*Mike Fiers was absolutely brilliant yesterday, throwing 7.1IP, 2H/1R (0ER), 8K:2BB. It was his longest outing since August 21, 2015, when he no-hit the Dodgers. In his last three starts (since his rotation resurrection) Fiers has thrown 18.1IP, 14H/4ER, 20K:6BB. For all the crap I gave him to start the season, he has turned it around lately. Astros win 3-1.
Hinch:
This is the best stuff I think he's brought into the game this season and I think it was a combination of everything but everything seemed to be working off his change up. He could throw it any count, he threw some nasty ones that looked like split-fingers.
Fiers:
You guys got some false advertisement early this year. But this is how I pitch and this is the pitcher I am. I'm just going to continue that for the rest of this year.
Sounds good, Mike. Fiers' Game Score of 78 is the highest of the season by any Astros starter, and the 11th 70+ Game Score of the season.
*More Fiers:
I had a really good bullpen before the game and I just knew I was throwing my good stuff. When I feel like that, I feel like I'm one of the best pitchers in the league.
Kole Calhoun, on Devenski, who escaped a jam in the 8th:
He throws hard and has a good changeup. He's got probably a 10-12 miles an hour difference. It's a good pitch, has a good bottom to it. He threw me a couple good ones.
*There are 99 games remaining in the regular season. The Astros are 15-4 since getting swept by Cleveland. They have 12 10+ hit games in that stretch, and four 9-hit games. As a team they have an .813 OPS.
*Yuliesky Gurriel has a 10-game hitting streak, hitting .359/.372/.615 in that span.
*Brian McCann's homer in the 2nd matched the longest streak in franchise history at 18 games.
*Dallas Keuchel is not going to rush to get back on the mound:
I decided to shut it down, and here we are. It's kind of a bad spot to put the bullpen in. I didn't really know how I was going to feel until I started to warm up [on Wednesday]. I wanted to do something now and not revisit it later in the season when we're getting ready for the playoffs and hopefully playing in October.
*Thanks to the Cheatin-Ass Cardinals, the Astros have four picks tomorrow (five of the first 100), the first day of the 2017 MLB Draft. Jake Kaplan has a preview. Assistant GM Mike Elias:
I actually think this is a pretty good class. I'm glad we have the picks. There's a lot of players we like with those picks, and we're going to grab five of them in the first 100.
*Corpus Christi lost last night, sending their record to 30-31, but pitcher Kyle Smith has been on fire. After throwing 6IP, 3H/1R (0ER), 8K:1BB, Smith has allowed 25H/3ER, 38K:7BB in his last eight starts (40IP). The Astros got Smith in a July 2013 trade with the Royals for Justin Maxwell.
*Corpus' Jon Singleton and Akeem Bostick had been suspended for some reason.
*Here's the Korea Times, on foreign-born managers (like former Astros bench coach Trey Hillman) changing the game.
*ESPN: Hidden trends of the MLB draft
*Nick Cafardo says Kansas City's Jason Vargas and Oakland's Sonny Gray are the two most-asked about pitchers in trade talks. Tampa Bay's Alex Cobb and Miami's Edinson Volquez could also be on the move.
*Congratulations to Deer Park (from a Pasadena Boy) on winning the 6A State baseball title.
*There are some factors that work in the USMNT's favor as they play in Estadio Azteca tonight. (My dad will be there.)
*TIL that Adam West was once kicked out of an orgy for insisting on staying in character as Batman.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
