*Not Hank Aaron writes that what has happened to this point in the season was not inevitable. And the Masked Marvel has the recap of the Astros' most glorious win last night.
*Hinch:
We never feel out of games, and we never play like we're out of games, which is good and bad. In some ways we know we have a quick-strike offense. It hasn't struck as often as it's going to, but we know we're a walk and a double and a homer away from a big number.
*Glory Glory Jason Castro! Jason Castro hit his first home run since August 23, 2015 - a span of 57 games and 126 PAs.
*Carlos Gomez was 2x3 with two smoked doubles and a run scored. He has raised his average 30 points in the last eight games, going 9x30. Hinch:
He's going to hate that I called it a controlled pace, but the swings were fluid. They were well connected with his timing. Whatever percentage he swung at today produced two balls off the wall, and that's something we see when he's good, and tonight he was a nice spark.
*McCullers may actually join the rotation at Fenway next week, after his rehab start for Fresno this weekend. Hinch:
McCullers was really excited about how he felt today. All signs continue to be one step closer to getting him back into real competition in the sense of a rehab assignment, but I was encouraged with the exchange today when he said, 'All systems go, feeling really good.'"
*Jerome Solomon says the Astros are not going to panic like the Rockets did (i.e., fire Hinch). Jim Crane:
We might have some problems here, but everyone knows they can come up here, shut the door and say, 'OK, here is what my problem is,' and we need to work it out and figure out what the solution is, or say, 'This is the way we're gonna go,' and everybody stay mad until they get glad. But we gotta stay on the same page."
*The Astros have been impressed with Ken Giles' and Michael Feliz's aggressiveness in their last couple of outings.
*Here's video from an E:60 special on Carlos Correa's path to stardom.
*Correa and Twins rookie pitcher Jose Berrios have now started a friendly little rivalry.
*ESPN's Mark Simon writes about what's wrong with Dallas Keuchel.
*And SI details Carlos Correa's lack of power in 2016.
*Couple of quick notes: Max Stassi has joined the Fresno Grizzlies for a rehab assignment.
Also, the Astros will be one of at least 20 teams watching Tim Lincecum's showcase on Friday.
*Two non-Astros reads by Vice: Life After Death in Juarez, and Leicester's odds to win the Premier League were far worse than 5000:1.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
