*The Astros beat the Rays 6-2 last night, with Alex Bregman overcoming two early errors with a 2-run homer in the 3rd and a single in the 4th.
*Keuchel threw a strong quality start (7IP, 2ER), and is feeling as good as he has all season long:
I really feel like I've turned a corner and my body's caught up, so I've got it to where I want to be an the offseason workouts were predicated on getting my body ready for August and early September.
*Carlos Correa: RBI machine.
*Hinch, on Carlos Correa:
He doesn't act like a 21-year old really ever, unless he's messing around with Altuve or Marisnick...He's been raised to thrive in these environments...He's been the most famous guy on his team since he was 12.
*The Rangers won, because of course they did. The White Sox beat the Mariners, The Yankees beat the Orioles, Red Sox beat the Royals, the Blue Jays beat the Twins.
*The Astros have pulled even with Seattle, 7.5 GB of Arlington. Houston is 4.0 GB of Boston for WC1 and now just 2.0 GB of Baltimore for WC2. Two games separate the Tigers, Astros, Mariners, Yankees, and Royals.
*FanGraphs gives the Astros a 22.3% chance of making the post-season.
*Gurriel, on recovering from the hamstring issue:
I've done a ton of work with the training staff here in the last couple of days to get my body to where it needs to be. I didn't think I'd be feeling this good by now.
*Lance McCullers is feeling good after throwing for the first time since going on the DL but is still "a ways away" from throwing in a game situation.
*The Astros are just kind of waiting around on Luke Gregerson and his ankle. Gregerson wasn't available to talk to reporters, which is sort of weird.
*Evan Grills threw 6.2 scoreless innings for Fresno in his second Triple-A start.
*Francis Martes is growing as a pitcher.
*New Ranger/criminal Jeremy Jeffress had his reinstatement following a DUI arrest late Friday night/early Saturday morning blocked by MLB, with concerns that drugs were involved. And he peed on himself.
*Great read in the Boston Globe on the cost of the minor leagues.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
