Thursday Morning Hot Links

*"In a season so far full of frustrating losses, this might have been the worst yet." Read Cockroach's recap of G15.

*The Astros are 3x24 with runners in scoring position in their last two games against the Rangers, and have left 15 men on base. The statistical term for this type of improbability is "jellydick."

*Consider the Astros scoring this season:
-The Astros have scored 5+ runs in seven of their 15 games. In those games the Astros have averaged 5.7 runs per game while allowing 6.0 runs per game.
-In the eight games in which the Astros have scored four or fewer runs, they have scored 2.0 runs per game and allowed on average 3.38 runs per game.

So basically the pattern is this: Pitch well/Don't hit. Hit well/pitch poorly. Eight of the ten losses have been by a margin of 1 or 2 runs. This is a fun formula conducive to significant violence against inanimate objects.

*Hinch:
Two things that have plagued us in the first two weeks [are] walks and homers, and that came back to back for the two-run homer by Odor. Very symbolic for how things have gone the first two weeks.

*More Hinch:
We've lost too many games, but we've lost because of small things, and it's very much something we're going to address. We're going to get better at it. We've got to find a way to conquer the little things that are biting us in the [ass*] every day.

*probably

*Luhnow:
There's not one obvious solution. Our pitching hasn't been as good as we'd hoped. Our timely hitting hasn't been there. There's enough bright spots and good enough players that I'm optimistic we're still going to have a very productive summer.

*While we helplessly watch the same types of pitchers run out the same velocity three straight games, our Dark Knight Lance McCullers will throw another bullpen tomorrow after the last one didn't result in any soreness or rage.

*Derek Holland gave up three straight hard-hit doubles to the Astros in this series opener, and rather than just accept that perhaps he's not Jim Palmer, he aired some suspicion about the Astros stealing signs. A.J. Hinch nipped that in the bud. Holland:
He told me they're not that type of team. I believe him. I thought they were doing something, but I was wrong.

*Seems as though the Astros offered the Yankees a similar package for (maybe) Andrew Miller as they offered the Phillies for Ken Giles. New York wanted McCullers, Phillies were cool with Velasquez.

*Tyler White's wet hot American Spring Training prevented us from seeing Valbuena at 1B and Colin Moran at 3B.

*Why projection systems can't figure out the Royals.

*Here is the shortest of statements regarding the firing of an ESPN employee ever.

*From J.H. Moore at Hardball Times: Dexter Fowler, Casey Close, Collusion and the Value of Information.

*Everything (or nothing) is different about J.D. Martinez.