The Astros came back from a 4-0 deficit to win their 8th straight game against the Rangers, in extra innings. It's their 24th comeback win of the season. Houston is 57-31.
*The Astros improved to 7-18 when trailing to start the 3rd inning. They're now 3-4 in extra-inning games and 11-16 in one-run games. Houston is 12-4 against West Tyler. Hinch:
Our bullpen did exactly what we needed. Getting down by four, we didn't have much margin for error. The bullpen holds it while we can come back and have a big win. It will be nice to get home.
Since the Harvey series in Tampa, Houston is 15-4 against the Ramgers, outscoring them 114-54.
*Gerrit Cole threw 5IP, 8H/4ER, 7K:2BB. It's the 3rd time in his last five starts that he's allowed 4ER but the 16th time in 18 starts that Cole has recorded at least one strikeout per inning pitched. Houston is 15-3 in games Gerrit Cole starts. Cole:
This was a fun game. Throwing the [pitching] line aside, nobody cares about that. It's about getting the W, it's about guys contributing from all ends - defensively, offensively. McHugh had a hell of a game, Giles looked as good as he can look to lock the ballgame down. Just a complete team effort.
*Collin McHugh threw 3IP, 1H/0ER, 1K:0BB. His season ERA is 0.90. Since allowing his last earned run on May 30, McHugh has thrown 14.1IP, 3H/0ER, 16K:2BB.
*Ken Giles threw a perfect 10th inning, striking out two batters in the process. KENNETH BACK, BABY.
*Josh Reddick was 3x4 with a walk, stolen base, and a two-run home run. It's his 3rd 3-hit game of the year. The Astros are 13-3 when Josh Reddick gets 2+ hits in a game, and 6-0 when he hits a home run. It's the 1st time this season Reddick has hit a home run on back-to-back days, and the first time since April 8-9, 2016.
*Evan Gattis hit the go-ahead sac fly in the 10th and went 1x4 with an RBI.
*Yuli Gurriel homered, doubled, and scored twice. It's his 25th multi-hit game of the season - the Astros are 21-4 in such games.
*George Springer was 0x4 with 3Ks. Marwin was 0x4 with two GIDPs.
*Alex Bregman drew his 50th walk of the season last night. Only four Astros drew 50+ walks in 2017, and George Springer led the team with 64. Bregman has a 13.0% BB-rate. Ten Astros have combined for 36 individual seasons with a BB-rate over 13.0%.
Jeff Bagwell (10 times with at least a 13.0% BB-rate), Lance Berkman (9 times), Joe Morgan (6 times), Jimmy Wynn (5 times), Denis Menke, Joe Ferguson, Bill Doran, Craig Biggio, Morgan Ensberg, and Dexter Fowler (1 time each).
Bregman would be the 11th player in franchise history, should this pace hold.
*Houston has now hit a home run in 27 consecutive road games, three shy of Oakland's MLB record.
*Carlos Correa - eligible to come off the DL tomorrow - still has not been cleared for baseball activities.
*Despite McCann's surgery and Stassi's hand - which is feeling "better than expected" - Evan Gattis will remain the primary DH. Hinch:
Obviously, I like what he's doing as the DH and I want him to do that. Stassi and (Federowicz) will get the innings behind the plate....Gattis is going to catch a bullpen today and is still doing minimum things to keep himself viable in case something happens, but not as a primary catcher.
*Jake Kaplan has a cool article in The Athletic on Justin Verlander's immaculate preparation for a start.
*MLB.com's Mark Feinsand has five relievers the Astros could target this month. A Feinsand source:
It's going to be really hard for them to upgrade given that adding someone means pushing a capable - even good - reliever like Sipp, Harris, or McHugh off the playoff roster. There's pressure to do something, but it doesn't really make sense.
The five possible relievers include Zach Britton, Miami's Adam Conley, San Diego's Brad Hand, Cincinnati's Raisel Iglesias, and Oakland's Blake Treinen.
*Here's a cool story from the Chronicle's A&M beat writer Brent Zwerneman, on his Uncle Jimmy.
*The Astros have a season-long 11-game homestand starting tonight against the White Sox, whom the Astros swept and outscored 27-2 from April 20-22.
*The strange brain of the world's greatest solo climber.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
