The Astros won both sides of a double-header and the Roggits won by 34. It was, as Ice Cube once expressed, a good day. Houston is 19-14, 2.5 games behind Oakland and 6.5 games up on Arlington for 2nd place.
Game 1
4-2 win. Kyle Tucker was 2x3 with a 3-run home run. Lance McCullers threw 6IP, 6H/2R (1ER), 7K:1BB. Ryan Pressly needed eight pitches to shut down the 7th. The Astros got five extra-base hits. Jose Altuve was 0x3 with a strikeout. Springer cracked a double. Jack Mayfield was 2x3. Dusty Baker, on Kyle Tucker:
He's actually carrying us right now. I'm glad he is. He's coming into a zone. He's playing with a lot of confidence. He's driving in some big runs.
McCullers, since allowing 8ER in 3.2IP against Arizona on August 5 (four starts):
23.2IP, 17H/7ER, 21K:6BB, 0HR. 2.66 ERA / 0.97 WHIP.
McCullers:
I was really happy with the changeup today. And my breaking ball and really most of my stuff. I made a little adjustment midweek. I threw two bullpens this week with the hurricane days, and I made a little adjustment with my front side. It felt like it was coming out more consistent on that two-seam line.
Game 2
After a solo home run in the 1st inning, the Astros scored the next five runs and finished with a 6-3 win. Springer, Altuve, Brantley, and Maldonado had two hits each. Springer hit his first home run since August 19, and his first at Minute Maid Park since July 25. Number of games played when Springer hit his 5th home run of the season:
2020: 26
2019: 17
2018: 28
2017: 9
2016: 26
2015: 28
Kyle F. Tucker was 1x4 with a bases-clearing triple. In his last ten games, Kyle Tucker is hitting .484/.579/1.226, a 1.805 OPS. Tucker:
I've been seeing the ball real well. I haven't chased a lot of pitches...If you're not chasing pitches, and you're getting pitches over the plate to hit, you'd be more productive that way.
Zack Greinke threw 5IP, 6H/3ER, 6K:0BB, 2HR. Yesterday was the first time Greinke had allowed four extra-base hits as an Astro. Greinke:
I thought a lot of guys played good today. For me it was nice seeing pretty much the whole team playing good...It hasn't quite come together that good, I didn't think. It has started to more recently, but today was just a really good day.
Ryan Pressly is the first MLB player to record saves in both games of a double-header since Todd Jones in 1995.
*FanGraphs gives the A's a 69.6% chance of winning the division, and the Astros a 30.3% chance, but the Astros are at 98.7% to make the playoffs. At 7.6% the Astros have the highest odds in the AL of winning the World Series.
*Aledmys Diaz made his return to the lineup for the first time since the 5th Inning of Game 1 after injuring his groin. In that link, we find that Luis Garcia was called up, another young guy who hasn't pitched above Low-A. That said, Garcia has struck out 284 batters in 205IP in his career. And you can click it to read what Dusty had to say about tomorrow's Trade Deadline.
*Vice: The broken algorithm that poisoned American transportation.
*Wired: Are your kids learning virtually? This gear may help.
*Many of you who have been around These Parts for a while know I love to run. I haven't run in almost two months thanks to a jacked up foot that won't heal (I'm in a boot) because I am A Ninny. I have a Google Map created where every time I go for a run, I put a placemark on a map in an effort to run from the Texas/Louisiana border to El Paso. Outside Magazine says that's not a good idea: Stop counting your running mileage.
*A Musical Selection:
