*Twelve years ago yesterday Astros scout Al Pedrique signed Jose Altuve for $15,000. God bless Al Pedrique, God bless Jose Altuve, and God bless us all.
*Alex Bregman left yesterday's game after his first AB with "back stiffness" and will not play today, but is expected to be in the lineup on Friday. The memorial ceremony will be Monday.
*Michael Brantley gonna hit everywhere in the lineup.
*Chris Devenski is ready to go back to being The Dragon, rather than The Guy Who Was Left Off The Playoff Roster. Devenski:
I feel like I've set the bar high for myself coming in and doing what I've done. I'd rather shoot high.
*Brian McTaggart took another stab at the Opening Day Roster.
*Justin Verlander indicated that he would be open to an extension with the Astros, and the clubhouse has a lot to do with it.
*Jon Heyman notes that the Astros have sustained interest in bringing back Dallas Keuchel, but so do the Phillies.
*Josh James is close to resuming his throwing program after straining his quad.
*A.J. Hinch is liking how aggressive Derek Fisher is at the plate this Spring.
*Brad Peacock: Proven Commodity.
*After getting suspended for 15 games following a domestic violence incident, Red Sox pitcher Steven Wright was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for HGH.
*Former Astros Great Cameron Maybin was arrested for a DUI, and of course TMZ has video.
*Noted sex offender Luke Heimlich signed with a team in the Mexican League.
*The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Rob Arthur got a hold of 73,000 never-before-seen scouting reports. Here's what they learned.
*A Musical Selection:
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Showing posts with label Cameron Maybin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cameron Maybin. Show all posts
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Wednesday Morning Hot Links
*Random 2017 Astros fact:
Mike Fiers led the team in regular season innings pitched with 153.1, making the Astros the first World Series champion without a 200IP guy since the strike-shortened 1981 season.
*Matt Young notes the following autograph sessions at Academy:
-Carlos Correa, 5:30-6:30 today at the 9734 Katy Freeway location
-Lance McCullers, 7:00-8:00 today at the Pearland location
-Alex Bregman, 7:00-8:30 tomorrow (Thursday) at the Webster location
-Jose Altuve, 5:30-6:30 on November 20 at the Katy location.
Note:
The autographs are free, but passes will be distributed two hours before each appearance on a first-come, first-served basis. Each player will only sign a copy of the Houston Chronicle poster series, provided by Academy. The players will not be able to sign any outside items or merchandise.
*Jeff Luhnow said the Astros are considering starting Spring Training a few days later and making other changes to February/early March in an effort to prevent a Cubs-esque World Series Hangover:
Our workhorses are probably going to get a later start in spring, but we'll need to have those innings early so we'll probably have more Triple-A and Double-A guys or guys that we sign between now and then.
Gonna have to take a day off from work when Forrest Whitley pitches this Spring.
*Brent Strom talked to MLB Network Radio yesterday about how Carlos Beltran made his job easier. Strom:
He wore me out telling me how my pitchers are tipping. It finally got to the point where I said, 'I know, I know.' He really helped me a great deal with Lance McCullers Jr and Chris Devenski and everybody. It's really frustrating sitting there, watching your pitcher, and he's whispering in my ear that a changeup is coming. And there it was. Or a curveball is coming, and there it was.
*Lance McCullers Jr talked to Mad Radio yesterday morning about the use of his curveball, the postseason, and his frustration with how he was used at the end of the regular season.
*Carlos Correa visited kids at Memorial Hermann Children's Hospital.
*You need to see this tribute video from Quan CM Tran:
*A.J. Hinch finished 3rd behind Paul Molitor and Terry Francona in AL Manager of the Year voting. I mean, Hinch had the division won by June, dealt with all those injuries, and a hurricane but hooray Twins and a 22-game win streak!
*Jake Kaplan notes that Mike Minor is a near-perfect fit for the Astros this offseason.
*USA Today picked Jose Altuve as their AL MVP, which will be announced tomorrow.
*The Royals are interested in Early September MVP Cameron Maybin.
*Here are FanGraphs' Top 50 Free Agents.
*Fox Sports has been accused of bribing South American soccer officials.
*I'm off to go pick up 15 dozen donuts, kolaches, milk, and orange juice for 125 11th graders. Pictures (maybe) later. #TylerWhiteDay
Mike Fiers led the team in regular season innings pitched with 153.1, making the Astros the first World Series champion without a 200IP guy since the strike-shortened 1981 season.
*Matt Young notes the following autograph sessions at Academy:
-Carlos Correa, 5:30-6:30 today at the 9734 Katy Freeway location
-Lance McCullers, 7:00-8:00 today at the Pearland location
-Alex Bregman, 7:00-8:30 tomorrow (Thursday) at the Webster location
-Jose Altuve, 5:30-6:30 on November 20 at the Katy location.
Note:
The autographs are free, but passes will be distributed two hours before each appearance on a first-come, first-served basis. Each player will only sign a copy of the Houston Chronicle poster series, provided by Academy. The players will not be able to sign any outside items or merchandise.
*Jeff Luhnow said the Astros are considering starting Spring Training a few days later and making other changes to February/early March in an effort to prevent a Cubs-esque World Series Hangover:
Our workhorses are probably going to get a later start in spring, but we'll need to have those innings early so we'll probably have more Triple-A and Double-A guys or guys that we sign between now and then.
Gonna have to take a day off from work when Forrest Whitley pitches this Spring.
*Brent Strom talked to MLB Network Radio yesterday about how Carlos Beltran made his job easier. Strom:
He wore me out telling me how my pitchers are tipping. It finally got to the point where I said, 'I know, I know.' He really helped me a great deal with Lance McCullers Jr and Chris Devenski and everybody. It's really frustrating sitting there, watching your pitcher, and he's whispering in my ear that a changeup is coming. And there it was. Or a curveball is coming, and there it was.
*Lance McCullers Jr talked to Mad Radio yesterday morning about the use of his curveball, the postseason, and his frustration with how he was used at the end of the regular season.
*Carlos Correa visited kids at Memorial Hermann Children's Hospital.
*You need to see this tribute video from Quan CM Tran:
*A.J. Hinch finished 3rd behind Paul Molitor and Terry Francona in AL Manager of the Year voting. I mean, Hinch had the division won by June, dealt with all those injuries, and a hurricane but hooray Twins and a 22-game win streak!
*Jake Kaplan notes that Mike Minor is a near-perfect fit for the Astros this offseason.
*USA Today picked Jose Altuve as their AL MVP, which will be announced tomorrow.
*The Royals are interested in Early September MVP Cameron Maybin.
*Here are FanGraphs' Top 50 Free Agents.
*Fox Sports has been accused of bribing South American soccer officials.
*I'm off to go pick up 15 dozen donuts, kolaches, milk, and orange juice for 125 11th graders. Pictures (maybe) later. #TylerWhiteDay
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Tuesday Morning Hot Links
*Unsurprisingly the Astros didn't make a 1-year/$17.4m offer to any of Carlos Beltran, Cameron Maybin, Tyler Clippard, Luke Gregerson, or Francisco Liriano.
*Here's a great Richard Justice article on the impact of Brent Strom.
*Alex Bregman is living his best life right now, and he talked to the Cespedes Family BBQ guys about what it's been like since winning the World Series.
*I wrote up what I thought were the ten most pivotal games of the regular season.
*Immediately after Friday's parade, 1B coach Rich Dauer underwent emergency surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain.
*Jake Kaplan says shoring up the bullpen should be the Astros' top priority.
*This dude snuck in to Game 2 at Dodgers Stadium and filmed it.
*ESPN's David Schoenfield compares Springer/Altuve/Correa to the all-time great trios.
*Kinda nervous about Boston, you guys.
*Jose Altuve is a finalist for AL MVP, A.J. Hinch is a finalist for AL Manager of the Year. Those things are not surprising. What is surprising is how Yuli Gurriel was not a finalist for AL Rookie of the Year, getting squeezed out by Aaron Judge, Andrew Benintendi, and Trey Mancini.
Mancini, an outfielder with Baltimore (all three nominees play in the AL East), hit .293/.338/.488 with a 120 OPS+ and 2.2 bWAR in 2017.
Gurriel hit .299/.332/.486 with a 124 OPS+ and 2.6 bWAR.
I mean, Aaron Judge is obviously going to win this award, but...
*You can buy dirt from Dodger Stadium in Game 7 for $50.
*Tyler White is pretty pumped about this World Series thing.
*Buy some stuff you can't get at Academy.
*Here's a great Richard Justice article on the impact of Brent Strom.
*Alex Bregman is living his best life right now, and he talked to the Cespedes Family BBQ guys about what it's been like since winning the World Series.
*I wrote up what I thought were the ten most pivotal games of the regular season.
*Immediately after Friday's parade, 1B coach Rich Dauer underwent emergency surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain.
*Jake Kaplan says shoring up the bullpen should be the Astros' top priority.
*This dude snuck in to Game 2 at Dodgers Stadium and filmed it.
*ESPN's David Schoenfield compares Springer/Altuve/Correa to the all-time great trios.
*Kinda nervous about Boston, you guys.
*Jose Altuve is a finalist for AL MVP, A.J. Hinch is a finalist for AL Manager of the Year. Those things are not surprising. What is surprising is how Yuli Gurriel was not a finalist for AL Rookie of the Year, getting squeezed out by Aaron Judge, Andrew Benintendi, and Trey Mancini.
Mancini, an outfielder with Baltimore (all three nominees play in the AL East), hit .293/.338/.488 with a 120 OPS+ and 2.2 bWAR in 2017.
Gurriel hit .299/.332/.486 with a 124 OPS+ and 2.6 bWAR.
I mean, Aaron Judge is obviously going to win this award, but...
*You can buy dirt from Dodger Stadium in Game 7 for $50.
*Tyler White is pretty pumped about this World Series thing.
*Buy some stuff you can't get at Academy.
Monday, November 6, 2017
The ten most pivotal games of the (regular) season
We've got a few months to fully digest what happened this season and, trust me, we will do exactly that. Player recaps, farm system recaps, long reads, history lessons, all of that will be more fun after what the Astros did on remember, remember the 1st of November. For now, though, here are what I (with some assists from Twitter) find to be the ten most pivotal regular season games of the 2017 season, in chronological order:
1. 5 April. 5-3 win vs Seattle.
Having taken the first two games of the series, and the season, Charlie Morton made his Astros debut on April 5. He faced James Paxton and, while Morton pitched well (6IP, 5H/2ER, 4K:2BB) James Paxton started a season of near-dominance over the Astros. It was tied 2-2 at the end of the 9th, and still tied at the end of the 12th. Hinch called on Jandel Gustave to pitch the top of the 13th, who promptly walked the first three batters he saw. Brad Peacock walked in the go-ahead run before retiring the side. The Astros came to bat and a Gattis walk paired with an Aoki single brought up George Springer, who walked it off with a three-run home run. This was the first of 43 come-from-behind victories and, if you recall, the first time this season that things got Weird.
2. 10 April. 6-0 loss at Seattle.
What's notable about a 6-0 early-season loss to Seattle? It's not that the loss dropped the Astros to 4-4, and visions of 2016 rang through our domes. It wasn't that James Paxton dominated the Astros for the second time in five days. No, this game is notable because it was the first time Morton threw a 99mph sinker. The Astros pounced on Morton early last off-season, drawing ridicule for giving Morton - who had thrown just 17.1IP in 2016 - a 2-year/$14m deal with incentives, allegedly thanks to his spin rate. Armed with the Suitcase of Information chained to his wrist, Morton dove into his mechanics and began a season of unheralded velocity. The fastest pitch he threw in his career (2016's four starts notwithstanding) was at 97.16 mph, on October 2, 2010. He threw at least one pitch with more velocity than that in 19 of his 29 starts, post-season included. So no, that April 10 start wasn't great, though only three of those Seattle runs were charged to Morton. But April 10 is when we should have realized that this was a different Charlie F. Morton.
3. 2 May. 8-7 win vs. Arlington.
Coming in to the first series of the season against the in-state rival Rangers, the Astros were 17-9 and had a 3.5-game lead on Anaheim and a six-game lead on East Fort Worth. The Rangers got off to a 5-0 lead after Mike Fiers, who to this point was still Mike Fiers and not Mike F. Fiers before he would go back to being Mike Fiers, allowed four home runs. The Astros started to chip away. Altuve hit a 2-run home run. Marwin Gonzalez led off the 5th with a solo home run to make it 5-3. In the bottom of the 8th, a Beltran double, Altuve walk, and a Gattis single brought up Marwin, who hooked it down the right field line for a go-ahead grand slam before Springer made it 8-5. Luke Gregerson allowed some shenanigans, but the win would be the first of 12 against the Rangers in 2017, after having beaten Arlington ten times in 2015-16 combined. Marwin would go 6x13 with 4HR, 9RBI in the three-game series.
4. May 14. 10-7 win at New York.
Moments after honoring Derek Jeter, the Astros put up a 1st inning 6-spot on the Yankees, fueled by Alex Bregman's grand slam - his first home run of the season. Up through this May 14 game, Bregs was hitting .258/.342/.352. Starting the following day, Bregman hit .292/.355/.512 through the end of the regular season. It also gave the Astros a 3-1 series win at Yankee Stadium.
5. 29 May. 16-8 win at Minnesota.
What is there to say about this game, other than it was a literal miracle, and should have been at least one of the first examples that this season *just might* be special. It allowed us to Hope. The Astros came in to this game having won six of seven games after getting swept at home by Cleveland on the front-end of a 10-game homestand (they'd go 6-4 on that homestand.) The Astros went to Baltimore and swept them.
To this game, though: Houston had a 2-0 lead going into the 5th. Then a disastrous 5th inning in which Brad Peacock and Jordan Jankowski (whose wife is also named Jordan, didja know) allowed the Twins to take a 7-2 lead on silly things like two singles, a double, a triple, a home run, and a passed ball. It was raining hard in the 6th inning, but the game was not delayed. As the 8th inning started, with an 8-2 lead thanks to a Bob Grossman home run, the Twins had a 99% win expectancy. The Astros got a walk, HBP, and four singles to make it 8-6 Twins. It started raining again - though not as hard as in the 6th, and the umpires called for a delay. Beltran noted:
There were some people angry when they put the tarp on. We felt like they took a little momentum away from us.
The delay lasted ten minutes before play resumed. George Springer hit a 2-1 pitch for a single to cut the lead to 8-7 before Josh Reddick hit a two-run double for seven runs in the 8th inning. A Jose Altuve single made it 10-8 Astros, and two batters later Carlos Beltran hit his sixth home run of the season to make it 13-8 - an 11-run inning, the highest number of runs the Astros would score in a single inning all season. The Twins, whose life spark was extinguished, got three outs on six pitches in the bottom half. The Astros would score three more runs in the top of the 9th and then Gregerson worked around a single and a walk to strike out the side and give the Astros a 16-8 win, in which they scored 14 of the last 15 runs of the game.
Reddick said what everyone was thinking:
I just don't think we ever think we're down and out of a game. We just got to keep confidence in ourselves...This is one game we're going to have to look back to the rest of the year.
And multiple post-season games said "Amen."
6. 10 June. 3-1 win vs Anaheim.
Mike Fiers got demoted to the bullpen between his May 25 and May 30 starts, though you wouldn't know it by looking through his game log. He had a bad start, a God-awful 10H/4R (3ER), 2K:1BB outing in 4.2IP against a God-awful Tigers team and got sent to the outfield. Then the rotation started getting hurt. On May 28 Charlie Morton was put on the DL with a strained lat. Mike Fiers lived to start another day. The day after the Memorial Day Miracle (see above) Fiers threw a sort-of-efficient 6IP, 5H/2ER, 8K:3BB to beat the Twins, who were probably still punch-drunk from the previous day's escapades. At Kansas City on June 5, Fiers - still in the rotation by necessity - was less-than-sort-of-efficient, allowing 7H/2ER, 4K:1BB in 5IP, a game the Astros won 7-3. On June 8 Dallas Keuchel (illness neck) was placed on the DL. But June 10 is by God the day Mike F. Fiers became president.
The division lead wasn't in doubt. The Astros had gone from 5.5 up following the May 21 loss to Cleveland to 12.5 up, having rattled off 14 of 17 wins. But still, Houston needed five starting pitchers. Mike F. Fiers stepped up when the Astros needed him most and out-Ricky Got Dang Nolasco, throwing 7.1IP (his longest outing of the season), 2H/1R (0ER), 8K:2BB. His 82 Game Score (via FanGraphs) was the highest of his season. It was the start of a six-week streak where Fiers would throw a Quality Start in six out of eight starts, right when the Astros needed it. He won't get any Team MVP votes, but Fiers rose to the occasion. He may get non-tendered here soon, but let's not forget what he did every 5th day when the Astros were dealing with too many injuries.
7. 1 July. 7-6 win vs New York.
Getting a Win as a pitcher requires an awful lot of luck. You could be a starter, throw the game of your life, and then maybe a reliever gives up a couple of Royals Specials (bloops just over the head of your gigantic shortstop, for instance) and you get a no-decision. You could be a reliever who craps the bed, but in the next half-inning, your offense goes nuts and you get rewarded with a baseball card stat. This 7-6 win was notable, not for the fact that it is Dayan Diaz's lone career MLB win, but because of how the Astros beat, yes, the Yankees, yet again.
Francis Martes got the start, his fourth of the season, thanks to the aforementioned injuries to the rotation. It was his last start of the season, though he threw 5IP, 4H/2ER, 7K:1BB. But he left two runners on for Will Harris to start the 6th. Harris walked the first batter he faced, then gave up a single to score the 1st runner he inherited from Martes, and then a grand slam to Didi Gregorius to make it 5-2 Yankees, Harris allowing both of Martes' inherited runners to score.
Correa hit a home run in the 6th to cut it to 5-3. Tony Sipp gave up a leadoff home run to Brett Gardner to make it 6-3 Yankees, where the score remained until the bottom of the 8th inning. George Springer struck out swinging for the first out. The Yankees had a 92% win expectancy. Altuve drew a walk, then stole 2nd, then stole 3rd. Correa grounded out to score Altuve, 6-4 Yankees. Evan Gattis hit a home run to make it 6-5 Yankees. Josh Reddick pinch-ran for Carlos Beltran, got picked off, but an error on - wouldn't you know - old friend Chris Carter allowed him to reach 2nd, after which he stole 3rd. Dellin Betances walked Marwin Gonzalez to bring in Aroldis Chapman to face Yuli Gurriel...who hit a two-run double to take lead 7-6. Ken Giles needed 11 pitches to retire the Yankees and the Astros showed they could get to sad-sack Aroldis Chapman...and not for the last time.
8. 30 August. 8-0 loss vs* Arlington (*in Tampa Bay).
Memories of 2008: hurricane comes, forces you to play a home game in a neutral site, and you get dominated, sadness ensues. The Rangers, who had scored 54 runs in 13 games prior to this series in Tampa Bay, had scored 20 runs in the August 29-30 games against the Astros. Something had to be done. For the team, who were clearly disappointed following the relative non-activity of the July 31 trade deadline, for the city in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. We don't know at exactly which point the Astros re-engaged the Tigers on a potential trade for Justin Verlander. The Detroit Free-Press wrote that it was about 11pm Eastern, which would come hours after the Astros beat the Rangers in the series finale in front of 3,385 "fans." But I seriously doubt that it took a 5-1 win over Arlington in the literal ugliest stadium in the Majors (at least Oakland is outside...and the weather is nice) to convince Luhnow to make that trade. This is the most subjective game on this list, but I'm sticking to it.
9. 2 September. Astros take both ends of a double-header against the Mets.
I mean the opposing pitcher was Matt Harvey. If you were watching a movie - a fictional piece of crap on the level of For Love of the Game - and the home team represented a city that just got flat-out freaking destroyed by a hurricane the National Weather Service had named Harvey faced a pitcher named Matt Harvey, you would turn that movie off. Why? Because it was pre-destined. It's what Hollywood had determined. The Astros beat the piss out of the Mets, because they're terrible, but also because the opposing pitcher, a problematic dude who shared the same name as the hurricane that destroyed the city...I know I'm belaboring the point, but COME ON THAT'S RIDICULOUS. And everyone bought in. Before the Sunday game on 3 September, the Astros introduced Justin Verlander, and he became the Randy Johnson for which we yearned, just 19 years after the fact.
10. 5 September. Astros win 3-1 at Seattle; 6 September. Astros win 5-3 at Seattle.
Two games, one player. Cameron Maybin, former teammates with the golden god Justin Verlander, wanted to live up to the reputation. Freed from the mental mind-prison of Anaheim, who have Mike Trout and 24 blokes, Cameron Maybin didn't want to be another bloke. He came to the playoff-bound Astros, and wanted to do what he does best: contribute in very random spots at a time when it would be Extremely Helpful and then return to Whack-A-Mole status. Maybin was acquired for a suitcase full of non-sequential $20s for Arte Moreno to launder. Maybin hit the two-run home run in the 7th on September 5 to give the Astros a 3-1 win. Maybin hit the home run in the 9th on September 6 to give the Astros a 5-3 win. These two home runs effectively ended the Mariners' chance of making a trip to the postseason. It was an example of how this team worked: everyone works together with the common goal of bludgeoning your opponent to death with a stick.
1. 5 April. 5-3 win vs Seattle.
Having taken the first two games of the series, and the season, Charlie Morton made his Astros debut on April 5. He faced James Paxton and, while Morton pitched well (6IP, 5H/2ER, 4K:2BB) James Paxton started a season of near-dominance over the Astros. It was tied 2-2 at the end of the 9th, and still tied at the end of the 12th. Hinch called on Jandel Gustave to pitch the top of the 13th, who promptly walked the first three batters he saw. Brad Peacock walked in the go-ahead run before retiring the side. The Astros came to bat and a Gattis walk paired with an Aoki single brought up George Springer, who walked it off with a three-run home run. This was the first of 43 come-from-behind victories and, if you recall, the first time this season that things got Weird.
2. 10 April. 6-0 loss at Seattle.
What's notable about a 6-0 early-season loss to Seattle? It's not that the loss dropped the Astros to 4-4, and visions of 2016 rang through our domes. It wasn't that James Paxton dominated the Astros for the second time in five days. No, this game is notable because it was the first time Morton threw a 99mph sinker. The Astros pounced on Morton early last off-season, drawing ridicule for giving Morton - who had thrown just 17.1IP in 2016 - a 2-year/$14m deal with incentives, allegedly thanks to his spin rate. Armed with the Suitcase of Information chained to his wrist, Morton dove into his mechanics and began a season of unheralded velocity. The fastest pitch he threw in his career (2016's four starts notwithstanding) was at 97.16 mph, on October 2, 2010. He threw at least one pitch with more velocity than that in 19 of his 29 starts, post-season included. So no, that April 10 start wasn't great, though only three of those Seattle runs were charged to Morton. But April 10 is when we should have realized that this was a different Charlie F. Morton.
3. 2 May. 8-7 win vs. Arlington.
Coming in to the first series of the season against the in-state rival Rangers, the Astros were 17-9 and had a 3.5-game lead on Anaheim and a six-game lead on East Fort Worth. The Rangers got off to a 5-0 lead after Mike Fiers, who to this point was still Mike Fiers and not Mike F. Fiers before he would go back to being Mike Fiers, allowed four home runs. The Astros started to chip away. Altuve hit a 2-run home run. Marwin Gonzalez led off the 5th with a solo home run to make it 5-3. In the bottom of the 8th, a Beltran double, Altuve walk, and a Gattis single brought up Marwin, who hooked it down the right field line for a go-ahead grand slam before Springer made it 8-5. Luke Gregerson allowed some shenanigans, but the win would be the first of 12 against the Rangers in 2017, after having beaten Arlington ten times in 2015-16 combined. Marwin would go 6x13 with 4HR, 9RBI in the three-game series.
4. May 14. 10-7 win at New York.
Moments after honoring Derek Jeter, the Astros put up a 1st inning 6-spot on the Yankees, fueled by Alex Bregman's grand slam - his first home run of the season. Up through this May 14 game, Bregs was hitting .258/.342/.352. Starting the following day, Bregman hit .292/.355/.512 through the end of the regular season. It also gave the Astros a 3-1 series win at Yankee Stadium.
5. 29 May. 16-8 win at Minnesota.
What is there to say about this game, other than it was a literal miracle, and should have been at least one of the first examples that this season *just might* be special. It allowed us to Hope. The Astros came in to this game having won six of seven games after getting swept at home by Cleveland on the front-end of a 10-game homestand (they'd go 6-4 on that homestand.) The Astros went to Baltimore and swept them.
To this game, though: Houston had a 2-0 lead going into the 5th. Then a disastrous 5th inning in which Brad Peacock and Jordan Jankowski (whose wife is also named Jordan, didja know) allowed the Twins to take a 7-2 lead on silly things like two singles, a double, a triple, a home run, and a passed ball. It was raining hard in the 6th inning, but the game was not delayed. As the 8th inning started, with an 8-2 lead thanks to a Bob Grossman home run, the Twins had a 99% win expectancy. The Astros got a walk, HBP, and four singles to make it 8-6 Twins. It started raining again - though not as hard as in the 6th, and the umpires called for a delay. Beltran noted:
There were some people angry when they put the tarp on. We felt like they took a little momentum away from us.
The delay lasted ten minutes before play resumed. George Springer hit a 2-1 pitch for a single to cut the lead to 8-7 before Josh Reddick hit a two-run double for seven runs in the 8th inning. A Jose Altuve single made it 10-8 Astros, and two batters later Carlos Beltran hit his sixth home run of the season to make it 13-8 - an 11-run inning, the highest number of runs the Astros would score in a single inning all season. The Twins, whose life spark was extinguished, got three outs on six pitches in the bottom half. The Astros would score three more runs in the top of the 9th and then Gregerson worked around a single and a walk to strike out the side and give the Astros a 16-8 win, in which they scored 14 of the last 15 runs of the game.
Reddick said what everyone was thinking:
I just don't think we ever think we're down and out of a game. We just got to keep confidence in ourselves...This is one game we're going to have to look back to the rest of the year.
And multiple post-season games said "Amen."
6. 10 June. 3-1 win vs Anaheim.
Mike Fiers got demoted to the bullpen between his May 25 and May 30 starts, though you wouldn't know it by looking through his game log. He had a bad start, a God-awful 10H/4R (3ER), 2K:1BB outing in 4.2IP against a God-awful Tigers team and got sent to the outfield. Then the rotation started getting hurt. On May 28 Charlie Morton was put on the DL with a strained lat. Mike Fiers lived to start another day. The day after the Memorial Day Miracle (see above) Fiers threw a sort-of-efficient 6IP, 5H/2ER, 8K:3BB to beat the Twins, who were probably still punch-drunk from the previous day's escapades. At Kansas City on June 5, Fiers - still in the rotation by necessity - was less-than-sort-of-efficient, allowing 7H/2ER, 4K:1BB in 5IP, a game the Astros won 7-3. On June 8 Dallas Keuchel (
The division lead wasn't in doubt. The Astros had gone from 5.5 up following the May 21 loss to Cleveland to 12.5 up, having rattled off 14 of 17 wins. But still, Houston needed five starting pitchers. Mike F. Fiers stepped up when the Astros needed him most and out-Ricky Got Dang Nolasco, throwing 7.1IP (his longest outing of the season), 2H/1R (0ER), 8K:2BB. His 82 Game Score (via FanGraphs) was the highest of his season. It was the start of a six-week streak where Fiers would throw a Quality Start in six out of eight starts, right when the Astros needed it. He won't get any Team MVP votes, but Fiers rose to the occasion. He may get non-tendered here soon, but let's not forget what he did every 5th day when the Astros were dealing with too many injuries.
7. 1 July. 7-6 win vs New York.
Getting a Win as a pitcher requires an awful lot of luck. You could be a starter, throw the game of your life, and then maybe a reliever gives up a couple of Royals Specials (bloops just over the head of your gigantic shortstop, for instance) and you get a no-decision. You could be a reliever who craps the bed, but in the next half-inning, your offense goes nuts and you get rewarded with a baseball card stat. This 7-6 win was notable, not for the fact that it is Dayan Diaz's lone career MLB win, but because of how the Astros beat, yes, the Yankees, yet again.
Francis Martes got the start, his fourth of the season, thanks to the aforementioned injuries to the rotation. It was his last start of the season, though he threw 5IP, 4H/2ER, 7K:1BB. But he left two runners on for Will Harris to start the 6th. Harris walked the first batter he faced, then gave up a single to score the 1st runner he inherited from Martes, and then a grand slam to Didi Gregorius to make it 5-2 Yankees, Harris allowing both of Martes' inherited runners to score.
Correa hit a home run in the 6th to cut it to 5-3. Tony Sipp gave up a leadoff home run to Brett Gardner to make it 6-3 Yankees, where the score remained until the bottom of the 8th inning. George Springer struck out swinging for the first out. The Yankees had a 92% win expectancy. Altuve drew a walk, then stole 2nd, then stole 3rd. Correa grounded out to score Altuve, 6-4 Yankees. Evan Gattis hit a home run to make it 6-5 Yankees. Josh Reddick pinch-ran for Carlos Beltran, got picked off, but an error on - wouldn't you know - old friend Chris Carter allowed him to reach 2nd, after which he stole 3rd. Dellin Betances walked Marwin Gonzalez to bring in Aroldis Chapman to face Yuli Gurriel...who hit a two-run double to take lead 7-6. Ken Giles needed 11 pitches to retire the Yankees and the Astros showed they could get to sad-sack Aroldis Chapman...and not for the last time.
8. 30 August. 8-0 loss vs* Arlington (*in Tampa Bay).
Memories of 2008: hurricane comes, forces you to play a home game in a neutral site, and you get dominated, sadness ensues. The Rangers, who had scored 54 runs in 13 games prior to this series in Tampa Bay, had scored 20 runs in the August 29-30 games against the Astros. Something had to be done. For the team, who were clearly disappointed following the relative non-activity of the July 31 trade deadline, for the city in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. We don't know at exactly which point the Astros re-engaged the Tigers on a potential trade for Justin Verlander. The Detroit Free-Press wrote that it was about 11pm Eastern, which would come hours after the Astros beat the Rangers in the series finale in front of 3,385 "fans." But I seriously doubt that it took a 5-1 win over Arlington in the literal ugliest stadium in the Majors (at least Oakland is outside...and the weather is nice) to convince Luhnow to make that trade. This is the most subjective game on this list, but I'm sticking to it.
9. 2 September. Astros take both ends of a double-header against the Mets.
I mean the opposing pitcher was Matt Harvey. If you were watching a movie - a fictional piece of crap on the level of For Love of the Game - and the home team represented a city that just got flat-out freaking destroyed by a hurricane the National Weather Service had named Harvey faced a pitcher named Matt Harvey, you would turn that movie off. Why? Because it was pre-destined. It's what Hollywood had determined. The Astros beat the piss out of the Mets, because they're terrible, but also because the opposing pitcher, a problematic dude who shared the same name as the hurricane that destroyed the city...I know I'm belaboring the point, but COME ON THAT'S RIDICULOUS. And everyone bought in. Before the Sunday game on 3 September, the Astros introduced Justin Verlander, and he became the Randy Johnson for which we yearned, just 19 years after the fact.
10. 5 September. Astros win 3-1 at Seattle; 6 September. Astros win 5-3 at Seattle.
Two games, one player. Cameron Maybin, former teammates with the golden god Justin Verlander, wanted to live up to the reputation. Freed from the mental mind-prison of Anaheim, who have Mike Trout and 24 blokes, Cameron Maybin didn't want to be another bloke. He came to the playoff-bound Astros, and wanted to do what he does best: contribute in very random spots at a time when it would be Extremely Helpful and then return to Whack-A-Mole status. Maybin was acquired for a suitcase full of non-sequential $20s for Arte Moreno to launder. Maybin hit the two-run home run in the 7th on September 5 to give the Astros a 3-1 win. Maybin hit the home run in the 9th on September 6 to give the Astros a 5-3 win. These two home runs effectively ended the Mariners' chance of making a trip to the postseason. It was an example of how this team worked: everyone works together with the common goal of bludgeoning your opponent to death with a stick.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Thursday Morning Hot Links
So -
I mean...
The thing is:
I got nothing. That was one of the craziest games I've ever seen. Maybe it wasn't the craziest game I've ever seen (that Memorial Day comeback against the Twins could eclipse it), but it's definitely the wildest World Series game I've ever seen. I'll never forget it. It took like three knockout blows from the Astros, but they finally beat the Dodgers, 7-6, in 11 innings. Series is tied 1-1.
*At one point, the Dodgers' win expectancy was 92.4%.
*A.J. Hinch:
If you like October baseball, if you like any kind of baseball, that's one of the most incredible games you'll ever be a part of.
*Verlander:
This is an instant classic and to be part of it is pretty special.
*The Ringer's Michael Baumann: Game 2 wasn't a "classic," it was a generational epic. Baumann:
But where the game should have ended is where it truly began, because the Dodgers' bullpen, imperious and untouchable as it had been throughout the month of October, didn't make sure Leatherface was dead.
*Springer went 3x5 with a walk. Altuve was 1x6 with a 10th inning homer. Correa was 3x6 with a 10th inning homer. Marwin was 1x3 with two walks...and a home run. The Dodgers were 98-0 when leading after eight innings.
*Hinch:
You have to believe in what they can do, not what they're doing. If you respond to every bad game or tough game, you'll bounce these guys around and ruin their confidence in a heartbeat. [Springer] is one of our best players. And there's no need to panic over a bad night against Clayton Kershaw.
*Hinch, on Marwin's 9th inning home run:
We're not here if Marwin Gonzalez doesn't hit a ball to center field against the best closer in baseball.
Springer, whose name will come up more often in Houston here in about nine months:
I just think when the lights turn on even brighter, you tend to subconsciously press, and you want to succeed so bad that you start to do things that you wouldn't do.
*Eight home runs by both the Astros and Dodgers set a World Series record, and after hitting two home runs in extra innings in the regular season, the Astros became the first team in baseball history to hit a home run in the 9th, 10th, and 11th innings.
*And we haven't even talked about Chris Taylor diving for a ball that bounced off the brim of his cap and straight to Joc Pederson. Or when Chris Devenski's pickoff throw hit Laz Diaz and kept a runner from scoring. Or when this happened:
*Dude was mad at a security guard, apparently.
*Dodgers manager Dave Roberts:
Guys were playing hard on both sides. And unfortunately we came up short. We didn't expect these guys to lay down. It's a very good ball club over there.
*It didn't look like the Astros were going to pull Game 2 out. Justin Verlander had managed to give up two hits but, like Tuesday night, two bad pitches resulted in a 3-1 Dodgers lead. But then Dave Roberts called on Kenley Jansen - you know, the guy with the 1.32 regular season ERA, who had allowed five home runs in 68.2IP, who had thrown 9IP this postseason, allowing 2H/0ER, 13K:1BB this postseason - to get six outs. Animated stick man Corey Seager:
He's human, but he's our guy. That's the guy you want on the mound. Tomorrow, he's going right back out there.
Good call, Seager. Make Kenley Jansen throw today. Idiot. Jansen, on the home run in the 9th to Marwin to tie the game:
I wanted it to be up and in, and it just flattened out down the middle. He got it up and hit a line drive. The ball had been carrying out all night. You can't do anything about that. I missed a pitch, he got me.
*Brian McCann:
That's the craziest game I've ever played in. It was awesome. That's the beauty of baseball. That's why it's the best sport in the world. You don't see drama go on as long as this anywhere else. That's why it's America's pastime.
Correa:
What Altuve does on the field doesn't even impress me anymore. I kind of expect him to do stuff like that. That homer he hit was a game-changer right there, even for me. I was so focused and pumped, it changed my at-bat completely.
*Joe Posnanski: This game was nuts. (Read this article).
*Ken Giles, who blew the save opportunity:
My confidence is not damaged, I flat-out need to execute.
Giles has allowed 12 baserunners in his last 26 batters faced.
*Yahoo's Mike Oz: How Justin Verlander's rant, George Springer, and a little faith saved the Astros' season.
*The Astros are 10-0 in Justin Verlander's starts.
*Grant Brisbee:
The Astros were dead before they were alive before they were dead before they were dead before they were victorious, and as the smoke poured into the ballpark, it was impossible to know if the whump-whump-whump of the helicopters around the ballpark were for the fire or the World Series, and it's not like anyone could tell the difference.
*Dallas Keuchel was not thrilled about Charlie Culbertson cutting the lead to 7-6 in the 11th. Keuchel:
He acted like he won the World Series.
*Dave Cameron: In defense of Dave Roberts pulling Rich Hill after four innings and 60 pitches. FiveThirtyEight's Neil Payne says Game 2 was a lesson in how not to manage a bullpen.
*Yahoo's Jeff Passan: How the Astros won an epic, homer-happy Game 2.
*CBS Sports' Bill Reiter: The Astros, like the city of Houston, are relentless
*Thanks for the free taco, Cameron Maybin.
*The watch party at MMP was lit, fam. (sorry).
*Oh yeah, Jose Altuve won the Hank Aaron Award before the game.
*Game 3: Darvish v McCullers; Game 4: Wood v Morton.
*Do you have All The Money In The World? Buy some tickets!
*The Game 2 win has FanGraphs' simulations giving the Astros a 51.6% nod to win the World Series. FiveThirtyEight still has the Dodgers' with a 54-46 edge on the series. They're giving the Dodgers the slightest of nods in Game 3.
I mean...
The thing is:
How bout that sh*t .... Houston we headed home— Alex Bregman (@ABREG_1) October 26, 2017
I got nothing. That was one of the craziest games I've ever seen. Maybe it wasn't the craziest game I've ever seen (that Memorial Day comeback against the Twins could eclipse it), but it's definitely the wildest World Series game I've ever seen. I'll never forget it. It took like three knockout blows from the Astros, but they finally beat the Dodgers, 7-6, in 11 innings. Series is tied 1-1.
*At one point, the Dodgers' win expectancy was 92.4%.
*A.J. Hinch:
If you like October baseball, if you like any kind of baseball, that's one of the most incredible games you'll ever be a part of.
*Verlander:
This is an instant classic and to be part of it is pretty special.
*The Ringer's Michael Baumann: Game 2 wasn't a "classic," it was a generational epic. Baumann:
But where the game should have ended is where it truly began, because the Dodgers' bullpen, imperious and untouchable as it had been throughout the month of October, didn't make sure Leatherface was dead.
*Springer went 3x5 with a walk. Altuve was 1x6 with a 10th inning homer. Correa was 3x6 with a 10th inning homer. Marwin was 1x3 with two walks...and a home run. The Dodgers were 98-0 when leading after eight innings.
*Hinch:
You have to believe in what they can do, not what they're doing. If you respond to every bad game or tough game, you'll bounce these guys around and ruin their confidence in a heartbeat. [Springer] is one of our best players. And there's no need to panic over a bad night against Clayton Kershaw.
*Hinch, on Marwin's 9th inning home run:
We're not here if Marwin Gonzalez doesn't hit a ball to center field against the best closer in baseball.
Springer, whose name will come up more often in Houston here in about nine months:
I just think when the lights turn on even brighter, you tend to subconsciously press, and you want to succeed so bad that you start to do things that you wouldn't do.
*Eight home runs by both the Astros and Dodgers set a World Series record, and after hitting two home runs in extra innings in the regular season, the Astros became the first team in baseball history to hit a home run in the 9th, 10th, and 11th innings.
*And we haven't even talked about Chris Taylor diving for a ball that bounced off the brim of his cap and straight to Joc Pederson. Or when Chris Devenski's pickoff throw hit Laz Diaz and kept a runner from scoring. Or when this happened:
— Hershel (@Hershel) October 26, 2017
*Dude was mad at a security guard, apparently.
*Dodgers manager Dave Roberts:
Guys were playing hard on both sides. And unfortunately we came up short. We didn't expect these guys to lay down. It's a very good ball club over there.
*It didn't look like the Astros were going to pull Game 2 out. Justin Verlander had managed to give up two hits but, like Tuesday night, two bad pitches resulted in a 3-1 Dodgers lead. But then Dave Roberts called on Kenley Jansen - you know, the guy with the 1.32 regular season ERA, who had allowed five home runs in 68.2IP, who had thrown 9IP this postseason, allowing 2H/0ER, 13K:1BB this postseason - to get six outs. Animated stick man Corey Seager:
He's human, but he's our guy. That's the guy you want on the mound. Tomorrow, he's going right back out there.
Good call, Seager. Make Kenley Jansen throw today. Idiot. Jansen, on the home run in the 9th to Marwin to tie the game:
I wanted it to be up and in, and it just flattened out down the middle. He got it up and hit a line drive. The ball had been carrying out all night. You can't do anything about that. I missed a pitch, he got me.
*Brian McCann:
That's the craziest game I've ever played in. It was awesome. That's the beauty of baseball. That's why it's the best sport in the world. You don't see drama go on as long as this anywhere else. That's why it's America's pastime.
Correa:
What Altuve does on the field doesn't even impress me anymore. I kind of expect him to do stuff like that. That homer he hit was a game-changer right there, even for me. I was so focused and pumped, it changed my at-bat completely.
*Joe Posnanski: This game was nuts. (Read this article).
*Ken Giles, who blew the save opportunity:
My confidence is not damaged, I flat-out need to execute.
Giles has allowed 12 baserunners in his last 26 batters faced.
*Yahoo's Mike Oz: How Justin Verlander's rant, George Springer, and a little faith saved the Astros' season.
Near as I can tell Justin Verlander was yelling at kids "Quit playing on my lawn!" #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/649j3AE2bZ— David Scott (@Finna_Go_HAM) October 26, 2017
*The Astros are 10-0 in Justin Verlander's starts.
*Grant Brisbee:
The Astros were dead before they were alive before they were dead before they were dead before they were victorious, and as the smoke poured into the ballpark, it was impossible to know if the whump-whump-whump of the helicopters around the ballpark were for the fire or the World Series, and it's not like anyone could tell the difference.
*Dallas Keuchel was not thrilled about Charlie Culbertson cutting the lead to 7-6 in the 11th. Keuchel:
He acted like he won the World Series.
*Dave Cameron: In defense of Dave Roberts pulling Rich Hill after four innings and 60 pitches. FiveThirtyEight's Neil Payne says Game 2 was a lesson in how not to manage a bullpen.
*Yahoo's Jeff Passan: How the Astros won an epic, homer-happy Game 2.
*CBS Sports' Bill Reiter: The Astros, like the city of Houston, are relentless
*Thanks for the free taco, Cameron Maybin.
*The watch party at MMP was lit, fam. (sorry).
*Oh yeah, Jose Altuve won the Hank Aaron Award before the game.
*Game 3: Darvish v McCullers; Game 4: Wood v Morton.
*Do you have All The Money In The World? Buy some tickets!
*The Game 2 win has FanGraphs' simulations giving the Astros a 51.6% nod to win the World Series. FiveThirtyEight still has the Dodgers' with a 54-46 edge on the series. They're giving the Dodgers the slightest of nods in Game 3.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Tuesday Morning Hot Links
It wasn't as bad for Charles Morton as the line would indicate. The Yankees went all Royals on the Astros - balls finding holes, bloops and then random blasts, including a throw-the-controller-against-the-wall type of home run from Todd Frazier. The Astros have scored five runs in three games, yet lead the series 2-1.
*Morton threw 3.2IP, 6H/7ER, 3K:2BB, with two charged to him courtesy of Will Harris, who allowed a three-run homer to Aaron Judge. Harris shook Gattis off twice before uncorking a fastball, for some reason.
*Morton, on Frazier's ridiculous home run:
If you were to show me a video of that swing, show the pitch speed and the location, I would never have thought that. That was unbelievable.
*Collin McHugh threw 4IP, 0H/0ER, 3K:1BB, retiring 12 of the 13 batters he faced, and saving the back end of the bullpen from an extended outing. McHugh:
It was the job that needed to be done. We were down pretty big. It's my job to get outs. I was focused on getting one at a time, giving our guys a chance to chip away...We have some great one-inning, two-inning arms down there. So to be able to get a couple of innings in, save [the bullpen] for when the game is tight - that's what my job was.
*The Astros were 1x7 w/RISP and left eleven men on base. Teams that are down 2-1 in a best-of-seven are 40-94. But they're 5-5 since 2012. Make sure you body up ESPN for yet another "Houston, we have a..." headline. Springer-Reddick-Marwin are a combined 1x30. Springer:
The scoreboard doesn't always show how hard you hit the ball. I thought we hit some balls hard tonight that didn't fall. We're not going to change our approach just because we fly out to the track.
Reddick:
It's not the normal Astros offense; we're used to producing five-plus, but our whole lineup's not hitting. We're relying on Altuve and Correa a little too much in the first two games, and we've got to come together as a team, maybe talk it out and work on things like we were doing in the Boston series. We have to come back out and get things sorted out. Our lineup will be alright.
*Check out CC cussing out Reddick:
*Cameron Maybin tried to explain just what the hell happened when he watched a Greg Bird fly ball drop in front of him in the 4th inning for a ground rule double:
It's a long run. Once I got there I kind of froze. It's one of those things where you realize you're by yourself, and in my head, I was thinking about if I missed it's probably gonna be a triple. It's just a tough play.
*Lance McCullers will get the nod in this [squints] afternoon's (...?...) game. McCullers:
It's a big game for us. It's a big game for the team. The Yankees have a great home record and are a great team. We did the job putting [ourselves] in the situation getting up 2-0...It's a big situation to be able to pitch in, put us within a game of the World Series.
*Hinch admitted that starting Lance is a gamble:
He's a really good pitcher. He's got really electrifying stuff, some of the best in the big leagues...It starts with setting the tone with him. I don't have to remind you, he was an All-Star to start the year. He has some of the best stuff in the big leagues and we believe in him.
*The Yankees' G3 win dropped the Astros to 70% in FiveThirtyEight's simulations, who give the Yankees and Sonny Gray a 54-46 edge in today's game. FanGraphs has the Astros at 75.4% to win the pennant.
Gray vs current Astros:
McCullers vs current Yankees:
*Having already interviewed with Boston, Alex Cora will interview to be the Mets' next manager.
*FanGraphs' Marc Hulet wrote up the Astros' farm system.
*This Baseball America article on the "growing consensus" of expansion (Portland and Montreal) and dramatic realignment is all sorts of interesting. The proposal would put the Astros in a division with the Cubs, White Sox, Colorado, Kansas City, Arlington, and St. Louis. YOUR HATE CAN LIVE ON FOREVERRRRRRRRRRR.
*How a Northeastern progressive turned himself into a neo-Fascist.
*Morton threw 3.2IP, 6H/7ER, 3K:2BB, with two charged to him courtesy of Will Harris, who allowed a three-run homer to Aaron Judge. Harris shook Gattis off twice before uncorking a fastball, for some reason.
*Morton, on Frazier's ridiculous home run:
If you were to show me a video of that swing, show the pitch speed and the location, I would never have thought that. That was unbelievable.
*Collin McHugh threw 4IP, 0H/0ER, 3K:1BB, retiring 12 of the 13 batters he faced, and saving the back end of the bullpen from an extended outing. McHugh:
It was the job that needed to be done. We were down pretty big. It's my job to get outs. I was focused on getting one at a time, giving our guys a chance to chip away...We have some great one-inning, two-inning arms down there. So to be able to get a couple of innings in, save [the bullpen] for when the game is tight - that's what my job was.
*The Astros were 1x7 w/RISP and left eleven men on base. Teams that are down 2-1 in a best-of-seven are 40-94. But they're 5-5 since 2012. Make sure you body up ESPN for yet another "Houston, we have a..." headline. Springer-Reddick-Marwin are a combined 1x30. Springer:
The scoreboard doesn't always show how hard you hit the ball. I thought we hit some balls hard tonight that didn't fall. We're not going to change our approach just because we fly out to the track.
Reddick:
It's not the normal Astros offense; we're used to producing five-plus, but our whole lineup's not hitting. We're relying on Altuve and Correa a little too much in the first two games, and we've got to come together as a team, maybe talk it out and work on things like we were doing in the Boston series. We have to come back out and get things sorted out. Our lineup will be alright.
*Check out CC cussing out Reddick:
CC cursing out Reddick for throwing his helmet is the most BX thing ever #Yankees 👎🏾👎🏾👎🏾 pic.twitter.com/DUaodavwFG— Jeaux Vaughn (@Joveezyy) October 17, 2017
*Cameron Maybin tried to explain just what the hell happened when he watched a Greg Bird fly ball drop in front of him in the 4th inning for a ground rule double:
It's a long run. Once I got there I kind of froze. It's one of those things where you realize you're by yourself, and in my head, I was thinking about if I missed it's probably gonna be a triple. It's just a tough play.
*Lance McCullers will get the nod in this [squints] afternoon's (...?...) game. McCullers:
It's a big game for us. It's a big game for the team. The Yankees have a great home record and are a great team. We did the job putting [ourselves] in the situation getting up 2-0...It's a big situation to be able to pitch in, put us within a game of the World Series.
*Hinch admitted that starting Lance is a gamble:
He's a really good pitcher. He's got really electrifying stuff, some of the best in the big leagues...It starts with setting the tone with him. I don't have to remind you, he was an All-Star to start the year. He has some of the best stuff in the big leagues and we believe in him.
*The Yankees' G3 win dropped the Astros to 70% in FiveThirtyEight's simulations, who give the Yankees and Sonny Gray a 54-46 edge in today's game. FanGraphs has the Astros at 75.4% to win the pennant.
Gray vs current Astros:
McCullers vs current Yankees:
*Having already interviewed with Boston, Alex Cora will interview to be the Mets' next manager.
*FanGraphs' Marc Hulet wrote up the Astros' farm system.
*This Baseball America article on the "growing consensus" of expansion (Portland and Montreal) and dramatic realignment is all sorts of interesting. The proposal would put the Astros in a division with the Cubs, White Sox, Colorado, Kansas City, Arlington, and St. Louis. YOUR HATE CAN LIVE ON FOREVERRRRRRRRRRR.
*How a Northeastern progressive turned himself into a neo-Fascist.
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Wednesday Morning Hot Links
I mean. The Rangers got to throw Hamels in an elimination game, which is exactly why they made that trade. It's exactly why Hamels rejected the trade to Houston, to be honest. The Astros did not get to play an elimination game last night. Oh, right. 14-3. Astros improve to 97-60. Boston and Cleveland both lost, so the Astros are at least guaranteed home-field in the ALDS.
*The 97th win of the season ties them with the 1999 team for 2nd-most wins in franchise history. Their 862 runs scored is 3rd-most in franchise history, 12 behind the 1998 team and a ridiculous 76 runs behind the 2000 Astros.
*The 49th road win of the season tied the franchise record for road wins in a season.
*Dallas Keuchel:
We're still trying to lock up home field advantage for the ALCS, too. That would be real nice.
*So here's the playoff picture with five games remaining:
Cleveland: 98-59
Houston: 97-60
-
Boston: 91-66
New York: 88-69 (-3)
Remember the Astros have to win two more games than Cleveland in order to get home-field in the ALCS. If Cleveland wins three of their last five, the Astros have to win all five. If Cleveland wins four, the Astros can only tie, and Cleveland gets the tie-breaker.
It's hard to make up three games in five days, but with the Astros rolling and within striking distance of Cleveland and going into a four-game series against Boston, it's possible that the Yankees could overtake the Red Sox for the division lead, which would push Boston to the Wild Card game against the Twins.
The Indians get two more games against the Twins before closing out the season with three home games against the White Sox, against whom the Indians are 11-5.
*Bregman:
I don't think we can really focus on [the Indians at all]. I think we need to focus on showing up every day, competing like we've done all year long. We're going to have the task at hand and right now we shift our focus to Nick Martinez and try and get a win.
*Astros runs vs. individual teams, franchise history:
1. Cincinnati - 113 (2004)
2. Oakland - 107 (2017)
3. Arlington - 106 (2017)
4. Seattle - 105 (2015)
5. Pittsburgh - 104 (2000)
*Dallas Keuchel threw 6IP, 5H/2R (1ER), 8K:1BB. 63 of his 102 pitches were for strikes. Keuchel:
I've been feeling better and better. I feel like to the point of I'm back in midseason form. That's good to feel, good for myself.
Four of the five starts Keuchel has made since the Verlander trade, and seven of his last ten, have been Quality Starts. Keuchel, since allowing 8ER vs White Sox on August 8: 58IP, 45H/19ER, 49K:21BB, 2.95 ERA/1.14 WHIP.
*It turns out that the Astros' lineup retaliated against the Rangers by hitting almost every single one of their pitches. The 14 runs last night were the most ever scored by the Astros in a game against the Rangers.
*The Astros recorded 18 hits for the 7th time this season (2nd time against the Rangers in 2017). Alex Bregman, who went 3x5 with 2RBI:
We're having fun playing the game right now. I think that was one of the more fun games we played al year. Everybody was loose, having a good time, and the runs were piling up. We're feeling good at the right time of the year, and I'm excited to be a part of this team.
*Carlos Correa was 3x5 with two doubles and 3RBI.
*Cameron Maybin, who had two hits in ten games since September 8, was 2x4 with a walk, three runs scored, a triple, home run, and 3RBI. They were his first extra-base hits since September 6.
*Here's Sean Pendergast on the Astros getting ready for October.
*Man, I don't want to see Uncle Carlos cry, but he and the Astros Foundation are helping Puerto Rico.
*Jeff Sullivan: What if the Twins win the World Series?
*The 97th win of the season ties them with the 1999 team for 2nd-most wins in franchise history. Their 862 runs scored is 3rd-most in franchise history, 12 behind the 1998 team and a ridiculous 76 runs behind the 2000 Astros.
*The 49th road win of the season tied the franchise record for road wins in a season.
*Dallas Keuchel:
We're still trying to lock up home field advantage for the ALCS, too. That would be real nice.
*So here's the playoff picture with five games remaining:
Cleveland: 98-59
Houston: 97-60
-
Boston: 91-66
New York: 88-69 (-3)
Remember the Astros have to win two more games than Cleveland in order to get home-field in the ALCS. If Cleveland wins three of their last five, the Astros have to win all five. If Cleveland wins four, the Astros can only tie, and Cleveland gets the tie-breaker.
It's hard to make up three games in five days, but with the Astros rolling and within striking distance of Cleveland and going into a four-game series against Boston, it's possible that the Yankees could overtake the Red Sox for the division lead, which would push Boston to the Wild Card game against the Twins.
The Indians get two more games against the Twins before closing out the season with three home games against the White Sox, against whom the Indians are 11-5.
*Bregman:
I don't think we can really focus on [the Indians at all]. I think we need to focus on showing up every day, competing like we've done all year long. We're going to have the task at hand and right now we shift our focus to Nick Martinez and try and get a win.
*Astros runs vs. individual teams, franchise history:
1. Cincinnati - 113 (2004)
2. Oakland - 107 (2017)
3. Arlington - 106 (2017)
4. Seattle - 105 (2015)
5. Pittsburgh - 104 (2000)
*Dallas Keuchel threw 6IP, 5H/2R (1ER), 8K:1BB. 63 of his 102 pitches were for strikes. Keuchel:
I've been feeling better and better. I feel like to the point of I'm back in midseason form. That's good to feel, good for myself.
Four of the five starts Keuchel has made since the Verlander trade, and seven of his last ten, have been Quality Starts. Keuchel, since allowing 8ER vs White Sox on August 8: 58IP, 45H/19ER, 49K:21BB, 2.95 ERA/1.14 WHIP.
*It turns out that the Astros' lineup retaliated against the Rangers by hitting almost every single one of their pitches. The 14 runs last night were the most ever scored by the Astros in a game against the Rangers.
*The Astros recorded 18 hits for the 7th time this season (2nd time against the Rangers in 2017). Alex Bregman, who went 3x5 with 2RBI:
We're having fun playing the game right now. I think that was one of the more fun games we played al year. Everybody was loose, having a good time, and the runs were piling up. We're feeling good at the right time of the year, and I'm excited to be a part of this team.
*Carlos Correa was 3x5 with two doubles and 3RBI.
*Cameron Maybin, who had two hits in ten games since September 8, was 2x4 with a walk, three runs scored, a triple, home run, and 3RBI. They were his first extra-base hits since September 6.
*Here's Sean Pendergast on the Astros getting ready for October.
*Man, I don't want to see Uncle Carlos cry, but he and the Astros Foundation are helping Puerto Rico.
*Jeff Sullivan: What if the Twins win the World Series?
Friday, September 8, 2017
Friday Morning Hot Links
The Lima Time Time Bozoathon for Harvey Relief starts tonight at 7pm Central. We're trying to raise $10,000. We're now 13 hours away from the thing even starting at we're 13% of the way to our goal. Gonna be a bunch of great guests, gonna be a lot of fun, and we're gonna hopefully raise a ton of money. So tune in this evening, overnight, tomorrow morning, all day tomorrow, and tomorrow evening. We'll have an embedded player here.
*The White Sox are useless and the Indians won their 15th straight game. So the 86-53 Astros stayed at 14.5 games up on the idle Angels and 2.5 up on the Indians, who will never lose again.
*Off-day! Yesterday was the first of two days off in four days, as the Astros get Monday off between the A's series and the Angels series. By the time the Astros return home again on September 15 they'll have played 16 of their last 19 games on the road.
*World Series odds check! We haven't done this since the Astros acquired Verlander and Maybin, but let's see what the Simulations tell us:
-FanGraphs (100-62): 20.7% chance of winning the World Series
-FiveThirtyEight (100-62): 16% chance of winning the World Series
-Baseball Prospectus (100-62): 15% chance of winning the World Series
*Richard Justice: The Astros got better, and healthy, at just the right time.
*Jose Altuve has played a not-very-even-number 962 games. In those 962 games he has 1229 hits, a .317/.362/.453 slash line with 230 stolen bases. Also through 962 games:
Tony Gwynn: 1233 hits, .332/.389/.442, 201 stolen bases
Pete Rose: 1174 hits, .302/.361/.423, 47 stolen bases
Craig Biggio: 990 hits, .282/.365/.407, 172 stolen bases
*I swear I didn't read this before coming up with the Altuve vs. the World comparisons, but Ryan Spaeder wrote up a good piece on Altuve and his track to Cooperstown.
*The Tigers wanted Forrest Whitley for Verlander.
*While Tony DeFrancesco said, "It's time to see what else is out there," Hatin' ass Jon Heyman says, "The Astros could set the record for firings for a division winner."
*Jake Kaplan on Cameron Maybin's immediate impact and the adjustments he's made since coming to Houston.
*The Marlins will leave their roof partially open during Hurricane Irma (with a good reason).
*The White Sox are useless and the Indians won their 15th straight game. So the 86-53 Astros stayed at 14.5 games up on the idle Angels and 2.5 up on the Indians, who will never lose again.
*Off-day! Yesterday was the first of two days off in four days, as the Astros get Monday off between the A's series and the Angels series. By the time the Astros return home again on September 15 they'll have played 16 of their last 19 games on the road.
*World Series odds check! We haven't done this since the Astros acquired Verlander and Maybin, but let's see what the Simulations tell us:
-FanGraphs (100-62): 20.7% chance of winning the World Series
-FiveThirtyEight (100-62): 16% chance of winning the World Series
-Baseball Prospectus (100-62): 15% chance of winning the World Series
*Richard Justice: The Astros got better, and healthy, at just the right time.
*Jose Altuve has played a not-very-even-number 962 games. In those 962 games he has 1229 hits, a .317/.362/.453 slash line with 230 stolen bases. Also through 962 games:
Tony Gwynn: 1233 hits, .332/.389/.442, 201 stolen bases
Pete Rose: 1174 hits, .302/.361/.423, 47 stolen bases
Craig Biggio: 990 hits, .282/.365/.407, 172 stolen bases
*I swear I didn't read this before coming up with the Altuve vs. the World comparisons, but Ryan Spaeder wrote up a good piece on Altuve and his track to Cooperstown.
*The Tigers wanted Forrest Whitley for Verlander.
*While Tony DeFrancesco said, "It's time to see what else is out there," Hatin' ass Jon Heyman says, "The Astros could set the record for firings for a division winner."
*Jake Kaplan on Cameron Maybin's immediate impact and the adjustments he's made since coming to Houston.
*The Marlins will leave their roof partially open during Hurricane Irma (with a good reason).
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Thursday Morning Hot Links
*Cameron F. Maybin did it again, hitting yet another home run for the Astros - this time a 2-run shot in the 9th to break a 3-3 tie. It's his second consecutive game-winning home run for the Astros. Not a bad week. Astros win 5-3. The Angels lost, so the division lead is at 14.5 games. The Indians won and remain three games back of the Astros. The Astros are 86-53. There are 23 games left, and the Magic Number is nine.
*The Indians have won 14 in a row and 17 of their last 20 and have picked up just four games on the Astros in that span.
*Maybin came to Houston having hit six home runs with 22 RBIs. In six games with Houston he has three home runs and 8 RBIs. Hinch:
He's been a nice spark for us on a lot of levels. He's come in with some energy, he's come in with a ton of enthusiasm. He's a good player. We knew everybody would like him. He's obviously performing at a high level, earning more at-bats. Big swing tonight.
*Lance McCullers threw 5.1IP, 4H/3ER, 4K:1BB in his first start since July 30. He threw a first-pitch strike to just 11 of the 22 batters he faced. That said, he made it into the 6th on 76 pitches. Hinch:
He came out with a little extra adrenaline, a little extra conviction. He was going to enter the game with his best stuff and I thought he did well. There's a lot that goes into coming back after a long layoff. I was proud of him how he attacked their hitters.
*Daggum Kyle Seager hit a home run in all three games against the Astros. This season he's hitting .293/.382/.603 against Houston pitchers.
*Given two of the next five days off, Justin Verlander will next pitch on six days' rest, getting his next start on Tuesday against the Angels. If you were on the Verlander mini-season-ticket-plan, you would want tickets to the Sunday, Sept 17 game against Seattle and the Saturday, Sept 23 game against Anaheim.
*Bob Melvin, manager of the upcoming opponent A's, is happy for the Astros in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Melvin:
You understand they're playing for a little bit more and it's kind of cool to see.
*Tony DeFrancesco - the Astros' Triple-A manager since 2011 - will not return to the organization in 2018. DeFrancesco was the interim manager for 41 games in 2012 following the firing of Brad Mills, during which the Astros went 16-25 (.390). They went 39-82 (.322) under Mills. As the manager of the Oklahoma City...Somethings and the Fresno Grizzlies, DeFrancesco managed (get it) a record of 532-463 (.535). In 2015, a year after battling cancer, the Grizzlies won the PCL Championship and DeFrancesco was named Baseball America's Manager of the Year. DeFrancesco, in the Fresno Bee:
It was a great opportunity being with the Astros. Seven years with one organization is a long time. Now it's time to see what else is out there.
*Quad Cities lost G1 of their best-of-three series against Peoria on a walk-off. Michael Feliz threw a perfect first inning and Colin Moran was 1x3 with a double.
*Elizabethton shut out the Greeneville Astros 6-0 to move on to the Appalachian League championship against Pulaski. Greenville needed to win just one of the two games at Elizabethton to advance.
*How Indians reliever Nick Goody got people in Nederland to safety.
*This Delta flight out of San Juan, Puerto Rico raced Irma and won.
*The Lima Time Time Bozoathon for Harvey Relief starts TOMORROW evening. Here are the details, with an updated guest list and a link to donate. 36 hours before we even start, we're already over 10% of our goal.
*
*The Indians have won 14 in a row and 17 of their last 20 and have picked up just four games on the Astros in that span.
*Maybin came to Houston having hit six home runs with 22 RBIs. In six games with Houston he has three home runs and 8 RBIs. Hinch:
He's been a nice spark for us on a lot of levels. He's come in with some energy, he's come in with a ton of enthusiasm. He's a good player. We knew everybody would like him. He's obviously performing at a high level, earning more at-bats. Big swing tonight.
*Lance McCullers threw 5.1IP, 4H/3ER, 4K:1BB in his first start since July 30. He threw a first-pitch strike to just 11 of the 22 batters he faced. That said, he made it into the 6th on 76 pitches. Hinch:
He came out with a little extra adrenaline, a little extra conviction. He was going to enter the game with his best stuff and I thought he did well. There's a lot that goes into coming back after a long layoff. I was proud of him how he attacked their hitters.
*Daggum Kyle Seager hit a home run in all three games against the Astros. This season he's hitting .293/.382/.603 against Houston pitchers.
*Given two of the next five days off, Justin Verlander will next pitch on six days' rest, getting his next start on Tuesday against the Angels. If you were on the Verlander mini-season-ticket-plan, you would want tickets to the Sunday, Sept 17 game against Seattle and the Saturday, Sept 23 game against Anaheim.
*Bob Melvin, manager of the upcoming opponent A's, is happy for the Astros in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Melvin:
You understand they're playing for a little bit more and it's kind of cool to see.
*Tony DeFrancesco - the Astros' Triple-A manager since 2011 - will not return to the organization in 2018. DeFrancesco was the interim manager for 41 games in 2012 following the firing of Brad Mills, during which the Astros went 16-25 (.390). They went 39-82 (.322) under Mills. As the manager of the Oklahoma City...Somethings and the Fresno Grizzlies, DeFrancesco managed (get it) a record of 532-463 (.535). In 2015, a year after battling cancer, the Grizzlies won the PCL Championship and DeFrancesco was named Baseball America's Manager of the Year. DeFrancesco, in the Fresno Bee:
It was a great opportunity being with the Astros. Seven years with one organization is a long time. Now it's time to see what else is out there.
*Quad Cities lost G1 of their best-of-three series against Peoria on a walk-off. Michael Feliz threw a perfect first inning and Colin Moran was 1x3 with a double.
*Elizabethton shut out the Greeneville Astros 6-0 to move on to the Appalachian League championship against Pulaski. Greenville needed to win just one of the two games at Elizabethton to advance.
*How Indians reliever Nick Goody got people in Nederland to safety.
*This Delta flight out of San Juan, Puerto Rico raced Irma and won.
*The Lima Time Time Bozoathon for Harvey Relief starts TOMORROW evening. Here are the details, with an updated guest list and a link to donate. 36 hours before we even start, we're already over 10% of our goal.
*
Andre Johnson distributing cleaning supplies and a hot meal Thursday 11-2 at Fifth Ward Church of Christ: 4308 Stonewall St, Houston, TX— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 6, 2017
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Wednesday Morning Hot Links
*Approximately three minutes after I fell asleep the Astros got a two-run home run from Cameron Maybin to give Justin Verlander his first W as an Astro (the first of about 40 wins as an Astro, methinks) and beat the Mariners 3-1. The Astros are 85-53. The win eclipsed the Astros' 2016 win total, one shy of their 2015 win total. The Angels and the Indians won their 13th game in a row because the Indians can't lose. Lead on the division is still 13.5 games, and three games on Cleveland. There are 24 games remaining.
*Hinch:
We continue to add to the script that anybody on this team can really do something special for us.
*Justin Verlander threw 6IP, 6H/1ER, 7K:1BB - his 10th straight start of 6+ innings.
*Verlander:
I think the only thing I can compare it to is Opening Day kind of nerves: The unknown. Don't really want to let everyone down. New team. But these guys have made the process pretty easy on me so far fitting in and making me feel right at home as quickly as possible.
*Verlander knew that his final pitch to Haniger would be his last of the night. The result? A 99mph fastball.
I was really hoping to hit 100 there. Didn't quite get it. Honestly, just a good kind of ending to the night and to have Cam step up that next inning and hit a huge home run and for the bullpen to come in and shut it down, this is how you win tight ballgames. We had been no-hit to that point and we were still able to win this game. These are the types of games you can see in the playoffs. We scored a run without a hit. Those are the type of things that matter.
*ESPN's David Schoenfield says Verlander is just what the Astros needed and crowned him G1 ALDS starter. I hope you don't mind but I'm not going to link to every article about Verlander's fiancee.
*Joe Musgrove threw 2IP, 1H/0ER, 1K:0BB and opponents are hitting .176/.239/.259 against him since he transitioned to the bullpen.
*Ken Giles struck out the side last night for the second night in a row. Seattle has sent six batters to face Giles this series, and all six have walked back to the dugout shaking their damn heads. He hasn't allowed a run since August 10 - a span of 10 appearances. Since the All-Star Break, Giles: 22.1IP, 10H/2ER, 36K:5BB. Ridiculous.
*Carlos Correa and Cameron Maybin had the only hits, with Maybin's 7th inning two-run home run providing the margin of victory.
*The last time the Astros won a game while getting two (or fewer, I guess) hits: May 1, 2016 at Oakland. They drew 7+ walks for the 8th time of the season and are 6-2 in those games.
*Carlos Beltran - whose time in the outfield is almost certainly at a close - is over the moon about Verlander:
I faced him many, many times and he's one of the toughest pitchers in the game. He challenges hitters. He's a veteran guy, a veteran presence in the clubhouse with a lot of younger guys here. He's a leader. He works hard and based off what I have heard from other players that have called about him, it's all positive. I think the franchise should be excited to add a guy like that and we are excited.
In his career, Beltran was 1x16 with 5K:0BB against Verlander. His .125 OPS against Verlander is the lowest against any pitcher Beltran faced more than 15 times.
*Click here to read the details about Friday-Saturday's Lima Time Time Bozoathon for Harvey Relief.
*Lance McCullers makes his first start since July tonight at 9:10pm. McCullers:
You know as a pitcher there are certain things you need to work on to be the guy you want to be, to be the guy I was when I was a first-half All-Star...I know what I have to do to be that, and that's what I'm going to be working on. I'm not going to say what it is, because then the other team will be looking for it. But there are things I will be consciously working on, and I expect myself to be very good for this club.
*Evan Gattis will get a rehab start for G1 of Quad Cities' best-of-three playoff series tonight. Michael Feliz will pitch the first inning.
*As Hurricane Irma barrels towards Puerto Rico, Carlos Correa and other MLBers are thinking about their families and homes.
*It's paywalled, but Ken Rosenthal wrote about the Astros/Luhnow's place in the ongoing Scouts v. Data argument.
*ESPN's Dave Fleming wrote about the Astros monumental two-day/three-game home series against the Mets.
*The Washington Post's Neil Greenberg makes the case for the 2017 Astros offense going alongside Murderers' Row.
*Mike Lupica writes that there's nothing better than MLB's regular season.
*For all the crap I give Peter Gammons, he really is an excellent writer and he has a wonderful opening in his latest blog post that intertwines the Matisse Chapel, the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, George Springer and the 2017 Astros.
*Former Astros Great Dennis Sarfate set the Japanese saves record.
*Straight up bombshell in the New York Times yesterday as they published a detailed report accusing the Red Sox of using an Apple Watch to steal signs against the Yankees. Michael Schmidt:
The Yankees, who had long been suspicious of the Red Sox' stealing catchers' signs in Fenway Park, contended the video showed a member of the Red Sox training staff looking at his Apple Watch in the dugout. The trainer then relayed a message to other players in the dugout, who, in turn, would signal teammates on the field about the type of pitch that was about to be thrown, according to people familiar with the case.
*Hinch:
We continue to add to the script that anybody on this team can really do something special for us.
*Justin Verlander threw 6IP, 6H/1ER, 7K:1BB - his 10th straight start of 6+ innings.
*Verlander:
I think the only thing I can compare it to is Opening Day kind of nerves: The unknown. Don't really want to let everyone down. New team. But these guys have made the process pretty easy on me so far fitting in and making me feel right at home as quickly as possible.
*Verlander knew that his final pitch to Haniger would be his last of the night. The result? A 99mph fastball.
I was really hoping to hit 100 there. Didn't quite get it. Honestly, just a good kind of ending to the night and to have Cam step up that next inning and hit a huge home run and for the bullpen to come in and shut it down, this is how you win tight ballgames. We had been no-hit to that point and we were still able to win this game. These are the types of games you can see in the playoffs. We scored a run without a hit. Those are the type of things that matter.
*ESPN's David Schoenfield says Verlander is just what the Astros needed and crowned him G1 ALDS starter. I hope you don't mind but I'm not going to link to every article about Verlander's fiancee.
*Joe Musgrove threw 2IP, 1H/0ER, 1K:0BB and opponents are hitting .176/.239/.259 against him since he transitioned to the bullpen.
*Ken Giles struck out the side last night for the second night in a row. Seattle has sent six batters to face Giles this series, and all six have walked back to the dugout shaking their damn heads. He hasn't allowed a run since August 10 - a span of 10 appearances. Since the All-Star Break, Giles: 22.1IP, 10H/2ER, 36K:5BB. Ridiculous.
*Carlos Correa and Cameron Maybin had the only hits, with Maybin's 7th inning two-run home run providing the margin of victory.
*The last time the Astros won a game while getting two (or fewer, I guess) hits: May 1, 2016 at Oakland. They drew 7+ walks for the 8th time of the season and are 6-2 in those games.
*Carlos Beltran - whose time in the outfield is almost certainly at a close - is over the moon about Verlander:
I faced him many, many times and he's one of the toughest pitchers in the game. He challenges hitters. He's a veteran guy, a veteran presence in the clubhouse with a lot of younger guys here. He's a leader. He works hard and based off what I have heard from other players that have called about him, it's all positive. I think the franchise should be excited to add a guy like that and we are excited.
In his career, Beltran was 1x16 with 5K:0BB against Verlander. His .125 OPS against Verlander is the lowest against any pitcher Beltran faced more than 15 times.
*Click here to read the details about Friday-Saturday's Lima Time Time Bozoathon for Harvey Relief.
*Lance McCullers makes his first start since July tonight at 9:10pm. McCullers:
You know as a pitcher there are certain things you need to work on to be the guy you want to be, to be the guy I was when I was a first-half All-Star...I know what I have to do to be that, and that's what I'm going to be working on. I'm not going to say what it is, because then the other team will be looking for it. But there are things I will be consciously working on, and I expect myself to be very good for this club.
*Evan Gattis will get a rehab start for G1 of Quad Cities' best-of-three playoff series tonight. Michael Feliz will pitch the first inning.
*As Hurricane Irma barrels towards Puerto Rico, Carlos Correa and other MLBers are thinking about their families and homes.
*It's paywalled, but Ken Rosenthal wrote about the Astros/Luhnow's place in the ongoing Scouts v. Data argument.
*ESPN's Dave Fleming wrote about the Astros monumental two-day/three-game home series against the Mets.
*The Washington Post's Neil Greenberg makes the case for the 2017 Astros offense going alongside Murderers' Row.
*Mike Lupica writes that there's nothing better than MLB's regular season.
*For all the crap I give Peter Gammons, he really is an excellent writer and he has a wonderful opening in his latest blog post that intertwines the Matisse Chapel, the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, George Springer and the 2017 Astros.
*Former Astros Great Dennis Sarfate set the Japanese saves record.
*Straight up bombshell in the New York Times yesterday as they published a detailed report accusing the Red Sox of using an Apple Watch to steal signs against the Yankees. Michael Schmidt:
The Yankees, who had long been suspicious of the Red Sox' stealing catchers' signs in Fenway Park, contended the video showed a member of the Red Sox training staff looking at his Apple Watch in the dugout. The trainer then relayed a message to other players in the dugout, who, in turn, would signal teammates on the field about the type of pitch that was about to be thrown, according to people familiar with the case.
Monday, September 4, 2017
Monday Morning Hot Links
Good morning and happy Labor Day, a holiday given by the federal government in 1894 after workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company went on strike to protest wage cuts. They called for a boycott of all Pullman cars (which was a lot of cars), resulting in the government sending in federal troops to break up the strike, setting off a string of riots that ended up with the deaths of over 12 people. Enjoy your day off!
The Astros swept the Mets yesterday on the strength of the offense, including newcomer Cameron Maybin's 3-run home run. The pitching staff bent but didn't break in an 8-6 win. The Astros are 83-53, back to 30 games over .500 for the first time since August 8. Cleveland won for the 11th time in a row. The Angels and Red Sox lost. So the Astros' division lead is 13.5 games while their lead on the AL is still 3.0 games on Cleveland. There are 26 games remaining.
*Yesterday evening I compared the remaining schedules of the Astros and Indians.
*Houston has its first four-game winning streak since July 1-5.
*The Astros scored 24 runs in the three-game series against the Mets. They had scored 23 runs in their previous six games combined.
*George Springer hit his 31st home run of the season, giving him two in the three-game series. He had hit two home runs in his previous 32 games.
*Cameron Maybin:
It's nice, man. These guys have been doing this all year, and to be able to come in and do my part and play good defense and help manufacture runs, I'm looking forward to keeping this thing going. It's already been a fun two or three days.
*Carlos Correa was 1x3 with an RBI and a walk in his first game back from the disabled list. Hinch:
It's a big lift for us; we just added one of the best players in baseball. That's an exciting guy to get back in the middle of the order. There's a presence about having a guy like that in the middle of the field.
Correa:
I felt like a child, it was so much fun. This is the game I love to play and to be out for...almost two months it was super boring.
*Tyler White was 3x4 with two doubles. Six of his twelve hits of the season have been for extra bases.
*Jose Altuve was hitless but re-took the AL Stolen Base lead with 31 after stealing two bases yesterday. He has 26 games to hit nine home runs and join the 30/30 club.
*Josh Reddick was 2x3 with 3RBI. He was 7x12 with 6RBI in the three-game series.
*Jake Kaplan noted that Alex Bregman hit .344/.400/.605 while Correa was on the DL.
*Mike Fiers had a rough one, allowing 7H/6ER with 1K:3BB. It's the third time in his last seven starts he's walked more batters than he struck out. In his last two starts Fiers has thrown 8.1IP, 15H/14ER, 4K:6BB. I'm going to go out on a limb and say he's one of the rotation casualties at the expense of the additions of Verlander and McCullers. Fiers:
Another embarrassing start for me, getting our team off on the wrong foot. Luckily, my team is very good and responded to it well and we ended up getting the lead again. I just didn't do anything right today.
*Hinch, on Fiers:
The Verlander acquisition and the return of McCullers will put some pressure on us to make a decision.
*Hinch:
It's nice to get back on track and string some wins together. We've had a really strange week. To have us win the last two out of three series, it's a good feeling. We need to win more games to win the division, and that's what we're focused on.
Note: If the Astros go 13-13 over their last 26 games, they will win the division. Anaheim is 13.5 back with 25 to play.
*Dallas Keuchel will pitch today against the Mariners, followed by Verlander tomorrow. If there isn't any rotation juggling (which, I'm sure there will be) then Keuchel and Verlander would start the final two games against the Rangers, Keuchel would start G162 and Verlander would be in line to be the G1 starter. There will probably be some rotation juggling.
*Richard Justice writes that Verlander's move to Houston was all about winning.
*Keuchel:
'Excitement' is an understatement...When you finally make a move, it's amazing what it does for the clubhouse, what it does for the city, what it does for the community.
*Luhnow, on adding Verlander:
Adding a top-of-the-rotation caliber, All-Star, Cy Young, MVP to our club is exactly what we need to maximize our chances of not only winning this year but potentially in the years to come. We're thrilled to have him here.
Verlander:
I was just so caught in between with emotion and excitement of a new ball club, and ultimately, it came down to winning and joining an organization that's set up to win for a long time.
*This Anthony Fenech piece details the events of August 31 and how the Astros got Verlander. Lots of great details here, the best details. Notably, Verlander was nervous about Minute Maid's reputation as a bandbox, nerves that were put to rest in conversations with Jim Crane and A.J. Hinch.
*Luhnow was asked about criticism of the team following the July 31 Trade Deadline That Wasn't. Here's what he had to say:
It was tough. When we didn't make any major moves at the end of July (Ed. Note: Liriano stands with his hands firmly on his hips) people said the sky was falling and we had ruined our opportunity to win a championship and so forth. But you can't let that sort of criticism and that sort of feedback affect what you're trying to do. We've constantly kept the best interests of the Astros in mind in every decision that we make and we're going to continue to do it, whether the fans approve or Twitter approves or the media approves.
*Jenny Dial Creech writes that Verlander provides Houston - the team, and the community - a shot in the arm.
*This Hunter Atkins story on Verlander getting challenged at 13 is good.
*An AL scout:
I know they have the best record in the American League but I didn't see any way they could get through two rounds in the postseason and make it to the Series with only one starter who really strikes fear in you. They needed another top-flight starting pitcher and I think the trade will give that team a mental boost, too. They had gotten a little stale after their hot start.
*Yuli Gurriel is dealing with knee inflammation, Jake Marisnick has a sore groin after stealing a base against the Rangers, and Carlos Beltran is dealing with upper-back/neck soreness. Evan Gattis will head to Quad Cities for a rehab appearance as Quad Cities will play their regular-season finale today before starting the first round of the playoffs on Wednesday.
*Forrest Whitley threw 4IP, 2H/2ER, 6K:0BB last night for Corpus, who won in extra innings and swept a doubleheader. They will play their final game of the season today vs. San Antonio and are tied with Midland for the final playoff spot.
*The Astros seem to have offered Colin Moran as the centerpiece of the failed Zach Britton deal. Moran is on a rehab assignment with Quad Cities.
*Jon Heyman writes that the Rangers started out Yu Darvish negotiations by asking for their top prospects, but came down to a set of "good A-ball" players. Houston offered David Paulino, who is on the suspended list.
*Hey Houston, uh, watch out for mosquitos.
*Harvey: Terror, heartbreak, and heroism. Harvey told through five Houstonians. This is one of the most powerful things you'll read today (if you haven't read it already).
The Astros swept the Mets yesterday on the strength of the offense, including newcomer Cameron Maybin's 3-run home run. The pitching staff bent but didn't break in an 8-6 win. The Astros are 83-53, back to 30 games over .500 for the first time since August 8. Cleveland won for the 11th time in a row. The Angels and Red Sox lost. So the Astros' division lead is 13.5 games while their lead on the AL is still 3.0 games on Cleveland. There are 26 games remaining.
*Yesterday evening I compared the remaining schedules of the Astros and Indians.
*Houston has its first four-game winning streak since July 1-5.
*The Astros scored 24 runs in the three-game series against the Mets. They had scored 23 runs in their previous six games combined.
*George Springer hit his 31st home run of the season, giving him two in the three-game series. He had hit two home runs in his previous 32 games.
*Cameron Maybin:
It's nice, man. These guys have been doing this all year, and to be able to come in and do my part and play good defense and help manufacture runs, I'm looking forward to keeping this thing going. It's already been a fun two or three days.
*Carlos Correa was 1x3 with an RBI and a walk in his first game back from the disabled list. Hinch:
It's a big lift for us; we just added one of the best players in baseball. That's an exciting guy to get back in the middle of the order. There's a presence about having a guy like that in the middle of the field.
Correa:
I felt like a child, it was so much fun. This is the game I love to play and to be out for...almost two months it was super boring.
*Tyler White was 3x4 with two doubles. Six of his twelve hits of the season have been for extra bases.
*Jose Altuve was hitless but re-took the AL Stolen Base lead with 31 after stealing two bases yesterday. He has 26 games to hit nine home runs and join the 30/30 club.
*Josh Reddick was 2x3 with 3RBI. He was 7x12 with 6RBI in the three-game series.
*Jake Kaplan noted that Alex Bregman hit .344/.400/.605 while Correa was on the DL.
*Mike Fiers had a rough one, allowing 7H/6ER with 1K:3BB. It's the third time in his last seven starts he's walked more batters than he struck out. In his last two starts Fiers has thrown 8.1IP, 15H/14ER, 4K:6BB. I'm going to go out on a limb and say he's one of the rotation casualties at the expense of the additions of Verlander and McCullers. Fiers:
Another embarrassing start for me, getting our team off on the wrong foot. Luckily, my team is very good and responded to it well and we ended up getting the lead again. I just didn't do anything right today.
*Hinch, on Fiers:
The Verlander acquisition and the return of McCullers will put some pressure on us to make a decision.
*Hinch:
It's nice to get back on track and string some wins together. We've had a really strange week. To have us win the last two out of three series, it's a good feeling. We need to win more games to win the division, and that's what we're focused on.
Note: If the Astros go 13-13 over their last 26 games, they will win the division. Anaheim is 13.5 back with 25 to play.
*Dallas Keuchel will pitch today against the Mariners, followed by Verlander tomorrow. If there isn't any rotation juggling (which, I'm sure there will be) then Keuchel and Verlander would start the final two games against the Rangers, Keuchel would start G162 and Verlander would be in line to be the G1 starter. There will probably be some rotation juggling.
*Richard Justice writes that Verlander's move to Houston was all about winning.
*Keuchel:
'Excitement' is an understatement...When you finally make a move, it's amazing what it does for the clubhouse, what it does for the city, what it does for the community.
*Luhnow, on adding Verlander:
Adding a top-of-the-rotation caliber, All-Star, Cy Young, MVP to our club is exactly what we need to maximize our chances of not only winning this year but potentially in the years to come. We're thrilled to have him here.
Verlander:
I was just so caught in between with emotion and excitement of a new ball club, and ultimately, it came down to winning and joining an organization that's set up to win for a long time.
*This Anthony Fenech piece details the events of August 31 and how the Astros got Verlander. Lots of great details here, the best details. Notably, Verlander was nervous about Minute Maid's reputation as a bandbox, nerves that were put to rest in conversations with Jim Crane and A.J. Hinch.
*Luhnow was asked about criticism of the team following the July 31 Trade Deadline That Wasn't. Here's what he had to say:
It was tough. When we didn't make any major moves at the end of July (Ed. Note: Liriano stands with his hands firmly on his hips) people said the sky was falling and we had ruined our opportunity to win a championship and so forth. But you can't let that sort of criticism and that sort of feedback affect what you're trying to do. We've constantly kept the best interests of the Astros in mind in every decision that we make and we're going to continue to do it, whether the fans approve or Twitter approves or the media approves.
*Jenny Dial Creech writes that Verlander provides Houston - the team, and the community - a shot in the arm.
*This Hunter Atkins story on Verlander getting challenged at 13 is good.
*An AL scout:
I know they have the best record in the American League but I didn't see any way they could get through two rounds in the postseason and make it to the Series with only one starter who really strikes fear in you. They needed another top-flight starting pitcher and I think the trade will give that team a mental boost, too. They had gotten a little stale after their hot start.
*Yuli Gurriel is dealing with knee inflammation, Jake Marisnick has a sore groin after stealing a base against the Rangers, and Carlos Beltran is dealing with upper-back/neck soreness. Evan Gattis will head to Quad Cities for a rehab appearance as Quad Cities will play their regular-season finale today before starting the first round of the playoffs on Wednesday.
*Forrest Whitley threw 4IP, 2H/2ER, 6K:0BB last night for Corpus, who won in extra innings and swept a doubleheader. They will play their final game of the season today vs. San Antonio and are tied with Midland for the final playoff spot.
*The Astros seem to have offered Colin Moran as the centerpiece of the failed Zach Britton deal. Moran is on a rehab assignment with Quad Cities.
*Jon Heyman writes that the Rangers started out Yu Darvish negotiations by asking for their top prospects, but came down to a set of "good A-ball" players. Houston offered David Paulino, who is on the suspended list.
*Hey Houston, uh, watch out for mosquitos.
*Harvey: Terror, heartbreak, and heroism. Harvey told through five Houstonians. This is one of the most powerful things you'll read today (if you haven't read it already).
Friday, September 1, 2017
Thursday Morning Hot Links
Well yesterday sure was something. The Astros scored three runs in the 8th inning to beat the South Oklahoma Rangers of Arlington 5-1 and then added Justin Verlander last night at the actual last possible minute. The Astros are 80-53. The Astros have an 11.5-game lead on the Angels for the division, and a 3.5-game lead on the Indians for the AL's best record. There are 29 games left.
*Jon Heyman begrudgingly fist-bumped the Astros:
The Astros, who've taken hits for being cautious in trades and kept their biggest prospect off-limits in all other deals, made the bold move their critics figured they'd never make, landing exactly the kind of big-time pitcher they needed for a team that's talented but whose best starting pitchers haven't proved their durability yet.
*Ken Rosenthal:
No player, no trade, no team can fix the wreckage left by Hurricane Harvey. But the addition of Verlander sure helps on the field. Maybe, just maybe, it will provide a figurative ray of sunshine off the field as well.
*Bob Nightengale reports that the Tigers will pay $8m annually for the rest of Verlander's contract, putting the Astros on the hook for $20m in 2018 and 2019. Buster Olney says the Astros' triggering his option for 2020 was not part of the deal.
As soon as my nipples die down we'll have a post on the financial impact of adding $20m to the payroll.
*JJ Cooper writes that both sides benefited from this deal. You can read his thoughts on Perez, Cameron, and Rogers.
*Because I need to get ready for work, here's my initial thoughts after four and a half hours of sleep:
This was the deal the Astros had to make. I don't know how much impact the hurricane had on the decision-making process, but the Astros will get today off to see their families and help out the community and go into what ought to be a raucous Minute Maid Park for a doubleheader on Saturday with Verlander in the dugout. This is a massive addition, a shot in the arms of the team and the city. Franklin Perez might turn out to be one of MLB's best pitchers but for a team that had been dragging ass since the trade deadline, this is the September Surprise they need. For everyone focused on winning multiple World Series titles, you have to win the first one first. If it backfires, no one can blame the front office. Trading for Verlander isn't a Kazmir/Gomez deal where you think, "If things break right, this might be okay." This is a slam dunk decision. Now I'm off to focus on my breathing.
The Astros finished August with an 11-17 record, after having lost 17 of their first 59 games of the season. They entered August with a 69-36 record, a 16-game lead in the division, and an 11.5-game lead on the Yankees for the best record in the AL. They dropped eight games in the AL standings this month. Glad it's over, for many reasons.
The Game
First things first. Collin McHugh labored through 4.2IP, needing 91 pitches to hold the Rangers to 4H/1R (0ER), 3K:2BB. McHugh:
It's been a tough week. Obviously, we're really fortunate in so many ways, to have been able to escape the devastation that's actually happened in Houston. We've been away for a while, and we're all ready to get back home.
Devenski, who threw 2.1 scoreless IPs:
It's been tough on me because, in all reality, we should be there. We should have been there from the start of this.
A.J. Hinch got himself ejected for the first time this season arguing a catcher's interference call with home plate umpire Chris Segal when hey what's this here comes Joe West for some reason to save the day and toss Hinch. Hinch:
I understand he's protecting a younger umpire, but there was really no business for Joe to be involved in the argument. I didn't say anything that was necessary to get thrown out by the home plate umpires, and then Joe got involved and decided I was done for the day. It was just unnecessary.
*Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, and J.D. Davis had two hits each. Derek Fisher came in for Carlos Beltran after he got hit in the foot and delivered a 2-run single. In August, Fisher was 10x61 with two extra-base hits. Beltran:
Good win. The most important thing is that we're going home and we're going to have a chance to be with our families, hopefully bring a little bit of joy to the city. A lot of people are going through tough times.
Prediction: There will be at least four Astros on paternity leave come Summer 2018.
The Move(s)
*The Astros claimed Cameron Maybin off waivers yesterday. He doesn't hit a whole lot (.235/.333/.351 for the Angels this season, but he leads the AL with 29 stolen bases and will be a solid defensive replacement/pinch runner come October. McHugh:
He's a great athlete. We've seen him against us; I think he stole about 14 bases against us in a series. To have a guy like that - not only just another veteran presence, but a guy with athleticism and a guy who has been there before - I think it will be huge.
Story checks out. In the June 9-11 series (Maybin played on June 9 and 11), he was 5x8 with two walks and six stolen bases.
Hinch:
I said I got ejected just so I could make the call once we traded for him. I've got history with Cam; he's a great human, fun guy to be on our team. He's got a ton of speed and can play all three outfield positions. I'll work him in.
It's a straight salary dump by the Angels, so the Astros will pay him about $1.6m for the rest of the season.
*The Astros DFA'd Dayan Diaz.
*Oh yeah, and then at the literal last minute they could possibly add him to the team, the Astros traded Franklin Perez, Daz Cameron, and Jake Rogers to the Tigers for Justin Verlander. Verlander and Upton wanted to go to the Cubs, but Tigers officials - who were at Verlander's home - told him the Cubs weren't offering enough. Jon Morosi has the breathless, sweaty/shaky hands details:
If you're going anywhere, the Tigers told Verlander, it's going to be Houston. With barely a minute to spare, Verlander agreed to leave the only organization he's ever known.
*The deal was reported 18 minutes after the official deadline. Leading to super-stupid takes from idiots like this:
JUSTIN VERLANDER YOU CAN GO TO HELL, I HOPE YOU GET TO BE THE BEST PITCHER ON A 65-WIN TEAM AND I HOPE YOUR GIRL LEAVES YOU— Thickie Don (@AstrosCounty) September 1, 2017
/yawns Astros Twitter is so stupid.Cole Hamels and Justin Verlander can drink whiskey sours in the saddest, most scabies-ridden nightclub in America for all I care— Thickie Don (@AstrosCounty) September 1, 2017
*Lookit Jim Crane being all snarky:
We thought the deal was dead. We had tried previously. He's a quality pitcher. I think he's excited to come. He was a little reluctant and eventually made the right decision. We got him for a couple of more years and the team's intact.
*I guess lots of people think his fiancee is pretty.
*ESPN's David Schoenfield:
Given the unfathomable damage Hurricane Harvey has caused in Houston, the Astros will become America's Team as they go for the first World Series title, a rallying cry for the city and symbol of hope, much like the Yankees in 2001 after 9/11 and the Red Sox in 2013 after the Boston Marathon bombing.
— Josh Reddick (@RealJoshReddick) September 1, 2017
*Jon Heyman begrudgingly fist-bumped the Astros:
The Astros, who've taken hits for being cautious in trades and kept their biggest prospect off-limits in all other deals, made the bold move their critics figured they'd never make, landing exactly the kind of big-time pitcher they needed for a team that's talented but whose best starting pitchers haven't proved their durability yet.
*Ken Rosenthal:
No player, no trade, no team can fix the wreckage left by Hurricane Harvey. But the addition of Verlander sure helps on the field. Maybe, just maybe, it will provide a figurative ray of sunshine off the field as well.
*Bob Nightengale reports that the Tigers will pay $8m annually for the rest of Verlander's contract, putting the Astros on the hook for $20m in 2018 and 2019. Buster Olney says the Astros' triggering his option for 2020 was not part of the deal.
As soon as my nipples die down we'll have a post on the financial impact of adding $20m to the payroll.
*JJ Cooper writes that both sides benefited from this deal. You can read his thoughts on Perez, Cameron, and Rogers.
Nice work Astros. Where farm system depth kicks in. Have an equivalent or better prospect for each guy they traded.— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) September 1, 2017
*Because I need to get ready for work, here's my initial thoughts after four and a half hours of sleep:
This was the deal the Astros had to make. I don't know how much impact the hurricane had on the decision-making process, but the Astros will get today off to see their families and help out the community and go into what ought to be a raucous Minute Maid Park for a doubleheader on Saturday with Verlander in the dugout. This is a massive addition, a shot in the arms of the team and the city. Franklin Perez might turn out to be one of MLB's best pitchers but for a team that had been dragging ass since the trade deadline, this is the September Surprise they need. For everyone focused on winning multiple World Series titles, you have to win the first one first. If it backfires, no one can blame the front office. Trading for Verlander isn't a Kazmir/Gomez deal where you think, "If things break right, this might be okay." This is a slam dunk decision. Now I'm off to focus on my breathing.
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