Astros @ Indians August 24, 2014

[Mr. Happy]

Your lineups for today's matinee:

Astros

RFRobbie Grossman (S)
2BJose Altuve (R)
DHDexter Fowler (S)
LFMarc Krauss (L)
1BJ. Singleton (L)
SSMarwin Gonzalez (S)
CCarlos Corporan (S)
3BMatt Dominguez (R)
CFJake Marisnick (R)
Brett Oberholtzer (L)  (4-8, 4.01)

Indians

CF Michael Bourn (L)
SS Jose Ramirez (S)
2B Jason Kipnis (L)
1B Carlos Santana (S)
RF Tyler Holt (R)
DH Zach Walters (S)
LF Mike Aviles (R)
3B L. Chisenhall (L)
C Roberto Perez (R)
CLE: Trevor Bauer (R)  (4-7, 4.41)

[Bench]

That was odd.  In between the second and third innings Porter sent every player to the locker room for a quick speech.

[Reuben]

That was odd.  In between the second and third innings Porter sent every player to the locker room for a quick speech.

What? How did they even have time? That's quite bizarre. Any idea what prompted it (I've been running around and missing parts of the game).

[NeilT]

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears . . .

I bet it was a very noble speech.

[Reuben]

Ugh. Another awful AB by Singleton, trying to hit the ball to the moon. It almost seems like these occasional HR he's hitting are encouraging him to continue bad habits.

[Reuben]

Marisnick goes waaaayyyyyyyyyy back, a long, long way, to run down a deep Kipnis fly ball into the LCF triangle area. Damn he is good (though perhaps you could question why he was playing the #3 hitter so shallow). Also had a great throw earlier on a sac fly to make it close with Bourn running.

[Reuben]

Awesome. 1 pitch and Castro GIDPs to erase a leadoff walk by Corp in the 7th.

[Reuben]

This is one of those games that makes you wonder how the Astro hitters ever score a run. Much less lead the majors in Runs since the AS break.

[Reuben]

Holy Moly, a run! Singleton bounces one away from the shift into LF, and Krauss, uh, "motors" all the way around from 1st. Luckily the throw from the LF was nowhere near home plate.

[Reuben]

Marwin bounces one to the same spot but this time the 3B is there. mid-8th, 3-1 Indians.

[Reuben]

"Cody Allen" is their closer? Never, ever heard of the guy. Having a nice season apparently.

[juliogotay]

This is one of those games that makes you wonder how the Astro hitters ever score a run. Much less lead the majors in Runs since the AS break.

Carter's run totally energized this team. It is either over or in a lull. Cleveland has some good young, hard-throwing pitching too. I look forward to a time, hopefully, when the Astros rotation has some live arms like Folty, Appel, Vasquez, Hader.

[geezerdonk]

I think Springer gave the team a jolt when he came up and then Carter carried on in spectacular fashion. Notable among those not energized by Springer, Carter or anybody else are Castro and Dominguez who have taken a default for the season.

[Mr. Happy]

"Cody Allen" is their closer? Never, ever heard of the guy. Having a nice season apparently.

He took John Axford's place as the closer earlier this seasom. I watch him pitch a lot. He's got a great arm-real cheese and a sharp slider.

[Reuben]

He took John Axford's place as the closer earlier this seasom. I watch him pitch a lot. He's got a great arm-real cheese and a sharp slider.

Assuming that means you watch the Indians a lot, what's up with Bourn this year? Obviously he's missed games with injuries, but only 8 SB (4 CS) in 74 games? He's really fallen off in CLE, after 5 straight years of 40-60 SBs. Has he lost a step, or do you think he'll get back to what he was?

[Mr. Happy]

Assuming that means you watch the Indians a lot, what's up with Bourn this year? Obviously he's missed games with injuries, but only 8 SB (4 CS) in 74 games? He's really fallen off in CLE, after 5 straight years of 40-60 SBs. Has he lost a step, or do you think he'll get back to what he was?

Living in Toledo, I see the Indians a lot because Mrs. Happy, who hails from Cleveland, is a huge Tribe fan. Bourn has suffered all season from hamstring problems. He had surgery on his hamstring during the off-season, but he's been on the DL twice this season, and, in fact, just got off of the DL.

[Reuben]

Living in Toledo, I see the Indians a lot because Mrs. Happy, who hails from Cleveland, is a huge Tribe fan. Bourn has suffered all season from hamstring problems. He had surgery on his hamstring during the off-season, but he's been on the DL twice this season, and, in fact, just got off of the DL.

Thanks. That'll do it, I guess. Here's hoping he can regain his prior form soon.

[Knoxbanedoodle]

The Indians radio guys are so good I almost didn't mind when Fowler k'd to end it. I was almost rooting for them.

Incidentally, I pretty much exclusively listen to the opponents' feeds and this series was the first time I'd ever heard anyone give a candid autopsy of the move to the A.L. without pulling any punches. It's always been notable to me: a lot of old baseball guys must have been as baffled and upset by the forced relocation as Astros fans were, but, sensitive of their positions, they're not likely to use their pulpits to air grievances. The Indians main PBP guy was blunt: the sale was conditional on accepting the move; why not the Rockies or D'Backs; decades' worth of rivalries flushed; some Astros fans would never get over it... It was refreshing.

[Ron Brand]

Reuben has his fingers crossed.

[NeilT]

Reuben has his fingers crossed.

"It would be nice if they can manage a 72-90 record. The 2000 Astros had that record, and then improved to 93 wins and a division championship the next year. Fingers crossed."

Me too.