Monday Morning Hot Links

*Happy 40th Birthday to Carlos Beltran.

*The Astros won a series in Tampa Bay for the first time since 2008.

*Big Joe, Big Joe Musgrove allowed four 1st inning runs and then retired 14 of the next 15 batters he faced, stopping the bleeding enough to allow the offense to win 6-4 in extra innings at Tampa Bay. Carlos Correa got his first extra-base hit since Opening Day and Brad Peacock threw two more scoreless innings. Opponents are 1x30 against Brad Peacock this season.

*Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash was frustrated.

*Corey Dickerson was actually struck out to open the game, but the ball got by Brian McCann and Dickerson reached on a wild pitch. McCann:
I'm the reason they got those four runs. He should have got out of that pretty quickly and I feel terrible for that. That ball has got to get blocked 100 times out of 100. The first batter of the game sort of set the tone and it was poor, poor execution on my part.

*Jake Marisnick crashed into an unpadded portion of the outfield wall in the 1st inning, stayed in the game for an inning, and then left after experiencing concussion-like symptoms.

*George Springer may be back for tomorrow evening's series opener against Cleveland.

*John Wilson, the Chronicle's first Astros beat writer, passed away at 92.

*Hardball Times took a close look at the April 15, 1968 game between the Mets and Astros.

*The Mariners DFA'd Leonys Martin.

PreStros Report: Games of April 23

Fresno (9-9) scored three runs in the bottom of the 6th in a 5-2 win over Salt Lake. David Martinez limited damage, allowing just two runs on 10 hits in 5.1IP. Colin Moran was 2x3 with a three-run home run and a walk. Tyler White was 0x2 with 2BB. Derek Fisher provided the other RBI.

Frisco held Corpus (10-6) to two hits but the Hooks managed to make it interesting, scoring three in the 8th, but still fell 5-3. Trent Thornton allowed 6H/5R (4ER), 4K:0BB in 4.1IP; Michael Freeman threw 1.2 perfect innings and Andrew Thome threw two scoreless innings in relief. Drew Ferguson provided two RBI.

Buies Creek (12-6) took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the 6th where it unravelled in a 6-1 loss to Carolina. Elieser Hernandez struck out nine in 5IP. Ryan Deemes and Carlos Sierra each allowed two earned runs in relief. 1-6 in the lineup went 1x21 with 8K:3BB. The lone hit in the top of the lineup was from Kyle Tucker. Anibal Sierra was 1x2 with a triple and a walk.

Quad Cities (9-8) had a 4-2 lead going into the top of the 8th but Clinton scored once and then twice in the 9th to take the 5-4 win. Jorge Alcala threw 6IP, 5H/2ER, 8K:1BB. Ronnie Dawson was 3x3 with a solo homer, a walk, and a stolen base. Daz Cameron was 0x5 to drop his batting average to .179.