Rays @ Astros August 2, 2017

[Mr. Happy]

Your lineups for tonight's home tilt:

Rays

CFPeter Bourjos (R)
RFSteven Souza (R)
3BEvan Longoria (R)
DHLogan Morrison (L)
1BTrevor Plouffe (R)
CWilson Ramos (R)
LFCorey Dickerson (L)
SSA. Hechavarria (R)
2BBrad Miller (L

TB: Austin Pruitt (R)  (5-2, 6.63)

Astros

LF Derek Fisher (L)
2B Jose Altuve (R)
RF Josh Reddick (L)
1B Y. Gurriel (R)
SS Marwin Gonzalez (S)
DH Carlos Beltran (S)
C Brian McCann (L)
3B Alex Bregman (R)
CF Jake Marisnick (R)

HOU: Dallas Keuchel (L)  (9-0, 1.94)

[HudsonHawk]

Morrison with a 2-run dinger gives the Rays another quick 2-0 lead...

[HudsonHawk]

T1:

Dickerson pops out to shallow CF
Plouffe singles to LF
Longoria chops to 3B...Bregman looks at 2B, no play and has to really hurry to nip Longoria on the 5-3, Plouffe to 2B
Morrison homers to RCF, Plouffe scores
Ramos grounds out 4-3

2-0 Rays

[MusicMan]

I love our radio guys, but "that ball will split the gap... all the way to the Houston bullpen... for a home run" is not good.


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[MikeyBoy]

Despite the dinger, DK looks a lot sharper than last outing. So far.

[HudsonHawk]

I love our radio guys, but "that ball will split the gap... all the way to the Houston bullpen... for a home run" is not good.


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To be honest, off the bat it never occurred to me that it had a chance to get out.  It was a line drive that just never came down.

[MusicMan]

To be honest, off the bat it never occurred to me that it had a chance to get out.  It was a line drive that just never came down.

Ok, that makes a little more sense. It just went from "I guess he'll score from second" to "wait, what?"


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[HudsonHawk]

B1:

Fisher pops out F5 in foul territory
Altuve...who is now 0 for August...quickly down 0-2...1-2...2-2...flies out F8...Kalas with a chubby
Reddick grounds out 4-3

2-0 Rays

[austro]

What a shit-luck inning this is.

[HudsonHawk]

T2:

Hechevarria grounds to SS...Marwin boots it...E6
Miller flies out F7 on the first pitch
Bourjos with a  comebacker to the mound, Keuchel stabs it, whirls to 2B, but can't get the speedy Bourjos. on the turn  Score it a FC, Hechevarria out 1-6
Smith...full count...slow roller to 2B, Altuve tries to bare hand it, but it rolls up his arm...infield single...Bourjos to 2B
Dickerson...full count...routine grounder to SS..shift is on, so no one is there...Marwin able to keep it on the infield...another infield single...Bourjos to 3B, Smith to 2B
Plouffe pops out F6 on the first pitch

So the error doesn't cost any runs, but it forced Keuchel to throw an extra 13 pitches

2-0 Rays

[HudsonHawk]

B2:

Gurriel singles up the middle
Marwin...0-2...strikes out swinging at a pitch in his eyes a foot off the plate
Beltran strikes out swinging
McCann flies out F7

2-0 Rays

[austro]

There just doesn't seem to be much energy this evening.

[HudsonHawk]

T3:

Longoria strikes out swinging
Morrison flies out F9 on the first pitch
Ramos...full count...walks
Hechevarria...routine grounder to 2B...no one there on the shift...single...Ramos to 2B
Miller chops to 1B...Gurriel gets eaten up...glove flies off as it goes into RF...Ramos around and scores on a play at the plate...Hechevarria to 2B
Bourjos grounds out 5-3 on the first pitch

3-0 Rays

[austro]

Time for the offense to do some vaunting.

[David in Jackson]

Looks like that ball should have been stopped by Yuli. Good throw gets runner at home. This team is just out of sorts now.


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[HudsonHawk]

Looks like that ball should have been stopped by Yuli. Good throw gets runner at home. This team is just out of sorts now.


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I think Yuli got shielded by the runner a bit, then it was on top of him.  But yeah, that's a play he normally makes. 

[Jacksonian]

Looks like that ball should have been stopped by Yuli. Good throw gets runner at home. This team is just out of sorts now.


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They're wondering who Keuchel wanted to get rid of in favor of the traded for players he wanted.

[hostros7]

There just doesn't seem to be much energy this evening.

Stadium is dead, GZ is dead, game pace is slow, marketing lady providing an inning-long commercial in the booth, Keuchel looking average, grilled chicken for dinner, light rain outside, lethargy.


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[HudsonHawk]

Astros with runners on the corner...nobody out as the lineup turns over...

[JimR]

Stadium is dead, GZ is dead, game pace is slow, marketing lady providing an inning-long commercial in the booth, Keuchel looking average, grilled chicken for dinner, light rain outside, lethargy.


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That is what big leads do.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

I wish people wouldn't refer to Dallas Keuchel as DK. I get that it's easy to type, but I always think initially of Darryl Kile, and then think oh yeah, Dallas Keuchel. It hasn't been that long. Respect the dead of go fuck yourself.

[HudsonHawk]

Altuve trying to yank every pitch

[HudsonHawk]

B3:

Bregman...0-2...lines a double into LCF gap
Marisnick bunts right back to the pitcher, who goes to 3B to get Bregman, but the third baseman came in and couldn't get back to the bag and Bregman is safe.  Marisnick reaches on the FC
Fisher...0-2...strikes out swinging at pitch that bounces in front of the plate
Altuve grounds into 4U-3 double play

Thud

3-0 Rays

[hostros7]

I wish people wouldn't refer to Dallas Keuchel as DK. I get that it's easy to type, but I always think initially of Darryl Kile, and then think oh yeah, Dallas Keuchel. It hasn't been that long. Respect the dead of go fuck yourself.

I only refer to him as Keuchel, unless he's acting like he has a sandy vagina, in which case I appropriately refer to him as "Dallas."


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[HudsonHawk]

I wish people wouldn't refer to Dallas Keuchel as DK. I get that it's easy to type, but I always think initially of Darryl Kile, and then think oh yeah, Dallas Keuchel. It hasn't been that long. Respect the dead of go fuck yourself.

Kile pitched for the Astros 20 years ago.  A good portion of the fans have no clue who he was or that he ever played for the Astros. 

[HudsonHawk]

Keuchel is getting two full balls off the plate.  He should be working that.

[JimR]

Altuve trying to yank every pitch

He hurts this team batting .350. Go figure.

[HudsonHawk]

Keuchel a mess tonight

[HudsonHawk]

T4:

Smith strikes out swinging
Dickerson...full count...flies out F8
Plouffe doubles down the LF line
Longoria...3-1...grounds out 6-3

3-0 Rays

[austro]

Keuchel a mess tonight

I didn't see him against Detroit. Is he any better tonight than he was in that one?

[HudsonHawk]

I didn't see him against Detroit. Is he any better tonight than he was in that one?

I didn't see that one.  He's not been terrible tonight, but not good either.  He's had poor command to go along with a little bad luck

[austro]

That was a heck of a play by Hechavarria even though he didn't get Reddick.

[hostros7]

I didn't see that one.  He's not been terrible tonight, but not good either.  He's had poor command to go along with a little bad luck

From what I remember, he was missing his spots by a wider margin last start.


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[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

I'm confused. Does Altuve hurt the team because, while he may hit .350, he truly only has the productivity of perhaps a .245 slap hitter or maybe it's that he often has mental lapses at the most inopportune times and by having them he is essentially taking runs off the board? Or maybe if he didn't have so many bad ABs he would be hitting .400 with the productivity of .295 hitter and therefore creating more runs?

[HudsonHawk]

B4:

Reddick grounds to the hole between 3B and SS, but with the shift, ends up an infield single
Gurriel...0-2...1-2...2-2...full up...grounds to SS...Reddick running on the pitch, so no play at 2B...6-3 gets Yuli
Marwin grounds out 6-3, Reddick to 3B
Beltran grounds out 4-3

3-0 Rays

[BudGirl]

I wish people wouldn't refer to Dallas Keuchel as DK. I get that it's easy to type, but I always think initially of Darryl Kile, and then think oh yeah, Dallas Keuchel. It hasn't been that long. Respect the dead of go fuck yourself.

I thought the same thing when I first saw that.

[HudsonHawk]

T5:

Morrison...3-0...3-1...walks
Ramos grounds into 6-4-3 double play on the first pitch
Hechevarria grounds out 6-3

3-0 Rays

[JimR]

I didn't see that one.  He's not been terrible tonight, but not good either.  He's had poor command to go along with a little bad luck

He was beyond terrible in that start. Not watching, but he must be better tonight.

[HudsonHawk]

B5:

McCann grounds to 2B...6-3 with the shift on
Bregman grounds out 5-3 on the first pitch...hit it firm, but right at Longoria
Marisnick pops out F3 in foul territory

3-0 Rays

[HudsonHawk]

Keuchel out

5 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs (all earned), 2 walks, 2 strike outs

[JimR]

I'm confused. Does Altuve hurt the team because, while he may hit .350, he truly only has the productivity of perhaps a .245 slap hitter or maybe it's that he often has mental lapses at the most inopportune times and by having them he is essentially taking runs off the board? Or maybe if he didn't have so many bad ABs he would be hitting .400 with the productivity of .295 hitter and therefore creating more runs?

It is not how many hits do you get, but when you you get them. He has too many bad ABs with runners on and the game on the line.

[HudsonHawk]

T6:

Musgrove in

Miller strikes out swinging
Bourjos flies out F9
Smith...3-0...3-1...walks...delays the game while he puts on an oven mitt
Dickerson flairs a single to CF, Smith to 3B
Plouffe strikes out swinging

3-0 Rays

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

I get that he frustrates but I can't bring myself to be as critical of Altuve. I think on balance the pluses greatly outweigh the minuses.

[HudsonHawk]

Pruitt now with his deepest outing of the season.

[HudsonHawk]

Fisher now hurt diving back into the bag...trainer out...

[HudsonHawk]

B6:

Fisher...full count...chopper to 3B, shift on, so no one there...infield single
Altuve pops out F6 on the first pitch, falling to his knees trying to yank it to the Crawford Boxes...remains 0 for August
Fisher steals 2B...pitch goes to the backstop, but is deked into a slide so no chance to advance further
Reddick...full count...walks
Gurriel grounds into 5-4-3 double play on the first pitch

3-0 Rays

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

I'm disappointed the vauntidudinouslessness of the good-guys this game.

[HudsonHawk]

T7:

Longoria grounds out 4-3...Altuve with the shift fields it on the SS side of 2B
Morrison strikes out swinging
Ramos...0-2...strikes out looking

First 1,2,3 inning of the night

3-0 Rays at the stretch

[HudsonHawk]

Astros with the tying run at the plate...one out...

[HudsonHawk]

B7:

Marwin...quickly 0-2...1-2...doubles down LF line
Beltran flies out F7 on the first pitch in the dirt

That's all for Pruitt, Cishek in

McCann...full count...walks
Bregman grounds into 6U-3 double play

Wow

3-0 Rays

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Fucking double plays.

[HudsonHawk]

Kalas needs to shut the fuck up about who "knows they'll pitch in the post season". 

[HudsonHawk]

T8:

Hechevarria check swing flair single to RF
Miller taps back to the mound...Hechevarria out 1-6, Miller reaches on the FC
Bourjos chops to 3B, only play is to 1B, Miller to 2B
Smith soft liner to 1B

3-0 Rays

[drew corleone]

The double plays are a beating.

[HudsonHawk]

T8:

Marisnick...0-2...1-2...2-2...3-2...flies out F9
Fisher strikes out swinging
Altuve bunts...right back to the pitcher, who throws it into RF...Altuve to 2B on the TE1

Cishek out, Jennings in

Altuve steals 3B
Gattis, pinch hitting for Reddick...quickly down 0-2...1-2...2-2...pops out F2 behind the plate

3-0 Rays

[HudsonHawk]

T9:

Jankowski in

Dickerson lines out to 2B
Duda, pinch hitting for Plouffe...walks on four pitches
Longoria flies out to deep RCF on a nice running grab by Marisnick
Morrison...full count...strikes out looking

So we go to the 9th...Astros need three to tie

[VirtualBob]

The double plays are a beating.

Seems like about 8 of them so far. And now runner on 1st with one out.

[HudsonHawk]

B9:

Colome in for the Rays

Gurriel flies out F8
Marwin...3-0...3-1...walks
Beltran grounds up the middle...SS dives into CF...easily throw out Beltran...Marwin to 2B
Marwin to 3B on a wild pitch
McCann flies out f7

Astros get shutout 3-0

[HudsonHawk]

Astros have now lost 5 of the last 7.

[JimR]

Astros have now lost 5 of the last 7.

Once this starts, it is hard to turn it back on.

[HudsonHawk]

Once this starts, it is hard to turn it back on.

This is not the same team as the before the All Star Break.  I don't mean they're in a funk, I mean it's a completely different group of players.  This is not a playoff team, and they're going to struggle to make the post season. 

[JimR]

I get that he frustrates but I can't bring myself to be as critical of Altuve. I think on balance the pluses greatly outweigh the minuses.

I am not saying to trade him. I am saying his approach hurts the team in clutch situations.

[WVastro]

This is not the same team as the before the All Star Break.  I don't mean they're in a funk, I mean it's a completely different group of players.  This is not a playoff team, and they're going to struggle to make the post season.

This is very much what it feels like. But.... a Springer coming off the dl can flip the script pretty quick. Also, landing Verlander could do the same.

[HudsonHawk]

This is very much what it feels like. But.... a Springer coming off the dl can flip the script pretty quick. Also, landing Verlander could do the same.

Getting Springer back would help, as would getting Correa back.  But they're not here now, and Tyler White and AJ Reed are not the same players.  Jankowski is not a healthy Will Harris.  Things will have to improve drastically if they want to make the post season. 

Verlander is a pipe dream, IMO.

[WVastro]

Getting Springer back would help, as would getting Correa back.  But they're not here now, and Tyler White and AJ Reed are not the same players.  Jankowski is not a healthy Will Harris.  Things will have to improve drastically if they want to make the post season. 

Verlander is a pipe dream, IMO.

That pipe dream is all that's left for a meaningful acquisition. But... his contract almost guarantees him clearing waivers and then the Astros have an opening.

[JimR]

This is not the same team as the before the All Star Break.  I don't mean they're in a funk, I mean it's a completely different group of players.  This is not a playoff team, and they're going to struggle to make the post season.

I agree this is not the same team in terms of personnel but am not as pessimistic about the playoffs.

[BudGirl]

I agree this is not the same team in terms of personnel but am not as pessimistic about the playoffs.

Me either or I wouldn't be considering spending $1000 for playoff tickets already.

[MusicMan]

This is not the same team as the before the All Star Break.  I don't mean they're in a funk, I mean it's a completely different group of players.  This is not a playoff team, and they're going to struggle to make the post season.

I agree that they're different players, and only a .500 team since the All Star Break.

If they play .500 the rest of the way, the Mariners would have to go 40-13 to beat them.


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[HudsonHawk]

I agree that they're different players, and only a .500 team since the All Star Break.

If they play .500 the rest of the way, the Mariners would have to go 40-13 to beat them.


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I think the Astros going .500 for the rest of the way will be challenging unless things improve considerably.  Hopefully I'm overly pessimistic.  But I don't like what I've seen the last two weeks, and I don't see it improving much for the next 6 weeks or so. 

[austro]

I think the Astros going .500 for the rest of the way will be challenging unless things improve considerably.  Hopefully I'm overly pessimistic.  But I don't like what I've seen the last two weeks, and I don't see it improving much for the next 6 weeks or so. 

It'll be an interesting test. They definitely seem to be pressing now, and it will be interesting to see if they can get back to the more relaxed hitting style they had earlier. I think they go out there every night now thinking (at least subconsciously) that they're going to have to score at least six to win. Giving up those first-inning runs can't help that feeling.

[MusicMan]

I think the Astros going .500 for the rest of the way will be challenging unless things improve considerably.  Hopefully I'm overly pessimistic.  But I don't like what I've seen the last two weeks, and I don't see it improving much for the next 6 weeks or so.

I feel the pessimism, just pointing out the degree to which things would have to go completely to shit for them not to make the playoffs.


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[HudsonHawk]

I feel the pessimism, just pointing out the degree to which things would have to go completely to shit for them not to make the playoffs.


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Since I'm being a whiny bitch, I'll also point out one of my pet peeves I aim to correct.  The NFL has "playoffs".  MLB has "the post season".  I'm on a crusade. 

[juliogotay]

Once this starts, it is hard to turn it back on.

They just need to get back on the road. I really don't understand this phenomena.

[juliogotay]

Altuve trying to yank every pitch

that's the Altuve I remember from the 2015 KC postseason series.