*Verlander: 7IP, 4H/2ER, 10K:1BB. It was Verlander's 4th 10+ K game of the season, and his 7th as an Astro (postseason included).
Verlander's 150 strikeouts this season are his most before the All-Star break in his career.— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) July 6, 2018
*Chris Devenski allowed Leury Garcia's go-ahead home run in the 8th inning. It's the first home run he has allowed since May 29. He has now allowed an earned run in back-to-back appearances for the first time since September 9/14, 2017.
*Joe Smith pitched the 9th, his first appearance since June 6. He retired the side on eight pitches, and got the win.
*George Springer busted his slump (for now) in the 9th with an RBI single to tie the game. How did he do it? By using Altuve's bat:
My bat wasn't seeming to work, so I figured I would try somebody else's bat so I went with the hit king. I went with 27. It's mine now, but it has his name on it.
*Jose Altuve hit his 8th home run of the season. The date of Altuve's 8th home run of the season, career:
2011: N/A
2012: N/A
2013: N/A
2014: N/A
2015: July 12
2016: May 4
2017: June 3
2018: July 5
*Yuli Gurriel was 2x3 with two walks and a stolen base. But the 9th inning single was his first career walk-off hit.
*The Astros were 3x11 w/RISP. Hinch:
I felt like we had first and second virtually every inning. A couple double plays, that continues to be an Achilles' heel for us. I don't know if we're leading the world in them, but it feels like it.
GLAD YOU ASKED. The two GIDPs last night (Gattis, Marisnick) bring the Astros total GIDPs to 87. The Royals ranked 29th in MLB with 80. The Cubs and Indians are tied for the fewest in MLB with 48.
*5-9 in the lineup hit a combined 3x16 but! with 3K:4BB, including Kemp's pinch-hit walk in the 9th.
*A disappointed Justin Verlander understands why he won't be pitching in the All-Star Game. Verlander:
Your nerves are up, and everything is heightened...I think it's the right move for the team and for myself personally and physically.
*Carlos Correa is unlikely to return before Monday, so the Astros have to take on the vaunted White Sox without him.
*Forrest Whitley left last night's Corpus start, a few hours after being selected to play in the 2018 MLB Futures Game, with what was described as "left oblique discomfort."
*Patrick Sandoval (5th Round - 2016) made his High-A debut for Buies Creek last night and it, uh, well it went okay: 5IP, 1H/0ER, 9K:0BB in a 6-1 win. Abraham Toro hit his 14th home run of the season, got a double, 2RBI, and a walk. Outfielder Corey Julks (8th Round - 2017) was 1x4 with a stolen base and is hitting .382/.452/.600 in 15 games for Buies Creek.