stRangers @ Astros August 8, 2014

[Mr. Happy]

Your lineups for tonight's game:

stRangers

RFShin-Soo Choo (L)
SSElvis Andrus (R)
DHJ.P. Arencibia (R)
3BAdrian Beltre (R)
1BAdam Rosales (R)
CFLeonys Martin (L)
CGeovany Soto (R)
2BRougned Odor (L)
LFDan Robertson (R)
TEX: Miles Mikolas (R)  (1-4, 7.29)

Astros

2B Jose Altuve (R)
C Jason Castro (L)
DH Chris Carter (R)
LF Marc Krauss (L)
1B J. Singleton (L)
3B Matt Dominguez (R)
RF Robbie Grossman (S)
CF Jake Marisnick (R)
SS Marwin Gonzalez (S)
HOU: Brett Oberholtzer (L)  (4-7, 4.17)

[Reuben]

I'm not sure which is more pitiful: JP Arencibia as the Rangers' #3 hitter, or Krauss as our #4.

[Reuben]

I'm not sure which is more pitiful: JP Arencibia as the Rangers' #3 hitter, or Krauss as our #4.

Thanks, asshole. 2-run HR for Arencibia puts Dallas ahead in the 1st.

[Reuben]

Grossman with a shitty effort or lack thereof on a bloop by Rosales, who I neglected to make disparaging remarks about despite being an obvious target for such.

[jbm]

Thanks, asshole. 2-run HR for Arencibia puts Dallas ahead in the 1st.

And the crowd cheers.

[jbm]

The only positive is that Mikolas kind of sucks, and the Astros might get some runs and make it a game.  The Rangers broadcast only shows the inbreds in the crowd; makes it look like a Ranger's home game.

[Reuben]

HPU just cost Obie a K on an 0-2 pitch that was almost right down the middle.

[austro]

I got home just in time to turn on the TV and see Arencibia deliver his HR. FML.

[Aussie Astro]

I got home just in time to turn on the TV and see Arencibia deliver his HR. FML.

Not to worry, the mascot discussion should help take your mind off how crappy the team is playing right now.

[Reuben]

Fuuuuuuuuuck. Altuve almost got that over the CF's head.

[austro]

Fuuuuuuuuuck. Altuve almost got that over the CF's head.

MMPUS giveth, and MMPUS taketh away.

[Reuben]

MMPUS giveth, and MMPUS taketh away.

Yeah, I suppose if he had pulled it, it would've been a Grand Slam. I couldn't tell if it got high enough but probably.

[Reuben]

Who is Matt Clark? Julia's BF?

[Aussie Astro]

Who is Matt Clark? Julia's BF?

Connect all the dots and it sounds like it.

[austro]

Who is Julia Clark?

And why do the Astros always seem to wait until 2 outs to get down to the business of putting people on base?

[Reuben]

Beltre is such a cocky cock.

[jbm]

Looks like I was wrong again: Mikolas is apparently a star. If Darvish throws this series, a no hitter is possible.

[Reuben]

Carter! #25!

[austro]

I have to say, those folks in the front office who stuck with Carter are starting to look a lot smarter.

[jbm]

I have to say, those folks in the front office who stuck with Carter are starting to look a lot smarter.

True.  Maybe Grossman will one day be another example.

[Reuben]

I have to say, those folks in the front office who stuck with Carter are starting to look a lot smarter.

JimR always liked him, too, I recall. That about sums up everyone who hadn't given up on him.

[austro]

Two pop-ups to third base in the inning. Very depressing. I really wanted Krauss's "double" to come back to bite the Rangers.

[Aussie Astro]

Two pop-ups to third base in the inning. Very depressing. I really wanted Krauss's "double" to come back to bite the Rangers.

The way they handled that Krauss pop up was on the nose...

[austro]

So Altuve's out?

[jbm]

Yeah, the said something about his neck.

[NeilT]

I never gave up on Carter.  I always knew he'd come around.  Really.

[Reuben]

Another great outing by Oberholtzer.

[Reuben]

Rangers bring in the winner of the Johnny Cueto look-alike contest to pitch the 7th.

[Jacksonian]

I have to say, those folks in the front office who stuck with Carter are starting to look a lot smarter.

Looking a different videos from May or so and now he appears to have lowered his hands a little and maybe opened his stance slightly.

[austro]

Man, that was a nice pitch from Veras to punch out Arencibia.

[NeilT]

Looking a different videos from May or so and now he appears to have lowered his hands a little and maybe opened his stance slightly.

The radio guys keep saying that he finally bought into a shortened swing and not trying to pull.  I don't know if that's right, but they say it with every hit.

[Reuben]

That was a rather ridiculous swing from Beltre.

[Reuben]

Man, that was a nice pitch from Veras to punch out Arencibia.

As was strike 3 on Beltre.

[austro]

That was a rather ridiculous swing from Beltre.

That's kind of his trademark nowadays. He gets a lot of hits where he winds up with his right knee in the dirt.

[austro]

Can Moran hit a ground ball to the right side with a man on 2nd?

Dominguez had better go buy Grossman a steak after the game.

[Reuben]

Grossman!!! WOOHOOO!!!

[chuck]

That was a totally legitimate home run.

[austro]

Petit comes through. Suck it, Rangers: we're going to own the silver boot, even if it's all covered in shit.

[Reuben]

Huge hit by Petit for the insurance run. Credit Marisnick's wheels, too, for making it possible.

[austro]

Credit Marisnick's wheels, too, for making it possible.

Yeah, I was afraid he was moving a little gingerly after beating out that ball at first, but I guess he's ok.

ETA: I like the way he moves and plays. If we could get legitimate offensive threats in RF (Springer?) and LF (Carter?), I could definitely see carrying a below-average offensive player in CF if he can vacuum up everything that's hit out there.

[Reuben]

Good god Rosales is a gangly, awkward fucker.

[Reuben]

Jeeezus Qualls, get it together here.

[austro]

That was a heart-stopper. I'd prefer a little more routine end to the rest of the inning.

[jbm]

That was a heart-stopper. I'd prefer a little more routine end to the rest of the inning.

Looking kind of routine so far

[austro]

Looking kind of routine so far

Too true.

[Reuben]

Looking kind of routine so far

Ashby thinks he's been unlucky this inning on some pitches that were down, but Qualls seems to either be really on or not be on at all.

[austro]

Fields and Sipp if Qualls can't get it done? Yikes.

[austro]

A badly-needed DP! Thank you, Lord!

[Reuben]

Fucking Fuck Yes! Marwin with the NICE turn!

[austro]

Fucking Fuck Yes! Marwin with the NICE turn!

And a nice job by Petit to make damn sure that ball wasn't going anywhere no matter how bad a hop it took.

[jbm]

A badly-needed DP! Thank you, Lord!

Surprising, but welcome. Nice job by the middle infielders.

[Jacksonian]

Yeah, I was afraid he was moving a little gingerly after beating out that ball at first, but I guess he's ok.

ETA: I like the way he moves and plays. If we could get legitimate offensive threats in RF (Springer?) and LF (Carter?), I could definitely see carrying a below-average offensive player in CF if he can vacuum up everything that's hit out there.

Someone has to bat 9th.

[Nate Colbert]

Someone has to bat 9th.

True, but the Astros already have too many guys competing for that job.

[Reuben]

Brown said that Bo was asked what his OF would be when Fowler and Springer return, and he said:
Springer RF
Fowler CF
Marisnick LF

I'm actually not surprised that Bo is deferring to the veteran despite the result being that your worst OF (of the three) by far is in center, but it is mildly disappointing. I kinda hoped they'd spin it as playing Fowler in LF would help him avoid re-injuring his oblique or something.

[MRaup]

Jesus Goddamn Christ, if there is a hell, it's being called by the Rangers TV crew. FUCK they're awful.

[juliogotay]

Brown said that Bo was asked what his OF would be when Fowler and Springer return, and he said:
Springer RF
Fowler CF
Marisnick LF

I'm actually not surprised that Bo is deferring to the veteran despite the result being that your worst OF (of the three) by far is in center, but it is mildly disappointing. I kinda hoped they'd spin it as playing Fowler in LF would help him avoid re-injuring his oblique or something.

I thought Luhnow got Marisnick to play CF. If he doesn't play CF at MM I don't see his value. He doesn't hit well enough to play a corner spot and he probably never will. He looks damn good in CF though.

[jbm]

I guess I'm as foolish as Porter, but while I think Marisnick is a good center fielder, he's hardly exceptional.  He is often slightly misjudging his routes and doing last minute twisting to glove it and I don't recall Fowler doing that.  I also haven't noticed him covering any more ground than Fowler (Marisnick gets better jumps, but has less closing speed). He probably has a better arm although I have yet to see it. In other words, I don't see him as clearly superior to Fowler as a defender. I also don't think Fowler is a bad center fielder.

[Ron Brand]

Special guest recap.

[Mr. Happy]

Special guest recap.

A P. Rick sighting! Outstanding!

[juliogotay]

I guess I'm as foolish as Porter, but while I think Marisnick is a good center fielder, he's hardly exceptional.  He is often slightly misjudging his routes and doing last minute twisting to glove it and I don't recall Fowler doing that.  I also haven't noticed him covering any more ground than Fowler (Marisnick gets better jumps, but has less closing speed). He probably has a better arm although I have yet to see it. In other words, I don't see him as clearly superior to Fowler as a defender. I also don't think Fowler is a bad center fielder.

I haven't seen enough of either to form a personal opinion. Only the Ranger games I see. I am strictly going by what Luhnow said post-trade. He called Marisnick a +CFer and said that they would like to have three CF-types in their OF to save runs. I may be wrong on this but I believe he said he envisioned Marisnick being the Astros CFer for a long time. And again, with his poor offensive contributions I can't see him bringing value any other spot in the lineup but that's me editorializing. 

Maybe Luhnow was just doing his best spinning to put a good face on the trade and appease those of us that didn't like the idea of dealing Cosart and I admit to being one. Maybe Moran and the draft pick were the key return parts and the idea is for  Marisnick to fill in while Fowler gets well. After all Hernandez was playing CF.

[Mr. Happy]

I haven't seen enough of either to form a personal opinion. Only the Ranger games I see. I am strictly going by what Luhnow said post-trade. He called Marisnick a +CFer and said that they would like to have three CF-types in their OF to save runs. I may be wrong on this but I believe he said he envisioned Marisnick being the Astros CFer for a long time. And again, with his poor offensive contributions I can't see him bringing value any other spot in the lineup but that's me editorializing. 

Maybe Luhnow was just doing his best spinning to put a good face on the trade and appease those of us that didn't like the idea of dealing Cosart and I admit to being one. Maybe Moran and the draft pick were the key return parts and the idea is for  Marisnick to fill in while Fowler gets well. After all Hernandez was playing CF.

I wonder if they traded Cosart due to his grumbling. I wouldn't have parted with his arm.

[juliogotay]

I wonder if they traded Cosart due to his grumbling. I wouldn't have parted with his arm.

I hope not. I wondered about that too though. It came right on the heels of the Appel Houston trip deal.
Of course it is only speculated that he was the grumbler but it wouldn't surprise me.

[Reuben]

I guess I'm as foolish as Porter, but while I think Marisnick is a good center fielder, he's hardly exceptional.  He is often slightly misjudging his routes and doing last minute twisting to glove it and I don't recall Fowler doing that.  I also haven't noticed him covering any more ground than Fowler (Marisnick gets better jumps, but has less closing speed). He probably has a better arm although I have yet to see it. In other words, I don't see him as clearly superior to Fowler as a defender. I also don't think Fowler is a bad center fielder.

Admittedly I haven't seen all of Fowler's games, but I've seen a fair amount (thanks, mlb.tv), and I'm constantly struck by how conservatively he plays. He almost never dives, and he seems much more apt to turn and play off the wall or pull up and play on a hop a ball that might have been catchable. He's got the long legs and the closing speed but it's sort of like his base-stealing; he just doesn't quite seem able to put it to its best use. I'm not saying a CF has to be all Aaron Rowand or Darin Erstad and crash into the wall every game and wind up being injured all the time, but he should have a hunger for making every play, and I don't see that in Fowler. Maybe he's just gun-shy because he's already got a rep for being injury-prone, but, again, that probably means LF is a better, and safer, spot for him. I also feel like his arm is pretty bad. Not quite Grossman-bad or Presley-bad, but not good either. Every scouting report I've read on Marisnick talks about his great arm and plus CF range, so I'm inclined to think he's clearly a better fit there than Fowler.

[Reuben]

Also, for what it's worth (nothing really), if I were running the team I'd send Marisnick down when Springer and Fowler return. He could use some more work on his hitting in AAA, and Grossman has played well enough of late to warrant a longer look.

There is precedent as that's what they did with Dominguez - brought him up from AAA right after trading for him, then sent him down a week or so later; I believe they mentioned not thinking he was ready but wanting the major-league staff to evaluate him in person so they could have a plan for what he needed to work on in AAA.

[juliogotay]

Also, for what it's worth (nothing really), if I were running the team I'd send Marisnick down when Springer and Fowler return. He could use some more work on his hitting in AAA, and Grossman has played well enough of late to warrant a longer look.

There is precedent as that's what they did with Dominguez - brought him up from AAA right after trading for him, then sent him down a week or so later; I believe they mentioned not thinking he was ready but wanting the major-league staff to evaluate him in person so they could have a plan for what he needed to work on in AAA.

I agree. If he's not going to play CF in Houston he needs to be playing everyday working on his game at AAA. Not that much time left in the AAA season though.