The Houston Astros came crashing back to earth after their one (1) win in Seattle and were sloppy as hell, from all accounts (I had to be out of town from about 3:30-11pm yesterday so mercifully I didn't watch a minute of the game). Houston lost 6-2. They're 86-72. There are four games remaining.
*AL Playoff Picture:
1. Baltimore (98-59)
2. Grand Prairie (88-69)
3. Minnesota (84-73)
4. Tampa (96-62)
5. Toronto (87-70)
6. Houston (86-72)
7. Seattle (85-72): +0.5
*AL West Division / Postseason Odds:
Grand Prairie: 86.9% / 97.1%
Houston: 6.6% / 58.6%
Seattle: 6.5% / 49.2%
Grand Prairie: 78.3% / 98.0%
Seattle: 14.0% / 42.5%
Houston: 7.7% / 63.7%
The Game, For Some Reason
*AL West Records, Sept 1-present:
Grand Prairie: 13-11
Oakland: 9-14
Houston: 9-14
Seattle: 9-15
Anaheim: 7-17
*Houston has lost 10 of its last 14 games. Their opponents in those 14 games: v Oakland, at Kansas City, v Baltimore, v Kansas City, at Seattle.
*The Astros committed three errors (Altuve, Bregman, Tucker). The Astros have allowed eight unearned runs in their last eleven games. Dusty:
We had (Kirby) on the ropes in the first inning and then we had another bases loaded and nobody out, and we just got one run out of it. We didn't play real well tonight. We kind of threw the ball around and then we didn't back up the bases a couple of times. We didn't play well.
*Houston got 10 hits last night, but only scored two runs, mainly thanks to going 2x13 with runners in scoring position. Jose Abreu was 0x3 w/RISP, Yordan and Yainer were 0x2 w/RISP.
*Last night was the 7th time in 2023 the Astros had 10+ hits and lost. Four of those games have come in September. It's the 3rd time in 2023 that the Astros recorded 10+ hits, scored two or fewer runs, and lost.
*Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena had three hits each. It was the 14th 3-hit game of Altuve's 2023 season, and the 9th of Pena's season. Neither of them scored a run last night. Altuve, on the series finale:
Probably the biggest game of the year. Gotta win. Gotta go out there and score more runs than them and win the game, win the series.
*Yordan went 0x5. It was the 33rd time in 478 games he had at least five Plate Appearances and no hits.
*Chas McCormick was plunked in his large of the back by a 99mph fastball from Ariel Munoz (I know his name is Andres, I stand by it). It was his 5th HBP to 205 batters faced in 2023. Four of those HBPs have come in September. Dusty:
I'm tired of our guys getting hit. It makes guys a lot bolder when they don't have to hit.
The Astros' 72 HBPs are the 6th-highest in the League. Yordan (13) and Chas (11) have worn it the most in 2023.
*Cristian Javier didn't live up to the tone Verlander set: 4.2IP, 3H/4R (3ER), 6K:3BB. He needed 91 pitches to not get through the 5th Inning.
*And so was Rafael Montero, who allowed three hits and a walk without recording an out.
*Bennett Sousa threw 1.1IP, 0H/0ER, 2K:0BB. In four appearances for the Astros in 2023, Sousa: 5.1IP, 0H/0ER, 7K:0BB.
*Whoever wins tonight's game will be in the third and final Wild Card spot heading into the last series of the season.
*The Athletic: Welcome to the "Gold-Plated" Villages the Premier League's elite call home.
*What To Watch, September 27:
Manchester City @ Newcastle United: 2pm Central
Senators @ Canadiens: 6pm
Yankees @ Blue Jays: 6:07pm
Dynamo @ Inter Miami: 7:30pm
Rangers @ Angels: 8:38pm
Astros @ Mariners: 8:40pm
*A Musical Selection:
