*Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer and Evan Gattis left the yard to power the Astros to a 5-3 win over Anaheim, winning yet another road series. Houston is 10-5 in games decided by 1-2 runs. The Astros are 17-6 against the AL West, and are 4-1 in road series this season so far. Hinch:
When you win a series, there's no complaints. All three games were really good games. Our guys keep competing. We keep a pretty even keel. We have a fun group that knows how to win some close games.
Mike Fiers threw 5IP and allowed 3ER, 1K:4BB and gave up two more home runs (both to Yunel Escobar) for his MLB-leading 14th homer allowed. Fiers:
Seems to be my downside this year is balls leaving the ballpark. If they're solo home runs, I can't really complain too much. If I can keep the ball inside the park, I'll be doing pretty good.
Counterpoint: You can complain. Hinch:
It's not his norm. He's given up home runs in the past, but not at this pace. It's about executing pitching, and he's getting burned in sort of a big fashion, and that's something he'll continue to work on.
On one hand, Fiers has a 98.5% LOB rate. On the other hand there's usually nobody on base because they've already trotted around all of the bases and are back in the dugout. 41.2% of his fly balls allowed are leaving the yard.
*The Astros went 5-2 over the last week. Here are your hitting leaders for the last week:
Marwin: 8x16, .500/.571/1.312
Correa: 10x28, .357/.419/.607
Springer: 8x23, .348/.444/.435
Bregman: 7x21, .333/.440/.381
*Luke Gregerson is working on finding the movement on his sinking pitches, saying he goes through a rough stretch like this around the same time in the season (noting that because of the WBC, maybe this is his late-May/early-June Strugglin' Time).
*Anaheim's massive left field led to Marisnick getting a start there yesterday.
*After allowing 9H/7ER in Colorado Springs, the Astros straight up released Fresno pitcher Edison Frias. Frankie Tuesday had his start pushed up to today.
*FanRag's Kate Morrison: Rotation is one of the Astros' few remaining issues
*Buies Creek's Franklin Perez landed on the MLB Top 100 Prospect list.
*Hardball Times: The Predictable Bias of MLB Network
*Jeez, Mets.
*Pearland has an 18-year old school board member.
PreStros Report: Games of May 7
Fresno (13-18) got popped at Colorado Springs (see above link on Edison Frias) in a 7-3 loss. Frias threw 4IP, 9H/7ER, 3K:3BB, 3HR. Brian Holmes threw 4IP, 1H/0ER, 5K:2BB in relief. Jack Mayfield was 3x4 with two doubles and an RBI. Reid Brignac was 2x4. Preston Tucker hit his 6th homer of the season.
San Antonio scored the last seven runs of the game in a 7-1 win over Corpus (15-15). Josh James took the hard-luck loss, allowing 3H/2R (1ER), 2K:2BB in 4IP. Riley Ferrell allowed 3H/3ER, 1K:2BB; Michael Freeman gave up 3H/2ER in 2.1IP. Jacob Dorris threw 1.2 perfect innings. The Hooks scattered six hits around the lineup, with Jon Singleton's double coming as the only extra-base hit.
Buies Creek tied a minor-league record with seven home runs as BCA (20-11) whooped Myrtle Beach 12-6. Jason Martin hit three homers (5RBI); Kyle Tucker again hit two homers (3RBI, BB) a day after hitting two homers. Pat Porter and Anibal Sierra added the other two. Matt Bower allowed 7H/4ER, 3K:1BB; Ryan Deemes allowed 4H/2ER, 4K:0BB in 2IP. Nick Hernandez threw two hitless/scoreless innings. Dexture McCall was 2x4 with a walk.
Quad Cities (15-13) got five hits in a 3-1 loss to Lake County. Ryan Hartman allowed 5H/3ER, 4K:2BB in 5IP; Lucas Williams allowed 2H/0ER, 4K:2BB in 3IP. Kevin Hill gave up a hit and a walk in the 9th. Stephen Wrenn was 2x3 with a double and a walk. Alex De Goti walked twice.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
