Well the starting pitching did its thing last night, "its thing" being giving up a crooked number in a 9-5 loss to the Cubs on Sunday Night Baseball. Down 9-3, the Astros loaded the bases with one out in the 6th but Evan Gattis and Colby Rasmus popped up to end the threat.
Carlos Correa was pulled in the 4th inning after the Cubs made it 9-0 because Hinch didn't want him to reaggravate his shoulder.
Hinch:
Very proud of our guys for fighting back and making it semi-interesting.
Fiers' final line: 2.1IP, 7H/7ER, 0K:2BB. It was the first start of Fiers' career in which he didn't strike out a single opposing batter, and he leads MLB with 17 wild pitches. Fiers:
I thought we played pretty well. I just didn't hold up my end of the bargain and we ended up losing because of it. Big games like his, I need to lock it in and play a lot better than I did. I put us in a hole pretty quick and it was tough to get out of, especially against a pitcher like Jake.
Well it's about to not matter much as there are only 19 games left in the season. FanGraphs has the Astros at 11.5% to make the playoffs. FiveThirtyEight has it at 14%.
Feliz, Hoyt, Neshek, Rodgers: 5IP, 0H/0ER, 8K:1BB.
*Who Won Yesterday: Red Sox, Orioles, Royals, Mariners
*Who Lost Yesterday: Yankees, Blue Jays, Tigers
*WC1: Toronto/Baltimore
WC2: Detroit/New York -2
Houston/Seattle: -3.5
The Astros are chasing four teams, down 3.5 games, with 19 to go. It's not looking good.
*Astros starters have made it to the 5th inning once in the last ten games. Starters' September ERA: 8.64.
*The Astros are 1x18 w/RISP in their last four games.
*So now the Rangers come to Houston for the final time this season, and we can all give God a round of applause for that.
*Rangers Great Carlos Gomez isn't worried about getting booed:
I got booed when I played there, too. I'm not going to be surprised if I get booed when I'm (with) the opposing team.
Evan Grant, on Gomez's totally predictable resurgence with the Rangers:
The Rangers and Gomez believe they have fixed a flaw in his approach at the plate, by getting him to stay on his back leg longer and create more "separation" in his swing. Gomez says he's experiencing something in his swing that he's never felt before. It looks like his swings are much more under control and his takes are more well-informed.
Because of course. Would have been nice for the Astros to have found - and fixed - a flaw in his swing.
*Rosenthal: Everyone loves Alex Bregman
*Jeff Luhnow discussed the Dexter Fowler/Luis Valbuena trade. The closing quote, though:
They're going to be good for a long time, and so are we.
*McCullers is hopeful he can get on the mound again this season, even if it is in a relief role.
*Brent Strom taught Joe Musgrove a cutter, allowing him to throw inside a little bit more.
*Here's a good read on Rich Hill's scrubbed perfecto bid.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
