Tuesday Morning Hot Links

Quick Update For Which No One Asked: I ran a half-marathon on Sunday. 13.1 miles in two hours and 16 minutes. I pulled my right groin muscle at about Mile 6. There was a 20mph north wind that made the temperature feel like it was 30 degrees. I wanted to finish between 2:10 and 2:30, so I'm really happy with the results. Couple days after and my quads are sore, as are my left ankle, right groin, under both kneecaps. My left quad has a bruise from where I forgot to take my keys out of my pocket before the start and ran for six miles with them banging against a very specific spot, because I am a Noted Idiot. I would highly recommend training for one of these. Just leave your keys at home.

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Here begins the battle for America's most coveted trophy: The Silver Boot. @Rangers have won it 9 of last 12 seasons with a 109-77 edge over @Astros all-time. How bitter is this rivalry? One year when the Rangers won the Astros broke the boot before shipping it to Arlington.

— Richard Justice (@richardjustice) April 1, 2019

*The Astros beat the Ramgers 2-1 last night. They are 17-3 in Arlington since the beginning of the 2017 season.

*Houston has scored 11 runs through their first five games. I thought that would be the lowest in quite some time, but the 2015 Astros scored ten runs in their first five games, and scored 13 runs in their first five games in 2017. 

*The 2019 Astros now have 11 runs on 35 hits. That's the 4th-highest hit total in the AL to go with the 3rd-lowest run total.

*George Springer hit his 25th leadoff home run. Just 28 more to go to catch Craig Biggio.

*Robinson Chirinos had the game-winning RBI double, and threw out Rougned Odor trying to steal second. How did Chirinos do such a thing? Chirinos:

I knew (Odor) was going to go because he told me before the game. He told me, 'Get ready. I'm stealing two bases tonight.' I said, 'All right. Go ahead.'

Maybe being able to get back to his morning routine helped out. Chirinos also said that Rangers GM Jon Daniels told him twice last season that they would pick up his option for 2019, then didn't.

It was Chirinos' first CS since July 25, 2018. Opposing baserunners successfully stole 53 bases on 59 attempts against him last year.

*Jose Altuve was 0x4 for a second straight game, and struck out twice. 

*Carlos Correa was 3x4 - his first 3-hit game since August 21, 2018.

Carlos Correa just hit a single 112.1 MPH... He only hit one ball harder all last season. He's only hit 13 balls harder in his @mlb career. Great sign for him

— Daren Willman (@darenw) April 2, 2019

*The Rangers were held to two baserunners, the lowest in a game for them since 2007.

*Brad Peacock dealt: 6.2IP, 2H/1ER, 5K:0BB. Hinch:

He mixed his pitches very well. It's a good test for him because of the left-handedness of the majority of their lineup. That's what's going to happen for him as a starter. He responded with some really good breaking balls.

*The rotation after five games: 30.2IP, 21H/8ER, 37K:2BB. The entire pitching staff, as a whole, has allowed more home runs (4) than walks (3).

*When the Yankees come to town next week, they'll be without Giancarlo Stanton and Miguel Andujar.

*SI asks if the Mariners are for real. Totally here for another round of April AL West Champion Seattle Mariners tweets.

*A lot of y'all tried to get Silly on line and make up a bunch of stories, just because it was April 1. You'll never do it as well as George Plimpton, 34 years ago yesterday.

*How Bill Hicks Alex Jones and InfoWars helped a Florida Man torment Sandy Hook families. Alex Jones and anyone who promotes him and his trash "news" "outlet" deserve to die penniless in oblivion.

*Federal judges continue to side with the State of Texas against Native Americans over gambling on Native American land.

*The Matrix at 20: How the sci-fi gamechanger remains influential.

*A Musical Selection (Trigger Warning: Clowns):