Well. The Astros were held to a five-hit shutout as Seattle's Bullpen Day made Houston taste their Elimination Pain. Houston is 95-57. Oakland beat the piss out of the Angels much like Seattle beat the piss out of Houston, so it's a four-game lead with ten to play. Today is the last off-day of the regular season.
*The Astros end the season series with Seattle with a 9-10 record, outscoring them 80-74 even with last night's shellacking. Houston went 2-7 at Minute Maid Park against the Mariners. Houston did not win a home series against the Mariners in 2018.
Houston vs the AL West, 2017-18:
Arlington: 24-14
Oakland: 24-14
Seattle: 23-15
Anaheim: 22-13
It's the first time the Mariners have won a season series against Houston since 2014.
*The Astros were shutout for the 9th time this season, and the 9-run margin ties the July 22 14-5 loss to Anaheim and the July 27 11-2 loss to Arlington for the worst of the season. Chris Devenski pitched in both of those games. Eight of the nine shutouts have been at home.
*It's just the 3rd shutout of the Astros since the All-Star Break.
*Houston has been held to five or fewer hits 37 times this season.
*1-2-3 in the lineup (Springer-Altuve-Bregman) were each lifted early but combined for 1x7, 0K:2BB.
*Alex Bregman is going through a 1x17 stretch over his past six games, with 2K:6BB.
*Evan Gattis is 1x20, 8K:1BB in September.
*Houston had more GIDPs (two) than extra-base hits (0) or runs (also, 0).
*Dallas Keuchel had a rough one: 5IP, 6H/5ER, 3K:2BB, throwing 52 of his 81 pitches for strikes. It's the 7th time this season Keuchel has allowed 5ER, including two of his past three starts.
By the time Keuchel threw his 19th pitch of the night, Seattle had a 3-0 lead. Hinch:
They came out and ambushed Dallas. Within the first five pitches (Single, Double, Single), we were in a mess and never really recovered from it. They continued to tack on, and we didn't have an answer...You just have to chalk it up to a bad night.
Keuchel, Innings 1-7, 2018:
1st Inning: 32IP, 45H/26ER, 22K:14BB, 7.31 ERA / 1.84 WHIP
2nd Inning: 32IP, 28H/11ER, 28K:7BB, 3.90 ERA / 1.09 WHIP
3rd Inning: 32IP, 27H/8ER, 23K:4BB, 2.25 ERA / 0.97 WHIP
4th Inning: 32IP, 21H/5ER, 20K:11BB, 1.41 ERA / 1.00 WHIP
5th Inning: 30.1IP, 31H/18ER, 24K:7BB, 5.34 ERA / 1.25 WHIP
6th Inning: 24IP, 31H/12ER, 22K:9BB, 4.12 ERA / 1.38 WHIP
7th Inning: 11.2IP, 13H/7ER, 7K:2BB, 5.40 ERA / 1.29 WHIP
Note: Couldn't tell in B-Ref this morning which of these runs were unearned, so there's a strong possibility the ERAs are a little lower than what is listed above.
26 of the 88 runs Keuchel has allowed have come in the 1st Inning (29.5%). Keuchel:
I haven't really had a lot of success against the Mariners this season. It's kind of a coin flip with them right now. I tried to put my best foot forward and still gave up three in the first. I settled down. Just the way it goes.
Keuchel was asked by a reporter if he thought this might be his final start as an Astro at Minute Maid Park (Keuchel's remaining regular season start(s) will be on the road):
Honestly, no. I've had some good runs here. Hopefully, there's a few left for us. That means we're doing well in the playoffs...It's not something I want to think about right now.
*Dean Deetz allowed 3H/2ER in 0.2IP, including a home run to Mitch Haniger.
*Astros pitchers allowed three home runs for the first time since August 19.
*Chris Devenski got his first 1-2-3 inning since July 10.
*A.J. Hinch doesn't want to talk about the playoffs until the Astros clinch. Hinch:
We haven't won anything yet. We haven't advanced to the playoffs yet, so I don't think we can talk or consider any of that. When you start distracting yourself with scenarios...I will think about it, but let's qualify for the playoffs, let's go out and win the division first, then we can talk about it.
*Hinch says Rondon's struggles and his wrist injury are unrelated.
*Jayson Schroeder, Freudis Nova, Jeremy Pena, Seth Beer, and Alex McKenna will participate in the Instructional League starting today.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith