*North Cedar Hill: -
*Houston: -3.5
*Seattle: -6.5
*Anaheim: -11.5
*Oakland: -12.5
*For the first time since April 30, FanGraphs gives the Astros a better chance at winning the division (46.3%) than the Rangers (44.4%). FanGraphs also gives the Astros a 16.2% chance of winning a Wild Card spot (those spots are favored towards the other two AL East teams.)
*BP isn't buying it. They have the Astros at 28.4% to win the division and 49.8% to make the playoffs.
*Neither is FiveThirtyEight, who gives the Astros a 32% chance of winning the division and a 51% chance of making the postseason.
*Carlos Correa has a league-leading 29 RBI since June 20.
*Evan Gattis was hit on the back of the hand yesterday, but X-rays showed no fracture.
*The County Mountie wrote up potential Astros trade targets.
*Doug Fister's hometown paper wrote up how he's been a steal for the Astros. Foster:
I want my team to know it can go out and lean on me every fifth day. My consistency is my biggest goal throughout the year, and I feel like I've done a pretty good job with that so far.
*Alex Bregman made his first start in LF for Fresno last night...and went 3x5 - his 9th multi-hit game in his last 16. Teoscar Hernandez has hits in 14 of his 17 Triple-A games.
*Jake Kaplan said Bregman could get called up tomorrow. The Grizzlies wrap up a series in Round Rock (I didn't get to attend any of those games) and the Astros are off today before starting a series at home tomorrow night against Anaheim.
*Nolan Ryan was in Round Rock last night, so maybe there's something to it.
*Peter Gammons outchea blowing minds:
@pgammo "baseball players are players. In the green home sits Alex Bregman— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) July 21, 2016
*ESPN: The Rangers are hurting in a few different ways. Prince Fielder's season could be over, and Shin-Soo Choo is back on the DL.
*The Indians are interested (as are a bunch of teams, likely) in Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy.
*South Korea is reeling from a game-fixing scandal.
*The Hardball Times: The Big Red Machine turns 40
*Also from THT: The physics of catchers' knees.
*The Texas connection to the failed coup in Turkey.
