*The Rookie of the Year Award is announced today. Let's take a look at the finalists:
Tampa's Brandon Lowe (pronounced LAO):
Lowe played in 82 games (327 PAs) in 2019 thanks largely to a second-half injury. He hit .270/.336/.514 playing primarily 2B, but also mixing in 1B, LF, RF. 36 of his 80 hits (17HR) were for extra-bases. He posted 2.6 fWAR, 2.9 bWAR.
Baltimore's John Means:
Baltimore lefty John Means appeared in 31 games (27 starts) for the Fightin Eliases & Sigs. In 155IP he allowed 138H/62ER with 121K:38BB for a 3.60 ERA / 1.14 WHIP. And this is for BALTIMORE. The Orioles were 12-15 in his starts (.444 win%) on a team that won 54 of 162 games (.333 win%). He was worth 3.0 fWAR, 4.5 bWAR.
Houston's Yordan Alvarez:
Our Dude Yordan appeared in 87 games (369 PAs) for the Silver Medalist Astros. He hit .313/.412/.655. 53 of his 98 hits (27HR) were for extra-bases. He was worth 3.8fWAR, 3.7 bWAR, Yordan should win. Easily.
MLB.com has the case for every Rookie of the Year nominee:
Perhaps the only question when it comes to Alvarez and the Rookie of the Year Award is whether it will be unanimous.
*The GM Meetings - different from the Winter Meetings - begin this week in Arizona.
*NY Post's Ken Davidoff, on the Yankees needing another Cashman November Surprise:
Another similar transaction would help the Yankees close the gap with the Astros. Even better, though, would be a savvy November trade, followed by a large December/January expenditure on a free-agent arm.
*Bench Coach Joe Espada is reportedly the front-runner for the Giants' managerial job.
*SI: Any team that's actively trying to win games deserves to be celebrated.
*Get ready for a labor stoppage.
*When I was younger and cared about hockey, I liked Don Cherry. Now he can piss off into a long-overdue forced retirement.
*How Mark Zuckerberg became the most reviled man in tech.
*This time last year I wrote about Henry Gunther - the last American to die in World War 1.
*A Musical Selection:
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Showing posts with label San Francisco Giants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Francisco Giants. Show all posts
Monday, November 11, 2019
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Tuesday Morning Hot Links
Dereck Rodriguez, the son of Former Astros Great Pudge Rodriguez and who definitely flat-irons his hair, shut the Astros down. The whole Giants pitching staff did until Will Smith (stand down, the jokes have already been made) allowed a three-run home run to Marwin with two outs in the top of the 9th. Astros win, 3-1. Houston is 72-42 and have a 4.5-game lead on Oakland.
*On the road, Houston is 40-18 with a +154 run differential. Two teams - the Orioles and the Royals (who were both in the ALCS in 2015!) - don't have 40 wins total this season. Their road run differential (322 road runs scored, 168 road runs against) by itself would be the 2nd-highest run differential in baseball.
*Houston has won five of their last six since losing five straight.
*When Correa and Altuve were both healthy and available, from the start of the season until June 25:
-Houston was 52-28, with a .771 team OPS, scoring 5.15 runs/game.
*Since Correa last played on June 25:
-Houston is 20-14, with a .732 team OPS, scoring 4.56 runs/game.
Since Correa and Altuve have both been out:
Houston is 5-5 with a .735 team OPS, scoring 4.2 runs/game.
*Hector Rondon:
I know that we miss those guys, but these guys who are here, they are good too. We come here every day trying to win the game.
*Marwin had two of the Astros' four hits. When recording four or fewer hits, the Astros are now 3-9. Four of those four-or-fewer-hit games have come since the All-Star Break.
*Giants SP Dereck Rodriguez threw a start with a 78 Game Score, the highest Game Score by an opposing pitcher in a game in which the Astros won all season, and the highest since the Astros beat Toronto 2-1 after Marcus Stroman had a 79 Game Score on August 1, 2016.
*Houston's Win Expectancy% when Josh Reddick flied out for the 2nd out in the 9th: 7.6%.
*Marwin's resurgence can be traced back to July 13. Over the 18 games since July 13, Marwin is hitting .298/.403/.561 with four home runs. He has three 2-hit games in his last five. Prior to July 13 Marwin was hitting .224/.302/.350. He had four home runs in his previous 60 games.
Marwin's home run was the first home run that Giants reliever Will Smith had allowed since July 30, 2016.
*Charlie Morton: 7IP, 3H/1ER, 8K:3BB. It's his 5th start of 7IP, 0-1ER this season. In his last three starts he's thrown 19IP, 13H/4ER, 21K:8BB. 16 of his 22 starts have been Quality.
*Roberto Osuna threw five pitches, and got the win. Osuna is now on pace to win every game in which he appears. Osuna:
Especially like being in such a great team with great teammates, it's easy to forget about the stuff that's going on off the field, and being able to play and help the team win is unbelievable. I really like my teammates. They've been treating me with a lot of respect, and I'm really comfortable.
Hinch:
It was a quick look obviously with five pitches. He's got a good arm. First game back is always important, it's the next step for him to get incorporated into our games, coming away with the win. A good first impression on the field.
*Hector Rondon has made 43 appearances this season, 21 at home and 22 on the road.
-Home: 19.1IP, 23H/10ER, 24K:8BB, .805 OPS-against, 4.66 ERA / 1.60 WHIP
-Away: 21.1IP, 10H/0ER, 27K:3BB, .340 OPS-against, 0.00 ERA / 0.61 WHIP
*Meat Wagon Update:
-George Springer sprained his thumb but did not sprain his UCL in his thumb, so he's expected to miss two weeks.
-Lance McCullers has a strained forearm muscle, and isn't expected back until September. But it's not Tommy John surgery!
-Carlos Correa took last night off and is expected to play full games for Corpus tonight and tomorrow.
-Altuve is scheduled for more baseball activities this weekend.
-Chris Devenski has begun a throwing program.
-McCann caught a Verlander bullpen session.
Whomever takes McCullers' spot in the rotation will be the 6th SP to start a game for the Astros this season. It's August. That's insane.
*From Our Boy Tyler Stafford: How Dallas Keuchel got his groove back.
*Check the Masked Marvel's Minor-League Recap.
*Seth Beer was named the Astros Minor-League Player of the Month. Framber Valdez is your Minor-League Pitcher of the Month.
*When the Astros swept Oakland on the road from June 12-14, Oakland was 34-36. Since then, however, Oakland is 33-10 and has the best record in baseball. And Oakland just traded for Mike F. Fiers.
*The Hardball Times' Stephanie Springer has an update on wearable technology in MLB, and the ethics that go with it.
*Will Leitch looks at the players who will be on the same team in 2025.
*Did Stephen King's son solve a 44-year old mystery?
*On the road, Houston is 40-18 with a +154 run differential. Two teams - the Orioles and the Royals (who were both in the ALCS in 2015!) - don't have 40 wins total this season. Their road run differential (322 road runs scored, 168 road runs against) by itself would be the 2nd-highest run differential in baseball.
*Houston has won five of their last six since losing five straight.
*When Correa and Altuve were both healthy and available, from the start of the season until June 25:
-Houston was 52-28, with a .771 team OPS, scoring 5.15 runs/game.
*Since Correa last played on June 25:
-Houston is 20-14, with a .732 team OPS, scoring 4.56 runs/game.
Since Correa and Altuve have both been out:
Houston is 5-5 with a .735 team OPS, scoring 4.2 runs/game.
*Hector Rondon:
I know that we miss those guys, but these guys who are here, they are good too. We come here every day trying to win the game.
*Marwin had two of the Astros' four hits. When recording four or fewer hits, the Astros are now 3-9. Four of those four-or-fewer-hit games have come since the All-Star Break.
*Giants SP Dereck Rodriguez threw a start with a 78 Game Score, the highest Game Score by an opposing pitcher in a game in which the Astros won all season, and the highest since the Astros beat Toronto 2-1 after Marcus Stroman had a 79 Game Score on August 1, 2016.
*Houston's Win Expectancy% when Josh Reddick flied out for the 2nd out in the 9th: 7.6%.
Marwin Gonzalez destroyed a ball in the ninth inning. pic.twitter.com/SBeGhL6fHk— Christian Boutwell (@byCBoutwell) August 7, 2018
*Marwin's resurgence can be traced back to July 13. Over the 18 games since July 13, Marwin is hitting .298/.403/.561 with four home runs. He has three 2-hit games in his last five. Prior to July 13 Marwin was hitting .224/.302/.350. He had four home runs in his previous 60 games.
Marwin's home run was the first home run that Giants reliever Will Smith had allowed since July 30, 2016.
*Charlie Morton: 7IP, 3H/1ER, 8K:3BB. It's his 5th start of 7IP, 0-1ER this season. In his last three starts he's thrown 19IP, 13H/4ER, 21K:8BB. 16 of his 22 starts have been Quality.
Alex Bregman interrupted Charlie Morton's postgame interview.— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) August 7, 2018
Bregman: "You look great, Chuck."
Morton: "Aw, thanks pal, you too."
Bregman: "I'm talking physically. Handsome."
Morton: "OK"
*Roberto Osuna threw five pitches, and got the win. Osuna is now on pace to win every game in which he appears. Osuna:
Especially like being in such a great team with great teammates, it's easy to forget about the stuff that's going on off the field, and being able to play and help the team win is unbelievable. I really like my teammates. They've been treating me with a lot of respect, and I'm really comfortable.
Hinch:
It was a quick look obviously with five pitches. He's got a good arm. First game back is always important, it's the next step for him to get incorporated into our games, coming away with the win. A good first impression on the field.
*Hector Rondon has made 43 appearances this season, 21 at home and 22 on the road.
-Home: 19.1IP, 23H/10ER, 24K:8BB, .805 OPS-against, 4.66 ERA / 1.60 WHIP
-Away: 21.1IP, 10H/0ER, 27K:3BB, .340 OPS-against, 0.00 ERA / 0.61 WHIP
*Meat Wagon Update:
-George Springer sprained his thumb but did not sprain his UCL in his thumb, so he's expected to miss two weeks.
-Lance McCullers has a strained forearm muscle, and isn't expected back until September. But it's not Tommy John surgery!
-Carlos Correa took last night off and is expected to play full games for Corpus tonight and tomorrow.
-Altuve is scheduled for more baseball activities this weekend.
-Chris Devenski has begun a throwing program.
-McCann caught a Verlander bullpen session.
Whomever takes McCullers' spot in the rotation will be the 6th SP to start a game for the Astros this season. It's August. That's insane.
*From Our Boy Tyler Stafford: How Dallas Keuchel got his groove back.
*Check the Masked Marvel's Minor-League Recap.
*Seth Beer was named the Astros Minor-League Player of the Month. Framber Valdez is your Minor-League Pitcher of the Month.
*When the Astros swept Oakland on the road from June 12-14, Oakland was 34-36. Since then, however, Oakland is 33-10 and has the best record in baseball. And Oakland just traded for Mike F. Fiers.
*The Hardball Times' Stephanie Springer has an update on wearable technology in MLB, and the ethics that go with it.
*Will Leitch looks at the players who will be on the same team in 2025.
*Did Stephen King's son solve a 44-year old mystery?
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Thursday Morning Hot Links
Thanks for all of your well-wishes yesterday after my boy Angus passed. Houston handled San Francisco in a matinee yesterday after Springer got his 10th home run and Verlander did Verlander stuff, so the Astros won again. They're 32-18, two games up on Seattle. Houston has won 11 of their last 14 games. Jexas has your Giants series recap.
After 50 games:
2018: 32-18, 2.0 up
2017: 34-16, 9.0 up
*Hinch:
I'm obviously happy that we are starting to pull things together. We're a good team, and we're playing like it. I think we're starting to do a lot of things right. I like our defense, I like our pitching, I like our hitting. I like our team at Game 1 and I like our team at Game 50.
*Verlander: 6IP, 3H/1ER, 9K:1BB. He has allowed one earned run or less in nine of his eleven starts this season. Verlander's last five starts: 35IP, 17H/3ER, 45K:7BB. Verlander:
I felt OK. Probably a little rusty from the seven days [between starts]. Overall, I was able to execute pitches when I needed to against a really good lineup.
And by "executed pitches" he literally means "state-sanctioned murder of pitches." His nine straight starts of 6+ IP and 2ER or fewer matches the Astros' franchise record set in 1986 by Mike Scott.
*ESPN's David Schoenfield says that Verlander is pitching better than ever before. And it seems like it's for real. As Schoenfield notes, since Verlander made his mechanical tweak around the end of July 2017: 28 starts (postseason included), 193.1IP, 230 strikeouts, 20-4, 1.54 ERA.
*It was Verlander's first career win against San Francisco, and he now has a win over 28 of the 30 MLB teams. The only two teams against which Verlander hasn't got a W? Cincinnati and Miami.
*McTaggart notes in the linked article that the 126 runs allowed by the 2018 Astros through 50 games are the fewest runs allowed through 50 games since 1920. The 1968 Cleveland Indians had the previous record, at 128. The 1968 Indians were led by Luis Tiant (258.1IP, 264 strikeouts, 1.60 ERA) and Sam McDowell (269IP, 283K, 1.81 ERA) and would go on to allow just 504 runs through the season. They finished 3rd in the AL, 16.5 games behind the 103-59 Tigers.
*5-9 in the lineup (Marwin, Gurriel, McCann, Gattis, Kemp): 0x16, 1K:2BB - both walks were drawn by Kemp. Tony Kemp drew more walks yesterday than Jake Marisnick drew in 85 plate appearances. Tony Kemp has reached base twice or more in four of his six starts.
Hinch, on Kemp:
We're watching him play exactly how he's played throughout his whole minor league career. He just hasn't had the chance to get regular at-bats in the big leagues. That quality at-bat, that spark at the end of the order, him being on base in front of George, Bregman, and Altuve is invaluable.
*Here's Jake Kaplan with a good read on Tony Kemp's best chance in the Majors.
*Carlos Correa has now gone 58 games without an error at shortstop. One more ties Roger Metzger for the franchise record.
*Please tell me you saw Our Boy Tyler Stafford's post linking every Astros player to a Shakespearean quote.
*Josh Reddick was the latest outfielder to be placed on the DL with Bad. Jake Marisnick, who has most assuredly fixed his swing what with his [squints] 21 plate appearances at Fresno, has been recalled to take his place, at least for the next 10 days.
*How in the hell is Seattle 29-19 at this point in the season, and without Robinson Cano? Let's look right quick:
a) They've played 23 of their 48 games against the God-awful AL Central (the Astros have played nine games against the AL Central, and three of those were against Cleveland, about to be seven of 13 against Cleveland).
b) They're 13-7 in 1-run games (the Astros are 4-9).
c) Their .740 OPS is tied for 4th in the AL with Oakland and Houston
*Fans have noticed that the Astros have gone all-in on dynamic ticket pricing. La Porte guy:
Supply and demand is part of our economy, but at the same time, c'mon man. You can watch the games on TV, but you want to be here, too.
Astros Director of Ticket Operations Adam Smith was unavailable for comment.
*A former SFA baseball player will be Jose Altuve's body double in a New Balance commercial.
*It's a 5:10pm Central start tonight against Cleveland as Charlie Morton goes up against Mike Clevinger. We'll see if the lineup can be a little more special against Clevinger this time around.
*Francis Martes: Still on the DL in Florida. He hasn't pitched since April 29.
*Buies Creek played a double-header yesterday, and the second game went uh pretty well:
Game 2: JJMatisyahu Matijevic hit two home runs - his first and second at High-A - while Abraham Toro hit his 7th home run of the season, and Ronnie Dawson drove in four runs.
*Insane Person Lenny Dykstra was arrested for making terroristic threats after putting a gun to the head of a New Jersey Uber driver.
*Here's a fascinating story from Andy McCullough on announcer Mauro Ranallo, the "Bipolar Rock N Roller" and his fight against the stigma of mental illness.
*Unraveling the mystery of MH17.
After 50 games:
2018: 32-18, 2.0 up
2017: 34-16, 9.0 up
*Hinch:
I'm obviously happy that we are starting to pull things together. We're a good team, and we're playing like it. I think we're starting to do a lot of things right. I like our defense, I like our pitching, I like our hitting. I like our team at Game 1 and I like our team at Game 50.
*Verlander: 6IP, 3H/1ER, 9K:1BB. He has allowed one earned run or less in nine of his eleven starts this season. Verlander's last five starts: 35IP, 17H/3ER, 45K:7BB. Verlander:
I felt OK. Probably a little rusty from the seven days [between starts]. Overall, I was able to execute pitches when I needed to against a really good lineup.
And by "executed pitches" he literally means "state-sanctioned murder of pitches." His nine straight starts of 6+ IP and 2ER or fewer matches the Astros' franchise record set in 1986 by Mike Scott.
*ESPN's David Schoenfield says that Verlander is pitching better than ever before. And it seems like it's for real. As Schoenfield notes, since Verlander made his mechanical tweak around the end of July 2017: 28 starts (postseason included), 193.1IP, 230 strikeouts, 20-4, 1.54 ERA.
*It was Verlander's first career win against San Francisco, and he now has a win over 28 of the 30 MLB teams. The only two teams against which Verlander hasn't got a W? Cincinnati and Miami.
*McTaggart notes in the linked article that the 126 runs allowed by the 2018 Astros through 50 games are the fewest runs allowed through 50 games since 1920. The 1968 Cleveland Indians had the previous record, at 128. The 1968 Indians were led by Luis Tiant (258.1IP, 264 strikeouts, 1.60 ERA) and Sam McDowell (269IP, 283K, 1.81 ERA) and would go on to allow just 504 runs through the season. They finished 3rd in the AL, 16.5 games behind the 103-59 Tigers.
*5-9 in the lineup (Marwin, Gurriel, McCann, Gattis, Kemp): 0x16, 1K:2BB - both walks were drawn by Kemp. Tony Kemp drew more walks yesterday than Jake Marisnick drew in 85 plate appearances. Tony Kemp has reached base twice or more in four of his six starts.
Hinch, on Kemp:
We're watching him play exactly how he's played throughout his whole minor league career. He just hasn't had the chance to get regular at-bats in the big leagues. That quality at-bat, that spark at the end of the order, him being on base in front of George, Bregman, and Altuve is invaluable.
*Here's Jake Kaplan with a good read on Tony Kemp's best chance in the Majors.
*Carlos Correa has now gone 58 games without an error at shortstop. One more ties Roger Metzger for the franchise record.
*Please tell me you saw Our Boy Tyler Stafford's post linking every Astros player to a Shakespearean quote.
*Josh Reddick was the latest outfielder to be placed on the DL with Bad. Jake Marisnick, who has most assuredly fixed his swing what with his [squints] 21 plate appearances at Fresno, has been recalled to take his place, at least for the next 10 days.
Gerrit Cole v Trevor Bauer on Sunday in Cleveland. Get your popcorn.— Richard Justice (@richardjustice) May 23, 2018
*How in the hell is Seattle 29-19 at this point in the season, and without Robinson Cano? Let's look right quick:
a) They've played 23 of their 48 games against the God-awful AL Central (the Astros have played nine games against the AL Central, and three of those were against Cleveland, about to be seven of 13 against Cleveland).
b) They're 13-7 in 1-run games (the Astros are 4-9).
c) Their .740 OPS is tied for 4th in the AL with Oakland and Houston
*Fans have noticed that the Astros have gone all-in on dynamic ticket pricing. La Porte guy:
Supply and demand is part of our economy, but at the same time, c'mon man. You can watch the games on TV, but you want to be here, too.
Astros Director of Ticket Operations Adam Smith was unavailable for comment.
*A former SFA baseball player will be Jose Altuve's body double in a New Balance commercial.
*It's a 5:10pm Central start tonight against Cleveland as Charlie Morton goes up against Mike Clevinger. We'll see if the lineup can be a little more special against Clevinger this time around.
*Francis Martes: Still on the DL in Florida. He hasn't pitched since April 29.
*Buies Creek played a double-header yesterday, and the second game went uh pretty well:
Game 2: JJ
*Insane Person Lenny Dykstra was arrested for making terroristic threats after putting a gun to the head of a New Jersey Uber driver.
*Here's a fascinating story from Andy McCullough on announcer Mauro Ranallo, the "Bipolar Rock N Roller" and his fight against the stigma of mental illness.
*Unraveling the mystery of MH17.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Wednesday Morning Hot Links
It's an emotional day at Astros County headquarters. Many of you were around for the predecessor of Lima Time Time, the Morning Drive - a short podcast I recorded as I drove to work, but also sometimes recorded while I walked Angus around the block. This would have been 2012-13, I believe. He was my dog. My wife and I will have been married for 15 years this summer and Angus has been here for 14 of them. When I took off down the street running barefoot after the Astros won the World Series, Angus took off with me - no leash - and walked back to the house. But now he's sick, riddled with cancer, and generally miserable. So today we have to say goodbye to Angus. See you, buddy.
The Astros did Good Things and beat the Giants in an even year, 11-2. Gerrit Cole was meh (two runs? Only eight strikeouts? Trade him.) and Tony Kemp broke out with 5RBI.
*Via SportsCenter, Gerrit Cole became the sixth-fastest starting pitcher to reach 100 strikeouts on the season since 1900.
*Houston scored eleven runs, or the number of runs they scored in the three-game Indians series. I don't think the Giants will be able to compete in the AL West this year. It's the most runs they've scored since May 7, when they put 16 on Oakland, and the third time they've scored 11+ runs. It's their 10th 6+ walk game of the season.
*Giants manager Bruce Bochy:
Across the board, all of the pitchers, our command was off tonight. We paid for it. Just a good hitting ballclub. The leadoff hitter was getting on, little things like that caught up with us.
That's true. The Astros got the leadoff runner on in each of Innings 3-7, and four of those five would later score in the inning.
*Tony Kemp was 2x2 with 5RBI coming on:
4th: 2-run single
6th: RBI sac fly
7th: 2-run single
Kemp:
Tonight was a good night. You can't say enough about what Cole did on the mound, as well. Getting 100 is definitely a great feat, especially in the month of May, so I can't say enough about him either.
*Correa and J.D. Davis were the only Astros in the lineup with no hits, but J.D. Davis also drew three walks and scored three times.
*The only blemish on Cole's start was a two-run home run by Brandon Crawford, who is Cole's brother-in-law - a fact that is beginning to approach McCoy/Shipley Levels of Repetition. Cole:
...He took a good pitch, put a good swing on it and got the home run. So obviously not thrilled about it, but I'm not terribly disappointed either.
Hinch:
We score double digits and don't hit a home run, I think we'll take that every night. It was a really good night of offense by a lot of different people in the lineup.
It was the most runs the Astros have scored without a home run since April 19, 2012 (also 11 runs, at Washington).
*Joe Smith needed two pitches to record two outs. In May Smith has thrown 4.2IP, 2H/1ER, 3K:1BB - a 1.93 ERA / 0.64 WHIP.
*Jose Altuve has 63 hits in 49 games (216 PAs). 15 of those hits are for extra-bases. Through 49 games in 2017 (207 PAs), Altuve had 56 hits, 21 of those were for extra-bases.
*This piece from Bryan Murphy in the McCovey Chronicles is Very Good:
When you do sit down to watch or listen to a Giants game later in the week, some things might've changed about them. They might all be dead. Literally murdered by the super-talented - nay, too talented - Houston Astros who won't realize their own strength.
*The Astros wore "We Play For Santa Fe" shirts during batting practice and donated the proceeds from the 50/50 raffle to the Santa Fe Strong Memorial Fund.
*Jake Kaplan on the plan for Forrest Whitley, as his 50-game suspension draws to a close - it's looking like mid-June due to a lat strain he suffered during his suspension.
*Sean Pendergast writes how releasing Jon Singleton is one wager Luhnow lost.
*Ohwhaddayaknow: The Astros are one of ten teams not on Hole Camels' no-trade list.
*Tyler Bauer: Not a fan of unfounded accusations.
The Astros did Good Things and beat the Giants in an even year, 11-2. Gerrit Cole was meh (two runs? Only eight strikeouts? Trade him.) and Tony Kemp broke out with 5RBI.
*Via SportsCenter, Gerrit Cole became the sixth-fastest starting pitcher to reach 100 strikeouts on the season since 1900.
*Houston scored eleven runs, or the number of runs they scored in the three-game Indians series. I don't think the Giants will be able to compete in the AL West this year. It's the most runs they've scored since May 7, when they put 16 on Oakland, and the third time they've scored 11+ runs. It's their 10th 6+ walk game of the season.
*Giants manager Bruce Bochy:
Across the board, all of the pitchers, our command was off tonight. We paid for it. Just a good hitting ballclub. The leadoff hitter was getting on, little things like that caught up with us.
That's true. The Astros got the leadoff runner on in each of Innings 3-7, and four of those five would later score in the inning.
*Tony Kemp was 2x2 with 5RBI coming on:
4th: 2-run single
6th: RBI sac fly
7th: 2-run single
Kemp:
Tonight was a good night. You can't say enough about what Cole did on the mound, as well. Getting 100 is definitely a great feat, especially in the month of May, so I can't say enough about him either.
Tony Kemp when asked about his last 5-RBI game: "MLB The Show." pic.twitter.com/toCe4SYt37— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) May 23, 2018
*Correa and J.D. Davis were the only Astros in the lineup with no hits, but J.D. Davis also drew three walks and scored three times.
*The only blemish on Cole's start was a two-run home run by Brandon Crawford, who is Cole's brother-in-law - a fact that is beginning to approach McCoy/Shipley Levels of Repetition. Cole:
...He took a good pitch, put a good swing on it and got the home run. So obviously not thrilled about it, but I'm not terribly disappointed either.
Hinch:
We score double digits and don't hit a home run, I think we'll take that every night. It was a really good night of offense by a lot of different people in the lineup.
It was the most runs the Astros have scored without a home run since April 19, 2012 (also 11 runs, at Washington).
*Joe Smith needed two pitches to record two outs. In May Smith has thrown 4.2IP, 2H/1ER, 3K:1BB - a 1.93 ERA / 0.64 WHIP.
*Jose Altuve has 63 hits in 49 games (216 PAs). 15 of those hits are for extra-bases. Through 49 games in 2017 (207 PAs), Altuve had 56 hits, 21 of those were for extra-bases.
*This piece from Bryan Murphy in the McCovey Chronicles is Very Good:
When you do sit down to watch or listen to a Giants game later in the week, some things might've changed about them. They might all be dead. Literally murdered by the super-talented - nay, too talented - Houston Astros who won't realize their own strength.
*The Astros wore "We Play For Santa Fe" shirts during batting practice and donated the proceeds from the 50/50 raffle to the Santa Fe Strong Memorial Fund.
*Jake Kaplan on the plan for Forrest Whitley, as his 50-game suspension draws to a close - it's looking like mid-June due to a lat strain he suffered during his suspension.
*Sean Pendergast writes how releasing Jon Singleton is one wager Luhnow lost.
*Ohwhaddayaknow: The Astros are one of ten teams not on Hole Camels' no-trade list.
*Tyler Bauer: Not a fan of unfounded accusations.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
An Astros Fan's Guide to the Playoffs: NL Edition
Yesterday we covered the American League teams in the playoffs, now it's time to do the same for the National League teams.
San Francisco Giants, 87-75, Wild Card
EYBS. These dudes won in 2010, 2012, 2014 and they snuck into the 2016 playoffs despite blowing 30 saves and going 30-42 in the second half. That's some even year devil magic right there. Or it's how you ride a hot first half into the playoffs, that sounds more familiar to me, anyway.
Former Astros: Hunter Pence. Did you know that Hunter Pence set a career-high .899 OPS during his rookie year, while an Astro? All three categories in 2007: BA (.322), OBP (.360), SLG (.539) were career highs for Pence that season. I had not realized that. Anyway, Pence got a ring in 2014, so good for him.
Matt Duffy. Wait, wrong Matt Duffy.
Bottom Line: Madison Bumgarner is a joy to watch any time - especially when Puig is up to bat - but in the postseason, especially. A Giants/Dodgers matchup would be Must See For Possibility Of Violence on the Rangers/Blue Jays level, but it would also be a great baseball series. I can hope for that.
New York Mets, 87-75, Wild Card
The Mets made the postseason twice in a row and the Astros didn't, so screw 'em. How their corrupt Madoff-lovin' lookin' head ass owners still managed to put two playoff teams together in a row is beyond me. And Terry Collins! Collins somehow vacillates between NL Manager of the Year one day and About-To-Be-Former-Mets-Manager the next. Maybe that's just Teh Medier.
Former Astros: It barely counts, because he only played in eight games for the Mets before getting injured - and none with the Astros at the Major-League level - but Justin Ruggiano spent some time on the Mets roster. Ruggiano was 30 when he signed a minor-league free agent with the Astros before the 2012 season. In 39 games he hit .325/.409/.581 for Oklahoma City and was traded to Miami for Jobduan Morales. Over the next 91 games for the Marlins he hit .313/.374/.535 while the Astros trotted out Jordan Schafer, Brian Bogusevic, and pre-Reggie Jackson-era J.D. Martinez. If they had just kept Ruggiano maybe the 2012 Astros would only have lost 104 games.
Bottom Line: I have some Mets-fan friends. Whatever.
Washington Nationals, 95-67, 1st Place - NL East
I like Bryce Harper because he seems to really make a lot of people mad. But the Harper vs. Trout debate is pretty much over. After five seasons, Harper has a very respectable 22.9 fWAR and a 139 wRC+. Trout, on the other hand, in 5+ seasons has a 47.7 fWAR with a 168 OPS+. Mike Trout's Most Similar By Age comparisons from Baseball-Reference for the last four years? Frank Robinson, and Mickey Mantle (three seasons in a row). Game over.
Former Astros: Mark Melancon. The Astros acquired Melancon from the Yankees in the Berkman trade, and I don't think we ever understood what the Astros had in Melancon. He was good in 2011 (20 saves, 2.78 ERA) which made him prime bait material for Luhnow in the first year of the rebuild - Luhnow flipped him to Boston for Kyle Weiland and Jed Lowrie in what I believe was his first trade as Astros GM. And Melancon has racked up 147 saves since leaving Houston. The jury's already come back on that one.
Bottom line: I do like the Nationals but an undervalued sub-plot of the Nationals in the playoffs is to see what crazy stuff Dusty Baker does to ruin a 95-win team's season.
Chicago Cubs, 103-58, 1st Place - NL Central
The Cubs won 103 games and put up a Team OPS of .772 - 2nd in the NL - despite Jason Heyward's inability to hit the baseball while simultaneously cashing checks on a $184 million contract that runs through 2023. He hit seven home runs as an everyday right fielder. This shows that Theo Epstein is a combination of Bill James, Branch Rickey, and Professor Moriarty. It's not fair, and I resent the Cubs for starting their rebuild around the same time as the Astros and doing...this.
Former Astros: Dexter Fowler. In his one season in Houston (2014), Fowler put up a .770 OPS. Given that he was going to be a free agent after the 2015 season and the Astros allegedly had other, younger center-fielders who, we were promised, could do things like "hit the ball" and "get on base," the Astros traded him to Chicago for Luis Valbuena and Dan Straily. You can draw your own conclusions. An interesting little Fowler sub-plot is how the Cubs brought Fowler back for this season despite a ton of reports that he had already signed a 3yr/$35m deal with the Orioles, who were eliminated last night.
Jake Buchanan. The Astros' 8th Round pick in 2010 signed as a minor-league free agent with the Cubs on April 3, 2016 after making 22 appearances with the Astros in 2014 and 2015. He appeared in two games for the Cubs (1.50 ERA). I don't think he'll make the playoff roster, but good for Jake Buchanan.
Kris Bryant. If I close my eyes and chase the demons away, I can pretend that Bryant was part of a three-team trade between the Cubs, Phillies, and Astros in which the Cubs got Bryant, the Phillies got Appel, and the Astros got Ken Giles. That feels better. Sort of.
Bottom Line: I know that the Cubs haven't won the World Series since Theodore Roosevelt was in office. So that part would be fun. They're odds-on favorites to win the World Series, which will make my long-suffering Cubs fan cousin very nervous. If they don't win it all this year it will be a split-decision between the Randomness of Playoff Baseball and the very real possibility that the Cubs are, indeed, cursed.
Los Angeles Dodgers, 91-71, 1st Place - NL West
Four Dodgers were injured in the typing of this post. First-year manager Dave Roberts did a fantastic job keeping that team together - and taking advantage of the scuffling Giants - to win the division. But it's hard to feel something special for a team with a $266 million payroll this season, no matter how much of a delight Clayton Kershaw is, and the feeling that anytime you watch his starts could involve history being made. Corey Seager (.308/.365/.512) put up the season I think we expected Carlos Correa to put up this year.
Former Astros: Scott Kazmir. Scott Kazmir can go to hell. Kazmir only threw 136IP in 2016 because Kazmir got hurt in the second half. He didn't perform well due to Bad or Injury in the second half of a season? Color me shocked.
Enrique Hernandez. Hernandez was traded in 2014 as part of the Cosart deal that brought back Marisnick, Moran, Francis Martes (who is the odds-on favorite to be the steal of that trade) and the pick that brought back Daz Cameron. One of my all-time favorite Astros minor-leaguers, Hernandez had a rougher go of it in 2016, following up a breakout 2015 in which he put up an .836 OPS with a .190/.283/.324 line this season. He's still a good dude, though.
Josh Fields. Fields, a former Rule 5 pick, couldn't put it together for any stretch at all for Houston. He could throw it hard with barely a guess as to where the ball was going. The Astros traded him for 19-year old Cuban minor-leaguer Yordan Alvarez, who enjoyed a .974 OPS in limited time in the Dominican Summer League this season.
Bud Norris. Even though the Dodgers released Bud Norris last week, it delights me to no end that Bud Norris had to share a field with Yasiel Puig.
Bottom Line: I love Clayton Kershaw.
Prediction Time!
Mock me as you do:
ALDS:
Toronto over West Shreveport in five
Boston over Cleveland in four
NLDS:
Chicago over San Francisco in four
Washington over Los Angeles in five
ALCS: Boston over Toronto in six
NLCS: Chicago over Washington in five
World Series: Chicago over Boston in seven, with the Game 7 going 46 innings.
San Francisco Giants, 87-75, Wild Card
EYBS. These dudes won in 2010, 2012, 2014 and they snuck into the 2016 playoffs despite blowing 30 saves and going 30-42 in the second half. That's some even year devil magic right there. Or it's how you ride a hot first half into the playoffs, that sounds more familiar to me, anyway.
Former Astros: Hunter Pence. Did you know that Hunter Pence set a career-high .899 OPS during his rookie year, while an Astro? All three categories in 2007: BA (.322), OBP (.360), SLG (.539) were career highs for Pence that season. I had not realized that. Anyway, Pence got a ring in 2014, so good for him.
Matt Duffy. Wait, wrong Matt Duffy.
Bottom Line: Madison Bumgarner is a joy to watch any time - especially when Puig is up to bat - but in the postseason, especially. A Giants/Dodgers matchup would be Must See For Possibility Of Violence on the Rangers/Blue Jays level, but it would also be a great baseball series. I can hope for that.
New York Mets, 87-75, Wild Card
The Mets made the postseason twice in a row and the Astros didn't, so screw 'em. How their corrupt Madoff-lovin' lookin' head ass owners still managed to put two playoff teams together in a row is beyond me. And Terry Collins! Collins somehow vacillates between NL Manager of the Year one day and About-To-Be-Former-Mets-Manager the next. Maybe that's just Teh Medier.
Former Astros: It barely counts, because he only played in eight games for the Mets before getting injured - and none with the Astros at the Major-League level - but Justin Ruggiano spent some time on the Mets roster. Ruggiano was 30 when he signed a minor-league free agent with the Astros before the 2012 season. In 39 games he hit .325/.409/.581 for Oklahoma City and was traded to Miami for Jobduan Morales. Over the next 91 games for the Marlins he hit .313/.374/.535 while the Astros trotted out Jordan Schafer, Brian Bogusevic, and pre-Reggie Jackson-era J.D. Martinez. If they had just kept Ruggiano maybe the 2012 Astros would only have lost 104 games.
Bottom Line: I have some Mets-fan friends. Whatever.
Washington Nationals, 95-67, 1st Place - NL East
I like Bryce Harper because he seems to really make a lot of people mad. But the Harper vs. Trout debate is pretty much over. After five seasons, Harper has a very respectable 22.9 fWAR and a 139 wRC+. Trout, on the other hand, in 5+ seasons has a 47.7 fWAR with a 168 OPS+. Mike Trout's Most Similar By Age comparisons from Baseball-Reference for the last four years? Frank Robinson, and Mickey Mantle (three seasons in a row). Game over.
Former Astros: Mark Melancon. The Astros acquired Melancon from the Yankees in the Berkman trade, and I don't think we ever understood what the Astros had in Melancon. He was good in 2011 (20 saves, 2.78 ERA) which made him prime bait material for Luhnow in the first year of the rebuild - Luhnow flipped him to Boston for Kyle Weiland and Jed Lowrie in what I believe was his first trade as Astros GM. And Melancon has racked up 147 saves since leaving Houston. The jury's already come back on that one.
Bottom line: I do like the Nationals but an undervalued sub-plot of the Nationals in the playoffs is to see what crazy stuff Dusty Baker does to ruin a 95-win team's season.
Chicago Cubs, 103-58, 1st Place - NL Central
The Cubs won 103 games and put up a Team OPS of .772 - 2nd in the NL - despite Jason Heyward's inability to hit the baseball while simultaneously cashing checks on a $184 million contract that runs through 2023. He hit seven home runs as an everyday right fielder. This shows that Theo Epstein is a combination of Bill James, Branch Rickey, and Professor Moriarty. It's not fair, and I resent the Cubs for starting their rebuild around the same time as the Astros and doing...this.
Former Astros: Dexter Fowler. In his one season in Houston (2014), Fowler put up a .770 OPS. Given that he was going to be a free agent after the 2015 season and the Astros allegedly had other, younger center-fielders who, we were promised, could do things like "hit the ball" and "get on base," the Astros traded him to Chicago for Luis Valbuena and Dan Straily. You can draw your own conclusions. An interesting little Fowler sub-plot is how the Cubs brought Fowler back for this season despite a ton of reports that he had already signed a 3yr/$35m deal with the Orioles, who were eliminated last night.
Jake Buchanan. The Astros' 8th Round pick in 2010 signed as a minor-league free agent with the Cubs on April 3, 2016 after making 22 appearances with the Astros in 2014 and 2015. He appeared in two games for the Cubs (1.50 ERA). I don't think he'll make the playoff roster, but good for Jake Buchanan.
Kris Bryant. If I close my eyes and chase the demons away, I can pretend that Bryant was part of a three-team trade between the Cubs, Phillies, and Astros in which the Cubs got Bryant, the Phillies got Appel, and the Astros got Ken Giles. That feels better. Sort of.
Bottom Line: I know that the Cubs haven't won the World Series since Theodore Roosevelt was in office. So that part would be fun. They're odds-on favorites to win the World Series, which will make my long-suffering Cubs fan cousin very nervous. If they don't win it all this year it will be a split-decision between the Randomness of Playoff Baseball and the very real possibility that the Cubs are, indeed, cursed.
Los Angeles Dodgers, 91-71, 1st Place - NL West
Four Dodgers were injured in the typing of this post. First-year manager Dave Roberts did a fantastic job keeping that team together - and taking advantage of the scuffling Giants - to win the division. But it's hard to feel something special for a team with a $266 million payroll this season, no matter how much of a delight Clayton Kershaw is, and the feeling that anytime you watch his starts could involve history being made. Corey Seager (.308/.365/.512) put up the season I think we expected Carlos Correa to put up this year.
Former Astros: Scott Kazmir. Scott Kazmir can go to hell. Kazmir only threw 136IP in 2016 because Kazmir got hurt in the second half. He didn't perform well due to Bad or Injury in the second half of a season? Color me shocked.
Enrique Hernandez. Hernandez was traded in 2014 as part of the Cosart deal that brought back Marisnick, Moran, Francis Martes (who is the odds-on favorite to be the steal of that trade) and the pick that brought back Daz Cameron. One of my all-time favorite Astros minor-leaguers, Hernandez had a rougher go of it in 2016, following up a breakout 2015 in which he put up an .836 OPS with a .190/.283/.324 line this season. He's still a good dude, though.
Josh Fields. Fields, a former Rule 5 pick, couldn't put it together for any stretch at all for Houston. He could throw it hard with barely a guess as to where the ball was going. The Astros traded him for 19-year old Cuban minor-leaguer Yordan Alvarez, who enjoyed a .974 OPS in limited time in the Dominican Summer League this season.
Bud Norris. Even though the Dodgers released Bud Norris last week, it delights me to no end that Bud Norris had to share a field with Yasiel Puig.
Bottom Line: I love Clayton Kershaw.
Prediction Time!
Mock me as you do:
ALDS:
Toronto over West Shreveport in five
Boston over Cleveland in four
NLDS:
Chicago over San Francisco in four
Washington over Los Angeles in five
ALCS: Boston over Toronto in six
NLCS: Chicago over Washington in five
World Series: Chicago over Boston in seven, with the Game 7 going 46 innings.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
From the Office of the County Clerk - G34: Astros versus Giants
Brett Oberholtzer (0-0, 0.00) versus Tim Hudson (1-3, 4.50)
The Office of the County Clerk has been shut due to unspecified natural disasters over the last couple of days. I have been unable to get in because of firey/watery/earthy/atmospheric conditions (choose one), so have not been able to recap the Astros' last few games. So, lets see how they did...
Hmmm. 4 hits in their last 86 at-bats (per Drellich). Yikes! Well, doesn't matter how well you pitch, that ain't going to win you many games. The cratering of the entire offence recently has been stunning. With Lowrie out, and hits for Altuve and Marisnick not really dropping, Gattis and Carter returning to their strikeout-heavy ways, and the lefties Valbuena and Rasmus also struggling, it has been a rough couple of games for the 'stros. However, they managed to split an away series against a best-2014-record-in-the-AL Angels (helped immensely by a ninth-inning comeback and a three homer barrage games one and three). In three of the last four games, they have been absolutely dominated at the plate by Jered Weaver, Garrett Richards and Chris Heston.
I was actually very impressed with Heston. He hit his spots on both sides of the plate with all of his pitches. Perhaps he benefitted from some BABIP luck, but he made some of the Astros hitters look a little silly at times. Castro homered to (hopefully) signal that he is heating up, but that was the only run that they scored. And against Richards (who has ridiculous stuff), the only run scored when Richards tried to go inside, and drilled Preston Tucker in the back with the bases loaded. Safe to say, it wasn't intentional.
So tonight, the Astros needed to bounce back against an familiar foe who has dominated them in the past. Hudson entered this game having pitched seven times against the Astros, going 5-0, 1.24. In 195 PA's, he has allowed a triple-slash of .189/.247/.233, with a 34:12 K:BB ratio. And, as the cherry on top, a catcher by the name of A.J. Hinch caught his major-league debut in Oakland in 1999. Hudson has had a great career, which included recovering from a gruesome broken ankle in 2013. And, with the Giants on a hot streak, and them being the defending champs and all, this game could have gotten ugly.
But, as has been the case a few times this season, the Astros relied on the home run, pitched adequately, and got just enough offence to go ahead late, and win 4-3. How did it happen?? Read on!
On the Mound:
Brett Oberholtzer got the start for the first time this year, after a blister popped up in Spring Training and sidelined him for the best part of a month. And he didn't start well, giving up a run in his first inning back. Nori Aoki grounded out to second, Matt Duffy walked, and then stole second during Buster Posey's at-bat. Posey then took a 3-2 inside fastball that was supposed to be away, and hit what sounded like a broken-bat liner over a shifted Altuve to drive Duffy in for the first run of the game. Justin Maxwell followed with a single just past a statuesque Carter, but both were stranded when Brandon Belt struck out to end the frame.
Obie bounced back in the second, striking out the catcher, Andrew Susac, then walking Casey McGehee and allowing a single on an 0-2 count to Brandon Crawford on an elevated fastball. The ball had no business being elevated and away to the lefty Crawford - Castro had set up inside. But a well executed 5-4-3 double play to get the speedy Aoki ended the frame - nice work from Valbuena and Altuve to turn the twin killing.
Obie got assistance from another double play in the third. Matt Duffy - not the Astros farmhand Matt Duffy, either - has killed the Astros this series, and he led off with a solid single to CF. Angel Pagán then GIDP into another 5-4-3, Posey singled and Maxwell struck out to end the frame. At this point, Obie was starting to stare at his fingers, and when he ran a 2-seamer back over the inside part of the plate to end the frame, his night was done.
Deduno took over for the fourth, and he continued the theme of being constantly in trouble. He got two outs relatively quickly, then allowed a single, a HBP, a wild pitch and a walk to load the bases. Matt Duffy for once didn't get a hit, lining out to CF on a fat elevated curveball. In the fifth - after the Astros drew level at 1-1 Deduno allowed a Pagán lead-off triple (he is fast), then Posey hammered a belt-high curve ball just short of the railway tracks. Deduno bounced back well to end the frame without yielding another baserunner.
The sixth was given to Will Harris, and aside from a two-out single, it was unremarkable. He has allowed 1ER in 17 frames this year. Neshek retired the side in order in the seventh. Qualls faced the minimum in the eighth after an error by Valbuena (he booted it) allowed Brandon Belt to reach, but Belt was erased caught stealing with a fabulous throw from Castro.
Gregerson gave us a few heart palpitations in the ninth. Brandon Crawford - the opening batter of the frame - took a high-and-outside pitch to the wall in LF for a leadoff double. Very similar to the pitch location that Crawford singled off Obie earlier in the game. Aoki followed with a grounder to short and - I won't get to type this many times so it needs to be in capitals - VILLAR MADE A HEADS UP PLAY! Villar was behind Crawford when he broke for third, he threw to Valbuena covering third, and Crawford was out by plenty. That proved to he an important play because, with two outs, Angel Pagán singled to CF (just past a stretching Altuve) to put runners on the corners. Buster Posey then ended the game with a cue-shot back to the pitcher, and Gregerson went to first for the final out.
Obie and Deduno worked around eleven baserunners in the first five frames to give up only 3 runs. Some timely double plays helped. But the rest of the 'pen was nails. No walks, 4K's, 3 hits in four innings. Luhnow's 'pen re-boot has been impressive, and they have been strong throughout the season.
At the Plate:
Hudson, as mentioned earlier, is a fine pitcher, and he started well, facing the minimum in the first despite an Altuve one-out single into LF. Valbuena grounded to second for the 4-6-3 double-play, and he was thrown out by plenty. The Astros went in order in the second, including a cue-shot off the end of the bat of Gattis, now batting sixth. The Astros continued their habit of going in order in the third, including a hard-hit line-out from Castro into CF.
In the fourth, the Astros drew level at 1-1. Luis Valbuena walked with two outs, then advanced to second on a Springer walk. Colby Rasmus then hit a little line-drive off the end of the bat on a low splitter into CF to score Valbuena. Gattis struck out looking to end the frame. In the sixth, Jason Castro hit his second home-run in two games when Hudson missed over the plate with a fastball that was meant to be inside. Castro hit it to the railing on the CF side of the Astros' bullpen, and the ball bounded into the CF seats behind Tal's Hill. Chris Carter then hit a solid single into LF, followed by a Jonathan Villar singla into CF, but Handsome Jake hit a hard liner to third, and Altuve grounded into a double play to end the frame.
In the seventh, Luis Valbuena homered leading off the frame. Hudson again missed a little over the plate, and Valbuena pulled the pitch into the Astros bullpen. It cleared the fence by plenty. Valbuena's eighth homer of the year, and his line is currently sitting at an interesting .200/.270/.433. Gattis singled later in the frame and went to second on Justin Maxwell's curious error where the ball seemed to slip out of his hand in the middle of the throwing motion, but that was all for the sixth.
Carter worked a nice walk leading off the eighth, coming back from an 0-2 count and laying off pitches down and away. He had a quietly solid game, and seemed to look a little more balanced at the plate. Villar then popped up a bunt, trying to get pinch-runner González to second, and three Giants collided trying to make the play in foul territory. Andrew Susac successfully held on to the ball for the out. González failed to advance when Marisnick struck out, and Altuve flew out.
That all led to the eighth. With the scores tied 3-3, George Springer headed to the plate with one out. On a 3-2 count, and on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, Jeremy Affeldt (who does not give away many homers) left a pitch in the middle of the plate and at the top of the knees. Springer ripped it into the power-alley in left, and the ball cleared the wall under the gas pump, hitting the Phillips 66 sign underneath it. The ball never got very high, but it was hit plenty hard, and Affeldt knew it straight away. The Astros took the lead 4-3, and hung on in the ninth to end the game.
Hits from Jose Altuve, Colby Rasmus and Evan Gattis (1-4), with a home-run from a resurgent Jason Castro (1-3). Chris Carter went 1-2, BB for a solid night, and Jonathan Villar went 1-3, but popped up a bunt.
Turning Point:
I have to say it again - VILLAR MADE A HEADS UP PLAY! In the ninth, critical situation, Villar was the recipient of a grounder from Aoki with a runner on second, breaking to third. He opted to get the lead runner at third, and he and Valbuena executed the rest of it perfectly for the out. Which was important, because a 2-out single would have scored a runner from third, and the game would probably still be going.
Man of the Match:
Two guys with identical lines stood out today. Luis Valbeuna and George Springer both hit vital late-inning homers to tie the game and go ahead respectively. Their lines were 1-3, BB, HR, with Valbeuna scoring two runs, and Springer one.
Goat of the Game:
Who kidnapped Handsome Jake??? Only Astro to not get on base tonight. He has struggled recently... but so have the rest of the bats.
Up Next:
The 17-18 Blue Jays roll into town. The Astros' first AL East opponent, and first series outside the AL and NL West since the opening series against the Indians.
Drew Hutchison (3-0, 6.69) versus Roberto Hernandez (1-3, 3.88)
A perfect example of why pitcher W-L records are like like blood in the water to a sabermatic shark.
8 Eastern, 7 Central.
The Office of the County Clerk has been shut due to unspecified natural disasters over the last couple of days. I have been unable to get in because of firey/watery/earthy/atmospheric conditions (choose one), so have not been able to recap the Astros' last few games. So, lets see how they did...
Hmmm. 4 hits in their last 86 at-bats (per Drellich). Yikes! Well, doesn't matter how well you pitch, that ain't going to win you many games. The cratering of the entire offence recently has been stunning. With Lowrie out, and hits for Altuve and Marisnick not really dropping, Gattis and Carter returning to their strikeout-heavy ways, and the lefties Valbuena and Rasmus also struggling, it has been a rough couple of games for the 'stros. However, they managed to split an away series against a best-2014-record-in-the-AL Angels (helped immensely by a ninth-inning comeback and a three homer barrage games one and three). In three of the last four games, they have been absolutely dominated at the plate by Jered Weaver, Garrett Richards and Chris Heston.
I was actually very impressed with Heston. He hit his spots on both sides of the plate with all of his pitches. Perhaps he benefitted from some BABIP luck, but he made some of the Astros hitters look a little silly at times. Castro homered to (hopefully) signal that he is heating up, but that was the only run that they scored. And against Richards (who has ridiculous stuff), the only run scored when Richards tried to go inside, and drilled Preston Tucker in the back with the bases loaded. Safe to say, it wasn't intentional.
So tonight, the Astros needed to bounce back against an familiar foe who has dominated them in the past. Hudson entered this game having pitched seven times against the Astros, going 5-0, 1.24. In 195 PA's, he has allowed a triple-slash of .189/.247/.233, with a 34:12 K:BB ratio. And, as the cherry on top, a catcher by the name of A.J. Hinch caught his major-league debut in Oakland in 1999. Hudson has had a great career, which included recovering from a gruesome broken ankle in 2013. And, with the Giants on a hot streak, and them being the defending champs and all, this game could have gotten ugly.
But, as has been the case a few times this season, the Astros relied on the home run, pitched adequately, and got just enough offence to go ahead late, and win 4-3. How did it happen?? Read on!
On the Mound:
Brett Oberholtzer got the start for the first time this year, after a blister popped up in Spring Training and sidelined him for the best part of a month. And he didn't start well, giving up a run in his first inning back. Nori Aoki grounded out to second, Matt Duffy walked, and then stole second during Buster Posey's at-bat. Posey then took a 3-2 inside fastball that was supposed to be away, and hit what sounded like a broken-bat liner over a shifted Altuve to drive Duffy in for the first run of the game. Justin Maxwell followed with a single just past a statuesque Carter, but both were stranded when Brandon Belt struck out to end the frame.
Obie bounced back in the second, striking out the catcher, Andrew Susac, then walking Casey McGehee and allowing a single on an 0-2 count to Brandon Crawford on an elevated fastball. The ball had no business being elevated and away to the lefty Crawford - Castro had set up inside. But a well executed 5-4-3 double play to get the speedy Aoki ended the frame - nice work from Valbuena and Altuve to turn the twin killing.
Obie got assistance from another double play in the third. Matt Duffy - not the Astros farmhand Matt Duffy, either - has killed the Astros this series, and he led off with a solid single to CF. Angel Pagán then GIDP into another 5-4-3, Posey singled and Maxwell struck out to end the frame. At this point, Obie was starting to stare at his fingers, and when he ran a 2-seamer back over the inside part of the plate to end the frame, his night was done.
Deduno took over for the fourth, and he continued the theme of being constantly in trouble. He got two outs relatively quickly, then allowed a single, a HBP, a wild pitch and a walk to load the bases. Matt Duffy for once didn't get a hit, lining out to CF on a fat elevated curveball. In the fifth - after the Astros drew level at 1-1 Deduno allowed a Pagán lead-off triple (he is fast), then Posey hammered a belt-high curve ball just short of the railway tracks. Deduno bounced back well to end the frame without yielding another baserunner.
The sixth was given to Will Harris, and aside from a two-out single, it was unremarkable. He has allowed 1ER in 17 frames this year. Neshek retired the side in order in the seventh. Qualls faced the minimum in the eighth after an error by Valbuena (he booted it) allowed Brandon Belt to reach, but Belt was erased caught stealing with a fabulous throw from Castro.
Gregerson gave us a few heart palpitations in the ninth. Brandon Crawford - the opening batter of the frame - took a high-and-outside pitch to the wall in LF for a leadoff double. Very similar to the pitch location that Crawford singled off Obie earlier in the game. Aoki followed with a grounder to short and - I won't get to type this many times so it needs to be in capitals - VILLAR MADE A HEADS UP PLAY! Villar was behind Crawford when he broke for third, he threw to Valbuena covering third, and Crawford was out by plenty. That proved to he an important play because, with two outs, Angel Pagán singled to CF (just past a stretching Altuve) to put runners on the corners. Buster Posey then ended the game with a cue-shot back to the pitcher, and Gregerson went to first for the final out.
Obie and Deduno worked around eleven baserunners in the first five frames to give up only 3 runs. Some timely double plays helped. But the rest of the 'pen was nails. No walks, 4K's, 3 hits in four innings. Luhnow's 'pen re-boot has been impressive, and they have been strong throughout the season.
At the Plate:
Hudson, as mentioned earlier, is a fine pitcher, and he started well, facing the minimum in the first despite an Altuve one-out single into LF. Valbuena grounded to second for the 4-6-3 double-play, and he was thrown out by plenty. The Astros went in order in the second, including a cue-shot off the end of the bat of Gattis, now batting sixth. The Astros continued their habit of going in order in the third, including a hard-hit line-out from Castro into CF.
In the fourth, the Astros drew level at 1-1. Luis Valbuena walked with two outs, then advanced to second on a Springer walk. Colby Rasmus then hit a little line-drive off the end of the bat on a low splitter into CF to score Valbuena. Gattis struck out looking to end the frame. In the sixth, Jason Castro hit his second home-run in two games when Hudson missed over the plate with a fastball that was meant to be inside. Castro hit it to the railing on the CF side of the Astros' bullpen, and the ball bounded into the CF seats behind Tal's Hill. Chris Carter then hit a solid single into LF, followed by a Jonathan Villar singla into CF, but Handsome Jake hit a hard liner to third, and Altuve grounded into a double play to end the frame.
In the seventh, Luis Valbuena homered leading off the frame. Hudson again missed a little over the plate, and Valbuena pulled the pitch into the Astros bullpen. It cleared the fence by plenty. Valbuena's eighth homer of the year, and his line is currently sitting at an interesting .200/.270/.433. Gattis singled later in the frame and went to second on Justin Maxwell's curious error where the ball seemed to slip out of his hand in the middle of the throwing motion, but that was all for the sixth.
Carter worked a nice walk leading off the eighth, coming back from an 0-2 count and laying off pitches down and away. He had a quietly solid game, and seemed to look a little more balanced at the plate. Villar then popped up a bunt, trying to get pinch-runner González to second, and three Giants collided trying to make the play in foul territory. Andrew Susac successfully held on to the ball for the out. González failed to advance when Marisnick struck out, and Altuve flew out.
That all led to the eighth. With the scores tied 3-3, George Springer headed to the plate with one out. On a 3-2 count, and on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, Jeremy Affeldt (who does not give away many homers) left a pitch in the middle of the plate and at the top of the knees. Springer ripped it into the power-alley in left, and the ball cleared the wall under the gas pump, hitting the Phillips 66 sign underneath it. The ball never got very high, but it was hit plenty hard, and Affeldt knew it straight away. The Astros took the lead 4-3, and hung on in the ninth to end the game.
Hits from Jose Altuve, Colby Rasmus and Evan Gattis (1-4), with a home-run from a resurgent Jason Castro (1-3). Chris Carter went 1-2, BB for a solid night, and Jonathan Villar went 1-3, but popped up a bunt.
Turning Point:
I have to say it again - VILLAR MADE A HEADS UP PLAY! In the ninth, critical situation, Villar was the recipient of a grounder from Aoki with a runner on second, breaking to third. He opted to get the lead runner at third, and he and Valbuena executed the rest of it perfectly for the out. Which was important, because a 2-out single would have scored a runner from third, and the game would probably still be going.
Man of the Match:
Two guys with identical lines stood out today. Luis Valbeuna and George Springer both hit vital late-inning homers to tie the game and go ahead respectively. Their lines were 1-3, BB, HR, with Valbeuna scoring two runs, and Springer one.
Goat of the Game:
Who kidnapped Handsome Jake??? Only Astro to not get on base tonight. He has struggled recently... but so have the rest of the bats.
Up Next:
The 17-18 Blue Jays roll into town. The Astros' first AL East opponent, and first series outside the AL and NL West since the opening series against the Indians.
Drew Hutchison (3-0, 6.69) versus Roberto Hernandez (1-3, 3.88)
A perfect example of why pitcher W-L records are like like blood in the water to a sabermatic shark.
8 Eastern, 7 Central.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Tuesday Morning Hot Links
Happy Correa Triple-A Day!
*The Mariners have now taken over the Astros as FanGraphs' favorites to win the division, though the Astros still have a 45.4% chance of making it to the postseason.
*What the Heck Bobby shares some thoughts about Correa's promotion
*JJO talked to both Correa and Corpus manager Rodney Linares about his promotion, with a line about how Luhnow was tempted to promote him to Houston.
*"This is our top prospect - probably the top prospect in all of baseball." Tony DeFrancesco tells the Fresno Bee, who also get Joe Sclafani's name wrong and wonder if Correa will get promoted to Houston before the Grizzlies return from their road trip.
*A.J. Hinch's reasoning for why the Astros are only 8-8 at home: Because that's the way it is.
*Jed Lowrie is surprised at how much you actually use your thumbs.
*George Springer could play in a rehab game today.
*Henry Schulman looks at the history between the Giants and the Astros
*Here's a good article from Quad Cities on 2014 4th Round pick Daniel Mengden, his back injury, and his mustache.
*Corpus' Tony Kemp graduated from Vanderbilt with a degree in communications over the weekend, so now he can be best friends with Buster Olney.
*Terrifying: the Carolina Mudcats' team bus was in a wreck and flipped on its side early this morning. Former Astros minor-leaguers Andrew Thurman and Blair Walters are on the Mudcats roster.
*The Mariners have now taken over the Astros as FanGraphs' favorites to win the division, though the Astros still have a 45.4% chance of making it to the postseason.
*What the Heck Bobby shares some thoughts about Correa's promotion
*JJO talked to both Correa and Corpus manager Rodney Linares about his promotion, with a line about how Luhnow was tempted to promote him to Houston.
*"This is our top prospect - probably the top prospect in all of baseball." Tony DeFrancesco tells the Fresno Bee, who also get Joe Sclafani's name wrong and wonder if Correa will get promoted to Houston before the Grizzlies return from their road trip.
*A.J. Hinch's reasoning for why the Astros are only 8-8 at home: Because that's the way it is.
*Jed Lowrie is surprised at how much you actually use your thumbs.
*George Springer could play in a rehab game today.
*Henry Schulman looks at the history between the Giants and the Astros
*Here's a good article from Quad Cities on 2014 4th Round pick Daniel Mengden, his back injury, and his mustache.
*Corpus' Tony Kemp graduated from Vanderbilt with a degree in communications over the weekend, so now he can be best friends with Buster Olney.
*Terrifying: the Carolina Mudcats' team bus was in a wreck and flipped on its side early this morning. Former Astros minor-leaguers Andrew Thurman and Blair Walters are on the Mudcats roster.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Sounds like Norris wouldn't mind getting traded to San Francisco
Jon Paul Morosi was forced to wrest his attention away from the Tigers for a few days and came to Houston. While in town, with a steady eye on Detroit, he wrote about the possibility, nay, likelihood of Bud Norris getting traded.
Norris:
I’ve seen stable, veteran players get moved to new organizations. Sometimes you don’t understand why it’s not you. So, it’s been tough ... Now that my name’s the one popping up, it’s a little different feeling.
That's interesting. It sounds - from that quote, admittedly taken a little bit out of context - like Bud Norris' feelings were a little hurt when he wasn't included in a trade. When Morosi mentioned San Francisco as a possible destination, Norris peed a little bit:
It gives you goose bumps when you think about it. Obviously growing up there, being a big Giants fan — and I rooted for the A’s, too, in the area, but I was more of a Giants fan...It would be a dream come true for me to play for my childhood team.
Norris:
I’ve seen stable, veteran players get moved to new organizations. Sometimes you don’t understand why it’s not you. So, it’s been tough ... Now that my name’s the one popping up, it’s a little different feeling.
That's interesting. It sounds - from that quote, admittedly taken a little bit out of context - like Bud Norris' feelings were a little hurt when he wasn't included in a trade. When Morosi mentioned San Francisco as a possible destination, Norris peed a little bit:
It gives you goose bumps when you think about it. Obviously growing up there, being a big Giants fan — and I rooted for the A’s, too, in the area, but I was more of a Giants fan...It would be a dream come true for me to play for my childhood team.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
The Giants have checked in on Bud Norris
The San Francisco Giants are looking hard for starting pitching, and have apparently checked in on Bud Norris, according to Danny Knobler.
Knobler:
It's too early in the process to make a good guess on who the Giants will eventually go for, but Giants people have been asking about Ricky Nolasco of the Marlins and Bud Norris of the Astros, among others. It doesn't appear the Giants have begun in-depth conversations with either of those teams, however.
So there it is - the trade rumor mill starts on June 11!
Knobler:
It's too early in the process to make a good guess on who the Giants will eventually go for, but Giants people have been asking about Ricky Nolasco of the Marlins and Bud Norris of the Astros, among others. It doesn't appear the Giants have begun in-depth conversations with either of those teams, however.
So there it is - the trade rumor mill starts on June 11!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
From the Office of the County Clerk: G89 - Astros @ Giants
Bud Norris (5-6, 4.71) vs Matt Cain (9-3, 2.62)
Without making the obvious and overused reference to Matt Cain's last outing against the Astros... they did better this time. But ultimately, not well enough. Houston loses, 3-2, for their 13th consecutive road loss - one shy of the franchise record. They're now 9-35 on the road, and 33-56 overall.
*Bud Norris' last appearance before his hometown crowd in San Fran was an injury-shortened debacle - 3 R in 3.1 IP back on June 12. He did much better this time around, turning in a quality start with 3 R over 6 IP, and giving Houston every opportunity to win the ballgame. But he still got tagged for the loss, with a 6 IP / 5 H / 3 R / 3 ER / 6 BB / 6 K line. Fernando Rodriguez and Wesley Wright teamed up for two scoreless innings in relief, with 2 H, 0 BB, and 2 K.
Observations:
*Marwin Gonzalez, back from the DL in place of the fallen Jed Lowrie, provided Houston's first baserunner with a leadoff double in the 3rd, after two perfect innings by Matt Cain (*cough*). Marwin would be the only Astro with multiple hits today, going 2 for 4 with a run scored.
*Chris Johnson had an RBI double in the 4th to tie the score at 2, ending his day 1 for 4 with a K.
*Jose Altuve got his 98th hit of the year, going 1 for 4, but his average still dropped to .297 - its lowest point since he was at .292 on April 13, 7 games into the season.
*Brian Bogusevic had Houston's Only Other Hit™, going 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
*As a team, the Astros struck out 9 times against Giants pitching, led by J.D. Martinez's 3 Ks.
*The Astros will play the Giants again August 28-30 @ MMP, but this was Houston's final game at AT&T Park as a National League franchise.
Turning Point:
After a sketchy first inning in which two Giants runs scored and they left the bases loaded, Bud settled down and the Astros battled back to tie the score by the halfway mark. But that was short-lived, as Pablo Sandoval led off the bottom of the 5th with a double and Buster Posey drove him in with a single immediately after. That set the score at 3-2, which is how the game would end.
Man of the Match:
Marwin Gonzalez. At least for today, he made sure that Houston did not miss Lowrie's bat.
Goat of the Game:
J.D. Martinez. He's generally been one of Houston's better hitters in the last month (.793 OPS since June 16), but 0 for 4 with 3 strikeouts from the cleanup spot won't cut it.
From the Office of the County Clerk: G88 - Astros @ Giants
Lucas Harrell (7-6, 4.56) vs Tim Lincecum (3-10, 6.42)
Some losses hurt more than others. This one hurt more than most. Astros tie the game (in bizarre fashion) with two outs in the 9th, keep it tied until the 12th, then Brett Myers comes in and it's all for naught. Houston loses 3-2 in 12, and lose Jed Lowrie to injury in the process. They're now 0-9 in extra innings, 0-12 in their last 12 road games, and 33-55 overall.
*Lucas Harrell gave up five hits and four walks in his five innings, but kept the damage down to only one run. His line: 5 IP / 5 H / 1 R / 1 ER / 4 BB / 4 K. Fernando Abad allowed the Giants' second run on back-to-back doubles in the 6th, but then Lyon, Del Rosario, Lopez, and Fernando Rodriguez combined for 5 scoreless to take it to the 12th. Myers came next, but he allowed three straight singles without recording an out to give San Francisco the game.
Observations:
*We'll start with Jed Lowrie. He was 0 for 2 when Melky Cabrera grounded to second in the bottom of the 3rd. Lowrie's knee did unnatural things on the play, and he immediately went down in obvious, serious pain. The official announcement initially was a sprained ankle, but it's clearly more serious than that. We'll no doubt hear more about this in the coming days.
*The Astros had 7 hits and 2 walks to go against 16 strikeouts as a team.
*Justin Maxwell had Houston's only extra-base hit, a double in the 9th that drove in the Astros' first run. Maxwell went 1 for 4 with 2 K.
*The six singles went one apiece to Jordan Schafer (1 for 5, 2 K), Jose Altuve (1 for 5, 1 K), J.D. Martinez (1 for 5, 1 K), Chris Johnson (1 for 5, 1 K), Brian Bogusevic (1 for 1), and Matt Downs (1 for 2).
*Brian Bixler came in after Lowrie was injured, and he still managed to strike out three times for the second consecutive game.
*Chris Snyder (0 for 4) also struck out three times against one walk, but one of those strikeouts led to the tying run with two outs in the 9th. More on that after the jump.
Turning Point:
I don't feel like discussing Myers' latest meltdown, so we'll go instead with Houston's believe-it-or-not 9th. Santiago Casilla came in to relieve Tim Lincecum, and he started by sandwiching a Scott Moore walk between strikeouts of Martinez and Johnson. Then came Maxwell's double to right, driving in Moore, which brought Chris Snyder to the plate. Snyder struck out swinging on a 1-2 pitch, but the pitch was wild and let Maxwell advance to third while Snyder ran to first. Giants catcher Hector Sanchez made an ill-advised and wild throw to first, so Snyder was safe, and Maxwell scored the tying run before Brandon Belt could get the ball back to the plate.
Man of the Match:
Justin Maxwell. His clutch double and heads-up baserunning in the 9th at least gave the Astros a chance.
Goat of the Game:
Brett Myers. Again, your closer and bullpen anchor can't do this.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
From the Office of the County Clerk: G87 - Astros @ Giants
Wandy Rodriguez (7-6, 3.37) vs Madison Bumgarner (10-5, 3.27)
Baseball is back, but unfortunately it felt much like it did before the break. Madison Bumgarner completely shut down the Astros offense, and Houston lost 5-1 in San Francisco. The Astros are now 33-54, half a game back of San Diego for climbing out of the Major League cellar.
*Wandy Rodriguez got off to a rough start, giving up two runs in each of the first two innings, on a Herculean home run by Buster Posey in the 1st and a series of tough luck singles in the 2nd. But he settled down to allow only 3 singles and a walk in four shutout innings after that. Wandy's final line: 6 IP / 7 H / 4 R / 4 ER / 2 BB / 4 K. Rhiner Cruz escaped a leadoff triple by Nate Schierholtz in the 7th, thanks to a sterling double play authored by Jose Altuve. Enerio Del Rosario was less fortunate on a one-out triple by Pablo Sandoval in the 8th, as Sandoval would clobber Chris Snyder to score on an Angel Pagan sac fly.
Observations:
*The offense managed only two hits and two walks in seven innings against Bumgarner.
*Jed Lowrie led off the 2nd with a single for Houston's first hit. He'd finish 1 for 3 with a walk.
*After that, the Astros didn't have another hit until Chris Snyder took Bumgarner deep to left with two outs in the 7th for their only run. Snyder was 1 for 4 with 2 K.
*Houston's only other hit (are we tired of that phrase yet?) was a 9th inning single by J.D. Martinez (1 for 4).
*Justin Maxwell returned from the DL by going 0 for 3 with a K and a HBP.
*Brian Bixler managed a walk and three strikeouts in four PA.
*Chris Johnson also struck out twice, in four hitless AB.
Turning Point:
The game had been all Giants ever since Buster Posey took Wandy WAY deep to CF in the 1st, but Houston finally began to show signs of life against Sergio Romo in the 9th. After Maxwell led off with a groundout, J.D. Martinez singled and Lowrie walked to give the Astros two on with one out. Chris Johnson and Chris Snyder then represented the tying runs, but Santiago Casilla came in to relieve Romo and struck both of them out.
Man of the Match:
Uhh... Chris Snyder? At least he kept Houston out of another shutout.
Goat of the Game:
The offense was worse than Wandy was, so take your pick. Bixler never even put a ball in play, but CJ did the least with the most opportunities, striking out twice while leaving three on base.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Teams starting to sniff on Wandy
FoxSports says that at least five teams are in on Wandy Rodriguez: Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Giants, and Dodgers.
All the aforementioned AL East teams have shown interest in Wandy in the past year:
Boston seemed to be interested last December. The Yankees were interested last August. And the Blue Jays were among the more heavily-rumored teams in on Wandy at the 2011 trade deadline.
Take it for what you will, but Houston 5A Baseball has a source who says:
#Astros in serious negotiation for W. Rodriguez. Could be dealt by end of weekend
All the aforementioned AL East teams have shown interest in Wandy in the past year:
Boston seemed to be interested last December. The Yankees were interested last August. And the Blue Jays were among the more heavily-rumored teams in on Wandy at the 2011 trade deadline.
Take it for what you will, but Houston 5A Baseball has a source who says:
#Astros in serious negotiation for W. Rodriguez. Could be dealt by end of weekend
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Perfect Game Link Dump
Let's get this over with:
Hardball Talk's Matthew Pouliot noted that Cain's Game Score was 101. The highest Game Score in a 9-inning game was Kerry Wood's 105 in May 1998 - which was, of course, the 20K one-hitter against Houston.
ESPN's David Schoenfield wonders if Cain threw the best game ever. (As did SB Nation Bay Area)
SI's Cliff Corcoran says Cain's outing was inevitable.
Third base umpire Brian Runge got a little superstitious.
Tim Kawakami:
The Astros didn't just look dominated, they looked demoralized by what Cain was throwing.
Brandon Belt sat in Cain's spot in the dugout, and then got up.
Andrew Baggarly has the inning-by-inning recap of Cain's start.
I see your Matt Cain and lower you J.A. Happ.
Hardball Talk's Matthew Pouliot noted that Cain's Game Score was 101. The highest Game Score in a 9-inning game was Kerry Wood's 105 in May 1998 - which was, of course, the 20K one-hitter against Houston.
ESPN's David Schoenfield wonders if Cain threw the best game ever. (As did SB Nation Bay Area)
SI's Cliff Corcoran says Cain's outing was inevitable.
Third base umpire Brian Runge got a little superstitious.
Tim Kawakami:
The Astros didn't just look dominated, they looked demoralized by what Cain was throwing.
Brandon Belt sat in Cain's spot in the dugout, and then got up.
Andrew Baggarly has the inning-by-inning recap of Cain's start.
I see your Matt Cain and lower you J.A. Happ.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Beltran to San Francisco?
Yahoo's Tim Brown says that Beltran is heading to San Francisco, pending logistical issues. Whatever that means.
So Phillies and Braves, it's your move.
UPDATE: Joel Sherman tweeted that the Phillies still think they're in on Beltran, but the Giants think they have him (though he earlier tweeted that the Giants are as close as you can get), and Buster Olney and Ken Davidoff say it's pretty much done.
The Braves refused to include Mike Minor in a Beltran deal, but the Mets are getting three prospects, with those names changing every few minutes. Doesn't matter, anyway. If the Giants will give up three prospects for 2+ months of Beltran, will/should the Astros get four for Pence? What remains to be seen is if Beltran's trade is the benchmark for the next 96 hours.
What does this mean for the Astros? Well, it means that the Phillies - after reportedly offering Cosart, Singleton, and another prospect for Pence (and were rebuffed) - were apparently willing to move on to a deal involving Beltran. So if the Phillies are the only ones willing to go hard after Pence, they still have that chance.
If Beltran is off the board, the only truly premiere outfielder left is Pence.
So Phillies and Braves, it's your move.
UPDATE: Joel Sherman tweeted that the Phillies still think they're in on Beltran, but the Giants think they have him (though he earlier tweeted that the Giants are as close as you can get), and Buster Olney and Ken Davidoff say it's pretty much done.
The Braves refused to include Mike Minor in a Beltran deal, but the Mets are getting three prospects, with those names changing every few minutes. Doesn't matter, anyway. If the Giants will give up three prospects for 2+ months of Beltran, will/should the Astros get four for Pence? What remains to be seen is if Beltran's trade is the benchmark for the next 96 hours.
What does this mean for the Astros? Well, it means that the Phillies - after reportedly offering Cosart, Singleton, and another prospect for Pence (and were rebuffed) - were apparently willing to move on to a deal involving Beltran. So if the Phillies are the only ones willing to go hard after Pence, they still have that chance.
If Beltran is off the board, the only truly premiere outfielder left is Pence.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Beltran narrowing down his choices
Buster Olney just tweeted that the Race For Carlos Beltran is down to the following teams:
Boston, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Texas, and Cleveland.
Jon Heyman says that the Giants, Phillies, and Braves are the leaders for Beltran.
Now, the good thing - if you think trading Pence is a good and necessary move - is obviously that there is more demand for elite Right Fielders than there are elite Right Fielders, and yeah, I consider Pence an elite Right Fielder. If Philly or Atlanta end up with Beltran, you can reasonably expect that the other is going to try to counter with Pence. The AL Central is a crap-shoot, as is the AL West, so a player like Pence can change the outcome of those races. Boston's going to make the playoffs regardless (likely, anyway).
But aside from the Giants (whom I know very little about, except that they have Jack Keplinger), the other teams have prospects that could impact the Astros for years to come.
Boston, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Texas, and Cleveland.
Jon Heyman says that the Giants, Phillies, and Braves are the leaders for Beltran.
Now, the good thing - if you think trading Pence is a good and necessary move - is obviously that there is more demand for elite Right Fielders than there are elite Right Fielders, and yeah, I consider Pence an elite Right Fielder. If Philly or Atlanta end up with Beltran, you can reasonably expect that the other is going to try to counter with Pence. The AL Central is a crap-shoot, as is the AL West, so a player like Pence can change the outcome of those races. Boston's going to make the playoffs regardless (likely, anyway).
But aside from the Giants (whom I know very little about, except that they have Jack Keplinger), the other teams have prospects that could impact the Astros for years to come.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
We told you Keppinger would be happy
In our reaction piece to the Keppinger trade, we gave you permission to be happy for Jeff Keppinger. Jeff Keppinger took our advice.
Keppinger:
"I'm in first place. That's nice, definitely nice...It's tough to get hits off (the Giants). That was definitely a plus, too. I'd rather face the other team I came from than face this team."
BURN!
Keppinger:
"I'm in first place. That's nice, definitely nice...It's tough to get hits off (the Giants). That was definitely a plus, too. I'd rather face the other team I came from than face this team."
BURN!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Sabean, on the Keppinger trade
Andrew Baggarly talked to Giants GM Brian Sabean to find out how the Keppinger trade went down:
Giants G.M. Brian Sabean said he talked with the Astros about Keppinger a week ago but switched gears and engaged another club on "something we thought was much bigger." Sabean might have been referring to Minnesota Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer; sources confirmed that Giants officials had expressed interest in Cuddyer with an eye toward playing him at second base.
But after Tejada strained a lower abdominal muscle Monday night, Sabean went for the quickest play. He agreed to part with Stoffel, a hard-throwing former closer at the University of Arizona.
Giants G.M. Brian Sabean said he talked with the Astros about Keppinger a week ago but switched gears and engaged another club on "something we thought was much bigger." Sabean might have been referring to Minnesota Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer; sources confirmed that Giants officials had expressed interest in Cuddyer with an eye toward playing him at second base.
But after Tejada strained a lower abdominal muscle Monday night, Sabean went for the quickest play. He agreed to part with Stoffel, a hard-throwing former closer at the University of Arizona.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
The First Domino Falls: Keppinger traded
Let's get 2012 underway, shall we? The Astros have traded Jeff Keppinger to the Giants for RHPs Jason Stoffel and Henry Sosa. Jose Altuve's contract has been purchased, and he is on his way to Houston, where Mills promises:
I can tell you he's playing second base tomorrow. He's my second baseman. We didn't bring him here to sit him."
Let's come back to that, because I want to end this on a high note.
The two pitchers the Astros got in return for Keppinger are Jason Stoffel and Henry Sosa.
About Jason Stoffel. He'll be 23 in September, a 6'2" 225lb RHP drafted by the Giants in the 4th Round of the 2009 draft. He's a reliever - in 32 games for Double-A Richmond, Stoffel has thrown 31.2IP, 34H/14ER, 31K:16BB for a 3.98 ERA/1.58 WHIP. FanGraphs lists his FIP at a more friendly 3.36, and is also suffering from a .347 BABIP.
Not eight hours ago Stoffel was profiled by MiLB, where we find he was a history major at Arizona, and enjoys military history.
Richmond pitching coach Ross Grimsley on Stoffel:
"He has an overpowering fastball at times. Sometimes he can be erratic. He will fall behind and throw a fastball down the middle, but everyone does that at times. He gets too quick in his delivery at times."
Henry Sosa is a 6'1" 205lb 25-year old RHP from the Dominican Republic. He's been in the Giants system since 2006, and spent his time in Triple-A Fresno, also as a reliever, but has been in Double-A Richmond as a starter for the last six games.
As a starter for Richmond, Sosa has thrown 34.2IP, allowing 38H/12ER, 29K:8BB for a 3.12 ERA/1.33 WHIP. His FIP for Richmond is 2.33 (for those of you concerned about that 10.41 ERA for Triple-A Fresno, his FIP is "just" 5.90). Opponents are hitting .258 off of Sosa at Richmond, and that's with a .328 BABIP.
Sosa had been DFA'd back on May 26. And no one claimed him off of waivers. For what it's worth.
A couple of things about this trade:
1. We can be happiest for Jose Altuve.
One year ago, Altuve was in Lexington. He was coming off a 2009 where, between Lexington and Greeneville, he had an .838 OPS. People (you know who they are) had only really heard of him after he hit .408 for Lancaster, and showed that it wasn't exactly a fluke in 35 games at Corpus. If anyone knew of him, it was because he's 5'7" (and by "5'7"" we of course mean, "5'5""). And then he got to the Futures Game, and The Baseball Conglomerate acted like Pavement fans who say, "Oh yeah, I saw them play Neumo's. Whatever."
By all accounts, Altuve is a great person, and a great ball player. And at least he made it before Jean Segura.
Now we know the Astros are willing to promote from Double-A. I've seen your tweets. You're upset that J.D. Martinez is still in Corpus. But if you call him up, where are you going to put him? On the bench? I'd rather he play every day in Corpus than get Bogusevic'ed in Houston. But, if the Astros deal Bourn or Pence (or both), there is now the precedent that a J.D. Martinez sighting could come to pass now that the Astros pulled the first block out of the Jenga cube.
2. We can also be happy for Jeff Keppinger.
Keppinger said he wanted to stay in Houston, but come on. What else is he going to say? So feel free to just ignore that. But Keppinger didn't publicly complain when Ed Wade romanced the pooch and signed Bill Hall. Despite having a career year in 2010, Wade apparently never felt comfortable with Keppinger in the lineup. So good for him for upgrading his station (although Anywhere would be an upgrade over the Astros).
3. We can be disappointed with Ed Wade.
Seriously, with the relievers? (I know, Sosa is back to being a starter). The Tigers and Indians were thought to be interested in Keppinger, and possibly the Brewers, as well. This was the best deal available? It's the type of deal where we won't know the outcome for a few years, but neither Sosa nor Stoffel were in Sickels' Top 20, Baseball America's Top 10, Baseball Prospectus' Top 20, or FanGraphs' Top 10 prospects list.
To be fair, when Wade traded Pedro Feliz for David Carpenter, we thought, "Okay, whatever." And that has turned out pretty well.
4. This was not a salary dump.
But to call this deal a "salary dump" is ridiculous. The Astros are saving about $900,000 and an arbitration year. Or what Carlos Lee makes in about nine games. The real salary savings are going to come with Lee (don't hold your breath), Myers, Wandy, Bourn, or Pence. Keppinger's trade is hopefully the first of many.
But let's watch the little guy do his thing.
I can tell you he's playing second base tomorrow. He's my second baseman. We didn't bring him here to sit him."
Let's come back to that, because I want to end this on a high note.
The two pitchers the Astros got in return for Keppinger are Jason Stoffel and Henry Sosa.
About Jason Stoffel. He'll be 23 in September, a 6'2" 225lb RHP drafted by the Giants in the 4th Round of the 2009 draft. He's a reliever - in 32 games for Double-A Richmond, Stoffel has thrown 31.2IP, 34H/14ER, 31K:16BB for a 3.98 ERA/1.58 WHIP. FanGraphs lists his FIP at a more friendly 3.36, and is also suffering from a .347 BABIP.
Not eight hours ago Stoffel was profiled by MiLB, where we find he was a history major at Arizona, and enjoys military history.
Richmond pitching coach Ross Grimsley on Stoffel:
"He has an overpowering fastball at times. Sometimes he can be erratic. He will fall behind and throw a fastball down the middle, but everyone does that at times. He gets too quick in his delivery at times."
Henry Sosa is a 6'1" 205lb 25-year old RHP from the Dominican Republic. He's been in the Giants system since 2006, and spent his time in Triple-A Fresno, also as a reliever, but has been in Double-A Richmond as a starter for the last six games.
As a starter for Richmond, Sosa has thrown 34.2IP, allowing 38H/12ER, 29K:8BB for a 3.12 ERA/1.33 WHIP. His FIP for Richmond is 2.33 (for those of you concerned about that 10.41 ERA for Triple-A Fresno, his FIP is "just" 5.90). Opponents are hitting .258 off of Sosa at Richmond, and that's with a .328 BABIP.
Sosa had been DFA'd back on May 26. And no one claimed him off of waivers. For what it's worth.
A couple of things about this trade:
1. We can be happiest for Jose Altuve.
One year ago, Altuve was in Lexington. He was coming off a 2009 where, between Lexington and Greeneville, he had an .838 OPS. People (you know who they are) had only really heard of him after he hit .408 for Lancaster, and showed that it wasn't exactly a fluke in 35 games at Corpus. If anyone knew of him, it was because he's 5'7" (and by "5'7"" we of course mean, "5'5""). And then he got to the Futures Game, and The Baseball Conglomerate acted like Pavement fans who say, "Oh yeah, I saw them play Neumo's. Whatever."
By all accounts, Altuve is a great person, and a great ball player. And at least he made it before Jean Segura.
Now we know the Astros are willing to promote from Double-A. I've seen your tweets. You're upset that J.D. Martinez is still in Corpus. But if you call him up, where are you going to put him? On the bench? I'd rather he play every day in Corpus than get Bogusevic'ed in Houston. But, if the Astros deal Bourn or Pence (or both), there is now the precedent that a J.D. Martinez sighting could come to pass now that the Astros pulled the first block out of the Jenga cube.
2. We can also be happy for Jeff Keppinger.
Keppinger said he wanted to stay in Houston, but come on. What else is he going to say? So feel free to just ignore that. But Keppinger didn't publicly complain when Ed Wade romanced the pooch and signed Bill Hall. Despite having a career year in 2010, Wade apparently never felt comfortable with Keppinger in the lineup. So good for him for upgrading his station (although Anywhere would be an upgrade over the Astros).
3. We can be disappointed with Ed Wade.
Seriously, with the relievers? (I know, Sosa is back to being a starter). The Tigers and Indians were thought to be interested in Keppinger, and possibly the Brewers, as well. This was the best deal available? It's the type of deal where we won't know the outcome for a few years, but neither Sosa nor Stoffel were in Sickels' Top 20, Baseball America's Top 10, Baseball Prospectus' Top 20, or FanGraphs' Top 10 prospects list.
To be fair, when Wade traded Pedro Feliz for David Carpenter, we thought, "Okay, whatever." And that has turned out pretty well.
4. This was not a salary dump.
But to call this deal a "salary dump" is ridiculous. The Astros are saving about $900,000 and an arbitration year. Or what Carlos Lee makes in about nine games. The real salary savings are going to come with Lee (don't hold your breath), Myers, Wandy, Bourn, or Pence. Keppinger's trade is hopefully the first of many.
But let's watch the little guy do his thing.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Giants sign Max Ramirez
Just a quick note that the Giants signed former OKC catcher (for however briefly) Max Ramirez to a minor-league deal.
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