Astros @ Angels, May 15, 2018

[HudsonHawk]

T1:

Springer flies out F8
Bregman flies out F9
Altuve hit by pitch
Correa takes a centercut meatball then whiffs at a hanging slider forvstrike three

No score.

[austro]

Gregerson torpedoing the Shitbirds chances against the Twins.

[hostros7]

3-2 pitch to Trout was too good to take and blue rewarded him with a walk.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Well that was strike3.

[HudsonHawk]

Well that was strike3.

That was strike five.

[HudsonHawk]

Quickly 2-0 Angels...

[hostros7]

And it cost us an additional run to chase after Upton homers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HudsonHawk]

That pretty much kills the Astros’ chances in this one.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

And of course it costs us on the homer.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

That pretty much kills the Astros’ chances in this one.

Insurmountable.

2 run mercy rule in effect.

[LonghornCDR]

Haven’t seen the replay but he didn’t look out to me live.

[HudsonHawk]

B1:

Trout...takes four strikes to fill the count, and takes strike five for a leadoff walk. Jeebus, he just takes 1B whenever he feels like it, no chance of an actual strike getting called   
Ohtani strikes out swinging
Upton homers on a screaming line drive to LF, Trout scores
Pujols flies out F8
Simmons smokes one right at Correa who gets knocked down. Correa can’t pick it up and scored a single
Simmons caught stealing 2-6...Angels challenging...clearly out...yep

2-0 Angels

[Astros Fan in Big D]

I think it'll stand.

Agree live I thought safe.

[LonghornCDR]

Shocked that Marwin laid off ball 3. 

[HudsonHawk]

T2:

McCann whacks a single to LCF
Marwin...full count...strikes out swinging...now 0 for his last 19
Gattis bounces into a 6U-3 double play on the first pitch

2-0 Angels

[HudsonHawk]

I gotta go to bed. Angels already scored, so not much left to hope for.

[The Third Man]

More strike outs and double plays. Regression to the mean is a cruel mistress.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Cole goes 1, 2, 3 in the second.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Astros bats harmless in the 3rd.

[LonghornCDR]

Nothing to chirp at there, Trout. 

[Astros Fan in Big D]

HPU took a hot one in the facemask.

Immediately shaken.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Ohtani has a power swing. Oh, HPU took one on the chin.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Quite the delay. 

Hope all is well with the HPU.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

CB Bucknor now calling calling balls/strikes.

[astrojo]

Great, Bucknor now. Prob should just go to bed now.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Bregman with a nice grab of an Ohtani foul popup on a full sprint.

To the 4th.

[hostros7]

Trout is good


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Trout is good


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep.

Altuve smacked it good,  just 3 feet too short.

[hostros7]

Sweet piece of hitting by McCann drives in Bregman! A run!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Astros Fan in Big D]

We scored!  We scored!!

McCann pokes one down the LF line,  Bregman scores from 2nd.

He's run half a mile in the past 15 minutes.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Cole gets screwed on 3 pitches in the zone to Simmons,  gets to 3-2, then gives up a 2-out single on strike 5.

[BudGirl]

I refuse to believe a team with Valbuena is better than the Astros.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

I refuse to believe a team with Valbuena is better than the Astros.

Add massive over-managing to the mix and they should go down.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Astros down harmlessly.  Again.

I'm gonna hold on until the topof the order goes again.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Cole gives up a solo HR to Rivera.

Back to a 2 run deficit.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Now he pitches carefully to Trout and walks him.

Ohtani up.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Ohtani singles just past a diving Altuve,  but Trout is nailed at 3rd by Josh.

Cole threw to first several times to keep Trout close.   Paid off.

[DVauthrin]

Astros down harmlessly.  Again.

I'm gonna hold on until the topof the order goes again.

Part of the reason guys like Reddick and Marwin were so good last year is that they were in favorable lineup spots.  Reddick spent many games hitting in front of Altuve in the 2 hole and Marwin had Yuli hitting behind him for much of the season.  By stacking the lineup so top heavy right now, it is exposing their weaknesses. 

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Altuve gets a 2 out hit.

Correa up.   Ks swinging on a pitch above his eyebrows.

Thus ends my extremely half ass pbp.

Hope I'm pleasantly surprised when I check the score in the morning.

[Jacksonian]

Part of the reason guys like Reddick and Marwin were so good last year is that they were in favorable lineup spots.  Reddick spent many games hitting in front of Altuve in the 2 hole and Marwin had Yuli hitting behind him for much of the season.  By stacking the lineup so top heavy right now, it is exposing their weaknesses.

I don’t know. It looks to me like they’re trying way to hard to vaunt and score 5 runs with every swing.

[The Third Man]

Marwin: bamboozled.

[DVauthrin]

I don’t know. It looks to me like they’re trying way to hard to vaunt and score 5 runs with every swing.

To me, it’s a combination of trying too hard and teams figuring out the Astros can crush fastballs.  The Astros are seeing a heavy diet of offspeed stuff, which is exposing certain players weaknesses.  Marwin, for one, is seeing a ton of breaking balls this year, and has yet to adjust.  My point about the lineup construction is that by having Yuli hitting behind Marwin with the top of the order on base, he was in a position to see fastballs last year.  With Altuve behind him, Reddick saw a lot of fastballs as well.   Right now, the top of the lineup isn’t getting on base enough to force pitchers to have to throw fastballs to Marwin, Reddick etc.

[doyce7]

Don't run on Josh Reddick kids

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[The Third Man]

Josh Reddick: being awesome.

[The Third Man]

It is your time to shine, Jose.

[Texifornia]

Open up the loading dock and let's unload these bases!

[astrojo]

Altuve!

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Jose!!!!!

[Texifornia]

AHHHH yea!

Jose MVP Altuve!

[chuck]

Why the hell did Scioscia let that idiot pitch to Altuve?

[MRaup]

Jesus Christ, seriously Jose?

[MRaup]

I legitimately cannot stand Kalas when he defends stupid fucking decisions like that. That was SUCH a wasted out, don't kiss Altuve's ass for wasting a chance to add on.

[astrojo]

Will Harris? I was expecting Devo.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Harris has to earn it at some point.

[astrojo]

Harris has to earn it at some point.

He’s been great his last few innings, I just thought it would be Devo then Giles.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Top of the 9th Astros lead 4 to 3, would love an insurance run.

[believin]

Top of the 9th Astros lead 4 to 3, would love an insurance run.

Ask and it shall be given.

[astrojo]

2nd error of the inning plates a run. 5-3 Astros

[Texifornia]

Top of the 9th Astros lead 4 to 3, would love an insurance run.

'ere ya go!

[The Third Man]

Pujols hit against the shift.

[MRaup]

Jesus Christ, Valbuena. That was 100 percent on you. Go sit down.

[The Third Man]

I mean, yay for the K, but damn, that was way up in the zone.

[MRaup]

I mean, yay for the K, but damn, that was way up in the zone.

100 percent a strike, though. He should've mashed that junk.

[astrojo]

Surprised they didn’t pinch run for Pujols.

[LonghornCDR]

Nice come from behind win, fellas.   

[The Third Man]

100 percent a strike, though. He should've mashed that junk.

That's what I was thinking. Still, Giles got the save and the team showed some 2017 cajones with the comeback win.

[JimR]

Part of the reason guys like Reddick and Marwin were so good last year is that they were in favorable lineup spots.  Reddick spent many games hitting in front of Altuve in the 2 hole and Marwin had Yuli hitting behind him for much of the season.  By stacking the lineup so top heavy right now, it is exposing their weaknesses.

We won the WS with this order:

Springer
Bregman
Altuve
Correa
Gurriel

Gonzalez, Reddick, and Gattis were moved around in 6-8 depending on who was pitching and McCann was 9th. I do not know when he switched to that 1-5, but it was productive. The question going into this year was whether Marwin’s 2017 was a career year or a breakout year, and so far he is the old Marwin: missing or taking FBs and chasing bad breaking balls.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Nice to wake up and see that score. Kudos to the hearty souls who kept the gz vigil.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Jesus Christ, seriously Jose?

Did he try to score from 2nd on a grounder?  Gameday has his double then Correa FC 4-2.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Why the hell did Scioscia let that idiot pitch to Altuve?

There's no doubt Scioscia is kicking himself for only using 4 pitchers in a 9 inning game.

[HudsonHawk]

Wait a second...I went to bed...woke up in the middle of the night to check MLB app, and it showed the Astros lost 3-1.  Now I'm reading something different.  Either MLB is fucking with me or I'm really loopy when I wake up at 2:00 am

[jbm]

Are you in Bermuda or something?

Anyways, nice to read that the offense woke up while I slept.

[doyce7]

Did he try to score from 2nd on a grounder?  Gameday has his double then Correa FC 4-2.

Yes. He was stealing 3rd on the pitch and thought he could catch Kinsler off guard. Bad baserunning

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Yes. He was stealing 3rd on the pitch and thought he could catch Kinsler off guard. Bad baserunning

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

So he's a Willie Mays Hayes fan.

[HudsonHawk]

Yes. He was stealing 3rd on the pitch and thought he could catch Kinsler off guard. Bad baserunning

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

The ball was also up the middle, and many times the second baseman will immediately throw to 1B because he has to hurry to get the batter.  It was very aggressive by Altuve, but that's not always a bad thing.  There are a couple of guys I don't mind being hyper aggressive on the bases, and Altuve is one of them.  If he's not, he doesn't score from 1B on Correa's double in the ALCS, for example.  Sometimes you get the reward, sometimes you get thrown out when the other team makes a play.  That doesn't make it bad base running.  I would be very disappointed if they never got caught stealing or never got picked off or never got nabbed trying to take an extra base.  Yes these is aggressive and then there is foolish, but I didn't mind last night's. 

[TerryPuhl21]

Well put and agree.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HudsonHawk]

Well put and agree.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, Mark might want to kick me in the ass for defending it.  I keep looking over my shoulder.

[geezerdonk]

2017 ball. Best win so far this year?

[JimR]

The ball was also up the middle, and many times the second baseman will immediately throw to 1B because he has to hurry to get the batter.  It was very aggressive by Altuve, but that's not always a bad thing.  There are a couple of guys I don't mind being hyper aggressive on the bases, and Altuve is one of them.  If he's not, he doesn't score from 1B on Correa's double in the ALCS, for example.  Sometimes you get the reward, sometimes you get thrown out when the other team makes a play.  That doesn't make it bad base running.  I would be very disappointed if they never got caught stealing or never got picked off or never got nabbed trying to take an extra base.  Yes these is aggressive and then there is foolish, but I didn't mind last night's.

Totally agree.

[DVauthrin]

We won the WS with this order:

Springer
Bregman
Altuve
Correa
Gurriel

Gonzalez, Reddick, and Gattis were moved around in 6-8 depending on who was pitching and McCann was 9th. I do not know when he switched to that 1-5, but it was productive. The question going into this year was whether Marwin’s 2017 was a career year or a breakout year, and so far he is the old Marwin: missing or taking FBs and chasing bad breaking balls.

It’s hard to argue with getting your five best hitters as many at bats as possible, especially considering that was the lineup that won the World Series.   I was simply pointing out that when the offense was vaunting much of the regular season, Reddick had plenty of at bats in front of Altuve and Marwin was often protected by Yuli in the order.   Also, after the Red Sox series, both Marwin and Reddick went into extended slumps.