Monday Morning Hot Links

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💨*WHOOSH*💨

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*laptop opens*

*knuckles crack*

*Google Chrome start and traverses to the AstrosCounty.com Admin Page*

*new post starts*

Monday Morning Hot Links

Hey guys, Flick here reporting back from spring break and ready to do Hot Links once again! Thanks to James for doing the Hot Links for me all last week so I could catch up on my sleep and forget what it was like to have responsibilities. And now, whether you like it or not, I am back and ready to resume the normal Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule I have been on for the last several months.

The Astros defeated the Atlanta Braves yesterday 7-3. The MLB actually suspended A.J. Hinch for this Spring Training game after his scuffle with Angel Hernandez. 

Notes:

Fisher 1/3, 2 BB, 1 SB

Bregman 2/3

De Goti 1/2, 2 RBI

Tanielu 1/2, 2 RBI

Valdez 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

They were wearing this.

The Astros play the Phillies tomorrow at 12:05 CST. Gerrit Cole will be making the start for Houston.

Cy Sneed and Jamie Ritchie were optioned to Minor League Camp.

Verlander pitched in a infielderless minor league game yesterday while the team was doing their own thing. His line? 

6.2 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 10 K

A.J. is really actually considering having Josh Reddick play first.

Forrest Whitley had an impressive Spring, but now it's time to wind down.

Here are some of the best Astros players to carry on your fantasy team this year.  

It's March. It's Mad™. In honor of this, there is a big tournament on Twitter where fans decide the best baseball player of all time. Keep up with the thread here.

A New Jersey man returned his library book 53 years past its return date.

A cow was seeking shelter in a Chick-Fil-A approximately 30 minutes from my house.

I very rarely do musical selections, but I just finished a game on my PS4 called Transistor over break, and I found what is quite probably my favorite vocal track from any video game I've ever played (and I've played a lot of video games). It has been stuck in my head all week, and I would like to share it with you.

Tuesday Morning Hot Links

And a happy New Year to you, fellow fans of the World Champion Houston Astros.

*A.J. Hinch:
We're still smiling and still celebrating, but I'm going to be the guy that has to tell these guys to flip the script and get on to 2018. We won't be any less hungry or any less motivated to try to do it again. 

Click the link for five key questions as the Astros try to repeat in 2018.

*Justin Verlander needs 12 wins and 84 strikeouts to reach 200 and 2500, respectively. Jose Altuve needs 16 home runs and 39 runs scored to reach 100 and 600, respectively.

*Each Astro got about $438,000 as their playoff share.

*There were 19 minor-league games in 2017 in which a player (wink) hit for the cycle. Corpus' Jamie Ritchie was the only one to do it and lose.

*With the Bills going to the playoffs, the Mariners now have the longest playoff drought in any of the four major pro sports.

*Jon Heyman: Five reasons why this offseason is taking so long.

*

Just saw a beardless @kidkeuchy on the sec commercial during the SugarBowl. #weird #cy

— Chris Archer (@ChrisArcher22) January 2, 2018

Monday Morning Hot Links

*The 2017 Astros, a team the likes of which we have never seen before, are finally back to doing things we've never seen before. About time, idiots. The Astros seemed destined to complete a 2-5 homestand and instead scored four runs on Beltran's fielder's choice, Bregman's two-run triple and Official Hero Juan Centeno's game-winning RBI. Astros win 7-6. The Mariners split their doubleheader with Kansas City, so they are 15 games back. The Astros are 71-40, there are 51 games left.

*The Astros' win expectancy in the 8th inning was 2.2%. Hinch:
It's nice to end a homestand on a better note than we've been playing. When you get a walk-off against one of the best closers in the league, we go from a pretty down flight to a pretty happy flight. However improbable it was, our guys kept fighting. 

*Bregman, who has an 8-game extra-base hitting streak:
We didn't have the homestand we wanted to, but hopefully this gives us a little energy on the road. We need to keep doing what we're doing. We're 31 games above .500. There's going to be ups and downs throughout the season, and we need to stay the course. 

*Juan Centeno's first three games as an Astro: Home run, home run, game-winning RBI single. Hinch:
He's taken advantage of any small opportunity that's been given. It's hard to impact games the way he is. You get noticed and you get more opportunities.

*Carlos Beltran enjoyed his 24th multi-hit game, and his 4th 3+ hit game with a 3x5 day, and scored the tying run from 1st base, so he'll need to spend the next 24 hours in the hyperbaric chamber. Since the All-Star Break Beltran is hitting .329/.351/.471.

*Mike Fiers threw 6IP, 4H/5R (4ER), 6K:3BB to raise his ERA to 4.06. It's the first time his ERA is at/above 4.00 for the first time since June 16. Reddick got ejected in the 9th. The reason?
I felt Fiers wasn't getting the pitches that he deserved were strikes & it was the right time to let (the umpire) know about it.

*Richard Justice: Sunday's win was just another magical moment in a season full of them.

*With the off-day today, the Astros are looking at tomorrow for George Springer's return to the lineup. Springer:
I've got some stuff I still gotta go do, so we'll see what happens. It feels good. I'm taking it day by day and just feeling better every day. I'm happy with it so far.

*Will Harris will start a throwing program today and will make at least one rehab appearance in the minors.

*Off-Day Playoff Odds Check:
-FanGraphs (101-61): 100% to win division, 16% to win World Series
-FiveThirtyEight (102-60): >99% to win division, 19% to win World Series
-Baseball Prospectus (101-61): 100% to win division, 18.0% to win World Series

I don't know why it's so important to me for the Astros to break the 1998 team's franchise record for wins in a season (102), but it is. In order for that to happen the Astros need to go 33-18. Also, I guess I didn't realize that the Astros have only won 90+ games in a season six times. Barring some historic collapse, 2017 will make seven.

*Though any kind of momentum is "unclear," the Tigers and Astros have talked this month about a possible trade for Justin Verlander. Five of his last six starts have been quality starts and in that span has thrown 39IP, 31H/10ER, 44K:13BB for a 2.31 ERA / 1.13 WHIP. Verlander is also 90.2IP away from matching his 2016 innings total. Luhnow sat down with KHOU (whose name KHOU misspelled twice) and said that a deal, any deal, is "possible but not probable."

*The Astros have made some minor changes to the batter's eye.

*Toronto Star: Yulieski Gurriel is setting a high bar for his younger brother.

*Hooks catcher Jamie Ritchie sealed the deal (wink) and hit for the cycle in yesterday's loss to Frisco.

*Buies Creek's Hector Perez threw 6IP, 3H/0ER, 6K:2BB in a 9-1 win over Carolina. Myles Straw was 1x2 with 3BB and has a 64K:74BB line this season.

*Leeds United beat Bolton Wanderers 3-2 in their season opener. Chris Wood remains a golden god.

*The backstory behind one of the most iconic Mickey Mantle pictures.

*How a girl in Harrold, Texas (2017 graduating class: 9) - west of Wichita Falls - saved the town's 6-Man football season.

PreStros Morning Report: July 3

TL;DR

*Astros affiliates go 3-4 on the day; Composite 200-185 record
*OKC lost 6-2.
*J.J. Jankowski is solid in a Corpus win
*Stockton shut down the JetHawks offense
*Ronnie Mitchell hit two homers in a Quad Cities win
*Jamie Ritchie goes 3x5 in a Tri-City loss
*Juan Santana goes 4x6 with a double, homer, five runs scored and two stolen bases in a 12-6 10-inning Greeneville win.
*Derek Fisher made his pro debut and Kyle Weiland threw a rehab inning in a GCL Astros loss.

Oklahoma City (45-43, 3.0 GB)

OKC tied the game up at Colorado Springs 2-2 in the 3rd, but then the SkySox got a pair of two-run innings in the 6th and 7th for a 6-2 win over OKC. Jake Buchanan allowed 7H/4ER, 1K:4BB in 6IP and Bobby Doran allowed 3H/2ER, 2K:0BB in 2IP.

Jonathan Villar (SB, RBI) and Austin Wates had two hits each. Robbie Grossman (2B), Marc Krauss (RBI), Max Stassi, and Ronny Torreyes (BB) each added a hit.

Man of the Match: Jeez. Uh. How about Villar?

Corpus (6-8, 3.0 GB; 40-44 overall)

Corpus took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 4th, then went down 2-1 in the top of the 5th before scoring three in the bottom half for the final runs in a 4-2 win over Springfield. J.J. Jankowski threw 5IP, 4H/2ER, 2K:1BB; Mike Hauschild didn't allow a hit in 3IP but did walk three, and Travis Ballew threw a perfect 9th for his 4th save at Corpus.

The Hooks scattered five hits, but drew three walks to maximize their runs. Andrew Aplin (RBI), Jonathan Meyer (2RBI), Brandon Meredith, Jio Mier (2B), and Telvin Nash (RBI) each had hits.

Man of the Match: J.J. Jankowski

Lancaster (9-5, 4.0 GB, 49-35 overall)

Lancaster was down 4-0 by the time they got on the board in the 7th, and lost 5-1 at Stockton. Josh Hader threw 4IP, 8H/4R (3ER), 5K:2BB; Zach Morton allowed 4H/1ER, 0K:1BB in 2.2IP, and Juan Minaya walked two in 1.1IP.

Jordan Scott (RBI), Rio Ruiz, and Danry Vasquez (run) had two hits each; Austin Elkins got a hit and two walks.

Man of the Match: Jordan Scott

Quad Cities (8-6, 2.5GB; 43-40 overall)

Down 2-0 through the 4th inning at Beloit, Quad Cities rallied for a 6-3 win. Kevin Comer got his first win of the season, going 5IP and allowing 4H/2ER, 1K:1BB; Edison Frias gave up the symmetrically-pleasing 3H/1ER, 3K:1BB in 3IP, and Andrew Walter threw a perfect 9th for his 7th save.

Ronnie Mitchell hit two homers, knocking in three runs; Chase McDonald (RBI) and Dayne Parker - making his Quad Cities debut - had two hits each. Jose Fernandez was 1x3 with two runs scored, a walk, and two stolen bases.

Man of the Match: Ronnie Mitchell

Tri-City (12-8, 1.0 up)

Weird one in Vermont last night as the ValleyCats were down 3-0 by the end of the 1st, then scored four runs in the top of the 3rd, allowed the tying run in the bottom half of the inning, and ultimately came up short - 7-6, leaving the tying run on 3rd base. Sebastian Kessay threw 2.1IP, 4H/4ER, 4K:3BB (that's 18K in 10.1IP); Raul Rivera allowed 2H/0ER in 2.2IP; Francis Ramirez gave up 3H/3ER, 1K:1BB in 2IP, and Ryan Thompson allowed a hit in 1IP.

Jamie Ritchie was 3x5 with 2RBI; Bobby Boyd (2B, BB), Ryan Bottger (RBI), Nick Tanielu (2B, RBI), and Mott Hyde had two hits each.

Man of the Match: Jamie Ritchie

Greeneville (6-8, 2.5GB)

Greeneville had a 6-3 lead heading into the 8th inning, and gave all the runs back. Then Greeneville scored six runs in the top of the 10th for a 12-6 win at Kingsport. Devonte German allowed 6H/3ER, 5K:3BB in 3.2IP; Eric Peterson allowed 1H/0ER, 3K:0BB in 1.1IP; Agapito Barrios gave up 4H/2ER, 1K:2BB in 3IP, and Aaron Greenwood got the BS/W with 3H/1ER, 1K:0BB in 2IP.

Juan Santana had himself a day, going 4x6 with a double, homer, five runs scored, and two stolen bases. Jason Martin was 2x5 with a walk and an RBI; Sean McMullen (2RBI), Yonathan Mejia (RBI), and Connor Goedert (RBI) had a hit and a walk each.

Man of the Match: Juan Santana

GCL Astros (5-7, 2.0 GB)

The GCL Astros never led the game, losing 8-2 to the intramurally-named GCL Yankees1. KYLE WEILAND threw 2IP, 1H/1ER, 1K:1BB; Joselo Pinales allowed 5H/3ER, 4K:1BB in 4IP; Christian Perdomo allowed a hit and struck out two in 1IP; Kyle Gehrs allowed 2H/4R (2ER), 0K:1BB in 0.1IP, with Cristhopher (yeah, that's right) gave up a hit that allowed all three inherited runners to score.

37th overall pick Derek Fisher made his professional debut, going 2x3 with a double and a walk. Osvaldo Duarte, Randy Cesar, and Alexander Melendez each added a hit.

Man of the Match: Derek Fisher

Saturday Morning Hot Links

*Matt Dominguez got a hug.

*The Astros officially signed six players, who were in Tri-City in time for last night's season-opening win: 7th Rounder Derick Velazquez, 9th Rounder Bryan Radziewski, 10th Rounder Jay Gause, 13th Rounder Jamie Ritchie, 14th Rounder Nick Tanielu, and 40th Rounder Alex Hernandez.

*The Oklahoman has a good piece on prospective LF Preston Tucker.

*The Astros signed Northwestern Nazarene pitcher Aaron Vaughn as an undrafted free agent. Vaughn was 9-4 for NNU, allowing 102H/31ER, 76K:18BB in 84IP, and completed seven of his 11 starts. He'll head to Kissimmee to start with the GCL Astros.

13-376: Jamie Ritchie

With the first pick of the 13th Round of the 2014 MLB Draft (376th overall) the Astros select C Jamie Ritchie out of Belmont University.

Ritchie is a 6'2" 190lb righty-hitting junior, who this season batted .302/.404/.464 with 6 HR and 38 RBI in 192 AB. Back on May 15, he had a 2-HR, 5-RBI game against Tennessee Tech.