Whatever. Here's some baseball stuff.
Surprisingly, the Astros have won eight of their last ten games, 19 of their last 30. They're three games up on Seattle. Houston's Pythagorean Record is 35-11.
*Charlie Morton: 7IP, 4H/1ER, 8K:1BB. The one run came on an Edwin Encarnacion home run - it was Cleveland's only extra-base hit of the night. Devenski and Giles allowed as many hits in their two combined innings. Morton:
I thought it was OK. I thought I made some really good pitches and I thought I got away with some really bad pitches. I think I'm surprised at how effective my four-seamer is and it's made my job easier. I don't feel like I'm really pitching that well. I'm not really executing a ton of pitches. My stuff is playing in the zone pretty well.
*The Masked Marvel takes a break from binge-watching Royal Wedding stuff to tell you how great the rotation has been.
Opportunities to score:
1st inning: Bases loaded, one out - Gurriel GIDPs.
4th inning: Two on, one out - Fisher and Stassi strike out swinging
5th inning: Two on, nobody out - Bregman GIDPs, reaches first, gets picked off.
8th inning: Two on, nobody out - Marwin flies out, Gattis sac flies, McCann grounds out.
Hinch:
We had a lot of runners on base because we had really good at-bats, especially from the top half of the order and Tony at the back end. I always say if we keep giving ourselves a chance, we'll eventually come up with the big hit, and we did.
*The Astros were 1x10 w/RISP last night. The Astros are hitting .255/.334/.424 with runners in scoring position. With two outs and runners in scoring position, the Astros are hitting .195/.282/.328 with 53 strikeouts in 195 PAs. So, for perspective:
Astros w/RISP: .255/.334/.424
MLB w/RISP: .247/.332/.401
2017 Astros w/RISP: .294/.360/.481
Astros w/RISP, 2 out: .195/.282/.328
MLB w/RISP, 2 out: .227/.331/..382
2017 Astros w/RISP, 2 out: .282/.380/.492.
Yeah, the 2018 Astros OPS w/RISP, 2 outs is 261 points lower than 2017's split.
*Derek Fisher is now 1x20 with 15 strikeouts with runners in scoring position. Tony Kemp is 1x1 with no strikeouts with runners in scoring position.
*George Springer was 2x3 with a home run and 2RBI. Gurriel was 2x3. Tony Kemp was 2x3.
*Indians starter Mike Clevinger, after the game:
There's not much room for error. They are pretty loaded top to bottom. We are right there from top to bottom. We are right there with them. There's not anything they have that we don't have. They aren't that special.
No, see, idiot, this is a family situation: we are allowed bust on the Astros, but you do it and I will absolutely hit you with a pipe.
*We are all this guy's significant other.
welp. Sorry @astros My husband did not see Kemps hit since he was shelling peanuts for our 5 year old daughter at her FIRST ever game. When he looked over the wall it was foul and he wanted to get the ball for his baby. I'm not a jerk wife and he knows baseball.— Valerie Dominy (@AMDEventPlans) May 19, 2018
*See, this cat thinks he cute:
— Karen Warren (@karenwarrenHC) May 19, 2018
*Josh Reddick was a late scratch last night with a "left leg irritation." I doubt he cut himself shaving. If this is Peak Astros, then next Saturday we'll wonder why Reddick hasn't played all week, and then at the All-Star Break they'll announce he had to have it amputated.
*Maybe you noticed (I didn't): Will Harris is back to pitching from the 3B side of the heheh rubber after spending the Spring and early part of the season more towards the middle.
*Jake Kaplan: What Tony Kemp's promotion means for Derek Fisher. Stay for notes on Verlander, McHugh, and Yordan Alvarez.
*A.J. Hinch says he's open to splitting up Verlander and Cole.
*Jayson Stark notes that Justin Verlander's batting average against is 19 points lower than the season-best .167, set by Pedro Martinez in 1999.
*Nick Tanielu (14th Round, 2014) made his Triple-A debut last night and went 2x4 with a double and an RBI
*Here's a great piece from Jayne at WTHB (which, if you don't follow her or read her site on a daily basis then what in the actual hell are you doing with your fandom?) on Buies Creek's Brett Adcock.
