*The World Series, which they're still playing for some reason, is tied 1-1. Game 3 is in Arizona tonight. FanGraphs has it Six Flags 52.2 - 47.8 Arizona.
*I watched "Race to the Summit" on Netflix. It's about speed-climbing crazy-ass mountains without ropes and whatnot. It's subtitled. Any of the preceding may be disqualifying for you, but I liked it.
Ahem. Now we have a rivalry. The Astros won Game 5, 5-4. It was the Astros' 7th straight postseason road win, their last postseason road loss coming in 2022 World Series Game 3, the "Let McCullers Get Shelled and Then Throw A No-Hitter" game.
9th Inning - Jose Altuve 3-run homer: 82.9% Astros
9th Inning - Mitch Garver single: 65.2% Astros
9th Inning - Jonah Heim single: 53.2% Rangers
9th Inning - Evan Carter strikeout: 100.0% Astros
*Let's talk about that Adolis Garcia HBP:
-Did Adolis Garcia pimp his three-run homer in the 6th? Absolutely! Did he have every right to do that? For sure! I would still be moonwalking between 1st and 2nd base if I had hit that home run, which was actually Adolis Garcia's 100th career home run. That home run was massive. Absolutely no issue with Garcia slamming the bat down and yelling.
-Did Abreu try to hit him? Obviously I'm biased. I've spent a number of years referring to the Rangers as being located in a different random Metroplex suburb. I hate that team. That said, there is absolutely no reason to hit Adolis Garcia. Evan Carter was on 1st base after Abreu walked him. It was 4-2 Rangers, and the Astros had three outs to play with before having to go back to Minute Maid Park needing to win both games to win the Pennant. I'm sure the Astros have won back-to-back home games in 2023...but I can't quite remember when. (September 9-10 vs San Diego).
-What I'm trying to say is that intentionally hitting Garcia would be the height of stupidity. Garcia had woken up the World's Largest Storage Unit already, there would be no reason to fan the flames. I think Abreu was trying to blow an fastball by him. There were 0 outs. Maybe get a GIDP.
-I also understand why Garcia was pissed off. If someone hit me with a 97mph fastball you would see my soul ascend (I'm assuming I'm going to Heaven) on a cloud, playing a harp. There wouldn't even be dental records, such would be my demise.
-Shoutout to Dusty Baker for actually getting out of the dugout and putting his finger in one the faces of this awful umpiring crew. Dusty: "I haven't been that mad in a long time."
-Altuve's homer got Marvin Hudson off the hook for what was an absolutely God-awful job behind the plate. I didn't know Dusty had it in him. It also got Altuve off the hook for trying to bunt with Tucker on second base.
-Ultimately Garcia's outburst may have actually cost the Ramgers that game. He iced LeClerc, which is French for "The Clerc," for 11 minutes after he got Michael Brantley to juuuust get under one to end the inning with Kyle Tucker on second base. LeClerc's 9th Inning: Walk, Walk, Homer (then some outs).
I was concerned about that delay. I really was. It as a long one. It was taking too long, to be honest. The whole thing is a bunch of crap, to be honest, what happened there. Who knows what intentions are, but it's not the first time it's happened, and couldn't get the game going again.
LeClerc:
I'm not used to waiting around that long to pitch again, but it's no excuse. I needed to execute my pitches and do a better job.
That doesn't happen if Adolis Garcia just walks to first.
-But if Abreu did it on purpose, then he's dumb as hell and deserved to get tossed. And suspended.
Verlander made one bad pitch. That pitch also moved Verlander out of a tie with Clayton Kershaw for the 2nd-most postseason home runs allowed and past Andy Pettitte's 31 playoff homers and into sole possession of most postseason home runs allowed, at 32.
Of the 32 postseason home runs Verlander has now allowed, 19 have come with the Astros. That breakdown:
Solo: 13
2-Run: 3
3-Run: 3
Grand Slams: 0
It's the 9th time Verlander has allowed 2HR in a postseason game, and the 6th time it's happened with the Astros, who are now 2-4 in postseason games in which Verlander gives up 2HR.
*Jordan Montgomery vs Houston, ALCS: 11.2IP, 10H/2ER, 9K:3BB.
*Shoutout to Yainer Diaz, who got his first career postseason hit.
*Shoutout to Jon Singleton, who drew a walk that became the tying run in his first plate appearance since October 1. Singleton:
You put in the hard work, and you stay ready so you don't have to get ready. That's been my motto so far this year.
*Jose LeClerc had only allowed 23 homers in 302.1 career IP. He had given up 5HR in the 2023 regular season. Only one of those career home runs had more than one on base - a grand slam to Julio Rodriguez on July 15, 2022. And then came Jose Altuve.
*Jose Altuve hit his 26th career postseason home run to record his 54th career postseason RBI. It was his first multi-RBI game since 2021 ALCS G2. Altuve had 3RBI in his previous 25 postseason games combined. Listen to Robert Ford's call of the home run.
I know everybody is talking about the homer. But if you go and see Diaz's base hit and then Singleton's walk, especially when he hasn't played in a lot of days...coming from the bench facing probably one of the best closers right now in the playoffs, I think the key was these two guys and to be able to score all those runs.
*Alex Bregman's 18th career postseason home run moves him into a tie for 3rd in franchise history with Carlos Correa. He needs one more to tie George Springer for 2nd.
*Kyle Tucker got two hits in a postseason game since 2022 World Series Game 1.
*It was Ryan Pressly's first career postseason six-out save, and just the 2nd six-out save of his career.
The Astros have advanced to the ALCS for the 7th straight year, or every single year in which Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez, Jose Urquidy, Framber Valdez, and anyone else whose career began with the Astros after 2016 have been in the Majors. This is a dynasty, and anyone who says otherwise deserves to get their teeth knocked into their throat.
*Franchises to make seven straight League Championship Series:
Atlanta: 8 (1991-1999, there were no playoffs in 1994)
Houston: 7 (2017-2023)
*Playoff Wins, 2015-2023 (as of the morning of October 12):
We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the bond that we have and the relationships that we have in this locker room, and we hold each other accountable in a good way. Obviously, this team is built different. These guys are built different. When it's time to step up, we play our best baseball.
*The Astros were held to six hits. Two of them, accounting for all three runs, were home runs. Houston is now 16-32 in postseason games in which they've recorded six or fewer hits.
Houston is also now 1-5 in games where they do not draw a walk.
15 straight Astros were retired until Jose Abreu got a base hit with two outs in the top of the 9th.
*Jose Urquidy: 5.2IP, 3H/2ER, 6K:1BB. 53 of his 82 pitches were for strikes. Three of his 17 starts for the 2023 Astros went 17 outs or longer. Urquidy has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 11 of his 13 career postseason appearances.
We've seen that since his rookie year, winning World Series games for us. We have a lot of confidence every time he goes and takes the mound. We know what we're going to get every single time: a guy who's competing, a guy who's trying to go execute pitches.
*The bullpen of Neris/Abreu/Pressly struck out eight of the last ten Twins batters in G4.
*Bullpens:
Houston: 15IP, 10H/6ER, 26K:4BB (4ER were courtesy of Hector Neris in G1)
Minnesota: 19IP, 16H/8ER, 21K:7BB
*Carlos Correa watched Max Kepler watch Strike Three to end the series from the on-deck circle.
Correa, Games 1/2: 5x8, 3 doubles, 3RBI, 2K:1BB
Correa, Games 3/4: 1x7, 0RBI, 2K:0BB
Correa:
I wanted that at-bat (in the 9th) so bad. I know Pressly very well, and it would've been a fun matchup. It didn't get there, but that's the way it's supposed to be.
Imagine moving Correa down in the order so that Max Kepler can represent the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the 9th and swing twice.
*What a find by GMs Jim Crane/Jeff Bagwell in this Jose Abreu fella. Abreu was 2x4 with the eventual go-ahead 2-run homer. Abreu had 2HR/7RBI in Games 3&4. Abreu:
The only thing I can say is thank you.k The person that's not grateful with what life has given them isn't going to reach many goals. I can't say anything other than thank you. I'm just very grateful to be here.
*Michael Brantley hit his first postseason home run since 2020 ALCS G3 - a span of 22 games. Brantley:
The core guys that have been here the last seven years, they know how to win games. Since I got here five years ago, you can call it pressure, or when our back is against the wall, we play our best baseball. We always have. And it's a testament to those guys.
*Jeremy Pena went hitless for just the second time in 17 career postseason games.
*Bryan Abreu: 1IP, 0H/0ER, 2K:0BB.
Bryan Abreu since July 18: 31IP, 13H/0ER, 41K:13BB
*Ryan Pressly: 1IP, 0H/0ER, 3K:0BB.
Pressly, postseason career (all with Houston): 40.2IP, 30H/11ER, 53K:12BB. 2.43 ERA/1.03 WHIP.
Pressly last gave up an earned run in the postseason in 2021 ALCS G1. In the 17 postseason games since: 18.2IP, 6H/0ER, 28K:5BB. 0.00 ERA / 0.59 WHIP.
He knows what he's doing behind the plate, and he knows every hitter's weaknesses and he's going to try to exploit. He pitches against the xSLG...and we knew it, and still it was hard to make the adjustments, the way he was pitching backwards. Hitters counts, he would go off-speed, and then a count where he would go off-speed regularly, he would go fastballs up.
There's been a culture established here that hasn't faded away. It's still very present, and that's a testament to the guys that were here before and the guys that remain here and the guys that are leaders of this ballclub. They don't allow slacking off, but they do it in a respectful manner. They expect the best of everyone because they're giving their best every single day. What a great way to lead by example. I think our culture is something not tangible. Funny that one (for) one of the most analytic-forward teams in baseball, something that makes this team so special is something that's not measurable.
For seven years - one short of Atlanta's record eight-straight championship series appearances - the Astros have managed to win at least one playoff series. And as dissatisfying as that might be for those who harbor resentment against the organizaiton for its cheating in 2017, anyone who refuses to acknowledge the Astros' exceptional staying power is just willfully ignorant.
*100-win teams (Baltimore, Atlanta, Los Angeles), 2023 postseason: 1-8.
Pretty sweet to watch the Astros clinch the ALDS and then turn it over to watch the Dloldgers get swept by a team that went 5-8 against them in the regular season. The Dodgers are the second team in MLB history to win 100 games in the regular season and never even hold a lead in the postseason. The Bastard Dave Roberts:
There's some things with the format that people can dissect or whatever, but the bottom line is we've gotten outplayed in the postseason.
Read every single word above this section to see why maybe the playoff format isn't the reason.
The Astros pulled off a literal miracle by winning a game at Minute Maid Park. Houston is 39-39 at home, 85-68 overall. There are nine games remaining, and only three at home. If the Astros don't win the series against the Royals, they'll finish below .500 at home for the first time since 2014.
*AL West:
1. Houston (85-68): -
2. Seattle (84-68): +0.5
3. Caddo Mills (84-68): +0.5
According to the Wonderful Sarah Langs, this is the first time since divisional play began (1969) that three teams have been within half a game of each other with less than ten games to play.
*AL Playoff Picture: Postseason Odds via FanGraphs:
Fear not. The bats are here. The pitching's good enough. We're going to win the division.
*Buster Olney: The Astros will be tough to beat in October...if they get there.
*Houston has won one of their last one games. They are 4-8 at MMP in September. They went 16-17 against the AL East in 2023.
*Houston has now won the last game of the series in five straight series. They lost the first two games in three straight, and four of their last five series. Dusty:
That's a big win. Obviously, you're going to see that team in the postseason. So that's a big win for us. But we've got another big series coming up against Kansas City and we need to take advantage of the opportunity and put up some more wins at home.
We needed this win. From now on, the mindset is 'Win every game.' We started today like this, so let's finish together here.
*It's the 46th time the Astros have been held to two or fewer runs this season. They're 4-42 in those games, now. The 2022 Astros were held to two or fewer runs in just 45 of their games last season. Miniscule.
*Baltimore's Kyle Bradish vs Houston, career: 22.2IP, 6H/0ER, 25K:4BB. 0.00 ERA / 0.44 WHIP. I want no part of Kyle Bradish, or his pitching partner Rich Sturnip lol.
*The Astros were 2x10 with runners in scoring position in yesterday's game - 8x35 over the three-game series. Although Mauricio Big Nuts Dubon came through with the walk-off, the first of his career (I think? B-Ref is being a little weird this morning).
*The only other thing worth talking about is Cristian Javier: 5IP: 3H/1ER, 11K:2BB. It's the 6th 10+ strikeout game of his career, the most strikeouts since he made 11 Angels walk back to the dugout on May 10. It's the first time that he didn't give up a homer in an outing since July 22. Has Javier figured it out?
*Ryan Pressly deservedly got the win, throwing nine pitches - eight for strikes - and not allowing a hit or a walk. Chandler Rome wrote about how he had become too slider-happy, and he was going to be less so.
*Michael Brantley was unavailable - not even to pinch-hit - for a third straight game.
*After giving up nine goals in their first six games across all competitions, Leeds United have now taken three clean sheets in a row, yesterday a 0-0 draw at Hull City.
Goodness. The Astros took West Van to the woodshed in a 14-1 drubbing that saw Future Hall of Famer Bruce Bochy pull Corey Seager after two ABs. Houston is 79-61. Seattle lost.
*AL Playoff Picture:
1. Baltimore (87-51)
2. Houston (79-61)
3. Minnesota (73-66)
4. Tampa (84-55)
5. Seattle (77-61)
6. Toronto (77-62)
---
7. West Van (76-62) +0.5
8. Boston (72-67) +5.0
*AL West Division Odds (and change from yesterday):
*The Astros hit six home runs. It's the most home runs ever hit by a team - the Rangers included - at Globe Life Field. The last time the Rangers allowed 6HR in a game was June 16, 2021...at Minute Maid Park...against the Astros.
*It's the 23rd time in MLB history that a team has hit 11 home runs over consecutive road games. The 2023 Astros are also on the list, when they hit 7HR at Oakland on May 28 and then 4HR at Toronto on June 5, their next road game after May 28. So it's just the 20th time in MLB history that it happened on back-to-back days (or in both ends of a doubleheader).
*Days in 1st Place, AL West, 2023:
1. West Van: 150
2. Seattle: 12
3. Houston: 1
*Jose Altuve hit a home run in his first three ABs of the game, the three homers tying a career-high with 2017 ALDS G1. That marked a run of four straight ABs with a home run. Jose Altuve's ABs against the Rangers, September 4-5:
1. Groundout
2. Flyout
3. Single
4. Home Run
5. Single
6. Home Run
7. Home Run
8. Home Run
9. Home Run
10. Groundout
11. Strikeout
The only other player in MLB history to hit four home runs in four innings was Bobby Lowe, you remember, from the 1894 Boston team. They were so old they didn't even have a name. Just "Boston." Altuve has raised his OPS from .899 to .969 in 11 Plate Appearances against the Rangers. Altuve:
It was just one of those days where you feel really good. I was just trying to get my pitch, put a good swing, and it happened...Obviously, this doesn't happen very often. Last month of the season where we are trying to get to first place, stay there, so good timing.
He goes, we go. That's how we've been. Every time he does it, we're not surprised, really, but at the same time, it's unreal what he does.
Altuve is only the 23rd player in MLB history to hit five home runs in two consecutive road games (on back-to-back days, or both ends of a doubleheader). The last to do it? Former White Sox Great Jose Abreu, who did it against the Cubs on August 21-22, 2020.
We're in first place and we want to pad that lead. Tomorrow is very important and when we get back home, we got to start showing some home-field dominance. Trying to figure out why we're hitting so well on the road and not at home. We'll figure it out. Right now, we've got a one-game lead, and we've got to pad it.
*Martin Maldonado hit two home runs last night for the 5th time in his career. It's the first time he's hit two home runs in the same game against the same pitcher since September 4, 2017.
*Yordan Alvarez went 3x6 with a HR and 2RBI. Since coming off the IL on July 26, Yordan is hitting .316/.425/.534 with 20K:22BB and 7HR.
*Framber threw 7IP, 6H/1ER, 4K:4BB. Framber's last three starts: 20IP, 11H/5R (3ER), 15K:9BB.
*Ryne Stanek was placed on the IL with a "right ankle sprain," which is far better than the "right ankle disintegration" I'd predicted. Parker Mushinski was called up.
*After throwing in 56 of the Astros' first 130 games, Ryan Pressly has pitched once since August 25. A nice little break on his arm.
*MLB Network put up a graphic yesterday for Discussion! or Engagement! or whatever, but it highlighted five AL Rookie of the Year candidates with some baseline stats. They had:
*On Monday, September 25-Wednesday, September 27, 2017 the Astros traveled to Arlington to play the series the Rangers didn't want to flip series after Hurricane Harvey out of respect for their own Season Ticket Holders. Houston outscored them 37-7 and out-hit them 46-23. Tonight the Astros need 11 runs on 11 hits to beat that ass even harder.
*What To Watch, September 6:
Blue Jays @ A's: 2:37pm Central
Red Sox @ Rays: 5:40pm
Mariners @ Reds: 5:40pm
Astros @ Rangers: 7:05pm
*BBC: Winless, Elusive, & Under Pressure: Jurgen Klinsmann in South Korea.
The pab Houston Astros collectively tripped on their dicks and lost 4-1 to the gd Detroit Tigers last night, despite the Tigers making four mf errors. Houston is 72-58. The Rangers lost their 8th straight game while the Mariners won their 49th game in a row. Houston is in 3rd place, one game behind the co-leading Mariners/Rambers.
Seattle: 43.3% to win AL West, 84.4% to make postseason
Aledo: 36.6% to win AL West, 84.2% to make postseason
Houston: 20.1% to win AL West, 64.3% to make postseason
*Record Since All-Star Break:
Seattle: 27-12
Baltimore: 26-13
Minnesota: 22-16
Houston: 22-17
Aledo: 20-17
*The Mariners are in first place after the All-Star Break for the first time since August 26, 2003. I will never respect the Mariners.
The last time AL West teams were in 1st Place after the All-Star Break:
Seattle: August 26, 2023
Aledo: August 26, 2023
Houston: October 5, 2022
Las Vegas: September 27, 2020
Anaheim: July 28, 2015
*Houston has lost six of their last eight games. They've hit two home runs in the last four games, and are homer-less in back-to-back games for the first time since July 6-7, against Seattle.
*Last night was the first time Houston was held to a single, solitary, stupid hit since April 20, 2022.
*Kyle Tucker's 25th stolen base of the season ties a career-high.
*Yordan hit a 417-foot flyout caught by future Tigers hero Parker Meadows.
*Framber was back...? 7IP, 0H/0ER. 6K:5BB. The Astros' "offense" owes him an apology. He threw a season-high 114 pitches. It was his fifth start of allowing 0ER in 2023, and the Astros are 3-2 in those games. He issued five walks in a start for the first time since April 10.
*Framber is the fifth pitcher since 1961 to throw a no-hitter, and then at least seven no-hit innings in the same calendar month, and the first since Derek Lowe did it in April 2002.
*It was the 31st time this season that Astros pitchers have held their opponent to five or fewer hits. Somehow they're 22-9 in those games.
*In the worst timing possible, Ryan Pressly allowed his first earned runs since July 28, and he started the 9th Inning with two strikeouts. Then: single, single, single, homer, ballgame.
It's part of the game. I can control when I have the ball in my hand, but things like that can happen to any of us.
Dusty:
[Pressly] looked so sharp the first two hitters. Then he had a tough hitter up there in Miggy, who fouled off a bunch of pitches and bounced one up the middle like we've seen him do many, many times...I guess that was [Meadows'] first home run. I guess he'll remember that forever. But that was a tough one. Our guys had pitched so well.
*The Angels, who are a criminal enterprise fronted by a Major League Baseball logo, didn't even send Shohei Ohtani for an MRI even as they pushed back his starts. This
*I had a bout with insomnia this week, and read this at 3:30am and laughed until I cried. Vulture: Unraveling The Greatest Writers' Room Story Ever.
*On tap today:
Brighton @ West Ham, 11:30am Central
Navy @ Notre Dame @ Ireland, 1:30pm Central
Kansas City @ Seattle, 3:10pm Central
Houston @ Detroit, 5:10pm Central
Aledo @ Minnesota, 6:15pm Central (Fox)
*I wrote about this a month ago, but my wife almost died on vacation in Colorado. When they moved her out of ICU, it was into a room down the hall. Somehow, she left the AirPods I got her as part of her anniversary present in the bed, and when they cleaned the room, off the AirPods went to laundry. She's the first person to ever lose a pair of AirPods while laying in the same room for four days. I gave her mine. All that's to say, if you have an extra pair of AirPods you're trying to off-load, let me know.
The Astros beat Cleveland last night, 7-3, scoring seven of the final eight runs of the game to improve to 60-47. Houston went 15-10 in July, 10-6 since the All-Star Break, scoring 131 runs in 25 games. South Hurst didn't play, so the Astros are 0.5 games back, closest they've been since May 20.
*Houston is now 9-11 against the AL Central, the 2nd-worst record against that garbage division in the AL (Oakland is 7-11).
*Astros pitchers had allowed a home run in eight straight games. Houston is 25-8 when they don't allow a homer.
*J.P. France: 7IP, 7H/2ER, 6K:2BB. It was his third straight start - and fourth in his last six - in which France recorded 21 outs. He has allowed two or fewer earned runs in ten of his 15 starts. France's 1.88 ERA since June 28 is the 8th-lowest in MLB among starters who threw at least 30IP.
France threw a first-pitch strike to 21 of the 28 batters he faced.
*Jose Altuve was 1x2 with 3BB and two runs scored, and two stolen bases. It's his first 2SB game since August 17, 2022.
*Yordan Alvarez re-took the team lead with his 19th home run of the season. Astros HR leaders (with PAs in parentheses):
Yordan: 19 (263)
Tucker: 18 (446)
Bregman: 18 (470)
*Jeremy Pena was 0x3 hitting in the #2 hole. In the last six games where he's been hitting second, he's hitting .320/.370/.400.
*Corey Julks went 0x4, bringing him to 0 hits in his last 38 PAs. His OPS has dipped 71 points since his last hit, on July 18.
*Ryan Pressly has thrown 48.1IP in 2023, matching the number of innings he threw in 2022. It is August 1.
*The Trade Deadline is today. Chandler Rome: The Astros are waiting to see if they'll make a splash.
The Astros beat the Oakland "Athletics" 6-4. They are 55-43, 12 games over .500 for the first time since they were 35-23 on June 3. The Rangers had a 5-4 lead over the Dodgers and blew it, so the Astros are three games back. The Astros have won three straight, and are 5-2 since the All-Star Break.
*Houston is 8-0 against Oakland in 2023, and are 5-0 at Whatever That Stadium Is Called. Since getting swept at Oakland July 25-27, 2022, the Astros are 14-1 against the A's.
*Last night was the 38th time in 2023 the Astros have scored 6+ runs. They're 32-6 in those games.
*The Big Story of the night was Kyle Tucker's three homers. It was the 3rd multi-HR game of his career, the first since May 17, 2022. His 3x4, 4RBI night last night raised his average to .303, over .300 for the first time since April 26.
Kyle Tucker, since Yordan's oblique injury: 35 games, 156 PAs, .356/.439/.644. 20 of his 47 hits in this span have been for extra bases (11 doubles, 9 homers). OPS leaders among qualified batters since June 9:
1. Shohei Ohtani: 1.422 (like, for real, dude is hitting .366/.487/.935 since June 9).
It was also his 6th home run in July. He needs one more this month to tie his previous record of 7 (September and June 2022, July 2021), or two more to break that record, which could be achieved by the 5th inning today.
One more home run against the A's would tie his career-high of homers against a single opponent, as he has hit 18 against the Angels, and hit his 15th-17th against Oakland last night.
Three homers in one game is a pretty good day at the office. Tuck's a special player. He puts in a lot of work...It's nothing new to me - I've seen him do it in batting practice and stuff like that. But he's kind of forming into a low-key superstar.
*Alex Bregman hit another home run, the first time he's hit a homer in consecutive games since April 11-12. Since the All-Star Break, Bregman: .355/.394/.710.
*Framber Valdez: 5IP, 6H/4ER, 4K:2BB. Framber has made 19 starts in 2023 and allowed 4+ ER in four of them, but three of those have been in his last four starts.
Framber, beginning of season until that St. Louis start where he "slipped on the dugout steps:" 15 starts, 99IP, 78H/25ER, 104K:21BB, 2.27 ERA / 1.00 WHIP.
Framber's last four starts: 4 starts, 23.1IP, 26H/15ER, 29K:9BB, 5.79 ERA / 1.50 WHIP.
*Ryan Pressly recorded his 100th career save, and his 99th with the Astros. He's the 17th active pitcher with 100 career saves, and the 160th player in MLB history to record triple digits. Pressly:
Whenever you get something like that, I think it's pretty special. I never thought I'd get here, to be honest with you.
I was going to put this on the cursed Twitter website, but realized I don't want that level of engagement/notifications, so I'm putting it here where no one can comment [evil laugh]. Pressly is one of five active pitchers on this list have been in the Astros organization at some point. Name the other four (answer underneath the musical selection).
*Rafael Montero, beginning of 2023-June 25: 31.1IP, 44H/27ER, 36K:17BB, 7HR. 7.76 ERA / 1.95 WHIP.
Rafael Montero, June 26-present: 10.1IP, 3H/2ER, 7K:4BB. 1.74 ERA/ 0.68 WHIP.
Wow! What a dumb game we all enjoy! The Astros had a 9-3 lead going into the bottom of the 7th and somehow managed to lose in extra innings, 13-12. Houston is 51-42. The Rangers obviously won, so it's back to 3GB.
*The Astros are 1-7 in extra inning games this season. They're 17-28 in extras since the Ghost Runner rule was implemented in the 2020 season.
Shocking, you have to say. We lost a game with a big lead and with our best [pitchers] on the mound.
Framber left the game with what the Astros are describing as a cramp (Jeremy Pena left with a hamstring cramp, as well). His line: 6.1IP, 7H/5ER, 13K:2BB, 2HR. All five earned runs came off of the two homers. It's the second time this season he's allowed 2HR in the same game. His 13Ks are the most in a start since July 3, 2022...against Anaheim.
I just hope Framber's OK at this point. I hope Pena's OK. We really can't afford any more injuries. It's a tough loss, but the Angels are a good team. They never quit tonight and they deserved to win that one.
*Ryan Pressly gave up five hits. He had given up five hits in his last 15 appearances (16IP) combined. Pressly's five hits allowed are the most since August 27, 2016.
*Jose Abreu was 2x5 with a 3-run HR.
Abreu, Opening Day-June 8 (when Yordan went out with an oblique): .217/.277/.265
Abreu, since June 8: .301/.331/.549.
*Mauricio Dubon was 3x6, his 6th 3-hit game of the season.
*Chas McCormick was 3x3 with two walks - his second 3-hit game of the season, and his 15th multi-hit game of 2023. His five times reaching base in a single game are a career-high.
*Martin Maldonado had two hits (and 2RBI) for the first time since June 3. The Astros are now 9-5 whenever Maldonado has an RBI.
*Jose Altuve hopes to join the Astros on this road trip.
The Astros opened the second half with a 7-5 win (it's more accurate to say that the Angels lost that game, rather than that the Astros won it) over the Anaheim Ohtanis. The Astros are 51-41, two games behind West Grand Prairie. They are 1-0 since the All-Star Break, 5-4 in July. Houston is 18-10 against the AL West.
*The Angels are 0-5 since Mike Trout went out with a hamate injury. The Astros are 15-14 since Yordan went out with an oblique injury. The Angels and Astros combined to go 7x25 w/RISP last night.
*Shohei Ohtani as a starting pitcher, 2023:
vs. Houston: 0-3, 18IP, 19H/13R (11ER), 20K:6BB. 5.50 ERA.
vs Everybody Else: 7-2, 87.1IP, 53H/30ER, 119K:40BB. 3.09 ERA.
The first one is always a tough one. You came in after four off-days and nobody's seen live pitching in five days and facing one of the best pitchers in the league is kind of tough. Guys showed up and battled through.
*Last night was the 27th game in 2023 in which the Astros didn't hit a home run. They're 12-15 in homerless games. The 2022 World Series Champion Houston Astros had 49 homerless games all season.
*Jose Abreu was 3x4 with a walk and an RBI. It's his third 3-hit game of the season, and his 19th multi-hit game of the year. Ten of those multi-hit games have come since June 8.
*Kyle Tucker was 2x3 with an RBI and a walk, his third multi-hit game in July.
*Alex Bregman was 1x5 with a double and 3Ks. Three+ Strikeout games for Alex Bregman by season:
2023: 6
2022: 2
2021: 0
2020: 0
2019: 0
2018: 1
2017: 3
2016: 3
*Corey Julks was 1x3 with two walks, his first 2BB game since June 17.
*Shoutout to Bligh Madris, who got his 3rd hit as an Astro and then almost immediately got picked off of first base.
*J.P. France on Bastille Day: 4.1IP, 9H/4R (2ER), 2K:0BB. Very French. The nine hits allowed tie his season-high (May 17 vs Chicago) and it snaps a six-game Quality Start streak. After striking out one of every 4.89 batters in his first seven starts, France is now getting one strikeout per 8.33 batters in his last five.
*Ryan Pressly struck out the side for the first time since May 26, and the third time this season. Pressly:
The results were good, but I felt awful. I'm not even going to sugarcoat it. It's one of those things, you haven't played for four days and you try to pick up right where you left off and it's hard to do...Today, it was awful. I hate coming back after the All-Star Break.
*The Bastard Anthony Rendon went on the IL again, having played in 200 of the Angels' 476 regular season games (I guess you could include postseason games, as well, lol). The Angels have paid Rendon approximately $553,000 per game in which he has appeared.
*The Astros fell into Tier 2 of the ESPN 2nd-Half Preview piece, under the category of "Expected Threats" for the postseason. ESPN:
Whatever happens, Houston will once again be in the running for another deep playoff run, even if its margin for error seems a little smaller than seasons past.
*Framber, who wasn't allowed to pitch in the World Baseball Classic, also wasn't allowed to pitch in the All-Star Game, and he wasn't exactly happy about it (though he says in this Chandler Rome piece that he understands why they made that call).
I'm very happy and I feel great. I was waiting for this moment for a long time...It was a good outing, physically very good. I'm very anxious and can't wait to throw again.
*Yordan's scheduled rehab start was scratched due to "illness." Probably bowels is loose. Jose Altuve took soft toss in the cage, and Michael Brantley is back to hitting off a tee.
*4th Round pick Cam Fisher is MLB.com's favorite pick of the 2023 Astros draft. While we're still waiting for signings/numbers to be announced, remember you can check out the 2023 Draft page.
The Astros limped into the All-Star Break with a 3-1 loss to Seattle to close out the first half of the season with a 50-41 record, two games behind South Argyle. The Astros have not spent a single day in 1st place this season. Thank God they don't play again until Friday.
*The Astros go into the All-Star Break with a 42.4% chance of winning the division, just south of the 44% that FanGraphs gives the Rangers, the closest that race has been since June 13. Baseball-Reference still gives it to the Rangers, 62.1-33.9.
*After scoring six runs against the Rockies on Wednesday, the Astros were outscored 20-6 in the four-game series against Seattle.
*The Astros managed just 19 hits in their last four games, their fewest in a four-game span since recording 16 hits from July 7-10, 2021, against Oakland and New York.
*Houston is 15-5 against Oakland, Anaheim, and South Argyle, but 2-5 against Seattle in 2023.
If anybody had told me that we'd be two games out with all that has happened, injuries and different things that we had, I'd say I'd be happy to have that. I'm just not happy at the moment.
I think the best days are ahead. The best days have been ahead since we lost all those guys, and the key is to get them back, but to get them back ready. You don't want to get them back when you're not ready...They're on the way, they're real close. We've just got to win some games and stay where we are until we get them back.
*Brandon Bielak was solid: 5IP, 4H/3R (2ER), 5K:1BB. It was his 7th start (out of 11) in which he has allowed two or fewer earned runs, and the 4th in which he walked one batter (or fewer).
*Rafael Montero's last four appearances (dating back to June 29): 7IP, 2H/2R (1ER), 3K:2BB. That said, Montero is the first Astros reliever to post a -0.3 fWAR in the first half of a season since Rhiner Cruz in 2012.
*Ryan Pressly's career with Houston: 257 games, 250.1IP, 173H/67ER, 321K:56BB, 2.41 ERA / 0.92 WHIP. 5.73 K:BB ratio.
Billy Wagner's career with Houston: 464 games, 504.1IP, 333H/142ER, 694K:191BB, 2.53 ERA / 1.04 WHIP. 3.63 K:BB ratio.
*Jake Meyers was 0x3. Since going 4x5 on June 5 against Toronto, Meyers: 69 PAs, .136/.246/.186, 16K:9BB.
*Since going 3x5 with a grand slam on June 29, Alex Bregman's last ten games: .143/.268/.171.
*Martin Maldonado hit a home run in back-to-back games for the first time since September 20-21, 2021.
*Jose Urquidy threw a 40-pitch bullpen while Yordan took some swings and Altuve tracked pitches.
MLB Draft
*The Astros selected Atascocita HS/University of Nebraska's Brice Matthews with the 28th overall pick last night. It's the 7th time in franchise history that the Astros have taken a Cornhusker, the most recents being Scott Schreiber (9th Round - 2018) and Jake Meyers (13th Round - 2017). The slot value for 1-28 is $2,880,700.
Matthews hit .359/.481/.723 for Nebraska in 2023, and is the first player in program history have a 20HR/20SB season.
Scouting Director Kris Gross:
Postseason, we brought him into Minute Maid Park and had a day with him and his family here and he did a workout in the cage down below. Very impressed with the kid, the family. A lot lined up since he was at our Urban Youth Academy. We had a lot of comfort pulling that magnet off the board.
New GM Dana Brown comes from a more traditional scouting background, but this is a pick that aligns with the Astros' number-crunching models of the past decade. But Matthews is more than just a data darling, as all of his tools grade as average or better.
ESPN questioned whether he would stay at SS, or transition to the outfield, but Chandler Rome talked to Gross, who said:
We think he's got the athleticism to cover a lot of ground at shortstop. It's a little bit new for him - he was an outfielder mainly in high school, played second base at Nebraska his freshman year. Only two years at shortstop, but we like the range, he's got the arm strength to do it and we think that's his long-term future.
This one might have taken some by surprise, as Matthews profiled more as a second-round type of talent. But he does have an exciting combination of home run potential and plus speed.
Matt Kawahara: How Matthews went from Atascocita to Nebraska.
*With their second pick of the night, at 2-61, the Astros selected UCLA's Alonzo Tredwell. And all they said was 6'8" he stood, and people thought the pitches that he made were good. Gross:
He's got some frontline potential. His fastball is 90-95, huge extension down the slope. He's got four pitches, he throws a ton of strikes. We thought he really has a high ceiling if he can put it all together. We're excited to get that one in the second round.
Tredwell, who had Tommy John Surgery in 2020, was a closer at UCLA for two years before transitioning to the rotation this year. In 92.1IP in his collegiate career, Tredwell posted a 113K:18BB ratio.
Other Stuff
*USMNT beat Canada in penalties last night to reach the Gold Cup Semifinal.
The Astros beat the Mariners 3-2 to improve to 50-40, snapping a two-game skid. Framber did Framber Things. The Offense did Offense Things. They're the 4th AL team to hit 50 wins. The Astros are two back of the Rangers, and are guaranteed to head into the Break no more than three games back.
Game Number of 50th Win, Astros recent history:
2023: 90
2022: 77
2021: 83
2019: 80
2018: 77
2017: 74
2016: 92
2015: 92
2014: 120
2013: 146
*The Astros improved to 10-10 in 1-run games.
*After scoring six runs in the final game of the Rockies series, the Astros have scored five runs in the last three games.
*Houston won despite only getting four hits, improving to 1-9 when recording four or fewer hits.
*Alex Bregman has an RBI in consecutive games for the first time since June 24-25. He has two extra-base hits in his last 58 PAs.
*Framber: 6IP, 5H/2ER, 6K:2BB. He ends the first half with a 3.2 fWAR, 2.51 ERA. He's one of five pitchers to post at least a 3.0 fWAR in the first half (Gauman, Gallen, Wheeler, and Strider are the others).
We needed it very badly against them. We were 1-4 [vs Seattle] going into today and...we wanted to pick up a game or two this weekend. And the fact Texas lost. I didn't think they had a good chance of losing, but baseball is baseball.
We had them against the ropes and couldn't deliver the knockout punch. On the road, you've got to score and not just, like, get one in that inning. In my mind, I'm hoping we get two or three when you get the bases loaded. Then you look up and [Neris] wiggled his way out of it.
Matt Kawahara notes (first link) that Saturday was Neris' 110th appearance since the beginning of the 2022 season. Provided he doesn't finish 2023 on the IL, the club option for 2024 converts to a player option.
*Ryan Pressly walked a batter for the first time since June 20 - a span of 27 batters between walks. Pressly's last ten games: 11IP, 0H/1R (0ER), 11K:4BB.
*Martin Maldonado hit the go-ahead homer in the bottom of the 8th to provide the game-winning run. It's the latest in a game he has homered since September 21, 2022. Five of his six home runs in 2023 have come with the bases empty.
*Yordan, Bregman, and Tucker all have 55+ RBI, the first time since 2001 that the Astros have had three players with 55+ RBI before the All-Star Break.
*Ronel Blanco was optioned to Sugar Land, and Joel Kuhnel was brought up. Blanco can be optioned two more times this season before being put on outright waivers first.
SETX-area guys in ESPN's projected first 70 picks include Blake Mitchell (Sinton HS) and Kendall George (Atascocita HS). And the Chronicle put together a full list of Houston-area draft prospects.
The Astros won. The Rangers and Angels lost - the first time all three outcomes happened like that on the same day since May 28, and the 4th time all season. Houston is 40-34, 0.5 back of Anaheim, 5.5 back of Frisco.
*The win over the Fightin' Verlanders snaps a five-game skid, though the Astros scored four or fewer runs for the fifth time in the last six games. It's the first game the Astros have won with scoring four or fewer runs since May 21.
*All four runs came courtesy of Altuve and Bregman at the top of the lineup. Alex Bregman hit his 10th home run of the season (and the 150th of his career), becoming just the second Astro with double-digit homers in 2023.
Bregman's homer came on a 3-0 count. He had never hit a homer on a 3-0 count before last night.
*Jose Altuve hit a grand slam on May 29. Altuve now has 4RBI since then.
*Julkamania! After drawing a walk seven times in his first 52 games, Corey Julks has four walks in his last three games. He had walked four times in his previous 84 PAs (24 games).
*Jose Abreu was 1x4, but with three strikeouts. In 2022 Abreu struck out once every 6.17 PAs. In 2023 it's once every 4.07 PAs.
*Jake Meyers, June 2023: .149/.231/.255
*Framber Valdez threw 8IP, 4H/2ER, 9K:1BB. Framber's last six starts: 42IP, 26H/7ER, 39K:9BB. Bregman:
Framber was incredible today. Verlander, for five years, was incredible for us. Whenever we needed a win he was there and now Framber's been that guy for us.
*Last night's game was the first time Verlander has ever taken the L against the Astros. In ten career games against Houston, Verlander is 5-1 with a 2.82 ERA / 1.09 WHIP.
Everybody was sick of me blowing games, all the way from the org to fans, to teammates, to my friends. Even myself. It's frustrating, especially when we go out there and put up the games we've been putting and lose by one or two runs, but tonight everything felt good.
*Yainer Diaz has hit his way into the cleanup spot.
Well the Astros did what the Astros do: follow up a historic performance with a loss. But this time it wasn't the bats that went cold, it was the bullpen (whom I effusively praised in this space yesterday - thanks, guys). The Astros had a 5-4 lead with two outs in the 9th and Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly combined to mess that up. Minnesota wins 7-5, the Astros are 31-22.
*Jose Altuve hit a grand slam in the 7th to temporarily put the Astros up 5-4. It was his 194th career home run, and his 7th career grand slam - his first since July 30, 2021. Altuve is 30 home runs away from passing Jimmy Wynn for 4th all-time. He also became the 8th Astro to cross the 700 career RBI mark, and he's 17 RBI short of Jimmy Wynn for 7th all-time in franchise history. Bregman, on Altuve:
He's incredible. He can barrel up any pitch, any spot, any time. We've seen it for the last decade...He's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of guy.
*Jose Abreu was 1x3 with a walk, singling off of a 103.6mph Jhoan Duran pitch - the 4th-fastest pitch anyone has taken for a hit since they started keeping track of that thing.
*J.P. France was aight - 6IP, 7H/4ER, 8K:3BB. It was his second-longest start in the Majors, and he tied a career high in strikeouts, set the last time he pitched. France has struck out 16 of the last 51 batters he has faced.
*Ryan Pressly blew the save in the 9th, his first since July 30, 2022 - a span of 50 appearances, postseason included.
*Bryan Abreu took the L, his first since May 18, 2021 - a span of 93 appearances. It's also the second appearance in a row in which he has allowed an earned run. Three of the six earned runs he's allowed this season have come since May 27.
*Carlos Correa is 2x25 with 10K:2BB against the Astros in his career.
*Totally missed that Minnesota's 1B/C coach is Hank Conger.
*Lance McCullers Jr is no longer throwing off a mound, only further leading me to believe that they're really slow-walking the "Yeah okay he had Tommy John Surgery again last fall" announcement. A timeline of Lance's "rehab:"
April 4: LMJ is "ahead of schedule," throwing from 90 feet on flat ground, and is close to throwing on back-to-back days. It's also now described as an elbow strain.
The Houston Astros beat the Chicago White Sox 4-3 yesterday afternoon to improve to 21-19, four games back of the Rangers for the division lead. The Astros have won four of their last five games after winning three of their previous ten games. Mercurial sons of bitches. At 2 hours and 33 minutes, it was the shortest of the three-game set and the 12th-quickest game of the season.
*The Astros went 5-4 on a nine-game road trip with stops in Seattle, Anaheim, and Chicago. Now they return home to face the Cubs and A's. Thirteen of their next 19 games are at home, where they [squints] enjoy an 8-11 record.
*Houston is 17-6 when allowing three or fewer runs, and 19-5 when scoring four or more runs.
*FanGraphs has the Astros at 41.9% to win the AL West, just ahead of the Rangers, who are at 39.3%.
One thing to note about the Rangers is their Strength of Schedule. Baseball-Reference has them tied with the Mets as having the easiest schedule in the Majors to this point, while the Astros have had the 7th-toughest schedule in the Majors. 13 of the Rangers' 40 games have come against the Royals and A's.
*Hunter Brown tied a career-high with eight strikeouts, and yesterday he pitched into the 6th Inning for the first time since April 26. After recording 21 outs in three of his first five starts, Brown has yet to record 18 outs in his last three outings. But! After walking five of the 20 batters he faced against the Giants on May 2, Brown has walked two of the last 47 batters that briefly stepped in.
*Yesterday was Ryan Pressly's 18th appearance of the season. He hasn't allowed a hit in 12 of them, and hasn't walked a batter since April 21. Since taking the L on April 11 against the Pirates, he has thrown 12IP, 8H/2ER, 10K:1BB - a 1.50 ERA / 0.75 WHIP.
*After getting at least one hit in six of his first eight games of the season, David Hensley since April 11 (51 PAs - 16 appearances, 13 starts): .067/.177/.156, 18K:6BB, 2XBH.
*Alex Bregman went 4x8 on May 8-9 at Anaheim, and since then has gone 2x16. In May, Bregman has "hit" .170/.235/.277, which is not exactly what you're looking for in the 2-hole.
*Yordan Alvarez has an 11-game hit streak, breaking his previous record of 10 games which he set from September 9-19, 2022.
*In 1270 games with the White Sox, Jose Abreu hit .292/.354/.507. A hit yesterday brought Abreu's line up to .214/.262/.253. Game of Abreu's first homer of the season:
*In 19 games for Corpus, Joey Loperfido (2021 - 7th Round) is hitting .308/.452/.554. Corpus' Rhett Kouba (2021 - 12th Round) has a 35:4 K:BB ratio in 29.2IP.
*2022 12th Round pick Zach Dezenzo is hitting .388/.455/.600 in 24 games for Asheville.
*Former Astros Great Zack Greinke became just the 5th pitcher to strike out 1,000 different batters.
*The Athletic: The Brent Venables way, and his vision for the future of Oklahoma football.
*My beloved Leeds United are currently at 67% to get relegated to the Championship (2nd division) of English football, with Southampton already clinching relegation. Leicester City are the only team with worse odds (70%) than Leeds. Leeds absolutely have to win at West Ham this weekend, and then hope that Spurs simply want to hurry up and get to Ibiza, in order to stay up.
*ESPN: Doyle Brunson passed away at the age of 89.
*Are Hot Links back? I'm not sure. Are they back this morning? Yeah buddy.
My guess right now is Ryan Pressly, who did a great job last year, save for two games. He only had like two bad outings last year...one game in Arizona that kind of blew him up a little bit, and then again in Texas, where his velocity was way below and a guy hit a home run to tie it up. Right now, I would say he is probably the leaders, having been with us.
Pressly allowed 5H/3ER, 1K:2BB in his first two appearances (0.2IP, nine batters faced), settling at a 40.50 ERA by the time both Verlander and Osuna were done for the year. Over his next 21 appearances, Pressly allowed 16H/5ER, 28K:5BB, 2.21 ERA / 1.03 WHIP, including that Texas game Strom mentioned. Dusty Baker just wants him healthy.
Strom also noted that Steve Cishek (which seems like a promising report on the chances of Cishek making the Opening Day roster), Joe Smith, and Pedro Baez could factor into the closer role, and that it's up to Dusty Baker.
In that link we also find that Andre Scrubb and Bryan Abreu are drawing early praise, there's an awful lot of pitchers in camp, and Dusty Baker had very nice things to say about Pedro Gomez (who seemed like a very good person).
There's this feeling out there that we do something super special as an organization. I think we just do our due diligence and we turn every rock over to try to find how we can help whatever pitchers we acquire.
Joe is one of the leaders on this team. Guys listen to him, they gravitate toward him, they follow him. Not only is it great to have Joe in the bullpen, but he's a quality guy that we all trust.
*Framber Valdez: "I want to have some nasty pitches this year." I, too, would like Framber to have some nasty pitches this year.
Occasionally, out of an abundance of caution, there are protocol steps that have to be taken players and personnel are cleared to report. We expect those steps to be completed soon, which will still give everyone enough time to prepare for the season.
Everything I've done since I've been with the Astros has...pretty much been self-driven. I haven't had much outside influence. I'm pretty stubborn. I don't always like to listen to people.
If there's anything that the Astros have been about since 2012, it's definitely without a doubt just sort of letting players do whatever they want. (But also keep in mind the above-linked interview with Brent Strom).
But there's also this one: "It goes without saying that this season is super, super important for me."
It's a really, really insightful read, lots of mechanics/grip analysis. Good interview, and it's not pay-walled, so have at it. I'm actually really excited to see what Forrest Whitley does this year. But also I hope he stops listening to Tyler Bauer.
The Astros are still finding hidden value through R&D and some great work on the player development side, and have a number of guys who look like breakout candidates for 2021, if we get a minor-league season.
The Top 20 - click the link to read the write-ups:
Speechless. The Astros took Game 6 by a 7-4 score to force a Game Seven after being down 0-3 in the Series. First Pitch is at 7:37pm Central. Lance F. McCullers is on the mound against Charlie Morton.
at 8-4 the houston astros are now guaranteed to finish the postseason with a winning record so y’all are quite welcome to suck it
*Teams that were up 3-0 in an LCS or World Series (full disclosure: Thanks to this SB Nation post for doing most of the heavy lifting. Also, counting this 2020 ALCS, there are 37 series represented here. Apparently there are 39, so I'm missing two, but I'm way too tired to try to find them...)
Won 4-0: 1914 Boston (WS), 1927 New York Yankees (WS), 1928 New York Yankees (WS), 1932 New York Yankees (WS), 1938 New York Yankees (WS), 1939 New York Yankees (WS), 1950 New York Yankees (WS), 1954 New York Giants (WS), 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers (WS), 1966 Baltimore (WS), 1976 Cincinnati (WS), 1988 Oakland (ALCS), 1989 Oakland (WS), 1990 Oakland (ALCS), 1995 Atlanta (NLCS), 1998 New York Yankees (WS), 1999 New York Yankees (WS), 2004 Boston (WS), 2005 Chicago White Sox (WS), 2006 Detroit (ALCS), 2007 Colorado (NLCS), 2007 Boston (WS), 2012 Detroit (ALCS), 2012 San Francisco (WS), 2014 Kansas City (ALCS), 2015 New York Mets (NLCS), 2019 Washington (NLCS),
That's 27 series in which a team went up 3-0 in a Best-of-Seven series that wrapped up in four games.
Won 4-0-1: 1907 Chicago Cubs (WS), 1922 New York Giants (WS)
Super-weird.
Won 4-1: 1910 Philadelphia (WS), 1937 New York Yankees (WS), 2016 Cleveland (ALCS), 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers (NLCS)
Four series were wrapped up after the opponent got a Thank You Win before falling.
Won 4-2: 1998 San Diego (NLCS), 1999 Atlanta (NLCS),
Prior the 2020 Tampa Bay Rays, only two late '90s NL teams got pushed to a Game 6 in MLB History after being up 3-0.
Won 4-3: N/A
Hmmm.
Lost 4-3: 1 - 2004 New York Yankees (ALCS).
So...basically Maths are saying that a team up 3-0 and then got pushed to a Game 7 lose that Game 7 more often than they win Game 7. Bill Mueller, a member of the 2004 Red Sox that came back to beat the Yankees:
I would say that when you keep winning and there are no letups and no cracks, you have an understanding that their side wasn't as high as when they were up 3-0. We had a relentless pursuit. I hope the Astros do it because it's a wonderful feeling. You want other people to feel such an accomplishment. That's something that will never go away in your legacy. It's pretty special.
October 11: 64.8 - 35.2 Tampa (not really sure why things changed so much from the Day Before Game 1 to the Day Of Game 1. Maybe they announced Snell as the G1 starter? I don't know)
*Michael Brantley: 2x4, BB, RBI. He has a hit in ten straight postseason games, and 11 of 12 postseason games in 2020. 85 MLB players have at least a 10-game postseason hit streak. 55 have an 11-game postseason hit streak. 34 have a 12-game postseason hit streak. 22 have a 13-game postseason hit streak. 12 have a 14-game postseason hit streak, seven have a 15-gamer, four have a 16-game streak. The all-time record is a hit in 17 straight postseason games, by 2003-2004 Manny Ramirez, 1998-1999 Derek Jeter, and 1956-1958 Hank Bauer.
HOWEVER only 21 players have a 10-game postseason hitting streak *in the same postseason*: 1971 Roberto Clemente, 1978 Bill Russell, 1978 Roy White, 1979 Former Astros Great Phil Garner, 1981 Former Astros Great Bob Watson, 1981 Gary Carter, 1995 Kenny Lofton, 1996 Mark Lemke, 2000 Mike Piazza, 2002 Garret Anderson, 2002 Darin Erstad, 2003 Former Astros Great Ivan Rodriguez, 2006 Scott Rolen, 2010 Cody Ross, 2010 Elvis Andrus, 2010 Nelson Cruz, 2011 David Freese, 2012 Marco Scutaro, 2015 Alcides Escobar, 2015 Daniel Murphy, and 2020 Michael Brantley.
*Carlos Correa: 3x5, RBI. It's the 48th postseason RBI of his career, tied with Reggie Jackson for the 7th-most in MLB history, and the 7th 3-hit postseason game of his career. Correa:
This is what we live for. This is what we dreamed of since we were kids, game seven...So we got to go out there and take care of business tomorrow.
We're relentless. When we said we didn't want to go home, we really meant that. We want to keep playing baseball and we don't want this to be the end of our season. We took care of these three games and now we've got to take care of one more. If we don't win that game, it all means nothing. We have to go out there tomorrow and get that win. It would be great.
*Jose Altuve: 2x3, 2BB, RBI. It's the 24th multi-hit postseason game of his career. Jose Altuve, on January 18:
We're going to be in the World Series again. People don't believe it. We will.
*Yuli Gurriel: 0x2, 3BB. He's the 13th Astro in franchise history with 3BB in a single postseason game.
*Kyle Tucker hit his first postseason home run for his first postseason extra-base hit. Crazy to think that Tucker is hitting .311 in this postseason and that was his first extra-base hit.
Framber's 2020 postseason: 24IP, 14H/5ER, 26K:10BB. 1.88 ERA / 1.00 WHIP. He's the 91st starter in postseason history with four straight starts of two or fewer ERs, and only the third Astros starter to hit that mark (Zack Greinke, Dallas Keuchel). He's the only one to do it four times in the same postseason.
Framber also had hisself a little dust-up with Yandy Diaz. Correa - who is obviously now the Tie Domi of the Houston Astros - de-escalated the situation. Correa:
Your job is not to go out there and be the bigger man, your job is to help us win this ballgame.
I've thought about this for a few hours, and I honestly think that Yandy Diaz was trying to light a fire under his teammates. If it takes a faked slight or a faked disrespect, then so be it. It almost worked. Let's see if the Rays can rise up tonight.
*Tampa has lost four games in a row in 2020 before: July 29-August 2 they lost five games in a row to Atlanta and Baltimore. Houston has won four games in a row in 2020 before: they won eight straight from August 12-20 against the Giants, Mariners, and Rockies. Houston's longest win
*Astros pitcher strikeouts, by game:
Game 1: 13
Game 2: 13
Game 3: 9
Game 4: 11
Game 5: 11
Game 6: 13
I'm not factoring in that Braves/Dodgers Game 5 in this, but there are 301 instances of teams striking out 11+ times in postseason history. Five of those were the Rays. They're 2-3 in those games.
Only one other team in postseason history had five 11+ strikeout games in a single series: 2018 Los Angeles Dodgers (NLCS against Milwaukee). They won that series so wait what am I doing.
*Ryan Pressly has now pitched in three straight games, something he has not done since May 26-28, 2018 when he was still with Minnesota. He has only thrown 39 pitches in those three games, but still, worth keeping an eye on for Game 7.
*2018 Cy Young Winner Blake Snell has never gotten 18 outs in a postseason game.
*Tampa's Diego Castillo had pitched in 10 postseason games prior to Game 6. His line:
13IP, 8H/0ER, 18K:6BB.
Castillo's line in Game 6: 1IP, 3H/2R (1ER), 0K:1BB.
We have the right guy. He's been there before, pitching Game 7 of the World Series. I just feel we're going to take this game like we have been taking every game, one pitch at a time. As long as we keep executing pitches, keep playing defense like we are, we're going to be in good shape.
*Pre-Game 6 Notes from McTaggart: The Astros might take Josh James off the roster due to his back, which would remove him from the World Series, and Lance McCullers says that Machete is the ALCS MVP.
*ESPN's Bradford Doolittle (posted at 6am Central on Thursday): Why these Astros could finish the job.
*The Athletic: Meet the guy behind Petco Park's genius player facts.
