Sunday Morning Hot Links

*Hold the phone: the Astros won a 1-run game...on the road...against the Rangers? Unreal. Tense as it was, the Astros held on to a 6-5 win to improve to 40-16. Matt Young tells us that eight other teams in the last 50 years have won 40 of their first 56 games, and seven of them went to the World Series.

*The 2016 Chicago Cubs' record after 56 games: 40-16. Prior to that, the 2001 Mariners (who went 116-46) were actually 44-12 after 56 games and wouldn't lose their 16th game until June 18 to put their record at 52-16.

*The Astros' 40-16 record is the best in baseball, five games better than the 2nd-place Nationals, 6.5 games better than the Yankees, who have the 2nd-best record in the AL.

*Just some perspective, there are 106 games left. If the Astros go 53-53, they'll finish the season 93-69. 60-46 (a .566 win%) would give them a 100-win season.

*A.J. Hinch:
None of these are easy. It may look easy when we score double-digit runs, but we're going to have to win games like this. 

*The Astros are 14 games up on the Rangers, with 13 games left to play against the Witches of West Forney.

*The Astros have 111 hits in their nine-game win streak.

*Rougned Odor didn't want to talk about the game. Andrew Cashner:
That's a tough team, a tough lineup. But we have a great lineup over here, too. It just comes down o making pitches for us. I think the biggest thing for us right now is we need that big hit with runners in scoring position.

Rangers' LOBsters by inning, thanks to the bullpen:
5th: 2
6th: 1
7th: 2
8th: 0
9th: 1

*Lance McCullers allowed four earned runs in all of May combined (36.1IP). He got hit around a little bit last night with 4.1IP, 6H/4R (3ER), with 8K:2BB. McCullers didn't make it out of the 5th for just the second time in his 12 starts. Hinch, on McCullers:
His command was fading. He got into the game a little rough with his command, then he settled in nicely, and as he got a little tired and a little bit deeper into the fifth inning, it was time for him to go.

*Altuve and Beltran were each 3x5 with a home run; Beltran's opened the scoring, and Altuve's closed it out as the eventual go-ahead homer. Altuve has had 110 3-hit games since his debut in 2011.

*Luke Gregerson balked - for the first time in his career - sending Elvis Andrus to 2nd. Will Harris came in after Gregerson walked Adrian Beltre and got two strikeouts to end the 7th. Gregerson's night: three batters faced: single, strikeout (balk), walk.

*Ken Giles has allowed a run in back-to-back appearances for the first time since allowing runs in three straight appearances from April 6-15.

*George Springer is not your stereotypical leadoff hitter.

*The Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Mac Engel says Nolan Ryan's move back to Houston hurt the Rangers more than it helped the Astros. And then he throws this smoke bomb:
Not even a team from Houston, where choking is a celebrated way of life because of the humidity and sports teams, could blow a division lead this big. The Astros are not going to maintain a plus-.700 winning percentage, but the AL West now goes through Houston.

By all means, get riled up. I'll always encourage getting rowdy against a DFW writer, but click the link and you'll get some measured analysis about the direction the Rangers are trending.

*Ah, the old "You have a problem" headline, but flipped on the Rangers.

*Brian T. Smith says that this team begins and ends with Dallas Keuchel.

*Lance McCullers: "For me, it's look good, feel good, play good."

*FanRag Sports: Should the Astros regret signing Yulieski Gurriel?

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mac-engel/article154251319.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mac-engel/article154251319.html#storylink=cpy

*A.J. Hinch said that Derek Fisher is probably ready to come to Houston, but he won't be called up to sit the bench:
He's got many tools that can be weapons up here. He's still in the development stage and he's made quite an impression. 

*In an article about Hooks starter Kyle Smith, who threw five perfect innings last night, manager Rodney Linares talked about how the progress made in the analytics department has impacted his managing.

*Bob Grossman's slash line since debuting for the Twins in May 2016: .280/.394/.449.

*Former Astro Luis Gonzales helped a woman out of a burning car after a wreck.

*Adult baby Brandon Phillips thinks the Reds should have retired his number by now.

*Before you go:

I wonder if Houston Astro's starting pitcher & 3x Gold Glove Award winner Dallas Keuchel knows that he is a fake beard model in New Zealand? pic.twitter.com/0z1YtkSpw5

— Paul Williams (@PaulWilliams_12) June 3, 2017

PreStros Morning Report: June 1

TL;DR

*Affiliates go 1-2 on the day, with one game in progress.
*Memphis one-hits the RedHawks in a 2-1 loss.
*Corpus struck out 13 times in their own 2-1 loss to NW Arkansas.
*Teoscar Hernandez hit the game-winning homer in the 8th of a 3-2 Lancaster win over Rancho Cucamonga.
*Quad Cities lead 3-2 in the 5th with the game suspended due to rain, to be finished Monday.

Oklahoma City (31-27)

Memphis pitchers absolutely dominated the RedHawks, holding OKC to one hit and three total baserunners in a 2-1 OKC loss. Bobby Doran pitched into and around damage, allowing eight hits and three walks in 5.2IP, but only allowing two earned runs thanks to Josh Zeid's 2.1IP, 1H/0ER, 2K:1BB. Kevin Chapman lowered his ERA to 1.00 with 1H/0ER, 1K:0BB in 1IP.

Gregorio Petit got the only hit - a single - while Adron Chambers and Domingo Santana drew walks. Matt Duffy came up with the only RBI in an 0x3 outing. Jon Singleton was not in the starting lineup.

Man of the Match: Josh Zeid

Corpus (29-27)

Corpus had a 1-0 lead until the top of the 7th when NW Arkansas tied it up, and then got the go-ahead run in the 8th, sending Corpus to the L column, 2-1. Kyle Smith had a strong outing, allowing 5H/1ER, 8K:1BB in 6.1IP; Michael Dimock gave up 3H/1ER, 1K:0BB in 0.2IP, but his run scored when Alex Sogard allowed two hits and a walk. Pat Urckfitz threw a shutdown 9th inning.

Andrew Aplin had two of the Hooks' four hits, with Nolan Fontana and Jonathan Meyer getting the other hits. Delino DeShields drew a walk and stole two bases, Telvin Nash was 0x2 with a walk.

Man of the Match: Kyle Smith

Lancaster (35-23)

The game between Lancaster and Rancho Cucamonga (the most fun city to say in all of baseball) was tied until the 6th, when Lancaster took a 2-0 lead, but Rancho Cucamonga (see?) tied it up in the 7th. Teoscar Hernandez hit a bomb in the 8th to break the tie and give the JetHawks a 3-2 win. Gonzalo Sanudo threw 5IP, 3H/0ER, 3K:0BB and Kyle Westwood allowed 3H/2R (0ER), 2K:1BB in 4IP.

Teoscar Hernandez was 2x4 with the solo homer and a stolen base; Rio Ruiz was 2x4; Carlos Correa was 1x2 with an RBI, stolen base, and two walks. Roberto Pena had your other hit.

Man of the Match: Hernandez and Correa.

Quad Cities

Game suspended in the 5th due to rain, and will be picked up with Quad Cities leading 3-2, on Monday.

Tranzactionz!

A few transactions of note on the minor-league side:

*Kyle Smith (acquired in the Justin Maxwell trade with Kansas City) was promoted from Lancaster (High-A) to Corpus (Double-A).

In seven games (27.2IP), Smith allowed 19H/8ER, 31K:12BB for a 2.60 ERA/1.08 WHIP and only 3HR for Lancaster.

*Via Eric Smith, Brian Holmes (13th Round - 2012) was activated at Lancaster, and Richard Rodriguez has been assigned to Oklahoma City.

This will be Holmes' 2014 debut after allowing 52H/17ER, 62K:19BB at Quad Cities in 2013.

Richard Rodriguez was signed as an amateur free agent prior to the 2010 season. He struck out 41 batters in 44.1IP in 2013 with Tri-City and Quad Cities. In two games for Lancaster in 2014 he allowed one hit - a solo homer - and struck out five in 2.1IP.

PreStros Morning Report: August 10

Oklahoma City (69-52), 4.0 up

OKC got out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st, but Las Vegas answered with one in the bottom half, and then put up three more runs in a 4-1 win over OKC in which the RedHawks recorded just three hits. Jake Buchanan allowed 7H/3ER, 4K:2BB in 6IP; Jason Stoffel gave up 2H/1ER, 3K:0BB in 2IP.

George Springer was 1x3 with a walk and a solo homer - his 31st. More on him in a separate post later this morning. Trevor Crowe was 1x4 with an outfield assist. Rene Garcia had your only other hit, whie Jose Martinez drew two walks.

Man of the Match: George Springer, of course.

Corpus (30-19, 1.0 GB) 72-47 overall

Corpus, down 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th, win in walk-off fashion after Erik Castro hit the game-tying homer and Jonathan Meyer went yard immediately after for the 3-2 win. David Rollins is adjusting to Double-A nicely, giving up just 5H/2R (1ER), 5K:2BB in 6.2IP; Andrew Robinson allowed 2H/0ER, 2K:0BB in 2.1IP.

The Hooks only got four hits on the night - three of them home runs, by Castro and Meyer, and Preston Tucker added a solo shot in addition to two walks.

Man of the Match: Hard to pick. David Rollins.

Lancaster (30-19, 4.5 up), 69-50 overall

One night after getting beat 30-8 (which was noted by SportsCenter, which we'll also get to later), newly acquired Kyle Smith (in the Kansas City trade for Justin Maxwell) fired a complete game, two-hit shutout, going 9IP, 2H/0ER, 9K:0BB. JetHawks win, 6-0.

Nolan Fontana was 1x3 with 2BB, 2RBI; Jesse Wierzbicki hit his first High-A homer, a two-run shot, in addition to drawing a walk. Joe Sclafani added a run-scoring double.

Man of the Match: Please. Kyle Smith.

Quad Cities (29-18, 1.5 GB), 67-49 overall

Oof. Wisconsin held the River Bandits to one hit in a 7-0 win at Quad Cities. Joe Bircher allowed 9H/6ER, 4K:0BB, 2HR in 5IP; Daniel Minor gave up 1H/1ER, 3K:2BB, 1HR, 2HBP, and Pat Christensen allowed 2H/0ER, 4K:1BB in the final 2IP.

Danry Vasquez had the only hit and Bobby Borchering drew the only walk.

Man of the Match: Pat Christensen

Tri-City (31-22), 1.5 up

Down 2-0 to Jamestown, Tri-City got them back in the 3rd and 5th innings, but in the top of the 9th a throwing error by 3B Tyler White allowed Edwin Espinal to reach 2nd, a Troy Scribner balk got him to 3rd, and a sac fly scored the go-ahead run in a 3-2 win over Tri-City. Randall Fant threw 4IP, 6H/2R (1ER), 2K:2BB, Albert Minnis allowed just a hit in 2IP, striking out two; and Scribner took the hard-luck loss, allowing 1H/1R (0ER), 5K:0BB in 3IP in his New York-Penn League debut. In 36.2IP across the GCL, Appy League, and now the NYPL, Scribner - an undrafted free agent - has 53 strikeouts and seven walks in 36.2IP.

Conrad Gregor was 3x3 with a walk, stolen base, and an RBI; James Ramsay was 1x4 with a solo homer; D'Andre Toney was 1x3 with a double, walk, and a stolen base.

Man of the Match: Conrad Gregor.

Greeneville (32-16), 4.0 up

After allowing Kingsport to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the 7th, the Gastros scored the final three runs of the game for a 5-2 win. Jandel Gustave threw 4IP, 4H/1R (0ER), 5K:0BB; Kevin Ferguson bounced back from a disastrous pro debut (0.1IP, 3H/5ER, 1K:3BB on Aug 7) to throw 2IP, 1H/0ER, 3K:0BB; Ryan Connolly allowed 2H/1ER, 1K:0BB in 1IP and Gonzalo Sanudo struck out six of the eight batters he faced. Sanudo has thrown 20IP for Greeneville this season, striking out 29 of the 72 batters he has faced and walking just one. He hasn't allowed an earned run since July 9, and since that game has allowed two hits with 20K:0BB in 13IP, opponents are 2x41 - both singles - for an .049/.049/.049 line.

Alfredo Gonzalez was 2x3 with a triple and a homerun; Ariel Ovando was 1x3 with a double, walk, and 2RBI (now hitting .209).

Man of the Match: I'm going with Gonzalo Sanudo.

GCL Astros (21-23, 6.0 GB)

The GCL Braves beat the GCL Astros 6-2. Agapito Barrios allowed 6H/4ER, 3K:1BB in 5IP; Reymin Guduan struck out seven, walked one, and didn't allow a hit in 3IP; Samil De Los Santos allowed a hit to the only batter he faced, and Joe Musgrove allowed a hit and an unearned run in 1IP.

Ydarqui Marte was 3x4 with an RBI; Jason Martin had a double and a walk; Yonathan Mejia added a double.

Man of the Match: Reymin Guduan