*The Astros have matched their April win total with 17. There are five games remaining in May.
Most wins, calendar month:
22: May 2017, July 2005, August 1998
21: September 2018, August 2008, August 2001
20: September 2017, September 2004, June 1979, July 1976, May 1969,
*Houston has won 17 of their last 21 games. They are 8-5 in 1-run games. Last night was the Astros' first win of the season in a game in which they did not hit a home run.
*The Astros officially won the season series with the Red Sox with last night's win. Three of the five games played were decided by one run, four of them by two runs.
*Brad Peacock threw 6IP, 4H/0ER, 8K:1BB. Since moving to a full wind-up, Peacock: 23IP, 12H/1ER, 32K:6BB. That's an 0.39 ERA / 0.78 WHIP.
*Roberto Osuna's 25-game consecutive game save streak came to an end. Osuna:
This was one of those days. They attacked me early, but I was able to make the adjustments late in the inning and keep the leading run at third...I was able to keep the game close for the guys to win.
*Houston was 4x13 w/RISP and Boston was 3x12. The Astros left 12 men on base.
*Carlos Correa got the walkoff hit in the bottom of the 9th to complete a 3x4 day. Correa, on his approach to the walkoff PA:
I didn't really want to give the at-bat to Yuli. A walk or a sac fly would get the job done. I'm not trying to do too much, I'm just trying to put the ball in play to right-center field and it happened to fall for a hit. Once I hit it, I knew it was going to stay fair. It was on a line over the first baseman. That's why I started celebrating right when I hit it.
*Aledmys Diaz had hit three doubles all season long, then got two last night. It's his first multi-extra-base hit game of the season."We got guys who can get the job done." @Ken_Rosenthal talks with @TeamCJCorrea after his walk-off hit. pic.twitter.com/OnkWFXr17L— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 26, 2019
*George Springer, the Astros, and all of us got a mixed bag of news related to Springer's hamstring today: It's a Grade 2 strain. Altuve's is considered a Grade 1 strain. Hinch:
It's not as dramatic as we had feared. He's going to be out a little while and is going to exceed the 10 days. But (the doctors) were encouraged by their findings and their observation. He's really sore. He's not going to do anything for the foreseeable future. But hopefully, if the initial diagnosis is right, then we've avoided the catastrophe that it looked like on the field.
I think the most interesting thing about this quote is the emotion that is clear in Hinch's words. Hinch is not an emotional guy, at least outwardly. He might cry at Verizon commercials at home, I don't know, but he doesn't use "dramatic" and "catastrophe" in his comments to the media. So he's relieved, as we all are.
There is no performance-based argument for Fisher to be called up ahead of Alvarez, only ones related to service time and cost-cutting. By delaying the start of Alvarez's service time clock and ensuring he won't qualify for the Super Two designation during the 2021-22 offseason, the Astros stand to save a few million dollars down the road.
Our Own Brian Arbour asks if we fans should even care about the Super Two deadline. It's extremely good.
At any rate, in the Hinch-quote link, Kaplan outlines how the Astros have to replace Springer (team leader on offense, leadoff hitter, etc.) and why 2017 World Series Game 5 Hero Derek Fisher got the call. Hinch has already said he plans to go Bregman-Brantley-Correa in Spots 2-4, so presumably Altuve will take over the leadoff role until Springer gets back, which I'm estimating (with no knowledge of the situation) will be between the end of June and the All-Star Break. Luhnow, on Fisher:
We really felt like Fisher, given his ability to play center field and his speed and the fact he's been hitting well for a while now and can steal a base, it's a good combination for us.
Also, the Springer injury probably accelerated Jose Altuve's return, with which I suspect the Astros were being overly conservative. Altuve will join Round Rock today in Nashville (jealous) play today and tomorrow and possibly rejoin the Astros after Monday's doubleheader with Nashville. Luhnow:
[Round Rock has] a doubleheader [Monday], so he'll be able to get as many at-bats as he needs. We do a checkpoint after the first night and after the second day and then come back here. We're hoping to get him in a game here before [the road trip], but certainly the goal is to have him active and playing every day by the time we get out on the road trip.
*And then Max Freaking Stassi left the game early with an injury. Guess it's time to see what Garrett Stubbs has done with Round Ro- oh he went 1x2 with a walk and a 2-run home run before getting replaced probably about five minutes after Stassi left the game. Kyle Tucker hit his 15th home run of the season, and A.J. Reed went 2x5 with 3RBI. Stubbs is apparently on his way to Houston. It is his birthday. Not a bad present.
*Here's a good piece from Chandler Rome on newly-promoted-to-Round-Rock Brandon Bielak's ninja-like assault on the Astros' top prospect list.
*Corpus tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the 9th, but Frisco re-took the lead in the top of the 10th for a 10-9 win. Abraham Toro was 3x5 with 4RBI, and was a double away from the cycle. Seth Beer was 4x5 with 2RBI, and is hitting .382/.488/.529 in nine games since getting called up to Corpus.
*Ruben Foster and Freudis Nova have joined Quad Cities. Spoiler alert: Freudis Nova plays a huge role in my 4th-straight World Series win in 2023 on OOTP 20.
*Chandler Rome: Jeff Bagwell has a lot to offer this group of Astros hitters.
*The Rays are keeping in touch with Dallas Keuchel AND Craig Kimbrel.
*The San Antonio Express-News' Mike Finger has some excellent satirical shade towards Art Briles and Mount Vernon High School.
*RIP, legendary Dallas Morning-News sportswriter Gerry Fraley. Here's a great tribute from Evan P. Grant.
*Two nights ago Colorado's Trevor Story hit his 100th career home run in his 448th career MLB game. It's the fewest number of games ever by a shortstop hitting 100 home runs. Carlos Correa is at 92 home runs in 520 games.
*Amanda Eller, lost in a Hawaiian forest for 17 days, was found alive. Here's how.
*A Musical Selection:
