*The Astros lost to the Nationals. Again, this does not matter. Justin Verlander threw 73 pitches in 5IP and gave up three home runs. Once again, this does not matter. On the home runs, Verlander:
[I] threw a couple fastballs to guys I had no idea about.
The Nationals were very proud of their Adult Prospect Carter Kieboom:
This is a video of the No. 25 prospect in @MLB homering off 6-time All-Star Justin Verlander.— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) March 12, 2019
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Carter Kieboom. 🔑💥#SpringTraining // #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/PpicZP6eYS
*Houston reassigned Forrest Whitley, Corbin Martin, J.B. Bukauskas, and Brandon Bielak to minor-league camp. There are 41 guys still in Major-League camp. Martin:
You love to hear good feedback, even bad feedback, telling me stuff I need to work on and what's going to help me and what's not going to help me. I walked out of there very confident with what they had to say.
Whitley:
The guys were a lot nicer than I expected, they were a lot more open to discussion than I would have initially anticipated. I was really happy with the first experience, everyone was really great to me and I'm thankful for that.
*Kyle Tucker was sent to minor-league camp to work on "subtleties."
*But the Big News of the Day was that Francis Martes aka Frankie Tuesday was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for Clomiphene. This drug is used to promote ovulation in women. Why in the Actual Fk would a pitcher rehabbing from Tommy John Surgery (he was missing those first 80 games, anyway) take such a drug to promote ovulation? Because that's what it does for women. For men, Clomiphene is the generic name for Clomid, which is a fertility drug that increases a low sperm count by increasing testosterone in the body. Or you can read this now-ten-year old article in Scientific American about why Manny Ramirez was taking a fertility drug for women.
*Alex Bregman has one of the nine historic feats from 2018 of which MLB.com would like to see an encore.
*From Yahoo Sports: Alex Bregman remembers the ALCS Game 4 ball that didn't drop. Bregman:
My thing is, I've failed in those situations a lot. Succeeded in them, too...But, at the end of the day, it's about...I put a good swing on a good pitch. He made an unbelievable play. You tip your hat. And the next time you try to hit it out of the ballpark.
*From SI's Tom Verducci: How Justin Verlander rediscovered his changeup.
*Former Astros Great Tony Sipp has signed with the Nationals.
*Former Astros Great Charlie F. Morton expects this contract with Tampa to be his last.
*The Haters Guide to the Williams-Sonoma catalog.
*Beloved Leeds United moved to the top of the table with a 3-0 dismantling of Reading.
*Venezuelans are searching sewer drains for drinkable water.
*RIP Hal Blaine.
*A Musical Selection:
