*The Astros played a dumb game last night in which they lost to the Tigers 3-2 after going up 2-1 in the top of the 9th. The Rangers won on a walkoff homer. The Mariners beat the Cubs. The Indians beat the A's. The Angels beat the Red Sox.
*So the division looks like this:
East Weatherford: -
Houston: -5
Seattle: -7.5
Anaheim: -13.5
Oakland: -13.5
*WC1: -3
WC2: -1.5
*The last two games (both Rangers wins and Astros losses) have put the Astros at 31.4% to win the division (Ramgers at 60.6%) and 52.1% to make it to the playoffs.
*Part of the problem with the 9th was Will Harris' decision not to hurry up and cover the bag to, you know, end the game. Harris:
I should have found the bag and then caught the ball, but I tried to catch the ball and then find the bag. It's just a bonehead play by me. There's no other way to put it.
*A look at relievers since June 1:
Harris: 19IP, 23H/8ER, 19K:3BB, 3.79 ERA/1.37 WHIP
Giles: 20.1IP, 15H/3ER, 32K:4BB, 1.33 ERA/0.93 WHIP
Gregerson: 19IP, 8H/6ER, 26K:6BB, 2.84 ERA/0.74 WHIP
*Defense let the Astros down last night.
*Yulieski Gurriel went 0x3 with 2K in his debut for the GCL Astros yesterday. Luhnow says to expect him in Houston "no earlier" than mid-August.
*Fresno scored eight runs in the 9th to beat Reno 10-4.
*Here's a good profile in the Corpus paper about 2014 18th Round pick Antonio Nunez's ascension through the system.
Rumors and Deals
*Scroll down a ways as it's a running post, but Jayson Stark says to keep an eye on the possibility of the Astros trading for Kansas City pitcher Edinson Volquez.
*Buster Olney says the Astros have need - and the assets - in Yankees' reliever Andrew Miller, but the asking price is high.
*Luhnow puts the odds of making some kind of deal at 50/50. Luhnow:
...It's a thin free agent market for pitching (this winter) and there are some pitchers available that have some control left. So really you're doing a little bit of your offseason shopping now potentially and prices are high. It's why deals are happening but they're happening slowly because the commitments being asked for are pretty sizable in return.
*Everyone's waiting to see the first move the Rays make.
*When Joe Musgrove was scratched from his start for Fresno last night, I panicked and went on #HugWatch. It could still happen, I suppose, but Doug Fister's wife still hasn't had their baby (as of right this instant, anyway) so Musgrove looks like he could be an option to start Monday night against Toronto.
*Jonathan Lucroy is headed to Cleveland, if he'll waive his no-trade clause.
Other Reads
*Newly-acquired Marlins pitcher Colin Rea left last night's start with elbow soreness.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
