*The Astros got Good Charlie Morton (or at least Bad Phillies) and a couple of key hits in the 6th inning and rode it out for a 5-0 win over Philadelphia. The Astros are 67-33, 37-12 on the road, 9-0 against the National League. Since the Mariners defeated the Red Sox again, the Astros' lead is still 17 games. Their lead on the team with the second-best record in the AL is 13 games. There are 62 games left.
*Astros record at 100 games, previous seasons:
2017: 67-33
2016: 54-46
2015: 55-45
2014: 42-58
2013: 34-66
2012: 34-66
2011: 33-67
Just to make sure you saw it, the Astros have won 67 games in their first 100 games in 2017. The 2011-2012 Astros won 67 games in their first 200 games of those respective seasons.
*The Astros and Dodgers both won 67 of their first 100 games - the first time two teams have done that in the same season since 1954 (Yankees & Indians).
*Hinch, on Morton (7IP, 4H/0ER, 9K:1BB:
I thought he cleaned up his delivery and his aggressiveness inside the strike zone. This team, they come out swinging, and it can make you shy away from the strike zone a little bit early.
Morton got 21 outs in a game for the first time since August 2015.
*It was the Astros' first shutout since May 26, a 2-0 win over Baltimore.
*Jose Altuve was a weak-ass 1x4, extending his hitting streak to 17 games.
*Alex Bregman was removed from the game after scoring on a sac fly following his triple, thanks to hamstring tightness, and is the proverbial day-to-day. Hinch:
He got back to the dugout and complained a little bit of some tightness, and nowadays [that means] and immediate removal with the way the situation is and our depth. So he's day to day.
In what could be a preview of tonight's lineup Yuli Gurriel moved from 1B to 3B and Tyler White replaced Bregman's lineup spot by going to 1B.
So, just to recap the last week or so: Correa's out for 6-8 weeks, Moran is out for about that long, Springer leaves Monday's game with quad tightness, and now Bregman leaves early with hamstring tightness. All just as the pitching staff is about to get right. Baseball is a fickle whore, an unyielding Jezebel.
*With Thursday being an off-day and Fisher on the roster, the Astros could let Springer just sit until Friday and get three full days of rest.
*Pennsylvania native Derek Fisher was last at Citizens Bank Park during Roy Halladay's playoff no-hitter against the Reds. Last night he hit a two-run single there. Fisher:
It was fun. There were a lot of people here. High school coaches and teammates and guys I went to school with. It was a lot of fun, just to show to them that it's possible.
*A.J. Hinch joined 790 to talk Springer and the trade deadline.
*The Astros were among a handful of teams with scouts at last night's Rays/Orioles game.
*Ken Rosenthal reports that the Astros are "less inclined" to trade Frankie Tuesday due to his recent emergence in the bullpen.
*Buster Olney: Yankees should go get Sonny Gray, Dodgers should go get Yu Darvish, Cubs should go get Verlander. Astros...?
*Rangers players don't want the front office to trade anybody.
*Jon Heyman has a source that says a Gray-to-New York deal could be finalized by Friday.
*The Giants are reportedly interested in talking about dealing Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija.
*The Astros outrighted Ashur Tolliver off the 40-man roster to clear room.
*FanGraphs posted their KATOH Midseason 2017 Top 100 prospects (FanGraphs' minor-league projection system for their first six years in the Majors). For Astros purposes:
Kyle Tucker: #5
Derek Fisher: #29
Forrest Whitley: #32
Garrett Stubbs: #69
Francis Martes: #72
Jake Rogers: #85
Teoscar Hernandez: #93
*Fresno scored seven runs in the bottom of the 8th to beat New Orleans 10-3. J.D Davis hit two home runs, including a grand slam, while Jack Mayfield added a two-run home run.
*Kyle Tucker returned from the DL last night, and went 1x4 with a 2-run 9th inning home run that brought the game to 6-5 San Antonio...Corpus lost. Brock Dykxhoorn threw the final 5IP, allowing 0H/0ER, 3K:1BB.
*Cool story about Astros' PA announcer Bob Ford.
*If you want to sit front-row at an Astros game next season, those prices could jump 80%, though most of those seats aren't available for single-game purchase.
*Philly people are not happy with Odubel Herrera.
*Two Russians took Rick Perry on a 22-minute prank call.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
