I mean...So the thing is...What happened last night was...
Justin Verlander pitched a great game and the Astros' offense has yet to really figure it out. Hats off to 44-year old Bartolo Colon, who was perfect through seven innings despite only throwing fastballs topping out around 91mph. Good work, Astros hitters [eyes roll out of head]. Over the course of a 162-game season there are going to be some silly stretches. But to be able to play at home - in two primetime slots - against your rival who, shall we say, is not projected to be anywhere near as good as your projection and still get shut down? These were two dumb losses.
The Rangers are 3-4 against the Astros. They're 3-7 against everybody else. Check Jexas' recap of this three-game stupidity.
And yet the Astros are still 10-6. The rotation is still rolling along doing incredible things. It's just...not happening on offense, at least not clustering hits together that results in this unfortunate stat called Runs that is used to determine the winner of the game.
*Verlander threw 8IP, 1H/1ER, 11K:1BB. Verlander:
It's fun, but at the same time, you're hoping for some runs there. He was painting. It's like, what are you going to do? You're going to tip your cap. He did an excellent job tonight keeping our guys off balance and not giving anyone anything to hit.
-His 86 Game Score is the sixth game this season in which the Astros have gotten a 70+ out of their starting pitcher.
-It's the highest Game Score by an Astros pitcher since Verlander's 88 on September 12, 2017 against Anaheim.
-It's the first time the Astros have lost a game while getting an 80+ from a starting pitcher since September 29, 2013, when Erik Bedard posted an 80 in a 14-inning 5-1 loss to the Yankees.
-It's the highest Game Score by an Astros pitcher with a loss since Roger Clemens threw an 87 in a 1-0 loss to Pittsburgh on August 13, 2005.
Astros record since the beginning of the 2000 season, when getting a 80+ Game Score start: 59-7.
*MLB.com has some "cool" stats about last night's pitching duel.
*6-7-8-9 in the lineup last night: 0x15, with Gurriel's sac fly. Correa:
It's about time to turn on the hitting machines on this clubhouse. There's a lot of guys here that can do a lot of damage and we haven't been able to do that, but we've been there where we start slow and pick up the pace. For us, that time is now.
*Josh Reddick noted to Jake Kaplan in The Athletic ($) how quiet the Astros' dugout was:
It was actually pretty surprisingly quiet for our dugout, the way we're usually rowdy and going about it. Usually you hear a bunch of people saying, 'He's got a no-hitter going. He's got a perfect game going.' But we didn't hear that a whole lot.
*Robinson Chirinos accounted for all Rangers runs last night with a solo home run, and the two-run double in the 10th. He went 3x5 with 2HR/4RBI. He was 3x29 with two doubles and 18 strikeouts coming into this dumb series.
*The Astros are 12-19 since the beginning of the 2015 season at home against the Rangers.
*With a 101 wRC+, 15th in MLB, the Astros' offense has been perfectly average. Their .371 SLG ranks 20th in MLB, 10th in the American League.
*Games that were postponed yesterday: Blue Jays @ Indians, Yankees @ Tigers (both games), White Sox @ Twins, Angels @ Royals, Braves @ Cubs. Shohei Ohtani seems to be pitching every Sunday. With yesterday's postponement in Kansas City, he'll now pitch on Tuesday. If the Angels follow the once-a-week turn for Ohtani, it lines him up to pitch in Houston on April 24.
*Buster Olney writes about how the Astros/Angels rivalry could be one of the best in baseball.
*I spent way too much time on that Game Score thing, so now I have to get in the shower and hustle out the door without breakfast despite having been up since 4:45am.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Showing posts with label Game Scores. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Game Scores. Show all posts
Monday, April 16, 2018
Thursday, May 8, 2014
From the Office of the County Clerk - G34: Astros @ Tigers
Brad Peacock (0-2, 5.26) against Rick Porcello (4-1, 3.66)
Cockroach has called in sick to the Astros County offices tonight. He left a quick message with Cynthia and Betty, our Reception staff, saying that he had Smallpox, and despite the Disappointment of the Masses, can Masked do the game recap? Apparently, he will be back tomorrow.
Another one of those games for the Astros, tonight, as they lose a close one 3-2. The Astros don't have a heck of a lot of Elite Talent, and any Elite Talent they may have is not helped by a lineup with more holes than swiss cheese. What we did see tonight was what a small infusion of Elite Talent can do - the aforementioned talent was the difference in the game, but the Astros get close in a well-played ballgame. A number of plays could have turned it either way. Just missing a wee spark.
Notably, George Springer finally made contact with his first major-league home run. Pity he was wearing a glove at the time, rather than wielding a bat. Read below for more on Springer - the game of Baseball is not treating him kindly at the moment...
And, like some baseball games, a small smattering of Things That You Don't See Everyday. Like Batters Interference!! Read on for more information (... but not about Batters Interference).
On the Mound:
Brad Peacock got the start, and struggled early with fastball command. He threw 24 pitches in the first, but settled down in the second to go 6.2 innings in a total of 105 pitches. The best quick way of describing his lack of FB command?? Eleven out of 28 first-pitch strikes.
Mr Peacock got himself in an early 2-0 hole when he walked Ian Kinsler on a 3-2 count, then, with one out, Miguel Cabrera (Elite Talent) engaged in a bit of Professional Hitting, taking a low and inside sinking fastball from Brad Peacock, and depositing it just over the 365' sign in Right Centre. Springer nearly made the catch to rob Miggy, but the ball bounced off the little-finger side of his glove - I thought he made a great effort to get as close as he did.
The home run was a gut-punch for the fans (and very probably the players) after losing a close one yesterday. This made the predictable "you-can't-put-a-shift-on-Cabrera-unless-you-put-a-man-in-the-right-field-seats" low-blow from the Tigers broadcast team even more unpalatable. Yes, the Astros shift a lot. Who cares.
Note is made of the game-time drizzle that did not allow for on-field BP, and made the ball a bit wet for the first few innings. By the time it dried out, the Astros were in a hole from which they were not able to dig themselves out of.
Mr Peacock settled down, allowing 1 walk and 2 singles until the top of the sixth, when Victor Martinez (Elite Talent) involved himself in another piece of Professional Hitting. He took a letter-high fastball and put it about 4 rows into the RF seats. Bo Porter later said (words to the effect of) "how in the name of molasses did he even hit that pitch!"* 5 outs (and one walk) later, Mr Peacock's night was done. Final line: 6.2IP, 4H, 3R/ER, 4BB, 4K, 2HRs allowed. Another Quality Start without a win for an Astros starter.
* - not an actual quote
(as an aside, V-Mart is as good as any non-Tulo player in baseball right now. Last 7 days: 9-23 (.391), 5BB, 5R, 5RBI, 3x2B, 2HR. He is a Professional Hitter)
Then the 'penmelted down again threw a combined scoreless outing. Newly called up Josh Zeid struck out Torii Hunter on a nasty running fastball for the last out of the 7th, and Chad Qualls pitched a scoreless 8th, giving up a harmless, 2-out single. Yay. Scoreless outing.
At the Plate:
The Astros scraped one across in the 3rd, and another in the 7th to draw within one run. The game finished with a Joe Nathan strikeout of Matt Dominguez with Jonathan Villar on third base, having pinch-ran for Marc Krauss and stolen second and third. (Villar's steal of third was awesome - he took the base standing up, and Alex Avila could have easily thrown it in to left field as Castellanos was slow to cover the base).
In the third, Marwin Gonzalez (getting the start for Villar at short) led off with a double which went all the way to the wall. He then went to third on a RF flyout (on an elevated curveball - a pitch that was asking to be punished) from Jose Altuve, and scored on a Dexter Fowler groundout to second.
In the seventh, Krauss smoked a ringing 2-out double, Dominguez then singled him to third with a ball that dropped just in front of Torii Hunter. Hunter then threw home, and it was a fairly weak effort that skipped away from Alex Avila, but was fielded by Rick Porcello, backing up. Krauss got a bad jump on Dominguez's sinking liner, and Dominguez failed to got to second when Hunter missed / made no effort to throw to the cutoff man. With the ball skipping away, he would have definitely been safe, but he would also run the risk of a two-out TOOTBLAN.
Seems all pretty insignificant until Marwin (involved in all Astros runs today) smoked a single through the right side, which would probably have scored both runs if Dominguez was standing on second. That said, the available TV camera angles gave no clue as to how far down the 1B line Dominguez was when Hunter was throwing home, but I believe he had made the turn at first. Who knows what could've been.
Marc Krauss (1-2, R, 2B, 2BB) and Gonzalez (2-2, R, 2B, RBI) had the best nights. Gonzalez also made a stunning play in the 6th on an Alex Avila broken-bat line drive in the 6th, running away from first whilst scooping behind second base, then firing a great throw to gun Avila down by a step.
Villar did a great job of stealing second and third when pinch-running in the ninth.
George Springer probably warrants his own mention here. I (somewhat unfairly) made a joke about him finally connecting with a ML HR above, but it was a fabulous effort to get to the point of nearly making the catch. He was also brutally unlucky on a foul-tip strikeout in the second, when the ball ran in and took the underside of the barrel of the bat on a check-swing. Avila somehow hung on. He hit a hard grounder for a single into the 5.5 hole in the fourth. In the seventh, he was the victim of a horrible, horrible check-swing call from the hole-plate ump, who declined to ask for help from the 1B ump. Alex Avila half-heartedly asked for an appeal to first - while Springer was enthusiastically rung up by HP Ump Seth Buckminster. I have no trouble with incorrect check-swing calls - you win some, you lose some - but I think it is borderline inexcusable when the HP ump gets them wrong whilst not asking for help from his comrades at first or third.
Anyhow, George looks like he is pressing at the moment, and while this just simply looks like another 1-4, 3K game, it could so easily have been a web-gem, multi-hit game. Hang in there George, and keep trying to have fun. Some days, you are the Mexican; other days, you are the Piñata.
Turning Point:
The 'stros had something going in the 5th. Dominguez flew out, then Marwin walked on four straight. First pitch and Gonzalez is off and running for second. Altuve hits a solid line drive up the middle... but in a horrible it's-not-our-day moment, Kinsler breaks to cover second on Marwin's steal, then has the luxury of standing on second to field Altuve's hit, and lobs it to first to end the inning.
Who knows, Kinsler may have fielded it and flicked to short for the DP regardless, but if that line drive of Altuve's gets through, it is men on first-and-second, one-out, heart-of-the-order stuff. Frick!
Man of the Match:
Marwin is making a bid for more playing time, going 2-2 with a run, RBI, double and a web gem (although Alan Ashby says it is Altuve in the clip - Altuve was actually standing in shallow RF)
Hopefully Mr Roach is recovering from Smallpox, and will be back tomorrow. Thanks for reading.
Cockroach has called in sick to the Astros County offices tonight. He left a quick message with Cynthia and Betty, our Reception staff, saying that he had Smallpox, and despite the Disappointment of the Masses, can Masked do the game recap? Apparently, he will be back tomorrow.
Another one of those games for the Astros, tonight, as they lose a close one 3-2. The Astros don't have a heck of a lot of Elite Talent, and any Elite Talent they may have is not helped by a lineup with more holes than swiss cheese. What we did see tonight was what a small infusion of Elite Talent can do - the aforementioned talent was the difference in the game, but the Astros get close in a well-played ballgame. A number of plays could have turned it either way. Just missing a wee spark.
Notably, George Springer finally made contact with his first major-league home run. Pity he was wearing a glove at the time, rather than wielding a bat. Read below for more on Springer - the game of Baseball is not treating him kindly at the moment...
And, like some baseball games, a small smattering of Things That You Don't See Everyday. Like Batters Interference!! Read on for more information (... but not about Batters Interference).
On the Mound:
Brad Peacock got the start, and struggled early with fastball command. He threw 24 pitches in the first, but settled down in the second to go 6.2 innings in a total of 105 pitches. The best quick way of describing his lack of FB command?? Eleven out of 28 first-pitch strikes.
Mr Peacock got himself in an early 2-0 hole when he walked Ian Kinsler on a 3-2 count, then, with one out, Miguel Cabrera (Elite Talent) engaged in a bit of Professional Hitting, taking a low and inside sinking fastball from Brad Peacock, and depositing it just over the 365' sign in Right Centre. Springer nearly made the catch to rob Miggy, but the ball bounced off the little-finger side of his glove - I thought he made a great effort to get as close as he did.
The home run was a gut-punch for the fans (and very probably the players) after losing a close one yesterday. This made the predictable "you-can't-put-a-shift-on-Cabrera-unless-you-put-a-man-in-the-right-field-seats" low-blow from the Tigers broadcast team even more unpalatable. Yes, the Astros shift a lot. Who cares.
Note is made of the game-time drizzle that did not allow for on-field BP, and made the ball a bit wet for the first few innings. By the time it dried out, the Astros were in a hole from which they were not able to dig themselves out of.
Mr Peacock settled down, allowing 1 walk and 2 singles until the top of the sixth, when Victor Martinez (Elite Talent) involved himself in another piece of Professional Hitting. He took a letter-high fastball and put it about 4 rows into the RF seats. Bo Porter later said (words to the effect of) "how in the name of molasses did he even hit that pitch!"* 5 outs (and one walk) later, Mr Peacock's night was done. Final line: 6.2IP, 4H, 3R/ER, 4BB, 4K, 2HRs allowed. Another Quality Start without a win for an Astros starter.
* - not an actual quote
(as an aside, V-Mart is as good as any non-Tulo player in baseball right now. Last 7 days: 9-23 (.391), 5BB, 5R, 5RBI, 3x2B, 2HR. He is a Professional Hitter)
Then the 'pen
At the Plate:
The Astros scraped one across in the 3rd, and another in the 7th to draw within one run. The game finished with a Joe Nathan strikeout of Matt Dominguez with Jonathan Villar on third base, having pinch-ran for Marc Krauss and stolen second and third. (Villar's steal of third was awesome - he took the base standing up, and Alex Avila could have easily thrown it in to left field as Castellanos was slow to cover the base).
In the third, Marwin Gonzalez (getting the start for Villar at short) led off with a double which went all the way to the wall. He then went to third on a RF flyout (on an elevated curveball - a pitch that was asking to be punished) from Jose Altuve, and scored on a Dexter Fowler groundout to second.
In the seventh, Krauss smoked a ringing 2-out double, Dominguez then singled him to third with a ball that dropped just in front of Torii Hunter. Hunter then threw home, and it was a fairly weak effort that skipped away from Alex Avila, but was fielded by Rick Porcello, backing up. Krauss got a bad jump on Dominguez's sinking liner, and Dominguez failed to got to second when Hunter missed / made no effort to throw to the cutoff man. With the ball skipping away, he would have definitely been safe, but he would also run the risk of a two-out TOOTBLAN.
Seems all pretty insignificant until Marwin (involved in all Astros runs today) smoked a single through the right side, which would probably have scored both runs if Dominguez was standing on second. That said, the available TV camera angles gave no clue as to how far down the 1B line Dominguez was when Hunter was throwing home, but I believe he had made the turn at first. Who knows what could've been.
Marc Krauss (1-2, R, 2B, 2BB) and Gonzalez (2-2, R, 2B, RBI) had the best nights. Gonzalez also made a stunning play in the 6th on an Alex Avila broken-bat line drive in the 6th, running away from first whilst scooping behind second base, then firing a great throw to gun Avila down by a step.
Villar did a great job of stealing second and third when pinch-running in the ninth.
George Springer probably warrants his own mention here. I (somewhat unfairly) made a joke about him finally connecting with a ML HR above, but it was a fabulous effort to get to the point of nearly making the catch. He was also brutally unlucky on a foul-tip strikeout in the second, when the ball ran in and took the underside of the barrel of the bat on a check-swing. Avila somehow hung on. He hit a hard grounder for a single into the 5.5 hole in the fourth. In the seventh, he was the victim of a horrible, horrible check-swing call from the hole-plate ump, who declined to ask for help from the 1B ump. Alex Avila half-heartedly asked for an appeal to first - while Springer was enthusiastically rung up by HP Ump Seth Buckminster. I have no trouble with incorrect check-swing calls - you win some, you lose some - but I think it is borderline inexcusable when the HP ump gets them wrong whilst not asking for help from his comrades at first or third.
Anyhow, George looks like he is pressing at the moment, and while this just simply looks like another 1-4, 3K game, it could so easily have been a web-gem, multi-hit game. Hang in there George, and keep trying to have fun. Some days, you are the Mexican; other days, you are the Piñata.
Turning Point:
The 'stros had something going in the 5th. Dominguez flew out, then Marwin walked on four straight. First pitch and Gonzalez is off and running for second. Altuve hits a solid line drive up the middle... but in a horrible it's-not-our-day moment, Kinsler breaks to cover second on Marwin's steal, then has the luxury of standing on second to field Altuve's hit, and lobs it to first to end the inning.
Who knows, Kinsler may have fielded it and flicked to short for the DP regardless, but if that line drive of Altuve's gets through, it is men on first-and-second, one-out, heart-of-the-order stuff. Frick!
Man of the Match:
Marwin is making a bid for more playing time, going 2-2 with a run, RBI, double and a web gem (although Alan Ashby says it is Altuve in the clip - Altuve was actually standing in shallow RF)
Hopefully Mr Roach is recovering from Smallpox, and will be back tomorrow. Thanks for reading.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
The Houston Astros: Everybody's Homecoming Team
In trying to get a handle on just how accommodating the Astros' offense is, I thought we might take a look at opposing pitcher Game Scores. If you need a little refresher on Game Scores, then by all means, click here. Basically, a Game Score of 50 or higher means that the pitcher - essentially - threw a quality start.
The highest game score for an opposing starting pitcher came courtesy of Mat Latos, in Friday night's G29 vs. Padres, in which his Game Score was 87. The lowest game score was Pittsburgh pitcher Charlie Morton's G18 turd, in which the Astros won 10-3, and Morton recorded a 29 game score.
The average Game Score for opposing starting pitchers is, incredibly, 60.4. Of the Astros' 30 games, the opposing pitcher threw a quality start in 25 games. The following pitchers threw their best game of the season against the Astros:
Mat Latos (May 7), 87
Adam Wainwright (Apr 12) - though he tied his 76 in his next start vs. Mets
Jon Garland (May 8), 74
Tommy Hanson (April 30), 73
Ryan Dempster (April 18), 73
Brad Penny (April 14), 73
Carlos Silva (April 16), 68
Rodrigo Lopez (May 5), 66
Mike Leake (April 28), 66
J.A. Happ (April 9), 58 - though he has only made two starts this season
This is incredible. Ten of 30 starting pitchers had their "best game" of the season against the Astros' offense.
As a point of comparison, the Astros' rotation is averaging a 48.8 game score. Here are your averages for the five SPs:
Roy: 60.3 (High - 73: April 17 @ Chicago)
Myers: 51.3 (High - 68: April 14 @ St Louis)
Paulino: 48 (High - 72: May 8 v. San Diego)
Wandy: 44.5 (High - 68: April 24 v. Pittsburgh)
Norris: 40 (High - 63: April 15 @ St. Louis)
The highest game score for an opposing starting pitcher came courtesy of Mat Latos, in Friday night's G29 vs. Padres, in which his Game Score was 87. The lowest game score was Pittsburgh pitcher Charlie Morton's G18 turd, in which the Astros won 10-3, and Morton recorded a 29 game score.
The average Game Score for opposing starting pitchers is, incredibly, 60.4. Of the Astros' 30 games, the opposing pitcher threw a quality start in 25 games. The following pitchers threw their best game of the season against the Astros:
Mat Latos (May 7), 87
Adam Wainwright (Apr 12) - though he tied his 76 in his next start vs. Mets
Jon Garland (May 8), 74
Tommy Hanson (April 30), 73
Ryan Dempster (April 18), 73
Brad Penny (April 14), 73
Carlos Silva (April 16), 68
Rodrigo Lopez (May 5), 66
Mike Leake (April 28), 66
J.A. Happ (April 9), 58 - though he has only made two starts this season
This is incredible. Ten of 30 starting pitchers had their "best game" of the season against the Astros' offense.
As a point of comparison, the Astros' rotation is averaging a 48.8 game score. Here are your averages for the five SPs:
Roy: 60.3 (High - 73: April 17 @ Chicago)
Myers: 51.3 (High - 68: April 14 @ St Louis)
Paulino: 48 (High - 72: May 8 v. San Diego)
Wandy: 44.5 (High - 68: April 24 v. Pittsburgh)
Norris: 40 (High - 63: April 15 @ St. Louis)
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