Thursday Morning Hot Links

It wasn't as bad as it looked. Maybe it was, I don't know - I mercifully didn't get to watch. Though...I am IN Houston (wasn't at the game). Does the Astros County jinx extend to me simply being within the boundary of Harris County? I won't be leaving until after the game starts today, so we'll just have to see. Halfway through the regular season the Astros are 50-31. Their lead is 5.5 games.

*Recent records at 81 games, Astros:
2019: 50-31
2018: 53-28
2017: 54-27
2016: 43-38
2015: 47-34
2014: 35-46
2013: 30-51
2012: 32-49
2011: 28-53
2010: 32-49

*Framber Valdez was simply Frambushed by the Pirates: 3IP, 8H/6ER, 2K:1BB. Hinch:
He was battling himself from the very beginning of the game. The home run by Bell, which he was done a lot this year, puts you down, and we just could never get on the good side of the game while he was in there. Six runs in three innings and 70 pitches. It just looked like he was out of sync.

Framber was optioned to Triple-A basically within 30 seconds of the end of the game. Valdez:
I understand why they did it and I understand what I need to do to get better, so that's what I'll be focusing on. It's been frustrating, but at the same time I know I need to improve my two-seamer and improve my command to get back here and help the big league club.

Framber's first two starts: 51 batters faced, 39 outs, 9H/3ER, 15K:2BB, 1HR.
Framber's last two "starts:" 35 batters faced, 19 outs, 12H/11ER, 5K:4BB, 3HR.

*Chris Devenski ate three innings, allowing 3H/2ER, 3K:0BB, 1HR.

*Rondon walked two but didn't allow any runs, McHugh threw a perfect 8th.

*Tyler White got the 9th, or at least part of the 9th, getting two outs but also allowing 4H/6ER, 0K:4BB. He now has the distinction being the first Astros "reliever" to allow four hits, four walks, all in less than three outs. At least Harris, Pressly, and Osuna didn't have to pitch. I guess. Hinch, on White pitching:
It's brutal. It's embarrassing. I feel bad for White. I apologized to him on the way off the field because I never want to use him. It's not funny. I know it's entertaining for the masses when you see something unique or something that's not there, but I think it sucks. I don't want to hurt him. I think it was way too many pitches.

*I don't know the last time an Astros pitching staff allowed two players in the same lineup to get four hits, and I'm not interested in finding out.

*Hinch, on the state of the Astros' bullpen right now:
I pitched two position players, so that tells you where our bullpen is. We'll have to take a look at all of our options and see how we navigate. We have four more games in a row [before a day off] and the two games at Coors Field that are looming which are always difficult. And then a couple of days off sprinkled in.

So who comes up? Reymin Guduan, Cionel Perez, and Rogelio Armenteros haven't been in the minors long enough (10 days) to be recalled. Dean Deetz and Brady Rodgers are on the IL. Forrest Whitley is in West Palm rehabbing, and won't join a full-season team for at least a few weeks. Corbin Martin is on the IL (with no update on his issue). Nice little corner the Astros have painted themselves into.

*The offense was dead after George Springer's 30th career leadoff home run. Someone who goes by the name "Dario Agrazal" made his second career start, 11 days after allowing three runs to the Got Dang Marlins, and held the Astros to 5H/1ER, with 3K:3BB.

*Houston was 0x6 w/RISP.

*The Astros only struck out six times last night, marking the 9th time in their last ten games with nine or fewer strikeouts.

*Springer was 3x4 on the night. It's his 3rd 3+ hit night of the season, and the first since he went 5x5 on May 12 against the East Weatherford Rangers.

*Alex Bregman knocked a double, giving him back-to-back games with an XBH for the first time since June 3-4.

*Chandler Rome: Unsurprisingly, a little over a month before the trade deadline the Astros are focused on pitching. Expect the action to come closer to July 31.

*The Astros saluted the work of 2017 Game 5 Winner/Legend Joe Musgrove on the scoreboard last night. Musgrove faces the Astros this afternoon.

*Peter Gammons says the Astros did as much background work on Marcus Stroman in 2017 as they did on Justin Verlander, and Stroman would make sense. Damn near anyone would make sense.

*Francis Martes is back on the Restricted List because he can't get a visa. He won't pitch for the Astros this season, anyway (Tommy John surgery).

*David Barron has an update on the 2-year old Astros fan who suffered a fractured skull and continues to have seizures well after getting smoked by a foul ball. I am going to do A Stupid in the next 24 hours and patiently explain why I think the Astros need to extend the netting. Thank God I have already set the precedent of disabling the comments. Related: please do keep in mind that, on the cursed web site Twitter dot com, I am under no obligation to debate you if we disagree on an issue.

*Baseball America: The July 2 international signing period is an absolute mess.

Hey @JuliaMorales ... @M_Marakovits and I hanging out with some of the biggest baseball fans in the UK! And they love the Astros! (And they love you!) #TakeItBack @AstrosFansUK @MLBUKCommunity pic.twitter.com/YlCS8Dorgn

— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) June 26, 2019

*Stop with the Wrong Answers Only bullcrap.

*Barstool's Dave Portnoy actually trembled when he was asked about harassing women.

*A Musical Selection:

Wednesday Morning Hot Links

The Astros put it on the Pirates, getting help in multiple innings for the first time in quite a while. Gerrit Cole beat his former team with six strong innings, and the bullpen shut it down. Houston is 50-30 with 82 games remaining. They're 28-11 at home.

*Houston has scored 5+ runs in three straight games for the first time since May 11-14, when they did it in four straight games.

*The win against Pittsburgh snapped a four-game losing streak to NL Central teams.

*Former Pirates Great Gerrit Cole threw 6IP, 7H/1ER, 3K:2BB. It's the fewest number of strikeouts for Cole in an Astros uniform, and his fewest since June 13, 2017, when the Pirates beat Colorado. Cole's teams are 13-7 when he gets three or fewer strikeouts in a game.

*The Pirates did not hit a home run in the game. It's Cole's 5th start of the season in which he didn't allow a home run, and overall it's the Astros' 17th game in which the pitchers didn't allow a ball to leave the yard (see Reddick, Josh below). Cole:
It was unique. I remember facing these guys in Spring Training and throwing live BPs and throwing (simulated) games and coming up with some of them. There's just a lot of memories that you have. 

*The bullpen of Josh James, Will Harris, and Collin McHugh combined for 3IP, 1H/0ER, 3K:0BB. McHugh made his first appearance since going on the IL. Hinch, on McHugh:
We're going to need a bridge. I'm looking for somebody to step up - not necessarily be a right-handed specialist - but to be really good against right-handed hitters and be a weapon. We put him in the bullpen, and as much as it felt like a demotion for him, it was more about using him as a weapon in the right spots with the right hitters.

*The Astros got things started offensively with Yuli Gurriel's 2-run home run. Gurriel has now homered in back-to-back appearances for the first time since September 3/4, 2018. Gurriel had hit two home runs in his previous 162 Plate Appearances combined. Hinch, on Gurriel's homer:
Yuli's homer was a very good approach on a fastball pitcher who was pitching a little differently than he does in the National League. He threw us a lot more breaking balls than he's throwing those guys over in the National League. We had to make some adjustments because we didn't have a lot of experience facing him. Yuli hunted fastball, got fastball and kept it fair.

*Alex Bregman was a [wink] triple shy of the cycle, going 3x4 with his 22nd home run of the season. It's his first game with a double and a homer in the same game since September 5, 2018. It's his 5th 3-hit game of the year. I have a feeling that Bregman is about to go on a tear.

*Josh Reddick was 2x3 - his 25th multi-hit game of the season, matching his total of 2+ hit games in 2018. He also pulled back a home run in the 4th inning. Reddick, on the catch:
At the very last second it took a hard right turn. Kind of unexpected for me because I thought I had a good shot at it and all of the sudden I had to quick jump. And it wasn't the prettiest, cleanest of catches, but I caught it. That's all that matters.

*Yordan Alvarez hit a double. He has ten extra-base hits in his first 13 games, and has at least one XBH in nine games.

*Tyler White was 0x4, including an 0x2 w/RISP.

*Carlos Correa said that he would play if the fans voted him in to the All-Star Game. Less than five minutes later Hinch threw cold water all over that piece of bullcrap:
Unfortunately for him, I don't think it's that realistic, given the time he's had off and he hasn't played a rehab game yet. Maybe by then he's active, but unfortunately with the timing, I don't see how that's a possibility.

Within that link we find that:
-Correa is running on the field.
-Forrest Whitley - who hasn't pitched since May 23 - should begin throwing again in the next couple of weeks.

*Corbin Martin is back in Houston after experiencing what was described as a "potentially serious" elbow injury. He last pitched on Sunday.

*JJ Matijevic has been back for a few days after getting suspended for 50 games on April 30 for testing positive for a 2nd time for a drug of abuse. He hit a home run last night in a 3-2 walk-off loss for Fayetteville.

*The Astros are continuing to look at extended netting along the baselines.

*Kevin Youkilis has opened a brewery in California and, by God, if it's not called the Greek God of Hops then what are we even doing here?

*Astroball's Ben Reiter takes a look at the improbable transformation of Alex Rodriguez.

*Looking back at the last 50 years of history between Honduras and El Salvador, and the origins of "The Soccer War."

*A Musical Selection:

Tuesday Morning Hot Links

LOLOLOLOL at the dumbest snow day ever.

*Joe Musgrove is pretty excited about his opportunity in Pittsburgh's rotation:
That's where I think I'm going to really develop as a pitcher. Going to the bullpen last year in Houston, I learned a lot about myself as a pitcher and really learned how to work out of jams and how to keep myself calm in uncomfortable situations. All those things I did in the bullpen are going to make me a lot stronger as a starter.

*Forrest Whitley is good and knows he's good. He is also good at soundbites as he prepares for the 2018 season:
There's extra excitement. I'm going to try to stay in my lane, stay where my feet are and be humble as possible and just play the game.

MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo ranked Whitley the #2 RHP prospect in baseball, behind the Anaheim Babe Ruth Guy. Mayo:
The Astros' first-round pick in 2016 wasn't on the top 10 RHP list in 2017. After pitching across three levels and reaching Double-A as a teenager in his first full year, the 6'7" right-hander has jumped all the way up to No. 2 on the list.

*Brent Strom was at a Long Island baseball academy talking to kids about throwing offspeed pitches. Strom:
We use a lot of technology. We videotape the ball coming out of the hand to try to create backspin, try and create the proper depth to breaking balls.

*Astros analyst Mike Stanton stopped short of using the word "collusion" to describe this off-season's lack of activity.

*Alex Bregman established a new non-profit to help kids with autism and Down's Syndrome.

*Deadspin: The story behind the iconic photos of the Olympics' dirtiest record

Sunday Morning Hot Links

Able to take a little time this morning and work on these. Thanks for your condolences to my wife's family.

Gerrit Cole Links

Jeff Luhnow on the timeline of the Astros’ trade for Gerrit Cole pic.twitter.com/oqpImtHgyu

— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) January 14, 2018

*Gerrit Cole was at his wife's birthday dinner when he got the news he'd been traded to the World Series Champion Houston Astros. Cole:
I wouldn't say it was a gut-punch but I was shocked, for sure

Jerry Crasnick notes that the Pirates thought the Moran-Musgrove tandem was a better return that what the Yankees were offering.

*More Cole:
(I'm) flat-out elated. It's just an unbelievable opportunity.

*Friday Gerrit Cole and the Pirates signed a $6.75m deal for 2018. He's arbitration-eligible in 2019 before hitting free agency.

*The Ringer: The Astros are not here for your World Series Curse talk.
The Astros' lineup is already the most potent in the majors, and a rotation of Justin Verlandere, Dallas Keuchel, Cole, Lance McCullers, and World Series hero Charlie Morton is the best at least in the American League, if not all of baseball...As is, with likely long-term relievers Joe Musgrove and Michael Feliz, corner infielder Colin Moran, and fringe outfield prospect Jason Martin leaving the Astros' system, Luhnow has completed the steal of the off-season.

*FanGraphs (from Wednesday) has a piece on Cole's pitch usage in 2017.

*Richard Justice:
So if Luhnow could add Cole for two seasons, he could shape a super rotation for 2018 and a really good one for 2019. To have Verlander, Cole and Keuchel lined up in the first three spots gives the Astros a group as good as almost any. And there's quality depth in Morton, McCullers, Brad Peacock and Collin McHugh....There may not be any perfect fits, but this one is close.

*NJ.com's Brendan Kuty talked to a scout who said Cole will benefit from a change of scenery.

*Sports Illustrated's Jon Tayler:
All told, it's a disappointing return for Pittsburgh in exchange for a young, cost-controlled ace. Moran should help fill a persistent hole at the hot corner for a team that has been searching for a solution there since Pedro Alvarez went bust. But you can't help but feel that the Pirates could have done better, particularly given the expressed interest of the prospect-rich Yankees.

*Grant Brisbee: What the Astros and Pirates were thinking.
If the return (for Pittsburgh) seems a little underwhelming, that's because it's not just what's coming back for an All-Star pitcher - it's what's coming back for an official white flag.

*Pirates GM Neal Huntington:
It's the balance of immediate and moderate and longer-term...we felt this was the right move to get these players that are major-league ready with 15 years contribution combined.

*FanRag's Jon Bernhardt:
Could the deal turn out okay for Pittsburgh? Sure, if a bunch of things break right. The point of trading a surefire guy like Cole, though, is to get a return in which you don't have to hit maximum upside on every single guy for the deal to be positive.

*Bregman:
I only have one goal, and that's to win the World Series again and bring it back to Houston. And hopefully, bring a lot of these in the near future to this city and turn Houston into the next powerhouse in baseball.

*SBNation: The Gerrit Cole trade is bad news for the Yankees.

*Washington Post:
With Cole now out of the picture, and few other front-line starting pitchers on the trade market, the Yankees may be forced to revisit the free agent market and fork over a nine-figure contract to the likes of Yu Darvish or Jake Arrieta. Such a move would allow them to answer the Astros' deal for Cole, but would also push their payroll past the $197m luxury-tax threshold that they seem determined to stay under. 

*MinorLeagueBall wrote up some thoughts on Moran, Musgrove, Feliz, and Martin.

*Keuchel, Bregman, McCullers and Verlander are pretty excited.

*On Friday, Baseball America ranked the Top Ten Astros prospects:
1. Forrest Whitley
2. Kyle Tucker
3. Yordan Alvarez
4. J.B. Bukauskas
5. Freudis Nova
6. Jairo Solis
7. Hector Perez
8. Jorge Alcala
9. Colin Moran
10. David Paulino

*Whitley, Tucker, Alvarez, and Derek Fisher were declared off-limits.

Moran and Musgrove shouldn't be enough to land you, like, Jerad Eickhoff. The hell is going on

— Michael Baumann (@MJ_Baumann) January 13, 2018

Other Stuff

*More than 42000 fans showed up at MMP yesterday for FanFest.

You probably saw it, but just to get it on the record, here are the arbitration numbers for 2018:
Dallas Keuchel: $13.2m
Evan Gattis: $6.7m
Lance McCullers: $2.45m
Brad Peacock: $2.44m

Springer wants $10.5m while the Astros offered $8.5m. Ken Giles wants $4.6m, the Astros offered $4.2m. Collin McHugh wants $5m, the Astros offered $4.55m.

*Lance McCullers will revamp his changeup in Spring Training and work on his four-seam fastball with Justin Verlander. Also in that link we find that Altuve, Keuchel, Justin Verlander, and Derek Fisher are already working out in Florida. Pitchers and Catchers have their first official workout one month from today.

*Yuli Gurriel completed his league-mandated sensitivity training.

*The World Series Trophy Tour keeps the celebration rolling through Texas.

Marwin Gonzalez was marked as an outfielder at Fan Fest. Well...AJ Hinch changed it to something that made more sense 😂 (via Instagram) #Astros pic.twitter.com/V1dQgSHEtn

— Daniel Gotera (@DTGoteraKHOU) January 14, 2018

Tuesday Morning Hot Links

Well approximately four hours after saying that absolutely nothing was going on, the Astros (or at least someone who wants to move things along this off-season) decided to make something happen.

*Alyson Footer talked to Jim Crane, who said that the Astros are "actively pursuing a high-end starter" and that the Astros would be willing to trade prospects if it meant getting a deal done.

Not an hour later Yahoo's Jeff Passan said the Astros have "engaged with the Pittsburgh Pirates on trade talks" for Gerrit Cole and one name mentioned as a return is Derek Fisher. Passan:
For a trade to happen, Pirates almost certainly would need Kyle Tucker or Forrest Whitely as a centerpiece.

Yes, and for my week to really be complete I almost certainly would need $3.5m deposited in an offshore account. This is how the exchange would go, were I Jeff Luhnow:

Luhnow: Fisher for Cole? Okay, I can get on board with that.
Pirates: Okay, but for this deal to go down we almost certainly would need Kyle Tucker or Forrest Whitley.
Luhnow: You almost certainly would need my foot broken off in your rear-end. Verlander wasn't that expensive.
Pirates: Thank you, sir.

One thing Passan notes is the Astros' timeline. Dallas Keuchel (potentially) is gone after 2018. Verlander after 2019. Gerrit Cole won't be a free agent until after the 2019 season. If the Astros are just going to set this train rolling, these are things to consider. To that end, let's look at who's hitting free agency by season:

After 2018

Evan Gattis
Marwin Gonzalez
Dallas Keuchel
Brian McCann
Charlie Morton
Jon Singleton
Tony Sipp

After 2019

Jose Altuve
Will Harris
Collin McHugh
Hector Rondon
Joe Smith
Justin Verlander

After 2020

Yuli Gurriel

After 2021

Ken Giles
Jake Marisnick
Brad Peacock
George Springer

So in the absence of any extensions, the Astros stand to lose Keuchel, Morton, McHugh, and Verlander after the next two seasons. Exploring longer-term solutions in the rotation to supplement guys like Forrest Whitley, Joe Musgrove, Francis Martes, etc. makes sense, even if you have to deal one of the latter two with Derek Fisher. But the Astros aren't trading Forrest Whitley for Gerrit Cole. Of course, this could be a negotiation tactic with Yu Darvish, who wouldn't cost anything in terms of prospects.

*The New York Daily News says that Cole to the Yankees is "inevitable." That said an AL scout told John Harper:
(The Astros are) one of the few organizations that have the depth, at the big-league and minor-league level, to match what the Yankees can offer. But Luhnow has shown he doesn't want to give up top prospects if he can help it, so I'd still favor the Yankees.

*Mike Oz has five names - including Cole - the Astros should be looking at to bolster their rotation.

*Ken Davidoff wonders if the Astros are a "second, scary Red Sox" with which the Yankees have to deal. Davidoff:
The Astros look ready to run with the superpowers. Another big arm would be the latest piece of evidence in what already is a convincing case.

Fun that Yankees fans apparently have a hard time understanding that the Astros are good on their own, and don't have to be cast as a "second Red Sox."

*Brian McTaggart resets the rotation and breaks it down.

*Todd Frazier, who won the award for the dumbest home run of the postseason as well as the dumbest swing of the postseason, apparently told Altuve during the ALCS, "Whoever wins this series wins the whole thing."

*Here's a cool story on Reds prospect Hunter Greene.

*Austin: the Commissioner's Trophy will be in the Public Reception Room at the Texas Capitol from 3pm-5pm today.

Thursday Morning Hot Links

*The Astros beat the Marlins 3-0 yesterday behind Lance McCullers' tribute to Jose Fernandez, throwing six scoreless innings. The Astros are 29-12 and lead the AL West by eight games (and, lest any Ramgers fans come looking to troll: yes, we know it's May.)

*Hinch, on McCullers' start:
I know it meant a lot for him to pitch on this mound. So it was nice for him to be near his best and use his pitches and be effective. He just did a lot right and he did it with a lot of emotion today. It meant a lot to him. 

*McCullers' 1st two road starts: 9.1IP, 15H/10ER, 11K:4BB
McCullers' three road starts since: 19IP, 9H/0ER, 14K:4BB

*McCullers is the first Astros pitcher since Roger Clemens (2005) to throw three straight ER-less road outings.

*Jose Altuve hit two doubles and two triples yesterday against Miami - Jake Kaplan notes it's the first time that's happened in Astros history, and the first time in the Majors since Carl Crawford did it back in 2005. And Altuve never crossed home plate yesterday.

*Speaking of the Rangers, they have won eight straight games against straight trash teams (San Diego, Oakland, Philadelphia) but still, eight straight wins is eight straight wins. They're 8-2 in their last ten games, and have lost a game to the Astros in the standings, who are 9-1 in their last ten.

*Mike Lupica: The Astros are for real

*Richard Justice: Astros are loving life on top

*Jerome Solomon: Astros are providing some championship hope

*Jeff Luhnow still expects Frankie Tuesday to pitch for Houston this season though, what with 19 walks in 19IP, it could be in relief.
I don't know if it's going to be in the rotation or in relief, if it's going to be in September or if he'll be able to come up and fill a need before then. We'll have to wait and see...we're just going to have to be patient with him.

*Still, the need for a starting pitcher is more evident after Mike Fiers' rough start and any impending slumps/injuries. Ken Rosenthal reported Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole could be a possibility for the Astros as the Astros will likely make a push to strengthen their squad and the Pirates' window hurriedly closes. Not only Cole, but lefty reliever Tony Watson could be a potential trade target as the Astros search for a viable option other than Tony Sipp (who has admittedly pitched much better of late).

Monday Morning Hot Links

I had Xavier beating Seton Hall to get in my national championship game. Jeremy Hellickson held the Astros hitless through five innings while Ken Giles had yet another rough outing - allowing two runs - as the Phillies beat the Astros 5-4. 

*But Ken Giles thinks it was his best outing of the Spring.

*Your "Battle For Closer" right now is Ken Giles' 10.80 ERA vs. Luke Gregerson's lack of Spring Training. Giles: 5IP, 8H/6ER, 4K:3BB.

*There are too many questions about Gattis' health for him to be a reliable backup catcher, writes Evan Drellich.

*The Astros will get one more look at Wandy before he can opt out, and a decision on Neal Cotts is needed soon. Wandy, Spring: 8IP, 5H/2ER, 6K:0BB. Cotts: 5.1IP, 3H/2ER, 3K:2BB.

*The Astros optioned Asher Wojciechowski, Nolan Fontana and Andrew Aplin, and reassigned Tony Kemp to minor-league camp.

*The Astros are using minor-league Spring Training games as a way to experiment, like working on different pitches and making sure relievers are getting used to throwing on back-to-back days.

*From TCB a couple of days ago...Enrique Hernandez, or "the one that hurts the most."

*Luis Tiant is returning to Cuba for just the second time since 1961.

*Hardball Times: 10 Things To Look Forward To In 2016.

*The Pirates are re-thinking everything!

*Sports Illustrated's MLB Media Roundtable: The challenges of reporting, interviews, etc.

*Brewers outfielder Rymer Liriano was hospitalized with multiple facial fractures after taking a pitch under the brim of his helmet.

*Re: A&M's comeback: Bill James' 2008 formula for determining when a college basketball lead is safe.

Revisiting the Wandy Rodriguez trade

Interesting news out of Pittsburgh today:

The @Pirates have reinstated @russellmartin55 from the DL. To make room for Martin, Wandy Rodriguez has been designated for assignment.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 22, 2014

So let's cast our minds all the way back to 2012. From 2008-11, Wandy Rodriguez was 45-42 for the Astros with a 3.40 ERA/1.29 WHIP (3.71 FIP) with a 2.74 K:BB ratio. He was good. Too good - and too expensive - for a team in full-fledged rebuild. He made 21 starts for the 2012 Astros and was 7-9 with a 3.79 ERA/1.27 WHIP (3.81 FIP) on July 24, 2012 when the Astros sent him to Pittsburgh for Robbie Grossman, Rudy Owens, and Colton Cain.

As a Pirate, Wandy made 12 starts (one appearance in relief, throwing the 18th and 19th innings and getting the win at St. Louis), and did for the Pirates what he did for the Astros: 6.0 K/9, 3.72 ERA/1.27 WHIP. In 2013, Wandy only made 12 starts - but still went 6-4 with a 3.59 ERA that outperformed his 4.42 FIP. His season was cut short by tightness in his pitching elbow in June. He was on the verge of returning for September when an MRI showed no structural damage, but tendinitis in his elbow. Gerrit Cole was promoted when Wandy went down, so that worked out pretty well for the Pirates.

Wandy opened the 2014 season as Pittsburgh's SP3. In his first four starts (20IP), though, he allowed 26H/17ER, 16K:6BB, and seven homers allowed - a 7.65 ERA on a .306 BABIP - and went on the DL with right knee inflammation. In his first start back from the DL, May 15, he was better - 4H/2ER, 4K:1BB, but two more homers allowed in 5IP. But last night in a 9-8 win over Baltimore, Wandy gave up 7H/6R (1ER), 0K:1BB and committed the error that led to five unearned runs.

23-year old Colton Cain has thrown 17.2IP in his first go at Double-A, allowing 23H/9ER, 14K:6BB (4.58 ERA/1.64 WHIP). He's a year and a half younger than the average Double-A pitcher. In 2013 he combined for a 3.88 ERA/1.40 WHIP between Quad Cities and Lancaster.

26-year old Rudy Owens missed almost all of 2013 with a foot injury, and in his first real go at Triple-A (in the Astros' system, anyway) has allowed 51H/28ER, 32K:8BB in 41.2IP for OKC.

24-year old Robbie Grossman is one of those players we still don't really know about. In 101 games at OKC between 2013 and 2014 Grossman has a .281/.386/.377 slash line, with 94K:64BB in 447 PAs. Of course Grossman's Major-League career is a tale of two Grossmans. Overall Grossman has 343 PAs in Houston, hitting .246/.317/.361 between 2013 and 2014.

The first Grossman hit .198/.310/.243 until the end of May, when he was mercifully sent down. When he came back on July 28 until he was shut down on September 3, Grossman was on a tear: .322/.351/.466. He opened 2014 with hopes that the Second Grossman was the Real Grossman. Instead, though, he lasted 14 games (55 PAs), hitting .125/.236/.313, and was mercifully sent down again.

We don't know that Grossman will ever put it together in Houston. The clock is ticking on Owens, and he's starting to fall out of the conversation, what with Foltynewicz, Buchanan, etc., enjoying success at Triple-A. Cain is obviously the farthest away, and has had limited success (his numbers are skewed by a rough second outing - in his last four outings, he has thrown 11IP, 12H/4ER, 7K:5BB), but he was put on the 7-Day DL on May 18.

So who won the trade? While Wandy helped the Pirates in 2013, it may be that his elbow injury impacted the Pirates' playoff run by clearing the way for Gerrit Cole. Ultimately time is on the Astros' side here in determining a "winner." Perhaps Wandy achieved what the Pirates were hoping for: Help the team get to the post-season, and he did...sort of. Was he a failure? No - the Astros paid about 40% of his salary, after all.

George Springer vs. Starling Marte

We discussed this on the Astros Boxes podcast last night (which should go up at some point in the next 24 hours), but I felt like it was worth a separate post.

The Pirates extended 25-year old left fielder Starling Marte with a 6yr/$31m contract yesterday. This will give the Pirates control over Marte through his Age 31 season with an average annual value of $5.17m, and he wouldn't have been a free agent until 2018.

In 2011 at Double-A, Marte played in 129 games (572 PAs), hit .332/.370/.500 with a 17.5% K-rate and a 3.8% BB-rate. In 2012, Marte played in 99 games at Triple-A (431 PAs), hitting .286/.347/.500 with a 21.1% K-rate/4.4% BB-rate. You know where I'm going with this, right?

George Springer - as you are all well aware and likely tired of by now - turned down a reported 7yr/$31m deal last September. At Double-A in 2013 Springer hit .297/.399/.579 (with a 29.7% K-Rate and a 13% BB-rate) and followed that up by hitting .311/.425/.626 in 266 PAs at Triple-A with a 24.4% K-rate and a 15.4% BB-rate.

To be fair, Springer has a better minor-league track record than Marte. He hits for better average and power than Marte, and he certainly walks a lot more than Marte. And Marte's AAV will be about $1.5m more than what the Astros offered Springer.

But Marte has something Springer doesn't have: 748 PAs of 117 OPS+ offense at the Major League level. In 135 games last season (566 PAs) Marte hit .280/.343/.441, walking 25 times, but stealing 41 bases in addition to ten triples (and 26 doubles and 12 homers). Marte is a solid defensive player with some pop and speed who doesn't walk, and strikes out a decent amount of the time (138 times in 566 PAs). Perhaps that sounds familiar.

That could be George Springer. Springer has 266 PAs above Double-A and the Astros were willing to give him $23m. I'm not criticizing Springer for not taking the deal - betting on himself may pay off big. I'm not criticizing the Astros for offering the deal - if Springer had taken it, then the Astros would have looked like geniuses. I'm simply pointing out that the offer was in the ballpark of a contract agreement between the Pirates and what may be a similar player to George Springer.

Go read this piece on how the Pirates did it

Seriously. Now. Do it now. Go here and read it and think about what you've been watching this season.

Travis Sawchik wrote up an article for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on just how the Pirates transformed themselves into one of the premier National League teams in 2013. How? A defensive philosophy of getting pitchers to induce ground balls and positioning the defense to better align where batted balls are hit. (Gasp: SHIFTS!).

Sawchik:
Fox researched where balls historically most often had been hit. He took evidence to Huntington that suggested the Pirates should change their defensive alignment. Fox suggested the Pirates not only increase their use of shifts but also alter where defenders, particularly infielders, are placed in base defenses...

The Pirates ratcheted up defensive experimentation last year, but it wasn't until this season that they dramatically changed the way they play defense, increasing their use of shifts by 400 percent. The Rays had shifted 453 times through Sept. 6 this season, second-most in baseball. The Pirates rank fourth.

That's not all there is to it, so definitely be sure to read it, and think about the Astros. It even stars A.J. Burnett as your resident Lucas Harrell, so read that, too. 

From the Office of the County Clerk: G44 - Astros @ Pirates

Lucas Harrell (3-4, 5.11) vs Jeff Locke (3-1, 3.15)

Welcome back to National League baseball. After spending the majority of their history in the offense-unfriendly Astrodome, Houston fans are well familiar with the pitcher's duel. The Astros spent the last three days back in the league of their birth, and split two tightly contested matches to start the series. Today was no different, but unfortunately on this day, they came up just shy. Astros lose the game and the series by a 1-0 score, and they return home 12-32 overall.

On the Mound:

*Lucas Harrell has not seemed himself in two of his last three outings, but today he was on top of his game. Unfortunately, one bad pitch to Pedro Alvarez ended up just beyond the left field wall, and that was all it took to sink Harrell's ship today. His line: 7 IP / 4 H / 1 R / 1 ER / 1 BB / 3 K.

*Hector Ambriz handled the 8th and pitched a perfect inning with 2 K.

At the Plate:

*Only three singles and two walks for the Astros on offense today, which makes it hard to win any game. Chris Carter was the only Astro to reach twice, going 1 for 2 with a BB and a K.

*Carlos Corporan was 1 for 3 with a K.

*Lucas Harrell took up this odd phenomenon of pitchers getting to hit, and he went 1 for 2 with a K before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the 8th.

*Brandon Barnes was 0 for 1 with a walk and a sac bunt, but his best contribution was gunning down Travis Snider at home from CF to end the 6th.

Turning Point:

With one out in the bottom of the 5th in a scoreless game, Pedro Alvarez dunked the first pitch he saw from Lucas Harrell over the shortest part of the left field fence, just inside the foul pole. Neither team would score again, so that was the game.

Man of the Match:

Lucas Harrell. Unquestionably deserved a better fate today.

Goat of the Game:

Pick-a-hitter, but we'll go Jimmy Paredes. 0 for 3 with 3 LOBsters, so he's now hitting .176 in 12 games, with two second basemen trampled.

From the Office of the County Clerk: G43 - Astros @ Pirates

Erik Bedard (0-2, 6.67) vs A.J. Burnett (3-4, 2.73)

Day 2 of the Astros' honeymoon back in the National League, and tonight's results were much better. It took the 2012 Astros an 0-11 record, until August 11, to pull off an extra-inning win. The 2013 edition knocked that out in their second try. Houston beats Pittsburgh 4-2 in 11, moving to 12-31 overall and falling a game behind Miami in the 2014 draft standings.

On the Mound:

*Erik Bedard returned to his 2012 home park, and for the second straight start, he actually pitched pretty well. A 6 IP / 7 H / 2 R / 2 ER / 0 BB / 3 K line marks his longest outing of the season, and also his first official "quality start."

*Edgar Gonzalez retired his only hitter, Wesley Wright hit the only batter he faced, then Jose Cisnero turned in 3.2 innings of 2-hit, no-run ball to take the Astros through the 10th.

*Jose Veras then got his 8th save opportunity, and recorded his 6th save of 2013 with a perfect 11th. He's officially now exceeded this season his total career saves from the previous seven years combined.

At the Plate:

*Jose Altuve returned from the bereavement list and didn't seem to miss a beat, going 3 for 5 with a RBI.

*Chris Carter was the second of three Astros with a multi-hit game tonight, going 2 for 5 with 2 K, and a huge game-tying RBI in the 8th.

*Jason Castro was likewise 2 for 5 with 2 K, but he doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the 11th.

*Matt Dominguez was 0 for 5 with a K, but he earned the GWRBI on a fielder's choice and later scored.

*J.D. Martinez pinch-hit for Cisnero in the 11th and drove in Matty D on a single.

*Trevor Crowe was 1 for 3 with a R, 2 BB, and K.

*Marwin Gonzalez went 1 for 5 and also scored a run.

*Carlos Pena and Robbie Grossman were each 0 for 3, but with 2 BB apiece.

Turning Point:

Jason Castro led off the 11th with a double to CF that narrowly missed going over the fence, then Chris Carter popped up and Carlos Pena was intentionally walked. A wild pitch by Bryan Morris allowed both runners to move up, then Matt Dominguez whacked a grounder to second off the end of the bat. Castro broke for home and slid in safely just inches ahead of Russell Martin's tag, giving the Astros a 3-2 lead.

Man of the Match:

Jose Cisnero. Wins for relief pitchers are usually random, but he earned this one with almost 4 innings of shutout work.

Goat of the Game:

No one deserves it, so no goat tonight. Astros win!

From the Office of the County Clerk: G42 - Astros @ Pirates

Jordan Lyles (1-1, 8.36) vs Jeanmar Gomez (2-0, 2.28)

These are your LOLstros. For much of the last two decades, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been synonymous with baseball incompetence. They've shown strong signs of starting to turn that around in the last two years, and they're looking even stronger so far this year. The Astros, meanwhile... well, you know. In stark contrast to Wednesday's leaping, crashing, game-ending catch by Brandon Barnes, Houston gift-wrapped a victory for the Pirates tonight, letting in the winning run on a walk-off outfield collision. Astros fall 5-4 in humiliating fashion, and they're now 11-31 as they start the season's second quarter.

On the Mound:

*Coming back off an ugly start against Texas, Jordan Lyles did pretty okay today. He allowed a pair of runs, but pitched into the 6th, finishing with a 5 IP / 4 H / 2 R / 1 ER / 2 BB / 4 K line.

*Travis Blackley (0.2 IP), Paul Clemens (1 IP), and Wesley Wright (0.1 IP) got the Astros through the 7th with a 4-2 lead still intact, but Wright allowed a leadoff single in the 8th.

*Hector Ambriz then got charged with a blown save, for allowing a gargantuan 2-run homer to Pedro Alvarez that ended up in the Allegheny River.

*Edgar Gonzalez should not be the losing pitcher tonight. At least not for what he did in the 9th. He gave up two hits, and made a fielding error of his own that loaded the bases. But he also got two outs, and induced a pop-up that should have ended the inning. Oh, LOLstros.

At the Plate:

*Houston collected 7 hits tonight, though no more than one apiece to any Astros hitter. Matt Dominguez had the single biggest swing, knocking his third HR of the season to go 1 for 4 with a RBI and 2 K.

*Robbie Grossman got the chance tonight to play against the team that traded him away, and he scored on them twice, going 1 for 4 with a double, a walk, and a K.

*Jake Elmore had a RBI single and finished 1 for 3, before featuring in the game-ending fiasco... more on that in a minute.

*Trevor Crowe had a hit and a walk in two PA.

*Marwin Gonzalez singled and scored a run to go 1 for 4.

*Jason Castro was 0 for 2 with a walk, but he earned a RBI on a sac fly.

*Chris Carter (1 for 3, BB, K) and Carlos Pena (1 for 3, BB) also had hits for Houston.

Turning Point:

The Astros carried a 4-2 lead into the 8th, and a 4-4 tie into the 9th, when Edgar Gonzalez came in to pitch. He sandwiched a groundout between a pair of singles for out #1, then made a fielding error on Brandon Inge that loaded the bases. After fanning Neil Walker for out #2, Russell Martin stepped to the plate and worked a 3-2 count. Gonzalez' next pitch was a changeup that Martin popped up into short right field, which should have been an easy play for out #3. But as Jake Elmore went out to catch it, Jimmy Paredes came in, and the pair collided when both tried to catch the ball. Travis Snider had walked home while the ball was in the air, so all he had to do was step on home plate when the ball hit the grass, and the Pirates had themselves a 5-4 win.

Man of the Match:

Matt Dominguez. All three of his home runs this season have come in the last week.

Goat of the Game:

The LOLstros defense. Jimmy Paredes was charged with the game-losing error, but Edgar Gonzalez's own error also contributed, and Chris Carter had an earlier error that also cost Houston a run.

From the Office of the County Clerk: G153 - Astros v. Pirates

A.J. Burnett (15-8, 3.64) vs Jordan Lyles (4-11, 5.40)

It is apparent in the way they played the last two days, and the last three weeks (4-17), that this is clearly another lost season for the poor Pittsburgh Pirates. Today, though, they seemed determined to at least reclaim some dignity. After being outscored 11-2 in the first two games of this series, the Pirates responded resoundingly today, pounding Houston to an 8-1 defeat in their final farewell to the Astros in the National League. The loss puts the Astros at 50-103 with nine games left in the season.

*Jordan Lyles + 5th inning = trouble. Again. Tony DeFrancesco did what he could to avert disaster, lifting Lyles before he had actually surrendered any runs, but the bullpen couldn't keep any of his bases-loaded runners from scoring. Thus, Jordan's line: 4 IP / 6 H / 3 R / 3 ER / 1 BB / 4 K. Wesley Wright let the first run in on a bases-loaded HBP before striking out Pedro Alvarez, then Mickey Storey came on and let in all three runners he inherited with a bases-loaded walk and two bloop singles. Storey further allowed another run on consecutive hits to start the 6th, before Chuckie Fick came in to shut the Pirates down for two scoreless frames. But then Enerio Del Rosario let them start it up again with three runs on five hits in his two-thirds of an inning, bringing in Rhiner Cruz for a scoreless final 1.1.

Observations:

*When you consider that the Pirates amassed 18 hits, the Astros are lucky that the damage wasn't any worse than 8-1. Were it not for Scott Moore today, things could have been embarrassingly ugly.

*Moore went 3 for 4 with a single, a double, and a solo home run, all off of A.J. Burnett.

*Other than Moore, though, the Astros had pretty much no answers for Burnett. Brandon Laird managed the only other Houston hit today, with an 8th-inning single in his only AB, after coming in on a double-switch in the top half of the inning.

*Jose Altuve went 0 for 1 with a walk and his 33rd stolen base, before leaving the game with groin tightness. He's day-to-day, but Zach Levine says he'll probably be out against St. Louis tomorrow.

*Brian Bogusevic was 0 for 1 and hit by a Burnett pitch in the 8th. That was the only other Astro baserunner this afternoon.

Turning Point:

A scoreless game after four quickly went south for Houston in the 5th. The Pirates led off the inning with back-to-back singles by Alex Presley and Josh Harrison, followed by a walk to Andrew McCutchen that loaded the bases. Jordan Lyles was lifted for Wesley Wright, and Pittsburgh pinch-hit with Gaby Sanchez, but Wright's third pitch hit Sanchez to force in the first run of the game. Wright struck out Pedro Alvarez, then Mickey Storey came in to face pinch-hitter Jose Tabata, but Storey walked Tabata to force in run #2. Clint Barmes then blooped a single just beyond Tyler Greene's reach for the third Pirate run, and Rod Barajas dunked another single in front of Fernando Martinez in left for run #4. That was more than enough support for A.J. Burnett today.

Man of the Match:

Scott Moore. Minus Moore, and the Astros would have been victims of a one-hit, one-walk, one-HBP shutout.

Goat of the Game:

Take your pick of pitchers that couldn't pitch and hitters that couldn't hit today. This loss was a total team effort.

From the Office of the County Clerk: G152 - Astros v. Pirates

Kevin Correia (11-9, 4.09) vs Dallas Keuchel (2-7, 4.97)

It's college football season. I live in Arkansas, so that means that virtually everyone around me is obsessed with the Razorbacks. If you pay attention to college football at all (I don't), then you know the Hogs, who started the season ranked #10, aren't doing very well this year. But if they were paying attention (they're not), Arkansas fans could take some solace in the performance of Diamond Hogs alum Dallas Keuchel tonight. Kid Keuchy and the Astros triumph 4-1 over the Pirates, moving back to .500 since September 1 (10-10), and to 50-102 overall.

*Keuchel was on point all night, delivering his second-best start of the season and earning his second straight win. The only run he allowed was on a solo HR to Gaby Sanchez in the 2nd, so his winning line was this: 7 IP / 4 H / 1 R / 1 ER / 1 BB / 5 K. The bullpen was equally impressive tonight, with Hector Ambriz contributing a scoreless 8th, and Wilton Lopez adding a perfect 9th for his seventh save.

Observations:

*Jason Castro wielded the big stick for Houston tonight, launching a three-run homer off Carlos Kevin Correia in the 7th that was the deciding blow. He finished 2 for 3 with a K.

*Brett Wallace got the Astros on the board early with a RBI single in the 1st. He ended up 1 for 4 with a K.

*Scott Moore doubled in advance of Wallace and scored the run, finishing 1 for 3 with 2 K.

*Matt Dominguez (1 for 4, K) and Tyler Greene (1 for 1, SB) also scored on Castro's big blow, though neither actually got their hits in the 7th. Dominguez reached on an error and Greene pinch-ran for Jed Lowrie...

*...after Lowrie singled, going 1 for 3 with a K.

Turning Point:

Houston scored in the 1st and Pittsburgh scored in the 2nd, and that's how the game stayed until the bottom of the 7th. Jed Lowrie led off the inning with a single, followed by a textbook double-play ball from Matt Dominguez to the slick fielding Clint Barmes. But Barmes booted it, so everyone was safe, putting two on with no out for Jason Castro. Castro the Astro made ex-Astro Barmes pay for his mistake, as he blasted Carlos Kevin Correia's 2-1 pitch into the right field well for a 4-1 Houston lead. That chased Correia from the game and tagged him with the loss.

Man of the Match:

Dallas Keuchel. Mad props to Jason Castro as well, but Kid Keuchy was brilliant tonight.

Goat of the Game:

With tonight's win, the Astros in September tied their win total from all of June (10), beat their win total from April (9), and trail only their 13 wins in May for their best month all season. With 7 games left in the month and 10 in the season, that's a very reachable goal.

From the Office of the County Clerk: G151 - Astros v. Pirates

Jeff Locke (0-1, 5.49) vs Edgar Gonzalez (2-1, 4.40)

If it hadn't been such an awful season for the Astros, almost I would feel bad for the Pirates. They were in first place in the NL Central as late as July 18, and stayed in second through August 21, but they came to town a game under .500 and in very real danger of making this their 20th consecutive losing season. However, I'd still rather see the Astros win, no matter the opponent. It's a happy night for Houston fans, as they down Pittsburgh 7-1 and move to 49-102 overall.

*Edgar Gonzalez had a short night, but not due to ineffectiveness; he left in the 2nd with a right hamstring strain. Before that point, he put up a 1.2 IP / 1 H / 0 R / 0 ER / 1 BB / 1 K line. Fernando Rodriguez came in and came up big, adding a 3.1 IP / 2 H / 0 R / 0 ER / 0 BB / 4 K line, which would earn him the win. Jose Valdez (0.1 IP) and Xavier Cedeno (0.2 IP) combined on a scoreless 6th, Mickey Storey struck out the side in order in the 7th, and Wilton Lopez closed it out with a scoreless 9th. Only Rhiner Cruz let the Pirates to get on the board, surrendering a solo homer to Garrett Jones in the 8th.

Observations:

*After an afternoon of missed opportunities yesterday, Houston did a much better job of capitalizing on their chances tonight. They scored 7 runs on just 6 hits, aided by 7 walks and a trio of homers. It was Houston's first 3 HR game since August 14 at Wrigley.

*Jed Lowrie had the biggest blow, launching a 3-run HR to the Crawford Boxes in the 1st - his 15th of the year and his first since June 26, before his injury. He finished 1 for 3 with 3 RBI, 2 R, a HBP, and a K.

*Not to be outdone, Justin Maxwell stroked a solo shot of his own into the Crawford Boxes in the 6th, extending his team-leading total to 17. He ended up 1 for 2 with 2 R and 2 BB on the night.

*Brett Wallace struck twice, with a RBI triple in the 6th and a solo blast in the 7th, to go 2 for 4 with two runs scored.

*Jose Altuve doubled and went 1 for 4 with a HBP, a RBI, a SB (32), and a K, to go with a great diving stop in Pittsburgh's half of the 6th that likely saved at least one run.

*Brandon Barnes had the other hit and went 1 for 3 with a run scored, two walks, and two strikeouts.

Turning Point:

Jed Lowrie gave Houston all the runs they would need in the 1st, but before they broke it open, Pittsburgh threatened in the 6th. Jose Valdez started the inning with a single to Starling Marte. Clint Barmes was next and grounded hard up the middle, but Jose Altuve made a highlight-reel diving stop, then flipped the ball over his back to Lowrie for the force at second. Andrew McCutchen followed with a single that moved Barmes to second and brought Xavier Cedeno into the game. Cedeno got Garrett Jones to fly to center for the second out, then walked Gaby Sanchez to load the bases. Pedro Alvarez - he of 29 HR - was up next, but Cedeno got the huge strikeout to keep the game in Houston's favor.

Man of the Match:

Jed Lowrie! Great to see his power stroke on display again. Honorable mentions to Brett Wallace and Fernando Rodriguez.

Goat of the Game:

A win tomorrow will get the Astros back to .500 in September. Let's finish strong.

Here's some trolling from Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gene Collier has a nice little farewell column to the Astros, as they played their last game in Pittsburgh last night not with a bang, but with a whimper: "Woeful Astros in a league of their own."

The lede:
Not to be presumptuous, but I think I can speak for all of Pittsburgh when I express the city's sincere thanks to the Houston Astros for bringing us 51 seasons of generally dreadful National League baseball.

"Generally dreadful" you say? Hold the phone. You can't expect a fan of a team - this team - to not take some slight offense to this Looking Down the Glasses column. "Generally dreadful" is not an appropriate term for a team that has won at least 80 games in 30 of 51 seasons, and went to the playoffs six times in nine seasons.

Houston is 3986-4122 overall in their 50.8 seasons of baseball. Pittsburgh, in the same time frame, is 3982-4111-8. In other words, the Astros have a winning percentage of .4916 in franchise history, through last night. The Pirates have a winning percentage of .4915.

Have the last two seasons' worth of home games been played in Dante's 4th Level of Hell? Absolutely.

An aside, if you will, because that wasn't a random level. Read the description of Level 4 of Dante's Inferno:
Just before the river Styx is the Fourth Level of Hell. Here, the prodigal and the avaricious suffer their punishment, as they roll weights back and forth against one another. You will share eternal damnation with others who either wasted and lived greedily and insatiably, or who stockpiled their fortunes, hoarding everything and sharing nothing. Plutus, the wolf-like demon of wealth, dwells here.

If Carlos Lee isn't Plutus, I don't know who is...

Anyhow, in order to say "We'll miss you suckers!" you have to be engaging in some highly selective history. Collier throws out a stat: the Pirates are 215-134 against Houston at home.

Verdict? True, but in the last 20 seasons (1993-present), the Astros are 170-120 overall, and 70-71 at Pittsburgh - an away record that is pretty damn far from getting dominated. From 1993-2010, the Astros were 65-57 at Pittsburgh, and 160-98 overall.

So, yes, the Pirates are 215-134 at home against the Astros. From 1962-1992 (a span which saw some flat-out incredible Pirates teams), the Pirates were 150-87. That's domination, holmes.

I'm sure Pittsburgh will miss the 2011-2012 Astros. Who wouldn't? (Aside from the Mets, who are 5-7 against the two worst Astros teams in franchise history, I mean).

To the credit of Pirates fans, read the comments for Collier's article. Lots of appropriate calling out of Collier. But look, Gene, I'm happy for your Pirates. I hope they knock the Cardinals out and beautiful PNC Park gets to host playoff baseball. Just take it easy on the suspender-snapping.

From the Office of the County Clerk: G137 - Astros @ Pirates

Fernando Abad (0-2, 4.83) vs Kevin Correia (9-8, 4.40)

While two of the Astros' Minor League affiliates began their playoff journeys, the big club did what they could to help Pittsburgh's longsuffering playoff quest. Fernando Abad gave the Pirates an early lead, and they never looked back, winning 6-3. The Astros bid farewell to PNC Park and moved one step closer to the century mark, now 42-95.

*The Abad-as-a-starter experiment took another beating tonight. Fernando pitched a perfect 3rd, but he coughed up five runs in his other three innings, ending with this line: 4 IP / 6 H / 5 R / 4 ER / 3 BB / 3 K. Mickey Storey pitched 1.1 innings and left with two runners on, but Hector Ambriz allowed one of those two to score on a sac bunt. Xavier Cedeno and Wilton Lopez each had a scoreless inning thereafter to finish out the game.

Observations:

*No Astro had a multi-hit game, but every Astro 2-7 in the lineup had one hit each.

*Brandon Laird didn't start the game, coming in on a double switch in the 6th, but he made the most of the opportunity. After 100 career home runs spread across six seasons in the minors, Brandon hit his first career big league bomb - a two-run shot in the 9th. He finished 1 for 2 with a K.

*Brian Bogusevic went 1 for 4 with 2 K and had Houston's other RBI, on a single in the 4th.

*Jimmy Paredes moved back to right field, going 1 for 4 with a double ahead of Bogusevic to score the first Astros run.

*Carlos Corporan also went 1 for 4 with a double and a strikeout.

*Brett Wallace went 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored, but he also had a fielding error in the 2nd that led to Pittsburgh's unearned run.

*Jason Castro singled as a pinch-hitter in the 8th.

Turning Point:

Houston cut into Pittsburgh's 3-0 lead with a run in the top of the 4th, but the Pirates struck back in their half of the inning. Rod Barajas led off with a single, followed by an Alex Presley triple that put them up 4-1. Brock Holt then followed a strikeout by Carlos Kevin Correia with a sacrifice fly to center to pad Pittsburgh's margin.

Man of the Match:

Brandon Laird. Kudos to the newest Astro on his first Major League home run.

Goat of the Game:

Fernando Abad. His future may be as a starter, but it's been a rough transition with Houston so far.

From the Office of the County Clerk: G136 - Astros @ Pirates

Jordan Lyles (3-10, 5.46) vs Wandy Rodriguez (9-13, 3.86)

Wandy was vintage Wandy again tonight, tossing his second straight scoreless outing and his third straight quality start. Alas for the Astros, he did it wearing the opposing colors. Astros lose 6-2, dropping to .500 (2-2) for September and 42-94 overall.

*Jordan Lyles ran into increasing trouble in every odd inning tonight, as he was ultimately unable to finish the 5th. A two-run error on Tyler Greene didn't help after Lyles left, and Jordan finished with this line: 4.2 IP / 7 H / 5 R / 4 ER / 1 BB / 5 K. Fernando Rodriguez didn't help either, issuing a walk and a wild pitch to put two runners in scoring position before Greene's error. Chuckie Fick, Rhiner Cruz, and Jose Valdez combined for three scoreless frames to finish the game, but Lyles and Rodriguez had already buried the Astros six runs deep.

Observations:

*The Astros only managed four singles and a walk against Wandy over the first seven innings. Their only non-single of the night came on a RBI double by Brett Wallace (1 for 4) in the 8th off of Chris Resop.

*Jose Altuve went 1 for 4 and stole his team-leading 28th base.

*Chris Snyder had Houston's other RBI, singling in a pinch-hit appearance to drive in Wallace in the 8th.

*Jimmy Paredes went 1 for 4 in his first start in left field.

*Brandon Laird got the start at third and went 1 for 3 in his Astros debut.

*Lyles (1 for 2) and Matt Dominguez (1 for 2, R) had Houston's other hits.

Turning Point:

Houston was down 3-0 in the 5th, but Lyles was close to escaping the inning without any further damage by sandwiching a pair of outs around a Brock Holt double. Andrew McCutchen singled to drive in Holt and chase Lyles, however, then came F-Rod's walk and wild pitch to put runners on second and third. Tyler Greene was bumped by Brandon Laird on a Pedro Alvarez popup that should have been the third out, but Greene straight dropped it, putting Houston at a 6-0 deficit.

Man of the Match:

Hmm. Brett Wallace, for breaking up the singles parade and the shutout.

Goat of the Game:

Tyler Greene. Dishonorable Mention to Jordan Lyles, who gave up one in the first and two in the third on his own, without any poor defensive assistance. But Greene accompanied his two-run error with an 0 for 4, K, 3 LOBster night.

From the Office of the County Clerk: G103 - Astros v. Pirates

James McDonald (10-4, 3.15) vs Lucas Harrell (7-7, 4.07)

AT LONG LAST. If you could get past the bullpen's brutality, you may have felt this coming this week. Even as the losing streak stretched out to 12 games, Houston kept getting close - the streak started with blowouts, but not so the last 5 days. Sooner or later, they had to put it all together. Today, they finally did. Astros win, 9-5, ending their freefall and improving to 35-68 overall.

*Lucas Harrell may be Houston's ace now, and he certainly pitched like it today. The only runs he gave up came on a Garrett Jones moon launch to the upper reaches of right field in the 4th, but he kept Pittsburgh overmatched besides that. Lucas' line: 5.2 IP / 5 H / 2 R / 2 ER / 3 BB / 5 K. He came out after loading the bases with two outs in the 6th, but Fernando Rodriguez came in and did his job today, safely recording the third out. That began a parade of six relievers who mostly pitched well, save for the run that F-Rod gave up in the 7th and the two runs that Chuckie Fick surrendered without logging an out in the 9th. Wright, Cordero, Cedeno, and Lopez all had scoreless fractions of innings.

Observations:

*Big game today by the Astros offense, even after trading away one of their hottest hitters in Chris Johnson. 9 runs were their most in a game since scoring 9 against KC back on June 18.

*Houston scored at least once in every inning from the 3rd through the 7th. That marked the first game in which they scored in four or more consecutive innings since the second half of the May 28 doubleheader in Colorado.

*Marwin Gonzalez led the offense with 3 H, and 3 RBI on a bases-loaded, two-out double in the 7th. He was 3 for 5 including another double and a run scored.

*Scott Moore, taking over 3B for CJ at least today, also had a pair of RBI singles. He went 2 for 4 with a walk.

*Jordan Schafer capitalized on his first start since Tuesday, launching a 2-run homer in the 4th off of James McDonald. It was Schafer's fourth of the season, and his first since June 23 against Cleveland. He added another RBI on a fielder's choice in the 5th, finishing 1 for 3 with a walk.

*J.D. Martinez opened the Astros' scoring with a sac fly driving in Jose Altuve in the 3rd. J.D. went 1 for 3 with a run scored and a walk.

*Speaking of Altuve, he doubled and walked twice to go 1 for 3 with two runs scored.

*Steve Pearce made his Astros debut as their starting first baseman, doubling in the 5th to go 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Turning Point:

Houston was up 5-2 in the 6th, but it looked like Harrell then began to tire. After recording the first two outs, Lucas loaded the bases on a single and a pair of walks. Brad Mills then brought in Fernando Rodriguez to face world-beater Andrew McCutchen in a pinch-hitting role. McCutchen has been on fire and may be the best player in the National League this season, so he's the last man you want to see up there with the bases loaded. But Rodriguez got him to pop to second on a 2-1 count, preserving the Astros' lead.

Man of the Match:

Plenty of heroes today, but we'll give it to Lucas Harrell, who finally got some run support and earned his 8th win.

Goat of the Game:

Good feelings all around, but if there must be a goat, I'll pick Chuckie Fick (whose name we must be careful about typing). It never got uncomfortably close, but Fick was handed a 9-3 lead to start the 9th, and gave up three singles and a wild pitch without recording an out to make it 9-5. Given the context of the last five games, it just made the 9th inning a little more interesting than we all would have liked.