The Astros and Angels won yesterday while the Mariners lost and the A's and Rangers were off. So the Astros' lead stands at 4.0 games, with FanGraphs giving the Astros a 37.5% chance of winning the division, with a 61.6% chance of making the postseason. CoolStandings is showing that the Angels are due for a big-time surge, while the Astros are still projected to play a touch under .500 the rest of the way out.
*The Astros have had nine runners thrown out at home, including one last night where Marwin was halfway between third and home before the ball reached the catcher's glove. A.J. Hinch talked about The Aggressiveness.
*Jason Castro was hit in the knee by a Ubaldo Jimenez fastball, stayed in the game, and then left when it started to stiffen up.
*Here's Owen Watson on whether or not the Astros' bullpen is for real.
*Here's ESPN's David Schoenfield on the importance of bullpens (including a quick note on the Astros)
*Carlos Correa isn't in Houston, Take 14: He sat last night because of a sore right heel.
*"Last year pretty much sucked," Jacob Nix told USA Today, "I was literally in the wrong place and the wrong time." (Note: This is an excellent read)
*Yesterday was the 10-year anniversary of the Tombstone edition by the Chronicle, and Ortiz wrote about the reaction to the graphic.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
