As the Masked Marvel wrote up in his Game Recap, the 12-7 Astros have secured a winning month, assured of at least a 12-10 record to start the season.
*Hoes up, Woj down. L.J. Hoes has been called up from Fresno while the struggling Asher Wojciechowski was sent down to get his stuff right. With the three-game set in San Diego, the Astros brought up Hoes to provide an extra pinch-hit bat, if necessary. Not that Hoes didn't earn the call-up, he's hitting .418 with a .458 OBP in 2015, but - I think we fans should get used to this - the Astros didn't call up Preston Tucker, who is killing the ball right now and is also not striking out all that often (13K in 79PA). It'll likely be the same thing if we find out that Jed Lowrie will be out an extended period of time - count on Villar, not Correa, making his way to Houston. Being an Astros fan is all about delayed gratification.
*Also within that link, we find that the Astros will now need a starting pitcher for Friday against the Mariners, and could turn to Sam Deduno. Deduno has made five appearances - all in relief - but he recoreded 7+ outs in two of those relief spots. Drellich says Handsome Dan Straily or Jake Buchanan are options to start, but Deduno is already on the team and could make a couple of starts until Brett Oberholtzer is able to overcome that blister.
*George Springer is working to cut down the extra effort on his swing.
*Jonathan Villar wasn't happy about being optioned to Fresno in favor of Josh Fields. But then he remembered that he'd at least get to play regularly, and he cheered up:
It doesn't matter, I just want to play. I don't want to be sitting in the dugout. They didn't push me down because I wasn't hitting or doing my work. The coaches told me about the situation, how they needed a pitcher, and I understood that.
*Here's an interesting story on minor-leaguer Brock Dykxhoorn, who was cut from his club hockey team in high school, turned to baseball, and ended up as the Astros' 6th-Round pick in the 2014 draft despite not being a full-time pitcher until his senior year in high school.
*Unrelated to the Astros, but here's an example of how not to act as a blog. Or a human. (Don't read it).
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
