Astros @ Angels, 5/7-10 – Choke Back the Bile

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Waldo in Series Previews

It’s time we all did some soul searching because it’s obvious that someone screwed up. Things were going so well before they weren’t. Sure, you would be naive to look at the series against the Mariners and not see a couple of chinks in the armor, most notably on Sunday. But to get blown out of your own stadium by the Rangers at a combined mark of 20-5? We all have our responsibilities and someone clearly dropped the ball.

I must confess that it might have even been me. After the win on Sunday I took my daughter to KFC for some chicken. Can’t go wrong, right? However, as I was mowing the yard on Monday night, listening to the Astros maintaining a 1-0 lead into the late innings, I encountered a spider while moving the kids’ toys around on the back porch. In that brief moment before the spider scurried off, I consciously considered eating the spider in the finest TalkZone tradition. Yet, I did not. I didn’t even make an attempt. It was not 15 minutes later that the Rangers had tied it, and not much after that that the streak was gone.

Mea culpa.

However, as I am sitting in a hotel room in west Los Angeles looking out at the unsuspecting landscape, I can’t get the following thoughts out of my mind:

Anaheim is seriously AN HOUR AWAY from here? Don’t let the Port Arthur Astros of Houston hear about that.
Where can a red-blooded American find a got-damn incandescent bulb in this city/state?
Anaheim/Los Angeles is not Houston, therefore the Astros have more than a fighting chance.

The second place Halos just took two out of three from the hapless Mariners after being swept in San Francisco. Meanwhile, the Astros, despite their failings against the Rangers, still own the best record in the AL and lead the league in causing opposing fans to boo their home team. Should make for an interesting weekend. Hopefully circumstances will allow me to make one of the games.

Thursday, May 7 – 9:05pm CDT
Collin McHugh (4-0, 3.41) vs. Hector Santiago (2-2, 3.14)

Both pitchers are coming off outings they’d probably rather have back. McHugh, despite ending up with a win and a decent stat line (eight baserunners over seven innings), gave up four home runs to the M’s. Santiago took the loss against the Giants while giving up four runs in five innings. Although neither pitcher has faced the other team this year, Santiago is 0-2 with a 7.47 ERA against the Astros, while McHugh is 2-2 with a 1.90 ERA against the Angels. Can we please get this guy some run support against LAA this time?

Friday, May 8 – 9:05pm CDT
Roberto Hernandez (1-2, 4.25) vs. Jered Weaver (0-4, 6.29)

The hell has happened to Jered Weaver this year? The Angels have only won one of his starts, a no-decision against the Astros which was also one of his two good starts so far this year. He’s already given up eight homers this year, which puts him well on a pace to be a career worst this season. Meanwhile, Hernandez has induced his fair share of big outs here and there and has been serviceable towards the back of the rotation. Both pitchers own career sub-3.00 ERAs against the other team, so this one could be either a pitching duel or a slugfest.

Saturday, May 9 – 8:05pm CDT
Dallas Keuchel (3-0, 0.80) vs. Matt Shoemaker (2-2, 5.40)

Two beards enter, one beard leaves. Both pitchers have been fairly consistent this year and that works to the Astros’ advantage. Shoemaker has allowed at least three runs in each of his starts, but he’s coming off a game where he pitched into the 8th and struck out ten Mariners bats. That number could easily be higher on Saturday. Cychel (that’s right, I’m starting it) has been outstanding all year and has gobbled up more innings than anyone in baseball. On the surface, this matchup looks the most promising. Then again, when doesn’t a Keuchel vs. Any Random Stooge matchup look promising?

Sunday, May 10 – 2:35pm CDT
Scott Feldman (2-3, 5.50) vs. Garrett Richards (2-1, 2.52)

Richards has strung together three fairly impressive outings since he lost his season debut to the Astros. He has pitched late into games, struck out a fair amount, and has done a generally solid job of keeping himself out of trouble. He’s also 4-1 against the ‘Stros. Feldman had also strung together some good starts before imploding against the Rangers on Tuesday. The Astros’ fate in this game is going to be largely dependent on which Feldman shows up.

Prediction

Three days ago: Astros SWEEP!!!11!1one
Two days ago: Astros still sweep?
Yesterday: Ok, Astros win 3-1.
Today: Split all the way.

Who Were Those Guys?

Posted on May 7, 2015 by BudGirl in Featured, Game Recaps

Astros lose 11 to 3 and start the wrong kind of streak after getting swept by Rangers

WP: Colby Lewis (2-2)
LP: Samuel Deduno (0-1)

BOX
GameZone

Contributed by Sphinx Drummond

The Astros came home after a historically successful road trip only to shit in their own beds. Win 10 in a row, great young team. Lose three in a row, same old shitty Astros. Okay, maybe not. The road warriors are 10-2 on the road though, and just 8-8 at home. And the Astros are still 18 -10 overall, and in first place by 5 games. They still have the second best record in MLB.

Samuel Deduno pitched a scoreless first inning and then all hell broke loose. After surrendering 4 runs in the 2nd inning, he became the sacrificial lamb destined to eat innings at whatever the cost in order to save the arms in the bullpen. Four point two innings into the game and Deduno had been pummeled, giving up 11hits, 3 walks, and 13 runs. Maybe he’s not the answer for who is the fifth starter. Relief pitchers Joe Thatcher, Will Harris, and Tony Sipp closed out the game, each pitching fairly well.

The batters weren’t much help. Jose Altuve and Jake Marisnick were hit-less and saw their still stellar averages drop to .339 and .342. Evan Gattis got two hits and has seen his average climb above the Mendoza Line to .205. George Springer sat this one out and Chris Carter hit another meaningless homerun that didn’t help anything but his homerun total, which now stands at four.

The Rangers offense is benefiting from a healthy Prince Felder and is getting outstanding contributions from journeymen Kyle Blanks and Carlos Peguero. Blanks has been blistering the ball to the tune of a .357 average and Peguero hit 2 homeruns last night and had three for the series. Thanks to the Astros (and Seattle) the Rangers are no longer in last place in the division, and now stand 6.5 games behind the leading Astros.

Thursday the Astros fly to Anaheim and face the Angels in a four game series. Collin McHugh will take his perfect 4-0 record and go against Hector Santiago and his 2 wins and 2 losses. Game time is 9:05pm CST. It’s right on time to put the ugly three game losing streak in to a shit filled bed, set it on fire, and start a brand new winning one.

Attendance – 22230
Game Time – 2:32

Quick and painful

Posted on May 6, 2015 by MusicMan in Featured, Game Recaps, News

Rangers 7, Astros 1

W: Wandy Rodriguez

L: Feldman

HR: Valbuena (7), Peguero (1), Blanks (3)

Box
Game Zone
Win Expectancy

Scott Feldman never gave his teammates much of a chance, getting pounded for four runs in the first and two more in the third, and basically never allowing a hitter to make less than hard contact.

The game was still in the balance in the bottom of the second, with the Astros trailing 4-1 thanks to Valbuena’s upper-tank shot in the first, and the bases were loaded for Altuve with two outs. This is where all those things that went right during the winning streak broke the other way. Altus pounded a ball down the LF line that was just foul, and a foot away from clearing the bases; instead, he tapped out to the pitcher on the next pitch, and the Astros’ only threat of the night was over.

To make matters worse, Springer suffered a likely concussion crashing into the wall in the seventh:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2015_05_05_texmlb_houmlb_1&mode=video&content_id=103159383&tcid=vpp_copy_103159383

Speculation is already that he will head to the 7-day DL, which could mean a Santana sighting for a week.

Oh, and Wandy Rodriguez pitched 8 easy innings against his old team. Congratulations to a guy this writer always enjoyed watching pitch.

Well that sucked.

Posted on May 4, 2015 by BudGirl in Featured, Game Recaps

Rangers 2, Astros 1
W: Detwiler, L: Qualls, S: Feliz

GameZone
Box

I know the Astros’ win streak had to end at some point but damn did they have to have it end against the Rangers? I just hate their front-running fans. They are as bad as Cubs fans. And why did Roots Sports not remove the microphone from around the fans yelling Let’s Go Rangers? I cannot think of anything more irritating to hear on the broadcast, besides Ashby.

Seems like Keuchel is going to be the bad luck pitcher this season, he does his best to not give up any runs (or only 1) and his team cannot score any for him. Keuchel had 6 consecutive strike outs, which is odd since he is usually getting outs on the ground. I do not understand why the Astros do not want to score runs for Keuchel. I guess they believe he will win regardless, I guess they forget they are responsible for half of the score. The Rangers have scored 3 of the 4 runs Keuchel has given up this season. WTF???

Gattis has seemed to get some hits of late; his batting average is a season high .200. The middle of the line-up needs to start doing something and it wouldn’t hurt if they rest of the team

The Rangers had four doubles in this game and only the last one scored and that is the one that lost the game.

I’m done for the Spring semester. Anyone want to grab a burger before summer school starts?

Rangers at Astros, 5/4-5/6: Respect the streak

Posted on May 4, 2015 by MusicMan in News, Series Previews

Rangers (8-16) at Astros (18-7)
May 4: Detwiler (0-3, 8.66) at Keuchel (3-0, 0.73)
May 5: Wandy (0-1, 4.82) at Feldman (2-2, 4.31)
May 6: Lewis (1-2, 3.00) at Deduno (0-0, 2.70)
All games at 7:10 PM, CDT
TV: Yes!

FINALLY, the Series Previews have come BACK to OWA!

Our long local nightmare is over, Constant Reader. At last, your trusty OWA admins, contributors, hangers-on, and groupies have conspired to return to the grand tradition of previewing each series in our own unique ways. And just in time, too!

https://youtu.be/Y-FrR-f4ig4?t=1m36s

A player on a streak has to respect the streak. You know why? Because they don’t come around that often.

Uh-oh.

Somebody go sacrifice a live chicken while I plow through the rest of this, OK?

Texas Rangers: 8-16

They lead the league in bullpen innings pitched… which, y’know, is not a good sign. Neither is that 8-16 record, but we’re all about digging deeper here. Their best hitter is Prince Fielder, whose bloated contract has provided all of a team-leading 2 home runs; their second-best hitter is Kyle Blanks, who wasn’t on the roster until last week; and their third-best hitter is Carlos Corporan (res ipsa loquitur). Their best starting pitcher doesn’t appear in this series. They are being outscored by more than a run per game. Let’s move on before I write anything that actually jinxes us.

Houston Astros: 18-7

What can you say about this team? How about that the 10-game streak could easily be 15, interrupted only by a 3-2 loss where the team blew opportunities in the 8th and 9th? How about that they are 18-7 despite sub-optimal performances from over half their offensive regulars?

Sometimes, things all break right for a team. Your starter gives up 5 runs on the day the offense has scored 6, not on the day they’re scoreless. Your closer gives up 2 runs on the day he has the 3-run lead, not on the day with the 1-run lead. The hardest-hit ball goes to your best fielder, not over the wall. Such things make hot streaks. And guess what? Such things can make hot SEASONS.

To put things in perspective for the series, George Springer has been more valuable offensively than ANY Texas Ranger this season. Let’s kick ass and take names.

Game 1

Ross Detwiler has gone 1-16 against current Astros. Unsurprisingly, Altuve has that hit. Detwiler has thrown his fastball only 28.2% of the time this season, so the Astros won’t exactly be sitting dead-red.

Dallas Keuchel is clearly more democratic; the man generates ground balls in a way that would make Crash Davis genuflect. He has allowed only a .238 average to current Rangers.

Game 2

Our old friend Wandy Rodriguez has found great success against this lineup, allowing only 5-28 with one double and no HR to current Astros. Wandy hasn’t changed much, still mixing his fastball and curveball in equal parts.

Scott Feldman has fared well against these Rangers, allowing only a .220 average with 2 HR in 123 AB.

Game 3

Colby Lewis has held the current Astros to a .269 clip, but it may be Conger time in this one; Castro is 0-11 lifetime against Lewis, but Conger is 5-17 lifetime against him.

Sam Deduno has struggled against the Rangers, allowing 16-48 with 2 HR. Adrian Beltre might get four wide ones, as he has gone 5-10 with both of those HR against Deduno.

SERIES PREDICTION:

You seriously think I’m going to make a prediction?

Respect the streak.

Ten in a row.

Posted on May 3, 2015 by Waldo in Game Recaps

May 3, 2015

Astros 7, Mariners 6

W – Neshek (2-0)
L – Smith (0-1)
S – Gregerson (6)

Box Score | GameZone thread

INTRALEAGUE MEMORANDUM

To: American League General Managers
Cc: MLB Headquarters
Bcc: [email protected]

Re: The Integrity of the Game

To Whom It May Concern,

In an effort to preserve and protect the integrity of the game of baseball, we must lobby for the following rule changes to be put into effect immediately:

Winning streaks of longer than nine games should no longer be recognized by Major League Baseball. Consecutive wins achieved beyond nine straight should henceforth be called “extra wins”.
Power hitters should be subjected to even more stringent testing for the presence of performance-enhancing drugs. These rules will be applied to all players whose last names rhyme with the words “lattice” (this is of utmost importance) or “farter”.
Challenges on plays at the plate, on principle, should always go against any team whose home stadium is located in the area bordered by I-45, I-20, I-65, and the Gulf of Mexico.
Should any American League team overcome a large deficit and tie a game against another American League team whose colors are navy and orange, the game should immediately be called and the former team should be declared the victors.
Mercy rule – If any American League team who has not won a World Series championship should take a five-run lead, that team’s score should be multiplied by the number of that team’s World Series championships. If neither team has won a World Series championship, the longer-tenured American League team should be declared the victors.
Games in stadiums with a retractable roof must be played with the roof open.
If a game is being played with a retractable roof open and the wind is blowing out to the short side of the field, the roof must be closed.
If a conflict exists between rules 6 and 7, the visiting team should be declared the victors.

Due to recent events we must take drastic measures to restore the Major League Baseball food chain to its intended order. Thank you for ~~not torching my house because I said moving the Astros to the AL was a good idea~~ your support.

<3,

Allan H. “Bud” Selig
Former Commissioner

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