a span of 17.2IP.
*Bryan Abreu got the save last night, extending his scoreless outing streak to 27 games, tied with Joe Sambito for the 3rd-longest in Astros history, only behind Ryan Pressly (40 games), and Ryne Stanek (30 games).
*Kyle Tucker, who has hit three home runs in September, needs a home run today for a 30/30 season.
*Big strong boy Cal Raleigh is pissed about the Mariners missing the postseason for the 21st time in the last 22 seasons. The Frisch's Big Boy:
We've got to commit to winning. We have to commit to going and getting those players. You see other teams going out, going for it, getting big-time pitchers, getting big-time hitters. We have to do that to keep up.
Seattle's last ten games were against the Astros and Rangers. In the nine that have been played, they went 3-6. That's not going 2-7 against the MF A's and GD Royals, but it's close. General Manager Jerry Dipoto has already traded a $1 bill for a Reese's Pieces. The plan has been initiated.
Fresh off of getting swept by the GDKC Royals, the Astros got a vintage Verlander performance last night in Seattle. Houston is 86-71, 2.5 back of The Colony, 1.5 up on Seattle. There are five games remaining in the regular season.
Keep in mind: The Astros have the tie-breaker against the Rangers. So in order for the Astros to win the Division, they would need to match the Rangers' record. You can safely assume that the Anaheim Possums are going to do exactly that, so the Mariners are going to have to do something in the last series of the season, and the Astros can't afford to...be the 2023 Astros.
Houston is 2.5 back of The Colony. If the Astros just win out, it puts them at 91-71. The Rangers would have to go 4-2 to finish a game ahead of Houston. If the Astros go 4-1, the Rangers would have to go 3-3. It's a tough, uphill battle. Unless! the Astros actually want the Wild Card, in which case they'd get the advantage of not playing at home, but also getting the Twins and not the Rays. Chess, not checkers?
After a 21-6 August, the Mariners are 8-15 in September. They're 5-15 against teams not named "Oakland" in September.
It's one. We got five to go. Hopefully, we come back out tomorrow and do the same thing.
*Houston "improved" to 3-8 against Seattle in 2023. The Astros are 57-33 (.633) all-time at Seattle.
*Houston is 61-22 when scoring first in 2023.
*Verlander did what they brought him back to do: 8IP, 3H/1ER, 8K:1BB. And on only 96 pitches, 65 of which he threw for strikes. It's the 56th time in his career that he's gotten 24 outs and allowed only an earned run (or less) - the 12th time he's done it for the Astros.
Opponents who have gotten shut down to the tune of at least 8IP of 0-1ER baseball by Verlander, career:
Incredible. That's obviously what this team needed. He knew that, and going out there and putting the team in that type of position was great.
*A Full and Complete List of Astros Starting Pitchers to throw 8IP+ in 2023:
Framber Valdez: 4
Justin Verlander: 1
It's the first time an Astros starter has recorded 24 outs since Framber's no-hitter on August 1. Verlander's 79 Game Score is the highest by an Astros starter since Framber's 78 on August 25.
It was Verlander's 256th career win, by far the most by an active pitcher (Zack Greinke's 224 is 2nd). He's tied for 42nd all-time with Former Astros Great Andy Pettitte. 264 wins gets him in the Top 40 all-time.
*Bryan Abreu closed out the 9th with a scoreless inning. That is now 25 straight scoreless outings for Bryan Abreu, dating back to July 15. Only six pitchers have a 25+ game scoreless streak for the Astros:
1. Ryan Pressly: 40 games (Aug 15, 2018-May 20, 2019)
2. Ryne Stanek: 30 games (Apr 29-July 22, 2022)
3. Joe Sambio: 27 games (May 3-July 14, 1979)
4. Will Harris: 26 games (April 9-June 8, 2016)
5. Billy Wagner: 25 games (Aug 13, 1999-April 16, 2000)
5. Bryan Abreu: 25 games (July 18, 2023-present)
It's the longest active streak in the Majors, and only two other pitchers have managed to throw at least 25 consecutive scoreless outings: Cleveland's Sam Hentges, who saw his 25-game scoreless streak end on September 24; and San Diego's Josh Hader, whose 26-game scoreless streak ended on August 29.
*The 107 pitches thrown in a 9-inning game by Verlander/Abreu are the 4th-lowest pitch total by the Astros in 2023.
*It's the 36th time in 2023 that Astros pitchers have held their opponent to 0-1BB. They're 19-17 in those games...somehow.
*Yordan Alvarez was 2x4 with his 30th home run of the season. It's the third season in a row Yordan has hit 30+ homers.
Three or More Consecutive Seasons of 30+ Homers, Astros history:
8: Jeff Bagwell (1996-2003)
3: Yordan Alvarez (2021-2023)
That's it. Kyle Tucker needs one more home run to join this list.
*Alex Bregman was 0x5. He's now gone five straight games without a hit, hitless in seven of his last eight. His five-game hitless streak ties a career-high, set in 2021 and 2016. Since his 3-hit game against Kansas City on September 16, Bregman has one hit in his last 28 Plate Appearances, but with 3K:9BB. The Astros are 28-31 when Bregman does not get a hit.
*Martin Maldonado was 2x3 with a walk - his 15th multi-hit game of the season. He raised his OPS from .601 to .612 last night.
*Mauricio Dubon opened the scoring with a base hit to score Jose Abreu, who ran 270 feet like a big boy. Alvarez, on Dubon's hit:
Very big. Having the runner on third there with nobody out and then having two outs, getting him in, I think, gave the team second wind. So it was very big to get it all started.
Other Stuff
*Ronel Blanco and Will Wagner were named the PCL's Pitcher and Player of the Week, respectively.
The Houston Astros lost to the Royals yet again, this time 3-2. Houston insists on digging its own grave in the "cushy" part of the schedule. Houston is 18-20 in 1-run games. They are 85-70, 39-41 at Minute Maid Park, clinching a losing home record for the first time since 2014. Today is the last home game of the 2023 season, thank God.
They have lost 12 of 20 in September. They have lost six of their last eight games. They have lost eight of their last eleven games. Since sweeping the Rangers, the "Astros" have lost nine of their last 14 games and have scored two or fewer runs in six of those games. They have lost 10 of their last 14 home games. They are 10-16 at home since August 1.
It's been frustrating, I've never been in this position before. Every team that's come to play us, they want to beat us badly and we just don't want it enough right now...I don't think we're firing on all cylinders and putting a little pressure on ourselves.
Right now, we have to dwell on as many positives as possible and try to delete, negate as many negatives as possible. It brings you down. Brings the town down. We need everybody's thought processes in a positive direction and a positive goal.
*Kansas City pitcher and Former Astros Great Jordan Lyles: 5IP, 2H/0ER, 3K:2BB. Lyles came into Saturday's game with a -1.5 bWAR. It was the second time in 30 starts in 2023 that Lyles didn't allow an earned run. He has more 7ER outings (4) than he does scoreless ones (2). 54 pitchers have thrown at least 150IP in the Majors in 2023. Lyles ranks among those 54 pitchers:
fWAR: 0.0 (54th)
ERA: 6.43 (54th)
FIP: 5.73 (54th)
xFIP: 5.38 (54th)
HR/FB: 14.5% (43rd)
K/9: 6.10 (52nd)
HR/9: 2.05 (53rd)
And so the Astros - who apparently thought that yesterday was the time to flip the playoff mode switch - had two singles. It was the first time since July 29 that Lyles made it through a start without allowing a home run. It was the first time since July 17 that Lyles didn't allow an extra-base hit. The defending World Series Champions got absolutely shut down at home against the worst pitcher in baseball. Bregman:
It feels like we're playing terrible. That's it. We're not playing good.
It feels like that because it's true.
*7.5% of the Royals' wins have come against the Astros in the last nine days. Dusty:
It's like Groundhog Day. We're playing hard, they're playing good ball but we're having trouble pushing runs across. You know, hitting with runners in scoring position. When we do good we're going to get a bunch of them for a period of time. I just feel that. We're so close to breaking games open. Just didn't get it done.
Houston is 1.5 games back and the regular season ends a week from today.
*The Astros are 3x20 with runners in scoring position in these last two games. Jose Altuve was 0x2 w/RISP.
*Houston has gone four straight games starting the bottom of the 1st Inning down by at least one run.
*Jose Altuve was 0x4 with a walk. In September: .299/.372/.623.
*Alex Bregman was 0x3 with a walk. Since his 3-hit game on September 16 against Kansas City, Bregman is hitting .056/.393/.222. His one hit in that span was a homer.
*Jose Abreu was 0x3. In his last ten games, Abreu is hitting .184/.238/.447
*Jeremy Pena was 2x4 with 2SB. On August 10, Pena went 0x4 in the final game of the first Baltimore series. Since then, he's hitting .320/.379/.429.
*J.P. France: 5IP, 7H/3R (2ER), 5K:1BB.
*Bullpen: 4IP, 0H/0ER, 6K:0BB. Just completely wasted by this waste of an offense.
*Bryan Abreu hasn't allowed a run since July 15: 24IP, 9H/0ER, 28K:10BB.
*Bennett Sousa: 2IP, 0H/0ER, 1K:0BB.
*The Astros passed 3,000,000 fans for the first time since 2007 and for the 5th time in franchise history. They're 6-16 when playing in foront of a home sellout crowd.
Nice of the Astros to remember that there's a division to win - they're not used to having to play games that kinda matter in September, so I get it. Houston finally beat the vaunted Royals 7-1. They're 84-66, 1.5 up on the Rangers, who lost. Also, after dodging, ducking, dipping, diving, and dodging for 3.5 years, I have COVID. I had a booster scheduled for today lol. It feels like the worst sinus infection I've ever had. I wore a mask this morning to the grocery store, so it was great to slime the inside of that thing up like gahdang Alien.
What happens if there's a tie between Seattle and Trinity River? Well they have seven games against each other remaining, so it's way too soon to be thinking about tie-breakers between those two.
What about a tie between Toronto and Trinity River? Given that Toronto just got their asses handed to them at home by Weatherford, the Rangers would edge out the Blue Jays.
What about a tie between Toronto and Houston? The Blue Jays and Astros played their last head-to-head game of the season on June 8, but the Blue Jays won 3-2 on both June 7 and June 8 to take the season series 4-3. Toronto would win that tie-breaker.
What about a tie between Trinity River and Houston? Houston has the head-to-head.
What about a tie between Seattle and Houston? Seattle has the head-to-head, no matter what happens September 25-27, thanks to the Astros just dying to get to the All-Star Break and mailing it in for that July series.
What about a tie between Seattle and Toronto? They finished the regular season with a 3-3 split lol. So the second tie-breaker is division record. Toronto is 15-25 against the AL East, while Seattle is 26-13 against the AL West. If Seattle does poorly enough against the AL West down the stretch to allow Toronto to catch them...Seattle ain't gonna be in the playoffs.
*Houston is now 46-29 on the road. Away Records, recent seasons:
2022: 51-30
2021: 44-37
2019: 47-34
2018: 57-24
2017: 53-28
2016: 41-40
2015: 33-48
*We can trust Framber again! Framber threw his fifth straight Quality Start, yesterday going 7IP, 5H/1R (0ER), 5K:1BB. It's his third straight start of 21 outs. Framber's last five starts: 34IP, 20H/6ER, 30K:11BB. Dusty:
You go through streaks where you're not yourself. Then you go through streaks where you're adding on and adding on and getting consecutive games, and your confidence grows. We need Framber, and it was big for him.
*Jose Altuve was 3x5 with a double and an RBI. It's his 13th 3-hit game of the season. He only has RBIs in five of his last 18 games - but all five of those are multi-RBI games.
*Yordan Alvarez was 1x3 with his 28th home run of the season, and a walk. He has 7RBI in his last four games and is at 92RBI for the season.
*Jake Meyers hit his 10th home run of the season - his first since hitting 2HR at Yankee Stadium on August 6 - it's his 2nd RBI since then.
*Bryan Abreu has not allowed a run - earned or otherwise - since July 15. That's 21.2IP, 9H/0ER, 24K:10BB in that streak. Longest active streak for appearances without an earned run (though Abreu's 21.2IP is the longest active number of scoreless innings):
1. Sam Hentges (CLE): 23
2. Bryan Abreu (HOU): 22
3. Former Astros Great Cionel Perez (BAL): 21
It's only the 16th time in Astros history that a pitcher has thrown 22 consecutive outings without allowing an earned run. Looking ahead at Abreu's streak:
23: Will Harris (2018-19)
24: Trever Miller (2006)
25: Billy Wagner (1999-2000)
26: Will Harris (2016)
27: Joe Sambito (1979)
30: Ryne Stanek (2022)
40: Ryan Pressly (2018-19)
*Chas McCormick went 3x4 and stole two bases to give him 18 on the year. Two more SBs and he joins the 20/20 Club.
*The Astros were 2x13 w/RISP on Sunday. They were 6x30 in the weekend series.
*It'll be Verlander-Brown-TBD to face the Orioles starting tonight. Just put Urquidy in on Wednesday and let Javier be the swing guy.
*The first 10,000 fans to MMP next Sunday will [chuckles] get this [snickers] MLB Network [outright guffaw] hat. The 10,001st fan will get all 10,000.
*The Orioles clinched their first playoff berth since 2016, turning from a laughing-stock into legit contenders. Good work and congratulations to Mike and Sig. They join the 2013-2015 Astros as the only teams in MLB history to go from 110+ losses to the playoffs in a three-year span.
Well that's better. The Astros took a no-hitter into the 9th against the Oakland AAA's and won 6-2. The Mariners and Rangers both won, so everything is as it was. Houston is 83-64 and was able to salvage Not Getting Swept.
We got some runs early, which we hadn't been getting against the A's because they've been dealing on us. Yeah, that was big. That was a monster shot by Alvarez. It was huge. We needed this victory...badly before we go on the road. We've got a day off [today]. It was a good night.
*The Astros went 3-3 on this little homestand against the Padres and A's, two teams who are a combined 52-95 on the road. In the three losses, Houston scored a total of four runs. In the three wins, they scored 25 runs.
*Houston is 4-5-1 in their last ten home series.
*There are 15 games remaining in the 2023 regular season - nine of them are thankfully on the road.
*Houston hit three home runs in Wednesday night's game. They had two home runs in the previous five home games.
*Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez each hit their 27th home runs of the season last night. Alex Bregman hit his 23rd home run. The three home runs accounted for five of the Astros' six hits. Yordan's home run left the bat at 117.7mph, the hardest-hit homer by any Astro since Statcast became a thing.
Kyle Tucker's homer was the 100th of his career. His 105 RBI lead the American League.
*Home Runs Accounting For Total RBIs, 2023: Here is each of the eleven-ish Astros, with their home run totals, and the percentage of their total RBIs that came off of homers:
Jake Meyers: 9HR/32RBI (19 of his 32RBI - 59.3% of his total RBIs - came from home runs)
Yainer Diaz: 21HR/56RBI (57.1%)
Jose Altuve: 16HR/42RBI (57.1%)
Yordan Alvarez: 27HR/88RBI (56.8%)
Chas McCormick: 20HR/63RBI (52.4%)
Martin Maldonado: 13HR/33RBI (51.5%)
Alex Bregman: 23HR/94RBI (45.7%)
Kyle Tucker: 27HR/105RBI (43.8%)
Jose Abreu: 14HR/77RBI (41.6%)
Jeremy Pena: 10HR/49RBI (36.7%)
Mauricio Dubon: 9HR/41RBI (20.5% - Dubon has not hit a home run with a runner on base since July 29, 2022)
*Hunter Brown: 5IP, 0H/0ER, 7K:2BB. At a 72, Game Score-wise, this is Brown's 3rd-best start of the season, behind his 79 against Tampa and his 76 against Minnesota - both in April, both on the road. It's only his fourth start of the season in which he didn't give up an extra-base hit.
Brown was lifted after 78 pitches and 15 outs, but that was kind of the point. Dusty:
That's the first real positive that he's had in a few starts. He probably only had one more inning, but we wanted to send him out on a high note.
Brown (same link):
My curveball was probably better than it's been in a month or so. I felt the line out of hand was a lot better, and then pair that with the fastball that I thought had a little bit more ride today, that was a difference-maker for me.
Brown vs Oakland, 2023: Four games, 24IP, 15H/5ER, 30K:5BB, 1.88 ERA / 0.83 WHIP.
Most strikeouts, Astros rookie pitcher:
1. Tom Griffin: 200 (1969)
2. Hunter Brown: 169 (2023)
3. Luis Garcia: 167 (2021)
4. Don Wilson: 159 (1967)
5. Collin McHugh: 157 (2014)
*Alex Bregman has struck out twice in 53 Plate Appearances in September. Last night was his first home run since August 29.
*Jeremy Pena drew two walks last night - his first walk since August 29, and his first 2BB game since August 22. It's just the 6th 2BB game of his 2023 season and the 7th of his career.
*Rafael Montero threw a perfect inning. Since bottoming out with a 7.76 ERA on June 25, Montero: 30.1IP, 19H/7ER, 36K:13BB, 2.08 ERA / 1.05 WHIP. He has struck out at least one batter faced in each appearance since July 6 - a span of 25 games.
*At 20 consecutive outings without allowing a run, Bryan Abreu is currently leading the Majors for the longest scoreless outing streak.
*Ryne Stanek threw a bullpen session for the first time since obliterating his ankle on September 4.
*Former Astros Great David Stearns has been named as the Mets' President of Baseball Operations. Here are three things he can do quickly to "fix" the Mets (lol this won't happen. Fix three things, and ten other dysfunctional issues will pop up).
*Rolling Stone: Their band ended in tragedy. 20 years later, the last surviving member is ready to talk.
Well the Astros did what the Astros do: follow up a historic performance with a loss. But this time it wasn't the bats that went cold, it was the bullpen (whom I effusively praised in this space yesterday - thanks, guys). The Astros had a 5-4 lead with two outs in the 9th and Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly combined to mess that up. Minnesota wins 7-5, the Astros are 31-22.
*Jose Altuve hit a grand slam in the 7th to temporarily put the Astros up 5-4. It was his 194th career home run, and his 7th career grand slam - his first since July 30, 2021. Altuve is 30 home runs away from passing Jimmy Wynn for 4th all-time. He also became the 8th Astro to cross the 700 career RBI mark, and he's 17 RBI short of Jimmy Wynn for 7th all-time in franchise history. Bregman, on Altuve:
He's incredible. He can barrel up any pitch, any spot, any time. We've seen it for the last decade...He's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of guy.
*Jose Abreu was 1x3 with a walk, singling off of a 103.6mph Jhoan Duran pitch - the 4th-fastest pitch anyone has taken for a hit since they started keeping track of that thing.
*J.P. France was aight - 6IP, 7H/4ER, 8K:3BB. It was his second-longest start in the Majors, and he tied a career high in strikeouts, set the last time he pitched. France has struck out 16 of the last 51 batters he has faced.
*Ryan Pressly blew the save in the 9th, his first since July 30, 2022 - a span of 50 appearances, postseason included.
*Bryan Abreu took the L, his first since May 18, 2021 - a span of 93 appearances. It's also the second appearance in a row in which he has allowed an earned run. Three of the six earned runs he's allowed this season have come since May 27.
*Carlos Correa is 2x25 with 10K:2BB against the Astros in his career.
*Totally missed that Minnesota's 1B/C coach is Hank Conger.
*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.
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:
I truly hope that every single person who reads this is doing okay. This week has proven to us that the Biblical imagery of Hell being hot may not be entirely accurate. My family and I are lucky - we live around the corner from a National Guard...outpost or whatever, and they're not going to shut off power to, like, The Army:
Anyway, this has been a hell of a week. I know that my wife and kid and I are extremely blessed/fortunate (depending on your view of Christianity/Deism/Atheism), and there are millions of people around Texas who are not doing okay. Here is a link to a Google Doc organizing direct relief, if you're in a position to help. If you/your family have a specific need, email me at astroscounty at gmail and I'll will do my absolute best to help you/your family.
-Alex and Reagan Bregman are distributing bottled water from 9am-2pm Saturday at the Astros Youth Academy (2801 S. Victory Drive).
-The Bregmans, the Brantleys, the Presslys, the Smith/LaForces, the Astros Foundation, Brothers Produce, Mayor Turner's office, and the City of Houston are handing out 5-gallon jugs of water at Butler Stadium (13755 S. Main Street) until they run out.
-Lance and Kara McCullers have pledged $150,000 and 400,000 water bottles for the Houston Food Bank, who will distribute the water. The Lance McCullers Jr. Foundation will also partner with several local organizations to help with water and veterinary services. Click here to donate to the LMJ Foundation, as they want to donate a literal million bottles of water to the Houston area.
-Carlos and Daniella Correa will donate 1,000 meals to law enforcement and public employees, as well as support in recovery and reconstruction efforts. To donate the Correa Family Foundation, click here.
*Brian McTaggart has notes! Zack Greinke won't report until the deadline, as is his custom, and is also not a big deal at all, Bryan Abreu came to camp slimmed down and looking good, Josh James likely won't get a 60-Day IL spot since he's projected to come back from hip labrum surgery before then, and Joe Smith knows he's old (and there's a certain amount of coolness that comes with that).
*Chandler Rome: The signing of Former/Current Astros Great Jason Castro is all about helping Martin Maldonado get through the season. Machete, on talking with Jiminy Clicket about the Castro signing:
We had a really good conversation about it. I think Castro is going to give us another form of leadership behind the plate - a guy that's been here, been in the big leagues for so long. We are going to work together, get the best out of our pitching staff and be a unit.
There's mutual respect between the two catchers, and that can't be a bad thing.
The Astros beat the Diamondbacks 8-2, an almost-complete offensive performance and a solid start from Cristian Javier. Houston is 6-4. The season is 1/6 of the way complete.
*The Astros got home runs from Altuve and Correa. Correa was 3x3 with 0K:2BB. It's the third time in his career he has reached base five times in the same game - the previous two both came in 2017. Check this Chandler Rome story on Correa. Correa: I'm looking for pitches down the middle. It doesn't matter if it's a fastball or an offspeed pitch. Pitches I can drive, I'm going to pull the trigger.
More Correa: These three weeks of summer camp were not enough. We have a lot of pitchers that, you can tell when you face them, that they're not ready.
*George Springer had 3RBI for the 34th time in his career.
*Kyle Tucker was 2x5 with an RBI. In four games in 2020 batting 8th, Tucker is hitting .286/.333/.429.
*Cristian Javier was straight solid in his first career MLB win: 6IP, 4H/1ER, 2K:1BB. 49 of his 79 pitches were for strikes, 19 of those strikes were non-contact strikes. Javier's two starts this "season:" 11.2IP, 6H/2ER, 10K:2BB. Correa, on Javier: I think Javier is gonna be in our rotation for a long time. He's nasty. He's got great stuff. I like his composure on the mound. The kid's got it all. I like the way he attacks hitters. I like the way he handles everything.
*Bryan Abreu threw 0.2IP, 1H/1ER, 1K:3BB. Eight of his 24 pitches were strikes.
Abreu's BB/9, Minor Leagues: 5.5
Abreu's BB/9, Major Leagues: 5.6
*Congratulations to Humberto Quintero Castellanos on making his MLB debut and throwing an extremely uneventful 9th inning.
*There's a new Top 100 Prospects midseason update from MLB.com, and Forrest Whitley still is listed as having one of the best curveballs on the list. And speaking of Whitley, he is seeing a doctor. Probably for medical reasons, but don't rule "romance" out just yet!
Just. I mean. So the thing is. If you really think about it. No, I got nothing. First things first, some streaks came to an end in Sunday's game: the 15-game winning streak over Seattle, as well as the 27-game streak of hitting a home run. Then Justin Verlander is apparently dead. First, the game:
*Zack Greinke lasted just 58 pitches, throwing 3.1IP and allowed 4H/3ER, 2K:2BB. It was his shortest outing since March 28, 2019, when he got 11 outs and allowed 7ER. That was also his first start of the season. The last time Greinke recorded fewer outs in a start was August 14, 2016 (1.2IP).
Make of it what you will, but Zack Greinke averaged 87.7 mph with his fastball today. He averaged 89.9 mph in 2019.
Greinke said: Not too happy with anything. Command wasn't great, stuff wasn't great, endurance wasn't even good at all.
*The four runs allowed by the bullpen (one to Biagini, three to Devenski) were the first runs allowed by the Astros' bullpen this season. Blake Taylor, who was acquired from New York for Jake Marisnick: 1.1IP, 0H/0ER, 2K:0BB.
*Chris Devenski, 2016-2017: 189IP, 129H/50ER, 204K:46BB, 2.38 ERA / 0.93 WHIP.
Chris Devenski, since: 118.1IP, 115H/62ER, 127K:35BB, 4.72 ERA / 1.27 WHIP.
*Brandon Bailey, who was acquired from Oakland for Ramon Laureano, made his MLB debut. So did Taylor Jones, who GIDPd and then struck out on three pitches with the bases loaded.
*Bryan Abreu faced nine batters: two HBPs, two walks, 13 of 31 pitches for strikes.
*Jose Altuve drew two walks for the second game in a row, which only happened once in 2019 (April 25-26, 2019), once in 2018, once in 2017. He had five walks in 57 games in 2011.
*Josh Reddick tripled to lead off the 6th, and then the Astros couldn't get him another 90 feet. They were 3x13 w/RISP in Sunday's game. It's the first time as an Astro that Reddick got a triple and the Astros lost the game (they were previously 9-0 when Reddick tripled).
*Thanks to Our Dude Chris Peixoto we find that Martin Maldonado's six RBIs over the first three games are the most by an MLB catcher since Brian McCann did it in 2007. Maldonado has never had 2+ RsBI in three straight games before.
Dusty: It's not a pleasant situation to think about Verlander or to think about how many young players we have in the bullpen and organization but we'll go back to the drawing board.
The report that I’m currently missing the rest of the season is not accurate. There is a forearm strain... I’m hopeful that with some rest it will heal and I’ll be able to return soon. Thank you for all the well wishes. 🙏🏻
"Currently missing the rest of the season." Losing Verlander long-term is obviously one of the worst-case scenarios coming into the 2020 season, an entire team outbreak of COVID aside. But let's hold off on doom-and-gloom on the baseball front for two more weeks, or just bottle it up and assume the worst privately, like an adult. We did this already with Lance McCullers (or pretty much every pitcher), where a forearm strain was a precursor to Tommy John surgery. Maybe this isn't it. But it probably is.
*In McTaggart's pre-game Notes we find that Blake Taylor and Enoli Paredes were the first Astros pitchers to make their MLB debut on Opening Day since Wesley Wright in 2008 and Josh James' backyard MLB-regulation mound.
There's another one of those intrasquad thingies tonight.
*Check out Chandler Rome's 60 Things To Watch in 2020 piece. It looks cool but, even though I subscribe to the Chronicle - and the website tells me my subscription is active - it wouldn't actually let me read it. Great service.
*Brian McTaggart: Kyle Tucker stands to benefit the most from Yordan's absence. Click that link to see the piecemeal bullpen the Astros are trying to put together for 2020.
*Kiley McDaniel mentions Bryan Abreu and Forrest Whitley as intriguing possibilities, but lists Abraham Toro as the most-likely Astros prospect to have a big impact.
*The Athletic: The Astros are deploying a First Amendment-ish strategy in their defense of sign-stealing lawsuits.
*ESPN: Streaks and records that will get cut short by a 60-game season. One note: The Astros have won at least 100 games in each of the past three seasons. Houston was seeking to become the first team in history with four straight 100-win regular seasons. That's not going to happen...Including the postseason, the Astros won 336 games over the past three seasons, the most by a team in any three-season span in MLB history.
The 2009-2013 Astros won 312 games, 24 fewer wins in six seasons than in the last three seasons. That's nuts. Mike Fiers can go to hell.
*Brentford had won eight straight games. After yesterday's shock West Brom loss to Huddersfield, Brentford lost to Stoke this morning, confirming Leeds United as Champions of the Championship (not as impressive as it sounds, but still...it's wonderful.)
*A Musical Selection:
It can happen here. It is happening here, and all that needs to continue for it to happen here is silence.
