Tri-City avenges parent club’s defeat with 11-3 beat-down

Submitted by Reuben

While the Astros were suffering their 7th loss in a row Sunday afternoon, the lady and I took in our first Valleycats game of the summer. On the mound for the home team was Luis Ordosgoitti, who looked quite sharp in holding the Lowell Spinners to a run on 4 hits and 0 walks over 5 innings. L.Ordos is a big fellow, 6-4 with broad shoulders, but he has a nice compact delivery with a little half-turn and pause just before his drop-and-drive toward the plate. His fastball consistently hit 89, but the stadium gun may be a bit slow. He mixed in plenty of off-speed stuff and controlled it all well, staying ahead of hitters regularly. While he’s had more downs than ups in his pro career, he may be starting to put it together – aside from one rough 2-inning game this year, he’s notched a 2.50 ERA with 14 H, 5 BB, 1 HR and 15 K in his other 18 innings.

Meanwhile, the hitters provided plenty of support. LF Ryan Bottger (12th-rounder this year out of UT-Arlington) had a great day, driving in the first run of the game with a double down the LF line to score Bobby Boyd from 1st base. Bottger later homered and, batting from the left side of the plate in the 7th, laced a double the opposite way, to virtually the same spot as his earlier double. He capped off his 4-for-4, BB effort with an outstanding diving catch in the 9th inning.

3B JD Davis (3rd-rounder this year out of Cal State-Fullerton) continued his fine season with a double, homer, 5 RBI day. His HR was absolutely crushed the other way to right-center, a few pitches after hitting one HR-distance that curled foul down the RF line. He’s a well-built kid and looks very at-ease in the box. Defensively, he made a nice scoop and running throw of a swinging bunt, albeit too late to nab the runner.

Tri-City’s other college masher, AJ Reed, didn’t quite look as comfortable, though he went 2-for-4. He was thrown out at the plate on an aggressive send to end the 1st. He’s not a fast man, but he’s not a fatty either. Reed was removed from the game in the top of the 7th after initially going out to his position. Hopefully it’s not a serious injury – he didn’t appear to be limping or anything.

Joe Musgrove pitched 2 innings and was impressive, despite allowing a run on 3 singles. His fastball was sitting 92-94, again on a possibly slow gun. He mixed in a good amount of off-speed stuff. Musgrove is even bigger and broader-shouldered than Ordosgoitti. I’m surprised he’s given up so many hits – 71 in about 53 IP between this year and his 2013 GCL season. A 42-7 K/BB ratio and only 1 HR allowed are good signs, though, for the former 46th-overall pick.

Speaking of prospects who’ve struggled to fulfill expectations, Ariel Ovando went 0-for-5. He did hit two balls extremely well. One was a liner to the RC gap, but right where the RF, curiously, was standing. He easily doubled off the puzzled runner who was on 2nd. The other was a shot to straightaway CF that looked like it might get out but died right at the warning track. Ovando looked every bit as dejected and defeated after those rips as he did after his two swinging strikeouts, shuffling back to the dugout with his helmet in hand. The numbers have been bad since a nice 2012 season, but he’s still very young (won’t turn 21 until September) and has time to put things together. A nice showing this summer would get him right back on track career-wise.

All in all, an impressive team showing. Bobby Boyd had some very nice Abs, showing patience but also an ability to foul off tough 2-strike pitches. He had 3 hits to up his average to .404, and would have had 2 SBs if not for a badly blown call at 2B. Mott Hyde showed a nice arm at SS, though perhaps should’ve charged a couple balls that he layed back on. 13th-round C Jamie Ritchie brought his AVG up to .462 and is very fast for a catcher.

At 15-8, the ‘Cats already have a 4-game lead in their division, and are about to be joined by 37th overall pick Derek Fisher in their quest for back-to-back NYPL Championships. Vamos Gatos, Vamos Gatos.

Disneys 7
Stars 6

contributed by NeilT

I decided that I would rewrite my story this summer. Mostly I’m the evil queen, Grimhilda, but Grimhilda, Maleficent, all us evil queens are the same. Haven’t I done a dandy job with the rewrite? Just look at me.  Don’t let ‘em fool you, them’s Angel wings.

It was time for a rewrite, too. Last year wasn’t good for me. I really missed my boy La Russa telling me how young and virile I am. I had a measly .258 batting average, a .330 OBP, and a .437 SLG. My OPS was a career low .767. This year though, I talked to our people at Disney and after I gave myself true love’s kiss I’ve been the biggest hit of the summer. Before last night I had a .254 batting average, a .308 OBP, a .459 SLG and an OPS of .767.

Oops.

But those Astros, just look at them. 87 games in, at 36-52, for a .409 winning percentage! Last year they were 31-56 for a .352 winning percentage. Talk about true love’s kiss! That’s four games to the better, which at this pace they won’t lose until sometime later this month! Give them a couple of years, they’ll be above .500, and their fans will have no complaints whatsoever. Really. No complaints.

And what could have been more satisfying than last night’s game? I, Queen Maleficent, led things off in the 4th with a blast that ruined another Astros pitcher! Put him right over the Lidge, so to speak.  That superstar Keuchel gave up five ER. And Magnificent Me! Three hits, three runs, and three RBI’s for Grimhilda! Suck my broomstick, Astros, you do it so well. I schooled that pipsqueak Altuve–no runs, no walks, and no steals—on how it’s done. That’s probably another Astro you can add to my list. He’s now under Maleficent’s curse. Goodnight sleeping beauty.

Carter homered in the second, and there was plenty of traffic in the fourth with Springer getting his 17th. Singleton homered in the fifth. Corporan was the M.D. Anderson Lucky Strike Player of the Game with 3 Ks, which kept the Stros in double digits with 11.

Oh yeah, the game was tied in the 9th when Nemo hit a walk off. He forgets himself from time to time.

But otherwise it was a very satisfying game, Astrolenas, and I’m still the fairest of them all.

Angels 5, Astros 2 

W-Shoemaker (6-2) L-Oberholtzer (2-7) S-Smith (10)

contributed by Mr. Happy

When the highlight of the Astros’ night is Kike Hernandez (who played LF tonight) doubling up superhuman Steve Trout at 2B, you know that it was a long and late night for the Astros. They dropped their fourth in a row and now sit at 36-51, tied with the Snakes for the 1-1 pick. The only consolation is that the stRangers are matching the Astros futility for futility, losing their fifth in a row to stay only two games in front of the Good Guys. You gotta look for the silver lining where you can find it.

There were other high points in the game, like the Piranha getting three hits to raise his BA to a nifty .347 and Jason Castro actually getting two hits in the same game, something that he’s not done much this season. Perhaps hitting in the two spot will get him going. The ball club again sucked with ducks on the pond, going 1-8. There was good and bad base running by No. 4; he stole his fourth bag but also got picked off of 1B.

Oberholtzer was typical Oberholtzer. He did the best that he could, bless his heart, but the Halos star-studded starting nine were just too much tonight. Veras finished up and had a scoreless outing with two Ks in 1.2 frames. We really need Veras to regain his form because I am starting to doubt that we’ll ever see Jesse Crain or Matt Albers this season.

Box

Mariners outscore the Astros by 20 runs in three games series.

contributed by Sphinx Drummond

The Astros started the series with a season record against Seattle of 5-5, now they are 5-8. Astros starter Brad Peacock pitched a shutout though the first five innings and took a 2 to nothing lead into the sixth. King Marwin started the scoring for the Astros with a solo shot to RF in the bottom of the third, his fourth on the year. And rookie Kiké Hernandez added his first ever homer in the bottom of the fifth inning. Then shit happened.

After striking out the first batter he faced, Peacock lost it in the sixth, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch, allowed 3 hits, a walk, and 4 runs, before being replaced by Anthony Bass who retired the final two batters. The Astros Wednesday record has fallen to 4 wins and 10 losses, in case anyone is interested. Obviously Wotan isn’t.

After picking up two hits in his first game, and one in his second, Kiké Hernandez has a .600 batting average, he is slugging 1.400 and has an OPS of 2.000. Still looking for his first triple, though. Altuve struck out twice Wednesday. Twice in one game. Domingo Santana is still looking for his first hit but he is fitting in well with 6 strikeouts in his first two games.

Sipp and Qualls pitched well in relief, each going one inning. The Astros are now 16 games behind division leaders the Oakland A’s. The Rangers also lost Wednesday, so the ‘Stros are still nipping their heels, just two games behind.

The Astros travel to Anaheim Thursday to face the Angels in a four game series. Thursday’s game will begin at 9:05 CST and will feature Oberholtzer (2-6 4.40) going against Shoemaker (5-2 4.50). Apart from a couple of bad outings, Oberholtzer has pitched fairly well, he’s not had anything go his way this year.

Kiké Hernandez’s first major league homer. His family’s reaction is priceless.

Weather: 73 degrees, roof closed.
Wind: 0 mph, None.
T: 2:47.
Att: 17,209.

Astros win 6-4, Tigers lose 4-6

Submitted by Reuben

The homecoming ended on a bitter note for former Astro heart-throb Brad Ausmus Sunday, as his Tigers couldn’t quite pull off a 2nd straight comeback against the Houston bullpen. Scott Feldman pitched a fine game, 6 innings, scattering 7 hits and 2 runs, but the real hero of the day was Tony Sipp, as he proved to be the anti-Jerome-Williams, saving the day and clinching a series win over the first-place Tigers.

While the 5-2 lead the Astros held since the 6th inning felt much more comfortable than the 2-1 of the previous night, things began to fall apart quickly in the 8th. Jose Veras retired the first two hitters, Torii Hunter (thanks to a nifty play by Matty D on a bunt attempt) and Miguel Cabrera. But then Veras got a little wild, walking the normally-unwalkable Victor Martinez and allowing a single to JD Martinez. He then fell behind 3-0 on Nick Castellanos, and, after working the count full, threw a slider that Castellanos hooked down the LF line, scoring both runners. A mental error by Villar allowed Nicky C to sneak into 3rd base with a “triple”.

So in comes Sipp, with the tying run on 3rd and pinch-hitter Ian Kinsler at the plate. Yeah, the guy who hit the game-winning homer in the 9th last night. The guy with a career .310 AVG and .517 SLG% against lefties. The guy riding a streak of 7 straight multi-hit games, including 3 doubles, 3 homers, and 9 RBIs. Did Tony Marcel Sipp give a damn about any of that? Clearly, he did not, as one changeup and two sliders later, Kinsler was walking back to the bench, a strikeout victim.

The Astros got a hard-earned insurance run in the bottom of the 8th, thanks to a clutch hit by Jon Singleton, and then Sipp came back out and slammed the door in the 9th, retiring the side in order. All four batters he faced were righties. For his effort, Sipp earned the Save, his first since 2012 and just the 3rd of his career. He also earned the love and admiration of all the Astros fans that had exploded with rage after Jerome Williams’ predictable 9th-inning meltdown the day before.

***

Also of note:
-Jose Altuve had his 4th straight multi-steal game. Apparently he is only the 3rd player in the modern era to accomplish this, and the first since Ray Chapman (RIP) in 1917. Frankly I’m shocked that Rickey never did that, in one of his 100+ steal years.

-Altuve, Dominguez, and Corporan each had 3 hits. Altuve’s league-leading AVG is now at .347. He also rapped his 25th double.

-The Astro hitters walked just as much as they struck out, accruing 5 of each. George Springer had 3 walks (2 intentional) and did not strike out at all.

***

Futility Watch: The dregs of MLB have caught up to the Astros a bit recently, as they have, at the moment, the 5th-worst record overall, just 1.5 games better than those pitiful new expansion teams, the D-backs and Rays. At 36-47, the Astros are one of eleven teams with between 34 and 37 wins. They are 2 games behind the Rangers, who actually have a slightly worse Run Differential than the Astros (-57 to -52).

***

And finally, what better time to watch this excellent Sonic Youth music video?

A Fragment from A. Pope’s Detroitiad

contributed by NeilT

Send words, Muse, so that I in turn may sing
Of rostered bats, oiled leather, and spiking
stars. Detroit! Whose graceful Ausmus
Came with fair words to steal BudGirl from us.

Send forth in orange ships on green-grass seas
The noble nine (or ten I guess, for these
AL games confuse me), with many-eyed
Peacock at the helm, Bengals to defy.

And he whose smallish height so like a flea
But sports the grace of proud nobility
Had been so cruelly struck upon the hand
Crushing, bruising, leaving his oar unmanned

Awoke, and to his second base arose
(At least as high as other players’ nose)
And forth with bat, in orange-hued array
Against the Tigg’s Verlander came to play.

And in the first, noble Altuve hits
A single, then to second steals, the mitts
And foes’ throws useless, and again useless,
As pitches wild drives hero home hitless.

But Bengals answer, with Avila’s score
In the bottom of the second, Cat’s roar,
And roar again, when in the inning four,
Bengal homers and grasps the higher score.

But noble Wotan, his Astros watching,
From Olympus to his players reaching,
Inspires Altuve to hit to bring Hoes home,
And then from third god-touched quick stealing come.

But watching Venus, Tiger’s goddess whore,
Who in eighth’s top let even up the score,
On errors by Singleton and Villar
And a new game begins for Cats and Stars!

Never again will we see a greater game
Played by short-lived man for another team
With foot and bat upon the grass-green sea
Through extra innings played great Altuve.

But lofty Jose could not bring alone
With 4-for-5, two steals (including home),
Two runs, swiftest feet, and an RBI
The green laurels of winged victory.

And in the tenth was stranded, and so on
To the eleventh frame, pitched close by Downs,
Veras, Qualls, Sipp, Buchanan in relief
But waiting for one run to set us free.

Comes the serviceable catcher Castro,
Service rendered as the backstop Astro,
In golden greaves, breastplate, helmet of war!
Now by the plate lifts up his mighty spear!

And with his flashing god-breathing swing
Hardy’s pitch on a line to center dings!
And in Illium’s plain that sweat-soaked day
Sends Tigers home and Stros to victory.